Long time SMS user considering a Weber Smoque. I have questions and concerns


 
J

Justin P

New member
I've been smoking on my medium and small Weber Smokey mountain smokers for nearly 20 years. I love the flavor of the food that comes off these simple machine.

I'm not as excited about tending the SMS overnight as I used to be. I just don't like missing out on my 7 hours of peaceful sleep. I'm probably just getting lazy...

I'm considering adding a Weber Smoque XL.

Concerns:
With the SMS I have dialed in the amount of smoke flavor my family likes. I typically cook with a lump charcoal and start the cook with some golf ball to baseball sized chunks of Cherry or Apple wood. Once they are burned up, I don't add any more wood, I just let the lump charcoal do its thing. My concern is with the pellets; I won't be able to control the smoke flavor as easily, because it will smoke the entire cook. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the level of smoke from the pellet Smoque vs. the SMS.

How is the pellet flavor vs lump charcoal like Royal Oak or Cowboy with apple or cherry wood chunks? I realize this is subjective, I'm just trying to get a general idea between the two.

Questions:
Using the Smoque XL to cook 4 pork butts (250-275F) how long does a 20 lbs. bag last? Can I complete an overnight cook on one hopper full of pellets?

If I add the Smoque XL to my collection, is it as easy as set it and forget it, or will I need to develop my technic like I did with the SMS (I operate the small and the medium differently to achieve the desired results)?

Observations:
I really like the idea of easy access to all the meat on the Smoque. The design of the SMS makes it really tough to access the food on the bottom grate. Bottom shelf food is just along for the ride. I don't pull the top grate to rotate my food, spray it, or check it other than what I can access from the side door.

I really like the thought of set it and forget it.

I'd like to hear from the folks that have SMS experience and have added the Smoque to their stable.
 
Hi Justin.

I was confused at first what a SMS is. the group here calls them WSMs.

Anyway,

I have no experience with the Weber pellet smokers, but I sold my pit boss pellet smoker a few years ago and don't miss it.
 
Everybody's going to have slightly differing opinions and your mileage may vary, as they say. I went from a Smoky Mountain to a pellet grill and haven't looked back. While I will admit the flavor is somewhat better cooking over live fire/charcoal, the convenience of the pellet grill outweighs that in my particular stage of life.
 
Honestly Justin IMO you're gonna LOVE LOVE LOVE that Smoque. You can alter smoke flavors with temps and with types of pellets. Different wood combos and so on. But the rule is new members here have to invite the old guys for a nice Q meal
 
From what I've read the Smoque doesn't do low & slow any better than the Searwood, and the Searwood gives you more cooking methods.

Just to through it out there, there is the Kamado Joe Konnected, so you could keep to your love of charcoal.
 
DanHoo said:
Hi Justin.

I was confused at first what a SMS is. the group here calls them WSMs.

Anyway,

I have no experience with the Weber pellet smokers, but I sold my pit boss pellet smoker a few years ago and don't miss it.
Click to expand...
Sorry about that incorrect acronym. I’ll get it right moving forward.
 
Paul M said:
From what I've read the Smoque doesn't do low & slow any better than the Searwood, and the Searwood gives you more cooking methods.

Just to through it out there, there is the Kamado Joe Konnected, so you could keep to your love of charcoal.
Click to expand...
Great point Paul. I was thinking the Searwood might offer a bit more versatility for the slight cost increase. Good to know Searwood and Smoque delivers the same results low and slow.

What is this Kamado Joe Konnected? Do you have a link?
 
Justin P said:
Great point Paul. I was thinking the Searwood might offer a bit more versatility for the slight cost increase. Good to know Searwood and Smoque delivers the same results low and slow.

What is this Kamado Joe Konnected? Do you have a link?
Click to expand...
For some the extra cost of a Searwood is unnecessary to them. They may not do any high heat grilling/griddling and not have a desire for the higher end control features. So the cost saving can work well in their favor. But, if you're wanting a "one unit does everything" type the Searwood is the better choice.
Both of my units have top end temps of 500. Honestly I never even try. Occasionally I'll run them up to 425-450 but especially Big Z has a hard time getting to the loftier temps. The algorithms in the PID controller and rate of pellet delivery just aren't there for that. Maybe one day I will try modding it with a higher speed (faster delivery) auger motor. IIRC most operate at 1/2 RPM or so but you can buy them with 1, 1.5 or even 2 rpm IIRC. I'll have to look and see what I have and move from there. I have an extra pellet hopper assembly for the Members Mark and IIRC it has same components as BigZ. I may be able to easily mod one and swap it out to give it a whirl. A job for next year though
 
