I started this thread some time ago and bought the Searwood 600. I’ve smoked on it, grilled on it, and have even seared on it. For me it has worked flawlessly. I haven’t watched any of the videos being referenced, but one could nitpick any grill if they want to. Would I buy another 600 if I had to do it over? No, but only because I’d buy the 600XL instead. No regrets. Just my two cents.
Searwood - Yea or Nay?
- Thread starter Todd NC
- Start date
I started this thread some time ago and bought the Searwood 600. I’ve smoked on it, grilled on it, and have even seared on it. For me it has worked flawlessly. I haven’t watched any of the videos being referenced, but one could nitpick any grill if they want to. Would I buy another 600 if I had to do it over? No, but only because I’d buy the 600XL instead. No regrets. Just my two cents.
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Honestly I think Tom is his own worst enemy on the Searwood. I'd not be put off by him. Pay more attention to the skilled people here on this forum using them and enjoying them. Also understand the limitations of pellet cooking and due to how the heat is sourced. A single small burn point in a large barrel. Bottom line, pellet cookers present some challenges, they don't cook like a gas or even a charcoal grill. But I guarantee once you understand it will likely be a product you will be attached to at the hip
My two penny worth; I wanted the ease of a pellet grill.
I don't own a Searwood but bought a Broil King pellet grill a couple of years ago, in preference to the Smokefire due to the then reviews it was getting.
I've always favoured Weber bbq's so it was a big move for me. IMO my BK can't sear steaks very well, it kinda does burgers okay on a griddle. Does low & slow fine, but smokiness is average at best. Clean up of my BK, is a bit of a chore and has to be done every two or three cooks. The BK app is pants, so is their customer support (in UK).
I think I'm going to go back to a charcoal BBQ of some sort. However, I think there is room in my arsenal for a pellet grill, and it could be the Searwood. But there are some other very good pellet grills out there, that are coming into the price range of the Weber.
I got my fingers burnt by the BK (sorry about pun!). Do your research before you commit.
I don't own a Searwood but bought a Broil King pellet grill a couple of years ago, in preference to the Smokefire due to the then reviews it was getting.
I've always favoured Weber bbq's so it was a big move for me. IMO my BK can't sear steaks very well, it kinda does burgers okay on a griddle. Does low & slow fine, but smokiness is average at best. Clean up of my BK, is a bit of a chore and has to be done every two or three cooks. The BK app is pants, so is their customer support (in UK).
I think I'm going to go back to a charcoal BBQ of some sort. However, I think there is room in my arsenal for a pellet grill, and it could be the Searwood. But there are some other very good pellet grills out there, that are coming into the price range of the Weber.
I got my fingers burnt by the BK (sorry about pun!). Do your research before you commit.
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Sad you had bad experience with it that "soured" your overall experience and opinion of the product type. I've had NOTHING but excellent experiences with my 2 pellet cookers. Neither makes "lines" on a steak. Which many mistakenly call "sear". They're lines nothing more. But, both can and do make a decent to very good overall crust on a steak for me. Of course they excel at reverse method. Both can make 500 deg. Though I've found waiting for that temp and the results to be meh. They can do just fine bringing them up to 450 though. (seems that last 50 is hard to reach). Though neither is suited to thin steaks (but then neither am I) 
No "wimpy under 1.5" steak for me). When I cut steak 1.5" is my minimum cut. I typically cut a 1.75" to 2". These work perfectly on my pellet grills. (for the record I don't have a Weber) for a couple reasons. Most importantly the many issues being reported on the then SmokeFire. Other being the crazy high cost of entry. So, my are the Member's Mark Pro Series, and Z Grill 1100 2B.
But, looking at the performance of the Searwood (even the Smoque) I'd be proud to have either or both on my deck!
No "wimpy under 1.5" steak for me). When I cut steak 1.5" is my minimum cut. I typically cut a 1.75" to 2". These work perfectly on my pellet grills. (for the record I don't have a Weber) for a couple reasons. Most importantly the many issues being reported on the then SmokeFire. Other being the crazy high cost of entry. So, my are the Member's Mark Pro Series, and Z Grill 1100 2B. But, looking at the performance of the Searwood (even the Smoque) I'd be proud to have either or both on my deck!
This is also what I refer to as a “sear”. Grill lines do nothing for me.
Just my opnion. I can't cook decent steaks etc in my indoor electric oven, which is what my BK pellet grill is. There's no direct flame, just radiant heat.
Although it has cast iron grills that assist, by the time I get decent colour on the outside, the inside has been 'nuked'. Don't get me wrong, its perfect for other cooks, just scenario's where you need the cooking area screaming hot. And it cost a fortune in pellets to get there.
Although it has cast iron grills that assist, by the time I get decent colour on the outside, the inside has been 'nuked'. Don't get me wrong, its perfect for other cooks, just scenario's where you need the cooking area screaming hot. And it cost a fortune in pellets to get there.
