Would like to smoke brisket, ribs etc while still being able to use charcoal for burgers and steaks.  Would like it big enough to cook two big briskets.  All I've ever had is cheap charcoal and gas grills.  Is it possible to get a quality set up from a big box store?  Help a brotha out.

I would recommend a big green egg, kamado joe or primo cooker. You can go low and slow for brisket and ribs or super hot for steaks and pizza. Tons of versatility, but they don't come cheap

Get a good off set smoker and a webber kettle for grilling.

Academy sells Old Country brand.  They are probably the best offset smokers for the money.    I looked around and thats what I bought to tide me over until i can afford to get a higher end off set.  

If you dont need a big smoker, a BGE would do everthing and more.  


Eta... i bought the pecos model.  Academy has it on their site for $399 with $80 shipping.  NlAnd now that i think about it, it has a slide out grate in the firebox for grilling.   You can buy that with confidence.  

The next model up is the Wrangler.  Its a tad bit smaller, but has an upper rack which would be very handy.  Its also made of a thicker grade steel which is what you want.  I looked for one when i bought mine, but nobody had it in stock and i didnt want to wait.

NO!, you want an offset smoker. if you are going to do it, do it right. Those eggs are good but they aint doing 2 big briskets and ribs on one.

You're not doing burgers, steaks, and pizza on that, either

ya think?



The fire box has a grill.

I haven't even gotten to try your beans.  

Did you rain out that day? or get there after the dogs ate them

Yep...

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It was one of the rain out days.

, we'll make it up. I'd really like to drag my pit down there and stay a few days cooking for everyone.

Any more pics of those beef ribs??

I don't know why you're saying you cant cook ribs and a brisket on an egg. I have an XL and I can cook 2 briskets and several slabs of ribs at once.  I can cook 7 slabs at once, flat on the grid. Plenty of room for me. And btw, that offset won't cook at 800 degrees but my egg will.

Since my gas grill finally burnt out, uncover the Chargriller smoker that I haven't used in a couple years.



Lat time i used it did pretty good smoking and does charcoal fine.



I did do some mods to it but really don't remember the reason for doing them except they where recommendations fromn a forum.

Tag.

I smoke on the kettles, but it can be a bit of a PITA keeping them fed...

Just took ribs off my egg several hours ago.

This isnt a pissing contest.   Eggs are good and so are off sets.

Yes sir! I wanted full size ribs, dinosaur ribs.

It also isn't the time for someone to give misinformation.  But thanks for chiming in

I just bought a Vision B kamado grill today from Sam's, on sale for $499. The accessory pack is also a great deal at $39.

Well, what does a big green egg XL cost? Also I can cook at 800 degrees on my pit.

the best solution is to build your own

if you can't do that, the best commercial line of BBQ pit that I know of is lyfe tyme

when my ASSHOLE friend that I shared a nice 150gal propane tank pit with let it go to hell I bought one and plan to use it until such time that I get better at welding or find somebody to make me another 150gal propane tank pit

http://www.lyfetyme.com/

But those are offsets...might as well be a crock pot.

just hold the fuck on a minute

are you honestly comparing a BBQ pit to a crock pot??!

they're not even in the same fucking universe. crock pot > BBQ pit

I agree, I am just pointing out the arrogance of the green eggers.

just had to make sure you weren't going off the deep end

carry on

Aye aye Captain

Jambo all the way.

Weber Smokey Mountain gets no love?

Perhaps OP should post up a budget.

I got this a few days ago... "Oklahoma Joe's" or something like that.. Some offshoot of charbroil.. The build quality looked good enough and it isn't paper thin..

Just pulled my first brisket tip off it like 10 min ago..  In the morning we have sammiches!!!
I am impressed at how easy it is to get a stable temp..

ETA- a few hours ago... It's my first try...

 
Even the thermometer looks good enough to eat.  

If you set it up right, a regular charcoal grill makes a dandy smoker.



This is my bone stock, old-and-beat-to-hell POS Chinese grill.  It's 10 years old, has never been covered, and lives in the snow and salt all Midwest-winter long.  It's finally rusting out on me, but it only cost me $60 in the first place.  When it goes to the landfill at the end of this season I'll probably replace it with a Weber kettle for grilling.  I have ideas about building my own smoker cabinet, but that may be a ways off yet.  I do know that I can do 4 racks of St. Louis ribs on a standard kettle without much fuss.  Turkeys are dead simple, too.  I haven't attempted a brisket on a Weber, but I can do a whole brisket just fine on my POS.  I've never been wealthy enough to try two at once.  

Today I used the Super Pro to make these St. Louis ribs:



It's all about getting to know your equipment.  This thing leaks like crazy and has terrible heat characteristics if you listen to the BBQ forum gurus, but I'm still able to hold it around 225ºF.  Then again who can say for sure because I don't bother with thermometers--I just work the vent until I get a nice steady light smoke.  My setup for smoking couldn't be simpler:



Water pan on one side, pile of charcoal on the other, separated by a loose-laid old crappy steel cake pan as a heat shield for the meat.  Yeah, I have to add a couple handfuls of briquettes every hour or so.  Doesn't bother me in the least.

I guess my point is you can get good results on the cheap.  I'd just buy something that fits everything you want to do at once then spend some time learning how it works.

Wood pellet.  Treager, rec tec, gmg.

I just got a gmg Daniel boon.  Awesome

Those ribs look great!