How many have converted from stick burners?

bgeaddikt · February 2016

Found this online while searching for Big Green egg eggcessories for sale. I myself had 3 of these and havent looked back since

The Cen-Tex Smoker · February 2016

I'm going to be polite and say that $600 for a...ahem...."well used" homemade grill with no firebox is a bit steep. Even if smoke really good.

shtgunal3 · February 2016

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

I'm going to be polite and say that $600 for a...ahem...."well used" homemade grill with no firebox is a bit steep. Even if smoke really good.

I have one with a firebox that I'd give away.

Legume · February 2016

I wouldn't say that I converted. I had one, never invested the time to learn to use it well. Then it rusted through and I have an egg now. I'll buy another one in the next couple of years, but probably something simple.

HeavyG · February 2016

I've never had a typical stick burner and never really had an interest in one until the past year or two.

I'm retired and looking to try something different so I've been looking at a few non-kamado options. Not sure what I'll end up with but I'll never get rid of my Egg and KJ's.

Also...no way I'd pay $600 for that thing.

xfire_ATX · February 2016

I had this exact smoker for about ~4 yrs before the firebox wasnt reliable. I made everything on it and it worked for the most part as you would expect for a $150 product.

Image: http://assets.academy.com/mgen/64/10146464.jpg

As long as you could be done in ~6 hours it was awesome, after that the firebox was full of ash and it was a fight to stay lit. I learned a lot while using it but it was pain to do and frankly if you wanted to smoke a 4# chicken or feed an army the fuel use was the same. However I once made (4) turkeys, (2) racks of ribs and 1# of bacon all in one cook. We once had a "Rib Off" with the neighbors and the vote was nice enough to call it a tie between this and a LBGE.

We had a neighborhood Garage Sale and I put it out for free and it got hauled away. I was about to make a UDS- found a free weber but not the drum when my neighbor bought an XL at an eggfest and sold me his large.

In my perfect world- I would have the LGBE, a UDS, the small Weber Q200 all under a patio cover.

Foghorn · February 2016

I actually looked for a stick burner for years. Then one day when I was thinking out loud about what to do with some recent bonus money my wife said "Just go buy a Big Green Egg. You know it's what you want". So I did. But it still didn't totally satisfy my curiosity about stick burners and two years after that I bought a good used one off Craigslist at a good price. I recently summed up my assessment of things when I told someone that I can make a brisket that is 5-10% better on the offset if I am willing to do 10-20 times as much work. And that is the case about 3 or 4 times a year. Some days I really feel like playing with fire every 30-45 minutes - or I want to cook up more than 3 racks of ribs or a whole pig or a special brisket.

westernbbq · February 2016

I gave away my pitts and spit's 2436 combo unit after I got my XL BGE. It was a great smoker, but the entire reason I got the BGE was due to the efficiency and versatility. it's the swiss army knife of outdoor cooking apparatuses. The pitts and spits was so easy to keep at 220, 1/4 wheel turn on firebox, 45 degree damper up top. BUT, I had to go and stoke it every 2 hours or so. When you're making brisket or pork shoulder, after sucking in all that soot for so many hours, the last thing you want to do is eat it.

IF BGE made a barrel-shaped ceramic cooker, that would be pretty cool.

But on the pitts and spits, I loved it but it was going to kill me. part of the reason I like the guru setup so much with BGE is that for a long-term cook with low temperature, you don't need to babysit it or add fuel. and, I get to enjoy the food when it's done as opposed to smelling like I have been in a forest fire all day.

so yes, I had a stick burner, probably a better smoker for pure smoking than the BGE. Momma said if I got multiple BGE's then the PnS had to go, and it only took one, an XL to cause me to stop using the PnS altogether. One other thing- the pitts n spits unit gets a lot of buildup inside and a lot of rust. I had to clean it 2-3 times a year and it was a crazy job. don't need to do that with the BGE as it's self-cleaning and works like a dream....

SGH · February 2016

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

I'm going to be polite and say that $600 for a...ahem...."well used" homemade grill with no firebox is a bit steep. Even if smoke really good.

It's highway robbery.

shucker · February 2016

I love my eggs, but they cannot replicate the flavor a stick burner produces. I'll always keep a stick burner on hand for those days when I want to play with fire.

SmokeyPitt · February 2016

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

I'm going to be polite and say that $600 for a...ahem...."well used" homemade grill with no firebox is a bit steep. Even if smoke really good.

Me smoke you long time.

blasting · February 2016

Man, I really wish that guys pit was worth $600. My own stick burner would then be worth at least 10x that.

onedbguru · February 2016

WOW!! $600 for that bucket of rust??? I can buy something much better, brand new for less than that! Apparently the seller thinks more highly of his handy work than he should....

SGH · February 2016

@bgeaddikt
In your title you pose the question; "How many have converted from stick burners?" Well my friend, I don't know if I have converted, but I do use the most useful rig for the task at hand. For quick everyday meals I use the egg. For small loads, I use the egg. However I always have a few big units standing by for when the egg just doesn't have the horsepower for the task at hand.
With that said, I would like to make a valid point. Not all offsets aka: stick burners are created equal. The one pictured above in no way properly represents what is out there in terms of quality. The big units sitting on my hill are superior to it in every way imaginable. I don't say that in arrogance. Not at all my friend. Just pointing out that the average Joe would be better equipped with a BGE than what is pictured above. However a properly built and tuned out big unit will more than give the BGE a run for its money any day of the week.
So to try to answer the question at hand. No I haven't been converted. But I have learned to use the most practical rig for the task at hand. Sometimes it's the BGE, sometimes it's a big unit.

