JWBoothe wrote:
> On Aug 12, 8:12 pm, Dave Turner > wrote:
>> Dave Turner wrote:
>>> Bill wrote:
>>>> In article <PcJvi.33127$2v1.25210
>>>> @newssvr14.news.prodigy.net>, says...
>>>> <snip>
>>>>> Seriously, those smokers are interesting, but unfortunately my BW
>>>>> would never allow me to have anything that looked vaguely industrial.
>>>>> After all, the neighbors would talk (or be jealous).
>>>>> Dave
>>>> Now is when Walmart, Home Depot, Target, and other stores start
>>>> putting the barbecue stuff on sale to make room for the fall/winter
>>>> stuff. A cheap starter smoker can be had for under a hundred dollars.
>>>> Not to dissuade you from a WSM; I've got one and it works very well,
>>>> but you might want to get your feet wet for less money to start with.
>>>> Or look out for a WSM on sale.
>>>> http://www.shopping.com/xPC-Weber-Sm...untain-Cooker-
>>>> Smoker-2820
>>>> http://tinyurl.com/2ep24n
>>>> An example of other smokers:
>>>> http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=4885
>>>> &fromPageCatId=119049&catNavId=4089
>>>> http://tinyurl.com/2ec9t4
>>>> Bill
>>> Which is what I'm doing now. I only paid $38 for this Char-Broil at Home
>>> Depot. My ribs have been on now for almost 1 1/2 hours now with sand,
>>> and is holding steady at 250 F. I'm using half kingsford and half
>>> Lazzaris lump, with Hickory chunks in tin foil, and I lit it up with the
>>> Minion method. This isn't my first cook with this little unit, I did a
>>> chuck roast last weekend. The family ate it all, but my BW thought it
>>> had a little too much smoke. I guess I have to agree, since I smoked it
>>> the entire cook. Live and learn. But I have to say it turned out moist
>>> and very tender, having cooked the 4# critter 6 hours at 200-225F. I
>>> pulled it at 175 internal, and it was wonderful (IMHO), although the
>>> smoke was very strong. Now, where did I put that beer...
>>> Onward...
>>> Dave
>> Well, dinners over and I can report that the BW and the UGS were very
>> pleased. I had to cut the rack in half, because it was too big to fit in
>> the smoker in one piece, and that made the cook only half successful.
>> The thicker end was placed at the top, and the thinner end was put on
>> the second shelf, and unfortunately the one on the top shelf turned out
>> a little tough on the outside. Flavor was great, but just a little
>> tough. OTH, the piece on the second shelf was, shall we say, marvelous.
>> Tender, juicy, flavorful & the UGS was in wonderment about the ability
>> to eat the bones.
>>
>> I can also say (following the original subject matter) that Water is a
>> thing of the past for me. I had no trouble maintaining the temp I
>> wanted, and cleanup is a matter of changing the tin foil.
>>
>> The drawback of this little smoker is not being able to see the food on
>> the second shelf. I think a new larger one is in the near future,
>> particularly since I looked at the links that Bill sent. I'm going to
>> watch the ads, and most likely move up within a few weeks.
>>
>> Thanks to all for the advice and encouragement, and to Dave Bugg my best
>> wishes for a speedy recovery for his mom.
>>
>> Dave- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> WSM are worth every penny. Much better quality than other water
> smokers of the same type. I use the clay pot disk base instead of
> water or sand. I wrap it in foil and set it on top of the water pan.
> It cleans up real easy, temperatures are steady and easily controled,
> and I use much less fuel. No difference in food moistness compared to
> water.
>
I have no doubt at all. I've been using Weber equipment for many years,
and although I have used other stuff from time to time, I feel that
overall Weber has always been the most consistent, both in quality and
in what you can expect from it. I think a WSM is what I will end up with
soon.
Dave