My grilling skills are great but I never had much luck getting my side smoker going on my Chargriller. I'd like a seperate charcoal smoker to do things like brisket,ribs, steak and turkey. I've been looking at the Weber Smoky Mountain but I've heard the steel of newer ones may be thinner than it used to be.

Anyone have a good recommendation or who can refute the above quality going downhill claim about the WSM? Also whats a good size to look at? I'm between a 18 and 22" size for the WSM (the model i was lining up before I heard about the steel being made thinner). I'd like to top out at under $500, preferably well below.

I typically cook for 2 adults with leftovers going to 2 adults 2 kids. I sometimes cook for 6 adults and 5 kids but thats a few times a year, tops.

Charcoal only huh? I'll bet most are going to recommend the Green Egg copies, Kamodo Joe and such.

I used a cheap barrel shaped grill for years, I just put the heat to one side, was a pain to keep a good, constant temp, especially with wind or rain but I had mostly good results. I would put wet apple wood chips directly on the coals for the smoke


I got an upright Pit Boss pellet smoker for Christmas, it's freakin awesome, easy to use and was under $300

I have the 18” WSM. Can’t speak to any issues with newer ones, mine is about 8 years old and still going strong.

After initial learning curve it holds temp very well. Never bothered to invest in a temp control fan.

Occasionally wish I had gotten the 22” but I always find a way to put what I need on it. The 18” takes less fuel and holds temp better.

I have a Weber s-330 gas grill, a weber smokey mountain 18" and a Kamado joe classic II. If all you are doing is smoking, going for the smokey joe. The meat it produces smoking is far better than I've been able to achieve with the Kamado Joe.....as a grill the KJ rates 10/10, as a smoker 7.5/10. The weber is also very easy to regulate temperature and the coal lasts as long as you want it to provided you put enough in (and wood) to begin with......Mine is at least 5 years old, so I have no idea on the new steel.....check the shipping weight on the new ons and compare it to an ad for an old one.

I've had a big Weber smoker for maybe 15 years & I use it almost every weekend in the Summer. Never a problem with it.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
The meat it produces smoking is far better than I've been able to achieve with the Kamado Joe.....as a grill the KJ rates 10/10, as a smoker 7.5/10.

That's also been my experience with a Vision kamado-style ceramic egg... Fantastic grill, but middling smoker. I ended up getting a Green Mountain pellet smoker, and am much happier with having that dedicated to smoking.

quote:

Originally posted by Anubismp:
I'd like to top out at under $500, preferably well below.

Are you dead-set on a charcoal smoker? I've used charcoal smokers for a while, but am happier with my pellet smoker. Just as good flavor-wise, but more convenient than charcoal.

You can get a nice mid-sized pellet smoker for under $500, like a Green Mountain Daniel Boone (the non-wifi-enabled model, at least). Their Davy Crockett is even cheaper, but while something that small will work for 2 people easily, it may not be big enough for your larger needs a few times per year.

Electric smokers are even cheaper, simpler, and convenient, but at the cost of losing a bit of the smoke flavor.

quote:

I've heard the steel of newer ones may be thinner than it used to be.

Unless you'll be using it to transport iron ball bearings, large bolts, or some other heavy item, I doubt it matters.

Webber is a good company with a good product, if they reduced the steel thickness it's for weight and cost considerations, however I'd imagine they didn't go flimsy. Weber has a reputation to protect.

As was mentioned a pellet smoker is the way I went, since I'm not interested in dealing with charcoal and shoveling wet chips onto them in order to achieve smoke, why do all that work when you don't have to in order to get a good smoke. Not knocking those who believe the opposite, to each their own...

Green Mountain makes a good inexpensive smoker that would serve two easily, Traeger makes a small pellet smoker as well, probably a bit more money.

If you have an Ace Hardware check there, they have sales on them from time to time. The Green Mountain would be a good choice for smoking..

I checked the web page for Green Mountain they are having a fathers day promo that discounts the grills up to a $150.

Check the Prime Grills - Davey Crocket $329 and it includes a WiFi controller so you can manage heat, time, and monitor your cook from your smart device. WiFi is a godsend unless you like checking things constantly...

https://greenmountaingrills.co...t-pellet-grill-wifi/

Thanks for the info so far. Charcoal is simply what I know. I havent looked into pellets but theres no specific reason for that. Is there a taste difference charcoal vs pellet?

quote:

Originally posted by Anubismp:
Thanks for the info so far. Charcoal is simply what I know. I havent looked into pellets but theres no specific reason for that. Is there a taste difference charcoal vs pellet?

Not in my experience.

But there's somewhat of a difference between charcoal/pellet and electric, in my experience.

The only real downside to a pellet smoker is having to buy and stock separate pellets. And some trial and error as you try to find what brand and type of wood pellets you like. But that's minimal hassle.

I don't have any experience with the newer one's but the WSM is one of the best low cost smokers on the market. If you're inclined you can build something similar, just google ugly drum smoker.

