Serious question LOL


 

TroyS

TVWBB Member
I know this might sound silly to ask but here goes.......

Is a cabinet style smoker worth the jump in cost over a WSM? LOL I know this is probably the wrong forum for that but had to ask. I have a 22" WSM and I absolutely love it. I'm debating on adding a cabinet smoker mainly for brisket and ribs. Seems like that style smoker might be more consistent with temps and times. BUT I also am thinking about dressing up the WSM with some add ons to help with temps and times ie; guru, partyQ, etc along with the Cajun bandit door. Certainly the cheaper route would be to modify the WSM. Just thoughts, if anyone has one or two. Thanks.
 
Not really more at once. Just wondering about consistency with a cabinet style.

I've never used a cabinet style or pellet style smoker. The WSM is one of the most consistent smokers there is. Best results with any of them are after you nail down your process.
 
I've never used a cabinet style or pellet style smoker. The WSM is one of the most consistent smokers there is. Best results with any of them are after you nail down your process.

Thanks Kelley you're right, I just need to fine tune what I have.
 
I highly recommend the Cajun Bandit door...it really reduces air infiltration. That plus a guru should put you in WSM heaven...

I’m planing on a blower down the road as well; but we have a small family and smaller 8-10lb briskets are fine for us...no need for overnight cooks.
 
Troy,

Food for thought...

The WSM is a common smoker found at pro comps !

Just yesterday, the wife and I judged the KCBS pro comp at Bayfair in San Diego. Our own TVWBB member JerryA, pitmaster of Burnin' & Lootin', won the Reserve Grand Championship. I believe Jerry is still cooking on a WSM for at least 1 meat.

And also yesterday, but at a KCBS pro comp in Boise, Idaho, our own TVWBB member Vincent Carrocci, pitmaster of Rhythm 'n Que, won the Reserve Grand Championship cooking on ONLY WSMs !

If you ask Harry Soo... he'll tell you "it's not the Pit, it's the Pitmaster" . Something to think about... !!!

AND, JerryA is currently #5 in the Nation in the KCBS points race !!!!!!!!!!
 
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I highly recommend the Cajun Bandit door...it really reduces air infiltration. That plus a guru should put you in WSM heaven...

I’m planing on a blower down the road as well; but we have a small family and smaller 8-10lb briskets are fine for us...no need for overnight cooks.

I'm going to check those items out thank you.
 
Troy,

Food for thought...

The WSM is a common smoker found at pro comps !

Just yesterday, the wife and I judged the KCBS pro comp at Bayfair in San Diego. Our own TVWBB member JerryA, pitmaster of Burnin' & Lootin', won the Reserve Grand Championship. I believe Jerry is still cooking on a WSM for at least 1 meat.

And also yesterday, but at a KCBS pro comp in Boise, Idaho, our own TVWBB member Vincent Carrocci, pitmaster of Rhythm 'n Que, won the Reserve Grand Championship cooking on ONLY WSMs !

If you ask Harry Soo... he'll tell you "it's not the Pit, it's the Pitmaster" . Something to think about... !!!

AND, JerryA is currently #5 in the Nation in the KCBS points race !!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Bob, great info and points.
 
I highly recommend the Cajun Bandit door...it really reduces air infiltration. That plus a guru should put you in WSM heaven...



I’m planing on a blower down the road as well; but we have a small family and smaller 8-10lb briskets are fine for us...no need for overnight cooks.

Would the Cajun Bandit door with new latch be the correct one? I've read something about issues with the latch but that might be my mistake on which latch it is. Also what Guru model do you recommend?
 
Troy, I'm not a competitor, but I did mod my WSM 22 a few months ago and the results are remarkable. My 22 leaked from the day I bought it. I had a Stoker before I bought the 22, and even it could not control the temps. I even quit cooking on it other than ribs once a year because it was so frustrating and inconsistent. I was trying to decide earlier this year whether to sell the WSM and get a pellet grill or mod the WSM. I'm very happy I stuck with the WSM.

I bought a Cajun Bandit door, gaskets for the lid and the door, new dampers and the unknown BBQ hinge. Now, whatever temp I set, the Stoker hits it and holds it. I regularly switch back and forth from low to high heat. Yesterday, a butt wasn't cooking fast enough so I cranked it up to 325 after foiling. When it was done, I dropped it back down to 230 to do some ABTs. It's fantastic. And I can shut it down and have usable charcoal for the next cook.

If I were you, I would make those mods and get either the Guru or the new Thermoworks unit. You'll be glad you did.
 
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Here is my experience with the CB doors: I have all 3 sizes. None of them sealed any better than my stock doors. Both my stock and the CB doors required a little manipulation to get what I consider an adequate fit. The main reason I bought the CB's is because the latch on one of my stock doors fell apart and continued to fall apart. In my opinion, the CB latches are top notch. I honestly don't worry about a little leak around my doors; I just use the leaks as part of the equation in determining the adjustment of my vents. But I'm not a pro and I'm not anal about matters such as this.
 