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
You need thick steaks for it to work. Pay note of what I wrote about that. I've served steaks done this way to al kinds of eaters (those who like everything from still mooing to the Lord himself coming down from heaven because my "burnt offering" was such a pleasing aroma.
There is a different skill set to be sure doing it on the grill this way. IDK about an indoor oven because I cannot bring myself to cook a steak in that manner. But, for the record I am also not a fan of steak done in temps that melt steel. As some are. So, my expectations of a great steak can differ from other's.
There is a different skill set to be sure doing it on the grill this way. IDK about an indoor oven because I cannot bring myself to cook a steak in that manner. But, for the record I am also not a fan of steak done in temps that melt steel. As some are. So, my expectations of a great steak can differ from other's.
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Brett-EDH
TVWBB Olympian
frozen steaks work well too to build crust and then low temps to get it to desired doneness without making leather.
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Another thing I noticed in this discussion was talk of how hard it is to maintain a pellet cooker. Totally not true. At least in my case. Even a deep clean takes all of 10-15 min. Whereas when I would deep clean my Genesis, Summit or Wolf we're talking 2 solid hours of work. I'd give up totally on gas grills if I could fine a good buyer for the Wolf. Honestly I'm over gas cookers
Kevin L in Ohio
New member
I have owned the Weber Searwood XL 600 for about a year. I have not been able to achieve a good bark on beef (brisket; ribs; chuck), while the bark on pork, while not yet to my liking, is better. I use primarily Meat Church rubs or salt and 16 mesh pepper; put the meat on cold, and run Smokeboost for 2-3 hours, with Smokin' Pecan pellets. I recently added 2 of the Weber water pans that fit below the lower grates but, if anything, the bark is worse than before (maybe because I place the meat directly over them?). Does anyone have some advice on achieving a better bark? Thanks for your help!
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Well, not sure what to tell ya. I'd think the Searwood would give incredible bark. I get fantastic bark and burnt ends on pork butts and briskets, great bark on dino ribs as well on both Big Z and the Member's Mark. I have to think it's not the grill (no insult intended here) but maybe just tryna do too much to the meat? I'm a HUGE believer in slap that meat on and leave it the heck alone. I don't lift the lid, I don't spritz, no water pans none of that BS. Meat goes on late night before. 225 and I just leave it be. If I find my monitoring shows I need to adjust for desired time, I make adjustments in small increments on the fly but I don't open the lid or play with the food. IMO spritzing and wrapping and all that other malarkey is just that. "Doing things to make it look like you're doing something" I've found you don't have to do anything. Sit back and let your equipment work for you
Darian Hofer
TVWBB Pro
Before you start making changes to your cooking setup it’s good to have a reason for making the change. If you’re not happy with your crust or bark on low and slows, don’t add more moisture to your cooking chamber. Were you using any kind of a water tray prior to adding the Weber water pans? Are you wrapping your brisket? I only wrap to stop my briskets and butts from getting too dark and barky. Yea, not a real word, but it should be. With no water pan in a pellet grill I can’t even imagine NOT getting good bark. Most of the water pan users come from past use of a Weber Smokey Mountain where it’s used to stabilize the cooker temp more than anything else. I do use a water pan, off to the side, when I cook ribs on my pellet grill. I prefer less bark on my ribs for an easy bite through on the meat. So much of this is just preference.
On my Ceramic Green Egg cookers I can go without wrapping or water pan for over 20 hours with no issues. Because of heat retention there is much less airflow to dry out the meat. My Weber pellet grill, I had to wrap briskets to stop getting too much bark. Inherently, pellet grills have way more air flow, that in my experience, makes it easier to get bark on low and slows. My Pitts and Spitts pellet grill behaves similar. Yes, adding steam pans under your meat will considerably slow down the bark and burn more pellets heating the extra mass of the water.
Darian Hofer
TVWBB Pro
Can you get the roaring flames around your meat on a pellet grill? No, it’s not ideal.
But you can learn to easily cook damn good food on a pellet grill. If you can’t, just maybe it’s not the pellet grills fault.
A steak, just like eggs, can taste great cooked many ways. I don’t get 100% surface char, but really good caramelization is just as good but different from hard char crust. I love cooking direct over lump on my Eggs but also love nice caramelization flavor from my pellet grill. This is a no win battle over personal preference. Just learn to appreciate your grill for what it has to offer that fits your lifestyle. All but the first photo is pellet cooked.
But you can learn to easily cook damn good food on a pellet grill. If you can’t, just maybe it’s not the pellet grills fault.
A steak, just like eggs, can taste great cooked many ways. I don’t get 100% surface char, but really good caramelization is just as good but different from hard char crust. I love cooking direct over lump on my Eggs but also love nice caramelization flavor from my pellet grill. This is a no win battle over personal preference. Just learn to appreciate your grill for what it has to offer that fits your lifestyle. All but the first photo is pellet cooked.