Justin P said:
What is ATC.
Click to expand...
Automatic Temperature Control, maybe like your airbox?
I have the gen 2 EX6 Smokefire, it took a couple of cooks to get used to the flavor. I have 2 WSM's, 18 and 22.
I also have the Akorn Auto Kamado for charcoal.
You get used to pellets, then switch to charcoal and smokewood and things taste too smoky.
Same going the other way, things don't taste smoky.
Your tastes adjust after a few cooks.
 
Justin P said:
Great point Paul. I was thinking the Searwood might offer a bit more versatility for the slight cost increase. Good to know Searwood and Smoque delivers the same results low and slow.

What is this Kamado Joe Konnected? Do you have a link?
Click to expand...
www.kamadojoe.com

Big Joe® Konnected Joe™ Digital Charcoal Grill and Smoker

When you're ready to serve up adventure, Kamado Joe has the tips, techniques, and more to help you fire it up at your next cookout.
www.kamadojoe.com www.kamadojoe.com
 
The Basement Hangout guys did a comparison cook of chuck roasts with Smoque and Searwood.

The Searwood roast was said to (surprisingly) have more smoke flavor and be more tender. Searwood was a 10, and Smoque was an 8.5. They've done several pellet grill comparisons, some with blind taste tests, and the Searwood has won or been very competitive against all comers in the pellet grill and gravity fed arena.


I've used a WSM since 2009. For overnight cooks of brisket or butts, I do similar to what you described by starting with several chunks of cherry, apple, hickory (or similar variety) and not adding any wood later. The difference between your approach and mine is that I use briquets, which are generally thought to be more long-lasting for low and slow cooks. With them, I get the temp/vents dialed where I want, go to bed, and never worry about checking the smoker overnight.

A switch from lump to briquets for overnights may solve your sleep interruption problems without having to buy a pellet grill, but go for it if you want one. I just did, and I've enjoyed my first several cooks on the Searwood 600. I don't find the temperatures on the screen or as read by the built-in probe to be especially reliable, but it's far less hassle to set up and clean up, and the smoke level (we prefer moderate smoke flavor) has been fine so far. I just wish it had better wheels.

The Smoque can save you some money, but not a ton. I got my Searwood for $899, on a $100 sale that Weber ran in September.

At the same time, I went in a local Ace Hardware, and they had the Smoque 22 marked down to $677, from the regular price of $799. (The Searwood 600 has a bigger cooking area of 648 sq. inches versus 594 for the Smoque 22.

The Smoque 34 model was $887, down from regular of $999.

Hope some of this helps you decide what is best for you.
 
Yeah, IDK if Smoque was a product for weber to say we made a "different" product or simply a way to sort of "cheap down" a Searwoood. Honestly if the extra $150 or so for the Searwood did not create a financial (or marital) :D headache I'd say go for the Searwood.
I've eaten Q done by people using stick burners and quite honestly I don't believe for one minute the quality of Q off a properly used pellet grill is any less than what comes off any other form of smoker. IMO a lot of the influencers and haters (especially those YouTubers) are simply making "content" rather than doing anything truly informative.
The pellet grill will come off "different" than a stick burner but certainly no way lesser quality. IMO, get yourself a Smokefire (or a Pit Boss or a Traeger or insert name of grill) and learn to use it, understand how it works and why it does what it does. I am sure once you nail it down you WILL be very pleased not only with the quality of Q you turn out, but the relative ease to turn that Q out
As for those Basement Hangout guys I don't put a whole lot of weight in anything they do or say. MEH they're a little "entertaining" but not much beyond that
 
To add my two pence, when I was looking at the Weber's the smoque had similar internal plates as my Broil King, which must accumulate the same amount of pellet debris. Which is a chore to clean. Searwood seems to have a different internal design. If I was choosing between the two, I'd go for the Searwood; I've watched those reviews as well.

There is some debate on here, but if you've come from a charcoal background, you might be disappointed with a pellet grill, tin hat on! You can have my Broil King FOC if you want, but you'll have to come across the pond to get it :cool:

That said, give it a year or so and I will probably add a Searwood (or what ever it is then) to my arsenal.
 
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