Pellet grills vs Offset smokers

[Neal]

I love my Ninja and it's my number one but when it comes to a full sized brisket, ribs, etc. I'm going to need something else for home, not RV. My recent catastrophe in trying to burn down my house with my pellet grill killed my GMG Daniel Boone, which may be a good thing in the end, I never really got a good smoke flavor which my Ninja Outdoor XL that I love opened my world to smoked cooking, amazing wings, etc.

So the time has come where I need to figure out what to do for something new as grilling is one of my few enjoyable ways to cook. Otherwise I have a two ingredient max to anything I'm going to cook and it usually involves a 5+00 START button press Something I learned in the shopping for a new pellet grill and the joy of asking YouTube for suggestions which now dominates my feed is that a pellet grill is not a smoker, it is a grill, and I have to agree with that. That explains why my expectations of getting some flavor from pellets never worked out.

So I ordered an offset smoker and I'm going to venture into this world and see how it goes. This one is a reverse flow smoker which seems odd by the reviews are far better than the non reverse flow smoker. So we'll see, keeping it cheap and simple and test the waters on this.

Looking for any experienced peeps here that have used an offset smoker and what your tips and tricks may be. Now to find some wood for this thing and probably a good fire extinguisher

 

[redbaron]

I have the OJ large pellet smoker. When compared to my offset smoker that’s 25years old and still going strong, I prefer the pellet.

Primary reason is consistency in smoke and temperature.

Using charcoal and wood is the “proper”/“Texan”/“preferred” method for any real brisket. That being said, I usually do 24 hour smokes and I enjoy sleep time as much as I do making a brisket.

I can turn out a perfect brisket every time with pellet, where as the coal method is directly dependent on how often I check the coal and maintain temp.

I suggest you do a few dry runs before you put meat in.

Practice your temps with only potted water in the chamber. Graph the temps with your data logging tool and practice keeping the swings within 40F.

 

[sheridany]

I did the whole pellet to offset smoker immersion and offset make great bbq but it’s takes a LOT more effort to do it right. Even starting them has a process you have to follow and keeping fires burning along with temp monitoring the meat and the heat is not set it and forget it. Pellet smoker turn out good consistent bbq. Offsets turn out terrific bbq if everything goes right. When it doesn’t Dominos is on speed dial.

 

[Neal]

I did learn in this recent study of adding smoker tubes to pellet grills to increase smoke flavor. If I do a pellet grill again I will be focused on ones like @redbaron pointed out that do in fact add flavor but also have hopper sizes to last overnight. I was not thrilled with my GMG in the end. For now we’ll see how offset smoking goes. Learning something new is fun and love pizza . I also learned I can use my pellets in a smoker box in the fire chamber too as I have bags of pellets still on hand.

 

[GlampDaddy]

Try this: Weber Smokey Mountain Grill 22”
I left mine with our house when we sold out to become nomads. It will be one of the first things I replace when we buy dirt again.

 

[Neal]

I looked at options like the big green egg, the red version of it (whatever it's called (kamoto?)) and I really want something that will take wood, not just charcoal, and provide the flavor of smoke I'm looking for like the Ninja provides.

 

[team bradfield]

I use wood chunks in my egg / eggs, works good

 

[Neal]

Offset smoker came today and assembled by amazon, GMG carnage hauled off. Now I see why this offset smoker gets all the reviews, you can change it to offset or direct flow. The chimney can go in either of the two ports. Cool. Now I need to practice and then I hope to find some beef ribs I saw on YouTube last night which I've never cooked and look amazing.

 

[newmarokie]

Oklahoma Joes was a very high quality grill/smoker that is made in Kingfisher, Ok.. They were originally marketed locally and at the Oklahoma state fair. I said was in the first sentence because I haven't talked to anyone who has bought and used one since the Amazon market expansion.

 

[redbaron]

Oklahoma Joes was a very high quality grill/smoker that is made in Kingfisher, Ok.. They were originally marketed locally and at the Oklahoma state fair. I said was in the first sentence because I haven't talked to anyone who has bought and used one since the Amazon market expansion.

I have 2. One before and one after.

They are now mass produced in china and are less expensive.

The electronics are worse now, and the metal is much thinner. It is no longer a lifetime purchase but rather a 5 year if left outdoors.

Still one of the best.

 

[DennisT]

Offset smoker came today and assembled by amazon, GMG carnage hauled off. Now I see why this offset smoker gets all the reviews, you can change it to offset or direct flow. The chimney can go in either of the two ports. Cool. Now I need to practice and then I hope to find some beef ribs I saw on YouTube last night which I've never cooked and look amazing.

We always referred to the beef ribs we smoked as meat candy

 

[Neal]

We always referred to the beef ribs we smoked as meat candy

Where do you find them? I'll have to check Costco next visit.

 

[DennisT]

Where do you find them? I'll have to check Costco next visit.

Not sure if we ever found at Costco or not. Can find in the grocery store or a meat market.

Our initial ones came with the 1/2 of a longhorn we bought from a ranch near where our house was.

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

I had a Yoder Wichita stick burner at my ranch, but I left it when I sold the ranch because it weighed well over 500#. Stick burners are what I learned to cook on many years ago. Once I learned how to set the firebox and stack dampers, I could maintain a temperature of 225 ± 15 ℉. I would use a deep layer of lump charcoal to start the logs, and I used red oak since that was my fireplace wood. Sometimes I would add a little mesquite, and I say 'a little' because it can be overpowering.

@Neal, I recommend seasoning your pit before cooking on it; you can experiment with the dampers at this time. Stick burners are still my favorite, especially for briskets.