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Kevin L in Ohio
New member
No insult taken. I have done all those things depending on the cook. I previously used water pans mainly for brisket and butts but did try the new ones directly under ribs and my last cook, a "poor man's brisket" - chuck roast. I do spritz once the bark (such that it is) is set. I was most unhappy with the chuck so will take your advice on the next cook and leave it alone. Thanks for your advice.
Kevin L in Ohio
New member
I have used water pans off to the side before getting the new ones. Yes, I carried the pan idea over from the WSM. I'm also wondering if my new water pan positioning may be part of the problem. I have been aligning them under the right side of the right grate (and directly under the meat) but may choose (if I use them again) to place them more to the center where the burn pot is located. Thanks for the help!
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
I think the heat is generated differently in the WSM or WSK because the combustion is closer to the food. In any case as noted I am a firm proponent of leave it alone. Less = more. More flavor, more bark, better cook. On a larger cut say a large brisket about midway in I MIGHT open the lid to swap ends on the brisket and or reposition it further to left or right side. Since the Z is so huge inside (I think it could accommodate 3 briskets across on top shelf plus 5 or 6 more on lower. (yeah it's huge inside), so depending on my mood I might reposition it. Otherwise lid is down and the only manipulation it gets is adjusting temps and mostly I never even touch that.
Darian Hofer
TVWBB Pro
If you are not getting the bark, crust or char that you want skip the water pan. Don’t use a water pan if you want to get better bark. Like I said before, I have never had issues getting a good bark on low and slows on either of my pellet grills. I even like to spray my longer cooks with apple juice/water 50/50 mixture. Still get bark. You just have to find what works for you. But putting water pans directly under your meat will create rising steam directly up to your meat. It will also lower the air temperature under your meat because a water pan is also a heat buffer. Having steam that close to your meat can also change the texture of your meat. Again, cooking is subjective and everyone has their ways. After you cook something, take a minute and think about what you liked and what you didn’t. Then make an adjustment to your next cook to improve it.
Chris in Louisiana
TVWBB All-Star
For those (like me) considering a Searwood, you may want to check out several videos done by The Basement Hangout guys. They are relatively short (10-20 minutes each), informative, and lots of fun to watch. They do a series of head to head cooking competitions with Searwood taking on (1) a RecTeq Flagship pellet cooker and (2) a Masterbuilt Gravity charcoal cooker. The Searwood doesn't win every contest, but it won several, and it often prevailed on cooks where the guys just "knew" the other product would do better.
Here is one of the videos from the Searwood v. Masterbuilt series. They had some PITA problems lighting the Masterbuilt, but I think they eventually figured out the technique they should have been using.
Pellet note: On one of the videos, Chad described how he had an auger jam that bent and basically wrecked his Searwood. Weber sent him new parts. He said a RecTeq customer rep (helping him with a problem on it) asked him what pellets he used, and he listed several, including Kirkland. The guy said don't use them; they are made by the same folks who make the Pit Boss pellets, and they are noticeably longer that most other brands, making them (allegedly) more prone to jams. He theorized that the Kirkland pellets caused his Searwood jam, but who knows? Here is the discussion of the pellets/jam.
Here is one of the videos from the Searwood v. Masterbuilt series. They had some PITA problems lighting the Masterbuilt, but I think they eventually figured out the technique they should have been using.
Pellet note: On one of the videos, Chad described how he had an auger jam that bent and basically wrecked his Searwood. Weber sent him new parts. He said a RecTeq customer rep (helping him with a problem on it) asked him what pellets he used, and he listed several, including Kirkland. The guy said don't use them; they are made by the same folks who make the Pit Boss pellets, and they are noticeably longer that most other brands, making them (allegedly) more prone to jams. He theorized that the Kirkland pellets caused his Searwood jam, but who knows? Here is the discussion of the pellets/jam.
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Yeah I've heard all kind of 
about Kirkland pellets but, have been using them (and some others including Bear Mountain, and Traeger) over the years. Never had any issues with either Big Z or Members Mark. Never noticed Kirkland pellets being any longer than any other I've used. Traeger OTOH were MUCH longer and less broken bits and dust than any other I've ever used including the much revered brands.
about Kirkland pellets but, have been using them (and some others including Bear Mountain, and Traeger) over the years. Never had any issues with either Big Z or Members Mark. Never noticed Kirkland pellets being any longer than any other I've used. Traeger OTOH were MUCH longer and less broken bits and dust than any other I've ever used including the much revered brands.They also did another vid saying the SW had a better smoked taste the the Smoque. IMO its all subjective, to your personal taste, unless done in strict conditions with blind tasting.
My son has a MB, never had lighting problems, but they do have lid safety switches, which can prove problematic and I've read a lot of people bypass.
My son has a MB, never had lighting problems, but they do have lid safety switches, which can prove problematic and I've read a lot of people bypass.