Pit barrel cooker is a charcoal smoker that I see used a lot.

quote:

Originally posted by Anubismp:
Thanks for the info so far. Charcoal is simply what I know. I havent looked into pellets but theres no specific reason for that. Is there a taste difference charcoal vs pellet?

Pellet grills are the easy bake oven of smokers. Fill it with pellets, set your temp, and put your meat on. Close the lid and come back and check it when you think it should be getting close. Some people look down on them because you don't really have to manage anything, but they allow you to turn out fantastic, consistent food over and over again.

I love mine, but I did buy an amazn tube so I have consistent smoke and I can cold smoke cheese when it's cold outside.

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
Charcoal only huh? I'll bet most are going to recommend the Green Egg copies, Kamodo Joe and such.

No doubt.
The Big Green Egg's and such are extremely effective on smoking as well as versatile for grilling.
I think in fact that smoking is even better than the grilling these.
However, the amount you can smoke at any one time quickly runs out on the Egg an others.
Then you might consider a regular offset wood smoker ~ not that it does a better job but it is easier to simply smoke.
I imagine some will a pellet smoker is the way to go but that is a step down, IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by Anubismp:
Thanks for the info so far. Charcoal is simply what I know. I havent looked into pellets but theres no specific reason for that. Is there a taste difference charcoal vs pellet?

Not in my experience.

But there's somewhat of a difference between charcoal/pellet and electric, in my experience.

The only real downside to a pellet smoker is having to buy and stock separate pellets. And some trial and error as you try to find what brand and type of wood pellets you like. But that's minimal hassle.

I agree, however if you have an ACE they are dealers and always have plenty of pellets in stock, 20 lb bags, and ours have many species, Oak, Mesquite, etc. Costco sells Traeger in 30 pound bags for the same $.

Go to Home Despot or Lowes and get the Kingsford 8 gallon Charcoal caddy and pour your open bag of pellets into it, makes it easy to store and easy to pour. $13

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Budde...ard-Snap-Lid/3598740

Yeah, pellets are widely available around here. Lots of grocery stores, hardware stores, sporting goods stores, pool/outdoor centers, etc. stock pellets now.

Bigger cities tend to have dedicated BBQ stores, with even wider pellet selection. I usually stop and stock up on a bag or three of interesting pellets at https://www.stlbbqstore.com/ every time I swing through St. Louis, on my way to visit family.

I store my opened bags of pellets in jumbo ziploc bags.

Check out a few videos on this Pit Barrel Cooker. Its what I'm looking at acquiring at the moment. Runs on charcoal and is a kinda 'set it and forget it' approach to smoking (good for me).

I have both Kamado Joe and a Weber Smokey Mountain and can crank out great smoked meats with either. The WSM is over 20 years old so I can't speak to what gauge steel they're using in the new ones.


The KJ is great, but it's well beyond your budget and if what you're looking for is strictly for smoking the WSM would certainly fit the bill.


I don't have any personal experience with pellet smokers, but there are numerous 3rd party products that could be used to automate temperature control (they monitor temperature and control airflow) if you're interested in that at a future date.

Weber Smoky Mountain is a good choice. Go with the 22" always go bigger and you will be happier longer. Those Pit Barrel cookers can produce some decent food but I wouldn't buy one. Lots of stories on the smoking forums of briskets or ribs being nearly done then falling off the hooks they are hung on and falling into the coals and ash. You can use wood chunks or chips in most of the charcoal smokers so they are not strictly charcoal.

I'm old school I only use charcoal to start my stick burner

If you're at all crafty you could build yourself an ugly drum smoker, and even if you're not. They can be built very cheap and they're one of the best smokers you can ask for as far as holding temp with little to no maintenance once you have it at the temp you want.

https://smokingmeatgeeks.com/u...ker-plans-uds-build/

quote:

Originally posted by lastmanstanding:
Weber Smoky Mountain is a good choice. Go with the 22" always go bigger and you will be happier longer. Those Pit Barrel cookers can produce some decent food but I wouldn't buy one. Lots of stories on the smoking forums of briskets or ribs being nearly done then falling off the hooks they are hung on and falling into the coals and ash. You can use wood chunks or chips in most of the charcoal smokers so they are not strictly charcoal.

I'm old school I only use charcoal to start my stick burner

I have the 18" and have never had an issue with running out of room with the 2 racks. I've done 2 12lb+ pork butts as well as 6 sweet potatoes and fish all at the same time on it. For the money though, you really can't beat the WSM and it's well within the OP's budget. The temperature is super easy to control with the 3 bottom vents and I've never bought a blower or anything to keep temp in it. I have no experience with pellet smokers.

I basically put two entire chimneys of lit charcoal in the WSM, assemble it, put water pan in it and fill with hot water (from the tap), then throw in a couple of handfuls of wet smoking wood in it, usually hickory but sometimes pecan. Then as it comes to temp start restricting the 3 bottom vents with the top vent fully open......usually the 3 bottom vents are 1/4-1/3 of the way open for almost the entire cook. I prefer briquettes for the WSM and then whatever wood chunks I am using. For my KJ I generally use natural B+B oak charcoal.