I can get a 10% discount tomorrow only at Cabelas. Leaning towards
buying one of these at $360, but wondering if a WSM might be the better
way to go. Size isn't too important as my two teenage Daughters
somehow turned out vegetarian so it's just the Wife and I.


My desire for a really great Q is about a 7 out of 10. My laziness in
cleaning up a sooty mess would rate about 8 out of 10.

Most common cuts we'd be doing would be ribs, brisket, pork loin.

I don't need this gadget, but it would be fun to play with it.

Advice would be much appreciated.

geemike wrote:

I can get a 10% discount tomorrow only at Cabelas. Leaning towards
buying one of these at $360, but wondering if a WSM might be the better
way to go. Size isn't too important as my two teenage Daughters
somehow turned out vegetarian so it's just the Wife and I.

My desire for a really great Q is about a 7 out of 10. My laziness in
cleaning up a sooty mess would rate about 8 out of 10.

Most common cuts we'd be doing would be ribs, brisket, pork loin.

I don't need this gadget, but it would be fun to play with it.

Advice would be much appreciated.


If it's a choice between smokette and a wsm, each has their
own strengths.

The smokette is MUCH more convenient. I use my model 50
every single day (no hyperbole there) because it involves
almost no time overhead. It's basically an oven and it's
just about as convenient to use.

In the right hands the wsm makes at least marginally
better Q. In some cases (and to some tastes) noticeably
better. Then again, a surprising number people can't
tell the difference. I own both units so I can say
that with some certainty.

Of the items you mentioned, the smokette will do a great
job on all of them.

If I was only allowed one cooker (a weird hypothetical
that will never happen), it would be the cookshack.

Hope this helps.

--
Reg

Thanks for your reply Reg.

Sounds like this will make a nice companion to my Genisis Silver. I
think I'll grab one.

Mike


Reg wrote:
geemike wrote:

I can get a 10% discount tomorrow only at Cabelas. Leaning towards
buying one of these at $360, but wondering if a WSM might be the better
way to go. Size isn't too important as my two teenage Daughters
somehow turned out vegetarian so it's just the Wife and I.

My desire for a really great Q is about a 7 out of 10. My laziness in
cleaning up a sooty mess would rate about 8 out of 10.

Most common cuts we'd be doing would be ribs, brisket, pork loin.

I don't need this gadget, but it would be fun to play with it.

Advice would be much appreciated.


If it's a choice between smokette and a wsm, each has their
own strengths.

The smokette is MUCH more convenient. I use my model 50
every single day (no hyperbole there) because it involves
almost no time overhead. It's basically an oven and it's
just about as convenient to use.

In the right hands the wsm makes at least marginally
better Q. In some cases (and to some tastes) noticeably
better. Then again, a surprising number people can't
tell the difference. I own both units so I can say
that with some certainty.

Of the items you mentioned, the smokette will do a great
job on all of them.

If I was only allowed one cooker (a weird hypothetical
that will never happen), it would be the cookshack.

Hope this helps.

--
Reg

geemike wrote:

Thanks for your reply Reg.

Sounds like this will make a nice companion to my Genisis Silver. I
think I'll grab one.

Hey now. I've got a silver B right next to my CS. They're
a great combination. You can take your Q straight from the CS
and put them on the gasser to crisp them up, apply a finishing
sauce, etc.

I predict you'll be a happy camper.

--
Reg

Reg wrote:
geemike wrote:

Thanks for your reply Reg.

Sounds like this will make a nice companion to my Genisis Silver. I
think I'll grab one.

Hey now. I've got a silver B right next to my CS. They're
a great combination. You can take your Q straight from the CS
and put them on the gasser to crisp them up, apply a finishing
sauce, etc.

I predict you'll be a happy camper.

CookShack Smokette II (model 008)
Very happy with the results.

Only one minor bug though. Initially it wasn't
keeping the temperature properly. I had to take
the back off and found the thermostat power feed
spade terminal was a bit loose. Crimped it for
a tighter fit and from then on it's been perfect.

--
DougW

DougW wrote:

CookShack Smokette II (model 008)
Very happy with the results.

Only one minor bug though. Initially it wasn't
keeping the temperature properly. I had to take
the back off and found the thermostat power feed
spade terminal was a bit loose. Crimped it for
a tighter fit and from then on it's been perfect.


Sounds familiar. Fortunately it's a simple design
and fixes are pretty easy. In 5 years I've had
to get under the hood to tinker with a few things.

One of them was a mod that makes it keep better
temperature. Get rid of the metal plate that attaches
the thermocouple to the inside wall. Use some high
temperature sealant to fill the hole around the
thermocouple wire to keep smoke from effecting the
insulation.

The metal plate interferes with the thermocouple
sensitivity significantly. The mod will especially
help with low temperature stability, something you'll
really appreciate if you make things like jerky,
chipotles, etc. Stuff that needs to smoke 160 F.

--
Reg

Reg what did you use to replace the metal plate?

Mike

geemike wrote:

Reg what did you use to replace the metal plate?

