New Searwood pic.


 
Greg Ross-MN said:
Agreed. They basically have made it easier to clean but I can't see how the grease it going to end up in the drain. It's going to mingle with the ash. As you said I just don't let the grease drip and build up. Drip pans are key with long cooks.
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Grease and ash mixing together is a messy combination. It requires scraping to clean. I'd rather get the shop vac out. I found this guy to be very handy for that task. I picked mine up on clearance from Direct Tools for $50. Already had a few Ryobi One batteries including the higher capacity ones. 2a08aeec470c4108a36b845fa173cdc2.png
 
LMichaels said:
Not all conventional pellet grills have the dumb grease bucket. I personally made it a point in my hunt to avoid that thing in addition to the stack (another point I really dislike). I also think the more barrel shaped oven chamber no stack and no bucket, contribute to the fact I get plenty of "smoke". Yeah I don't get open flames but honestly don't miss that.
I'm still finding the Searwood intriguing (in concept). Still looking forward to seeing more actual in depth reviews on it
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Larry,
I think you have identified the two things pellet grill makers are migrating to. My recteq is old school. I don't like the bucket at all. The smokestack can get in the way, and I think the newer concept of rear exhaust across a taller chamber allows for more smoke to go over your food. On the other hand, the smokestack is not as vulnerable to wind or rain. Recteq seems to be pretty conservative, but they are slowly moving in the direction of the rear exhaust as well.

I am still very satisfied with my Recteq. Pretty solid build and more stainless than most grills in its price range. Absolutely love their customer support based in Georgia. They even gave me a free igniter after mine went out after 5 years, that in spite of me telling them that I was not the original owner.

When I get out from under my tax season, one of my first cooking objectives is to try my Smoke Daddy attachment to allow wood blocks to be heated alongside of the firepot. It is a solid stainless piece; Smoke Daddy makes very good stuff here in the US. I am not expecting miracles, but hoping this $100 investment will give my Recteq a boost in the direction of the SmokeFire/Searwood/Camp Chef Woodwind Pro.
 
Jay D in Jersey said:
Grease and ash mixing together is a messy combination. It requires scraping to clean. I'd rather get the shop vac out. I found this guy to be very handy for that task. I picked mine up on clearance from Direct Tools for $50. Already had a few Ryobi One batteries including the higher capacity ones. View attachment 87349
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Looks good! I have a tiny Shop Vac that I use similarly. Yes, it takes a little effort, but it's not that big of a deal to vacuum out the bottom of my Recteq.
 
Jay D in Jersey said:
Grease and ash mixing together is a messy combination. It requires scraping to clean. I'd rather get the shop vac out. I found this guy to be very handy for that task. I picked mine up on clearance from Direct Tools for $50. Already had a few Ryobi One batteries including the higher capacity ones. View attachment 87349
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I use a Porter Cable vac that looks very similar to this. It gets messy, so I dedicated it to my outdoor cookers. IMO, it isn't difficult nor time consuming to keep things clean with a vac and plastic scraper. I'm not an outdoor cooker clean freak but I take steps to reduce obvious risks of a fire or performance degradation.
 
BFletcher said:
I use a Porter Cable vac that looks very similar to this. It gets messy, so I dedicated it to my outdoor cookers. IMO, it isn't difficult nor time consuming to keep things clean with a vac and plastic scraper. I'm not an outdoor cooker clean freak but I take steps to reduce obvious risks of a fire or performance degradation.
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It's not the most powerful shop vac but I bought it to give the cars a quick vacuuming. My wife does a lot of gardening and the trunk of her car shows it...leaves, potting soil...it works well for that. It's great for the pellet grill cleanup too.
 
Jon Tofte said:
I bought a box of cheap “A” bags for my tiny Shop Vac. It has worked out well to keep the vacuum from being crudded up.
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I'm sure I got a surprise waiting for me when I empty that little Ryobi. But it's no problem to just give a blast with the hose and let it dry on nice day.
 
