Searwood - Yea or Nay?


 
Todd NC said:
That’s cold. I saw those temps when I lived in Ohio, but not so much down here. Hope your smoker handled it well.
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Nope, it didn't. You can see my post(s) at the end of Mark Cuda's thread above. But, I got it done. (the steak). The Member's Mark performs a lot better in this stuff. It's smaller with less venting at the rear. If it wasn't so damn cold I'd pull the hopper off BigZ and maybe replace the auger motor with one of those higher speed motors that move a lot more pellets in less time. I think Smoke Daddy sells them. IIRC they're 2 RPM vs 1 RPM. This way if the PID calls for motor rotation for a certain time it should deliver twice the pellet volume.
 
Todd NC said:
So, after taking in and appreciating all of your comments, watching countless videos, and reading any reviews I could get my hands on, I've decided to purchase the Searwood 600. I was able to get my hands on a 600 XL, Campchef Woodwind Pro, and Yoder 640S which really helped in the decision making process. Woodwind Pro - didn't like it at all. While I really like the idea of the drawer for adding wood chunks, it seemed a little clunky and there really wasn't much space to add larger chunks like I currently have, and I just didn't like the "feel" of the smoker. I liked the beefiness of the Yoder as well as the operation of the Fireboard controller, but I didn't want the added complexity of taking care of the painted finish, rust, etc. at this point (I know, probably not that big of a deal). For my first foray into pellet smoking I want to just push the button, cook on it, and clean it so I decided on the Searwood. I decided on the smaller 600 as it's a lower cost entry point, a little easier to maneuver, and will easily suit the needs of my family (which is mostly my wife and me). So, I'll see how this pellet smoking thing goes. During my research I think I found my future upgrade path in a Lone Star Grillz smoker......but I'll let my wife recover from my recent obsessive behavior before I mention that. Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. I'll post some photos soon.
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I'm considering 600 for my wife and me. The biggest cook I'll have is three racks of spares. What has been your experience with food quality, size, and ease of use so far?
 
Tom Bowen said:
I'm considering 600 for my wife and me. The biggest cook I'll have is three racks of spares. What has been your experience with food quality, size, and ease of use so far?
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You can easily fit three racks on the 600. I’ve found the smoke flavor to be mild, but it’s to our liking. Using smoke boost does amp it up as well. Almost everything I’ve made on my 600 has turned out really good, and the food that didn’t was my fault (e.g. overcooked wings and ribs). Flavor-wise it’s all been spot on in my opinion. And it doesn’t get any easier than cooking on my 600. I use it more often than I thought I would, even choosing it over my kettle quite often, which I didn’t expect. I would recommend it.
 
One tip from just my pellet grill experiences. I think it's pretty generic not limited to one brand or another. I find I get my best results using the upper rack more than the lower rack. Also I find cleanup is so much easier when I place a disposable foil pan under the upper rack place my long cook foods on the upper rack over the pan. I find I get better smoke, easier cleanup and food easier to maneuver if necessary.
So, you may find it to your advantage to buy a bigger grill than you think you need. So, you can utilize it like that even on larger cooks. I've done whole brisket and slab of ribs or pork shoulder using only the upper on Big Z and keeping the foil pan underneath cleanup is a breeze then.
 
LMichaels said:
One tip from just my pellet grill experiences. I think it's pretty generic not limited to one brand or another. I find I get my best results using the upper rack more than the lower rack. Also I find cleanup is so much easier when I place a disposable foil pan under the upper rack place my long cook foods on the upper rack over the pan. I find I get better smoke, easier cleanup and food easier to maneuver if necessary.
So, you may find it to your advantage to buy a bigger grill than you think you need. So, you can utilize it like that even on larger cooks. I've done whole brisket and slab of ribs or pork shoulder using only the upper on Big Z and keeping the foil pan underneath cleanup is a breeze then.
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Larry is right. Cooking on the upper rack with a pan underneath does make for an easy cleanup.
 
For the guys who have been running these for a while, how has the reliability been? I had a SF when they first came out, and when it worked it was great... unfortunately, it only worked about half the time. I also burnt myself constantly on it. My friend has a store that sells them and I was thinking of taking one as partial payment for some work I did for them
 
Todd NC said:
I’ve only had mine for 5 months, but it’s been trouble-free so far.
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Thanks, that seems encouraging! I had problems from the second or third cook with my SF- and it would almost always happen when I was trying to make something I was really looking forward to. If I was just doing quick burgers or chicken for the dogs it would be fine. Brisket or ribs it would die mid cook and throw everything off
 
I think Weber moving to a more "conventional" type of feed and control system for the Searwood and Smoque will long term prove to give them the reliability Weber buyers are hoping for.
Because I can tell ya owning 2 different brand/model pellet grills, but which adhere to typical pellet grill "conventions" unless I make a mistake (like shutting down from very high temps after no cleaning the fire pot, (basically not doing my own due diligence) they're both dead reliable. Rock solid performers. I expect nothing less from Weber now on their new offerings in the market
 
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