Long time lurker thought it was time to post something. I have competet 6 times with the St Louis BBQ Society, same rules as Kcbs. I use 2 22" WSM's and have piered over the hedges so to speak at other smokers each time. The 2 things I wish were different are the cool down period and lack of easy to get to space. Let me explain, I do 2 butts, 1 brisket with flat and point separated, 3 racks of ribs and 16 chicken thighs (wife's favorite unless I would only to 10). With a cabinet I would be able to just open door move a rack and close the door. Now I have to juggle racks and pans of food which can get messy when turns ins are close.
I like to break down and clean up as soon as I do my last turn in, I am always the first one pulling out after awards. What takes the longest is for the fires to go out. The drum and cabinet guys shut the doors and 15 minutes later they are cool enough to dump the ashes.
Other than that the food is just as good. You have more options with a WSM, I take the water bowl out when I do my chicken like the drum guys, hot and fast low and slow I can do what is needed.
FWIW I have the CB door and like it but not necessary. I have lid hinges and would not live without them. Nothing worse then getting grass on your comp meat because you have nowhere to put your lid.
 
Troy, I'm not a competitor, but I did mod my WSM 22 a few months ago and the results are remarkable. My 22 leaked from the day I bought it. I had a Stoker before I bought the 22, and even it could not control the temps. I even quit cooking on it other than ribs once a year because it was so frustrating and inconsistent. I was trying to decide earlier this year whether to sell the WSM and get a pellet grill or mod the WSM. I'm very happy I stuck with the WSM.

I bought a Cajun Bandit door, gaskets for the lid and the door, new dampers and the unknown BBQ hinge. Now, whatever temp I set, the Stoker hits it and holds it. I regularly switch back and forth from low to high heat. Yesterday, a butt wasn't cooking fast enough so I cranked it up to 325 after foiling. When it was done, I dropped it back down to 230 to do some ABTs. It's fantastic. And I can shut it down and have usable charcoal for the next cook.

If I were you, I would make those mods and get either the Guru or the new Thermoworks unit. You'll be glad you did.
Thank you for the info
 
Thank you everyone for the responses. Did some research last night looking at my options. Turns out that Fireboard makes a universal style cable which allows different brand fans/blowers to link into their control board system. I have the Fireboard system so I ordered the cable and a Pit Viper medium draft fan. Since I have the adapter for a PartyQ that no longer works I can attach the Pit Viper and utilize Fireboard. All total it still saved me some money rather than buying a totally separate temp controller. Thanks again for the suggestions. Door replacement is next.
 
I bought a door without a latch and moved the latch from my stock door to the bandit.

I cannot recommend a Guru since I don’t have one yet! Sorry...
 
Here is my experience with the CB doors: I have all 3 sizes. None of them sealed any better than my stock doors. Both my stock and the CB doors required a little manipulation to get what I consider an adequate fit. The main reason I bought the CB's is because the latch on one of my stock doors fell apart and continued to fall apart. In my opinion, the CB latches are top notch. I honestly don't worry about a little leak around my doors; I just use the leaks as part of the equation in determining the adjustment of my vents. But I'm not a pro and I'm not anal about matters such as this.

I seem to get more leaks on the top rim. I did put gasket material on the factory door itself and it's done pretty good.
 
I bought a door without a latch and moved the latch from my stock door to the bandit.

I cannot recommend a Guru since I don’t have one yet! Sorry...

I'm going to try this temp control set up with the Pit Viper fan plugged into the Fireboard. If it's pretty stable temp wise I'll hold off on the door.
 
Here is my experience with the CB doors: I have all 3 sizes. None of them sealed any better than my stock doors. Both my stock and the CB doors required a little manipulation to get what I consider an adequate fit. The main reason I bought the CB's is because the latch on one of my stock doors fell apart and continued to fall apart. In my opinion, the CB latches are top notch. I honestly don't worry about a little leak around my doors; I just use the leaks as part of the equation in determining the adjustment of my vents. But I'm not a pro and I'm not anal about matters such as this.

Looking at the CB door next.
 
Looking at the CB door next.


Heres my experience with CB 18" door:

Heavy, thick, nice.

Bend at bottom....IS NOT SHARP ENOUGH
It doesnt really fit as well as stock here. Stock is sharp 90 bends. CB has very rounded bends due to thickness.

It flexes shell at bottom where it inserts, cracks porcelain coating, due to improper bend. Yes, it closes tighter because of this, its flexing shell outward to cause this, cracking porcelain. You can hear it.....awful

It grinds porcelain coating at bottom edge when open/close it too.

My conclusion....waste of money. Didnt use mine, sold it on ebay for $10 loss overall with shipping. Weber didnt "cheap out", they knew what they were doing.

Take time to adjust stock door well. Dont be idiot and step on it, and you will have zero problems. Its not made for gasket thickness, dont do that, just bends door.
 
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