GregW · February 2016

SGH said:

@bgeaddikt
In your title you pose the question; "How many have converted from stick burners?" Well my friend, I don't know if I have converted, but I do use the most useful rig for the task at hand. For quick everyday meals I use the egg. For small loads, I use the egg. However I always have a few big units standing by for when the egg just doesn't have the horsepower for the task at hand.
With that said, I would like to make a valid point. Not all offsets aka: stick burners are created equal. The one pictured above in no way properly represents what is out there in terms of quality. The big units sitting on my hill are superior to it in every way imaginable. I don't say that in arrogance. Not at all my friend. Just pointing out that the average Joe would be better equipped with a BGE than what is pictured above. However a properly built and tuned out big unit will more than give the BGE a run for its money any day of the week.
So to try to answer the question at hand. No I haven't been converted. But I have learned to use the most practical rig for the task at hand. Sometimes it's the BGE, sometimes it's a big unit.

I'm interested in purchasing a stick burner for large cooks.
I've looked at the Pits and Spits site and they look good. I'm particularly fascinated with the Ultimate Upright Smoke Pit. I see that there is a totally stainless steel option available.
I just don't want a rust bucket on the deck.

Can you recommend a good one?

Thanks

HeavyG · February 2016

I try to use my big unit every day.

onedbguru · February 2016

Before I knew about BGE, I was looking at the New Braunfels Hondo Barbecue Smoker, because 1) they were a quality rig and 2) one of my brothers actually worked for them and built them years ago.

SGH · February 2016

@GregW
Brother, there are many great pit builders out there. The biggest thing to look for when purchasing a offset is metal thickness. 1/4 being about the minimum if you want to get several years of hard use out of it.
As far as manufactures, when it comes to offsets I'm real fond of Shirley Fab. and Lonestar. They both make outstanding products at a decent price. As far as insulated vertical cabinets, I like both Pitmaker and Spicewine. Both are top of the line verticals.
As with most things, if I knew what size and the main use of the pit would be I could recommend a model to fit the bill. With that said, sometime tomorrow if you are free, give me a call if you would like and we can discuss what you are looking for and I will gladly give you a honest recommendation. Number is 228-627-5400.

bhedges1987 · February 2016

I feel like I have the best of both worlds! Only thing missing is a MM. That will come at some point.

bgeaddikt · February 2016

@SGH Properly spoken. I guess i did convert my self. But i agree with you, hell i know a $100,00 biggest smoker in the world(18 wheeler converted into a smoker) i would love to play with. Im very limited to quantity and grate space even if i had eggzilla. I in no way ment to bash on offset smokers or anything closely related, and i appreciate your post!

HeavyG · February 2016

SGH said:

@GregW
Brother, there are many great pit builders out there. The biggest thing to look for when purchasing a offset is metal thickness. 1/4 being about the minimum if you want to get several years of hard use out of it.
As far as manufactures, when it comes to offsets I'm real fond of Shirley Fab. and Lonestar. They both make outstanding products at a decent price. As far as insulated vertical cabinets, I like both Pitmaker and Spicewine. Both are top of the line verticals.
As with most things, if I knew what size and the main use of the pit would be I could recommend a model to fit the bill. With that said, sometime tomorrow if you are free, give me a call if you would like and we can discuss what you are looking for and I will gladly give you a honest recommendation. Number is 228-627-5400.

Do you have any opinions on the Lone Star Grillz Insulated Cabinet Smokers?

It's one of the smokers/cookers I've been considering as a possible birthday present for myself this summer.

SGH · February 2016

HeavyG said:
Do you have any opinions on the Lone Star Grillz Insulated Cabinet Smokers?

They are rock solid, top end cabinets. Everything that I have seen from Lonestar has been quality in every sense of the word. Their vertical is the full equal of Spicewine and Pitmaker. I highly recommend the Lonestar vertical brother Heavy. You won't be disappointed.

Thatgrimguy · February 2016

I had a typical store bought $400 offset for years. Never really tried smoking anything in it, mostly used it as a grill. Then got an egg and really learned how to cook. Now I am using a first class stick burner and I LOVE IT. It is infinitely more work. But I like the involvement.

Toxarch · February 2016

I still want an offset smoker trailer.

bgeaddikt · February 2016

Here is 1 i would choose over an egg...only in texas

busmania · February 2016

I went the other way. Had an egg but kind of thought it was "too easy" and "cheating" and not "real" smoking. So, I built a reverse flow stick burner. I still love it for when I "want to play with fire" as another member stated above but after using it for a summer realized how good I have it with the egg. Set it and forget it. That said, I will be building another stick burner in the coming year or two, I have the tank ready but am not ready to make the 40-80+ hour commitment to build it.

Rorschach123 · February 2016

LOL I saw this post this morning. The jump from a homemade drill casing grill must have hurt.

ButtNeckid · February 2016

I still have a stick burner and still use it for certain cooks.I also use Weber WSM's from time to time.Just depends on what meat and what quantity I want to cook as to which cooker I choose.I like them all.

How many have converted from stick burners?

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