Looking to Replace 18" WSM with new Smoker/Grill Combo

[Jaxon]

I owned an Assassin grill for about a year.  It was 48 in long.  It was the most difficult of all the grills I've had when it came to heat and smoke control - needed constant attention.

Fortunately, I was able to sell it for the same amount that I paid for it...the guy just HAD to have it because his friend had one like it.

BTW, Assassin grills are made about 10 to 15 minutes from my house.

[pmillen]

I owned an Assassin grill for about a year.  It was 48 in long.  It was the most difficult of all the grills I've had when it came to heat and smoke control - needed constant attention.

Did you try to ameliorate that by building a charcoal maze and/or using an airflow controller like a BBQ Guru or the FireBoard Drive & Blower?

EDIT:  In hindsight—I hijacked your thread, capitalhockey, but you may find that the Assassin has merit if the problems Jackson had can be remedied.

[capitalhockey]

I owned an Assassin grill for about a year.  It was 48 in long.  It was the most difficult of all the grills I've had when it came to heat and smoke control - needed constant attention.

Fortunately, I was able to sell it for the same amount that I paid for it...the guy just HAD to have it because his friend had one like it.

BTW, Assassin grills are made about 10 to 15 minutes from my house.

Which equipment do you use most these days?

[capitalhockey]

I owned an Assassin grill for about a year.  It was 48 in long.  It was the most difficult of all the grills I've had when it came to heat and smoke control - needed constant attention.

Did you try to ameliorate that by building a charcoal maze and/or using an airflow controller like a BBQ Guru or the FireBoard Drive & Blower?

EDIT:  In hindsight—I hijacked your thread, capitalhockey, but you may find that the Assassin has merit if the problems Jackson had can be remedied.

No worries....good to know which one I can cross off my list....I like set and forget units

[Jaxon]

I used the snake method in the Assassin 48.  It worked if I was going low and slow, but I had to keep the water pan in place.  Because I couldn't keep enough water in it, the pan buckled and twisted, and that made it hard to pull it out of its racks.

I love the "set and forget" feature of the 560 as well as the ability to control the amount of smoke I get.
As far as grilling goes, if you let the grates get to temp, you will find that it's pretty much like "direct grilling".  You can certainly sear steaks beautifully at 600 degrees.
My go to smoker is the 560 - for high-temp grilling my go to grill is the 560.
My only regret I have is that the 1050 was not available when I made my purchase. 

[capitalhockey]

I used the snake method in the Assassin 48.  It worked if I was going low and slow, but I had to keep the water pan in place.  Because I couldn't keep enough water in it, the pan buckled and twisted, and that made it hard to pull it out of its racks.

I love the "set and forget" feature of the 560 as well as the ability to control the amount of smoke I get.
As far as grilling goes, if you let the grates get to temp, you will find that it's pretty much like "direct grilling".  You can certainly sear steaks beautifully at 600 degrees.
My go to smoker is the 560 - for high-temp grilling my go to grill is the 560.
My only regret I have is that the 1050 was not available when I made my purchase.

I heard 1050 eats up a lot more fuel than 560.  How many ppl do you usually cook for?  We are a family of 4 and entertain up to 10 folks on occasion.  I just saw a 560 on discount near me for $300.  The 1050 is holding strong at $800.    Trying to decide if 1050's extra space is worth the extra costs.  What do you recommend?

[Jaxon]

Using a rib rack, I can comfortably cook 3 racks of ribs.  Can also cook two butts.  I'm usually cooking for the 2 of us, but I almost always cook two racks - one to freeze for later.
I do all the smoking on the upper grate, with a water pan on the main grate.

You will use a good bit more charcoal in the 1050 simply because it is twice as big...when I cooked with the Assassin 48, I used nearly a whole bag to cook two racks of ribs.

I'm sure you won't be able to cook for ten or more with anything smaller than the 1050 UNLESS...
Think about TWO 560s...one for the four of you and two for the cookouts.  What an idea!

[pmillen]

I like set and forget units

I've never owned an Assassin, but I've looked into them a few times.  Jaxon's not a rookie, so he should be listened to. 

But it seems to me that since the charcoal fire is below the grate, a charcoal maze with smoke wood mixed in and a temperature controller like the BBQ Guru or FireBoard Drive & Blower might make it into a sweet unit for smoking and grilling.

The controller should allow you accuracy for low and slow and move the air around for even heat like a convection unit while a hot fire directly below the grate would be perfect for grilling.

I'm just speculating though.

[pmillen]

capitalhockey, it occurs to me that a drum smoker may fit your needs nicely.  You can easily smoke and grill on them.  I had one for a while and I think it’s the absolute best pit for smoking chicken.  The downside is that the paint chips easily and the exposed steel rusts.  As near as I can tell, all lids are the normal drum lid that holds rainwater and encourages rust.  But Big Poppa offers a stainless-steel drum kit that solves that problem.

There are hundreds of videos on YouTube for recipes, tips and tricks.

If I were to buy one today, I think I’d buy a Gateway or a Hunsaker.  The Hunsaker has a lid hinge that reduces the chances of chipping the lid paint and there are some aftermarket hinges available.

They're set and forget if you add a stoker-type controller.

[ClimberDave]

I used to sell Good One smokers.  Not too much room for grilling in the firebox if you go with the Open Range. If you move up to the Marshall you are way out of your price range.

How about a 26 inch Weber with the slo n sear??  That should give you more room.

x2  on the 26" Weber
They are pretty easy to control temps or you could get a controller.  I use my  22" Weber for most stuff still, I  did a  15lb brisket on it last month.  Do steaks,  burgers and chicken all the time.

[pmillen]

Way to keep us in suspense, capitalhockey.   

What did you buy?