Interesting to read about all the different grease management systems the manufactures use. My Camp Chef is only a 24, so no comparisons to the larger grills. I have to admit I find that neither the chimney or grease pail bothers' me. The grease pail is easy to clean with hot water and some soap. The covered chimney saved my bacon literally, when I was smoking some cured pork belly for bacon and it started raining and snowing, the cone over the chimney prevented any water getting into the grill.
The grease tray is angled toward the grease bucket and it has louvers all through it. The design doesn't allow any grease to fall through and channels it to the grease bucket but does allow the smoke to circulate. When I remove the tray the only thing below is dry ash. A quick vacuum and clean the grease bucket I'm done.
 
When I had the Traeger Pro 875, I too was relatively easy to clean with a shop vac. Same sentiments with grease tray and stack. In cleaning out all the ash-after every cook-I often wondered how much of that ash got into the food! it was up top on the side rails as well as below on the pans and cookbox. Gotta say I don't miss it one bit though, and seeing a lot of poopers kicked to the curb here with faulty electronics already. That was my long term doubt about them. Kettle and Q all I need.
 
My reasoning for the lack of a stack is more than convenience or cosmetic. I am convinced that on the more barrel shaped grills with louvered vents in the back it sets up a far better air flow surrounding the food and getting more smoke into it. You can actually "feel" the air flow out the back and I get smoke even at higher heats than you might think. Not sure about people going on about how the stack can keep rain out. Or wind. The louvers are such they do a fine job of that. And as far as rain, if I see so much as a cloud in the sky the grill on the deck is not getting used. Plus by not having a grease bucket hanging off the side cover on cover off are FAR easier. I truly think the secret to Weber getting more "smoke" out of the SF is the chamber and louvered rear vents more than anything else. It's why I strived so hard to find grills like this
 
For those who have a Menard's, I saw this today.
www.menards.com

Vacmaster® 6 Gallon Ash Vacuum with Casters

The Vacmaster Ash Vacuum features a strong 8 amp motor for maximum suction power. The ultra-quiet operation gives comfort on ears, and a wheel caster base provides portability. The on-board hose and accessory holders provide a complete storage solution. This vac is ideal for fine dust and...
www.menards.com www.menards.com
 
timothy said:
For those who have a Menard's, I saw this today.
www.menards.com

Vacmaster® 6 Gallon Ash Vacuum with Casters

The Vacmaster Ash Vacuum features a strong 8 amp motor for maximum suction power. The ultra-quiet operation gives comfort on ears, and a wheel caster base provides portability. The on-board hose and accessory holders provide a complete storage solution. This vac is ideal for fine dust and...
www.menards.com www.menards.com
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Thank you Sir.
I ordered one tonight. Even with shipping it was reasonable. But the do tack on a $2.80 service fee for processing the online order for shipping.
 
Greg Ross-MN said:
IMG_0293.jpegAgreed. They basically have made it easier to clean but I can't see how the grease it going to end up in the drain. It's going to mingle with the ash. As you said I just don't let the grease drip and build up. Drip pans are key with long cooks.
Click to expand...
Call me crazy, but is the large flavourizer bar slanted down to the left in this photo? I notice in the photo shown previous, there a drain hole on the left hand side. I can’t say for sure, as it’s 2:45 am, I just got home from work and can barely keep my eyes open. Maybe I’m wrong but I think the grease (for the most part) channels down the flavourizer bar and into the drain hole.
 
Bradley Mack said:
Call me crazy, but is the large flavourizer bar slanted down to the left in this photo? I notice in the photo shown previous, there a drain hole on the left hand side. I can’t say for sure, as it’s 2:45 am, I just got home from work and can barely keep my eyes open. Maybe I’m wrong but I think the grease (for the most part) channels down the flavourizer bar and into the drain hole.
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Looks even in this photo.

weber-searwood-flavorizer-3.jpg
 
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