At first, nothing. While testing out the idea I wanted it
to be easily reversable in case I didn't like the results.
I just left the thermocouple kind of hanging there. I didn't
even use sealant to plug the holes... I stuffed them with
some insulation. The whole thing was quick and dirty and
took about 10 minutes.

After it passed with flying colors, I drilled some holes
and mounted a small U shaped bracket to hold up the
thermocouple, leaving it exposed. Very simple.

Have you checked out the cookshack forum yet? It's a great
source of advice and ideas.

--
Reg

In article ,
says...
In the right hands the wsm makes at least marginally
better Q. In some cases (and to some tastes) noticeably
better. Then again, a surprising number people can't
tell the difference. I own both units so I can say
that with some certainty.

Any insights on what might make the WSM "better", however marginally?

I would guess at the fact that it's charcoal-heated vs. electrically,
and that the the charcoal (particularly if one of the better brands of
lump is used) imparts its own bit of flavor during a cook. Or...?

Bob

yetanotherBob wrote:
In article ,
says...
In the right hands the wsm makes at least marginally
better Q. In some cases (and to some tastes) noticeably
better. Then again, a surprising number people can't
tell the difference. I own both units so I can say
that with some certainty.

Any insights on what might make the WSM "better", however marginally?

I would guess at the fact that it's charcoal-heated vs. electrically,
and that the the charcoal (particularly if one of the better brands of
lump is used) imparts its own bit of flavor during a cook. Or...?

Bob

Well, hopefully you'll get ansers from folks here who are
more experienced than I am, but... that's part of it. Plus
you can toss pieces of cherry, or whatever wood you like in it.

I also like the fact that I can get it up to 350dF with no
problem and even remove the mid-section and use it as a
"normal" grill if I choose to (no "sand" pan obviously").

I'm not saying that the unit in the OP isn't good and
functional. I can't as I've never used it but running the
WSM is pretty simple. Temperature control is very easy with
a little practice.

Bottom line, get what you want and would use. A WSM ain't
worth a shit if it just sits there. ;-)

--
Steve

yetanotherBob wrote:

In article ,
says...

In the right hands the wsm makes at least marginally
better Q. In some cases (and to some tastes) noticeably
better. Then again, a surprising number people can't
tell the difference. I own both units so I can say
that with some certainty.


Any insights on what might make the WSM "better", however marginally?

I would guess at the fact that it's charcoal-heated vs. electrically,
and that the the charcoal (particularly if one of the better brands of
lump is used) imparts its own bit of flavor during a cook. Or...?

That's part of it, yes. The main reason is that the
insulated oven type cookers such as Cookshack, Smokintex,
Bradley, etc, are a relatively low airflow and relatively
high humidity environment. The crust isn't quite the same
as what you get from a more conventional pit, though some
people don't notice. The impact of the difference in
cooking environment varies depending on what you're
cooking.

This is all subject to the skill of the cook, of course.
People have won competitions with Cookshacks, and I've had
stuff cooked on a WSM that was completely forgettable.
The cook is the most important factor and all other factors
are a distant second.

--
Reg

In article ,
says...
yetanotherBob wrote:

In article ,
says...

In the right hands the wsm makes at least marginally
better Q. In some cases (and to some tastes) noticeably
better. Then again, a surprising number people can't
tell the difference. I own both units so I can say
that with some certainty.


Any insights on what might make the WSM "better", however marginally?

I would guess at the fact that it's charcoal-heated vs. electrically,
and that the the charcoal (particularly if one of the better brands of
lump is used) imparts its own bit of flavor during a cook. Or...?

That's part of it, yes. The main reason is that the
insulated oven type cookers such as Cookshack, Smokintex,
Bradley, etc, are a relatively low airflow and relatively
high humidity environment. The crust isn't quite the same
as what you get from a more conventional pit, though some
people don't notice. The impact of the difference in
cooking environment varies depending on what you're
cooking.

This is all subject to the skill of the cook, of course.
People have won competitions with Cookshacks, and I've had
stuff cooked on a WSM that was completely forgettable.
The cook is the most important factor and all other factors
are a distant second.

OK, Reg, Steve, thanks for the insights.

Bob

Thanks Reg. I've been researching a bit on the CS forums and will
continue to do so. The Smokette 2 is on the back patio and waiting for
Dec. 25 to be unboxed.

I'll keep your mod in mind.

Mike


Reg wrote:
geemike wrote:

Reg what did you use to replace the metal plate?

At first, nothing. While testing out the idea I wanted it
to be easily reversable in case I didn't like the results.
I just left the thermocouple kind of hanging there. I didn't
even use sealant to plug the holes... I stuffed them with
some insulation. The whole thing was quick and dirty and
took about 10 minutes.

After it passed with flying colors, I drilled some holes
and mounted a small U shaped bracket to hold up the
thermocouple, leaving it exposed. Very simple.

Have you checked out the cookshack forum yet? It's a great
source of advice and ideas.

--
Reg