Let's Talk BBQ

Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Stick Burners => Topic started by: Big Dawg on June 21, 2015, 05:57:31 PM

Title: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: Big Dawg on June 21, 2015, 05:57:31 PM
I'm guessing that this (http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/outdoor-gourmet-triton-charcoal-vertical-smoker-and-grill/pid-1504037?color=Black&N=578824977+4294965759) would qualify as a stickburner.

A friend of mine just bought one.  Does anyone have any experience with them?

Thanks!





BD
Title: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: Pappymn on June 21, 2015, 06:16:17 PM
Interesting looking. Terrible reviews though
Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: smokeasaurus on June 21, 2015, 06:30:29 PM
It would be called a Stick burner. Probably would have to have coals in the grill section to feed the upright with heat and smoke.

Here is another example, big difference in price...I figure the smoke box on the Gator weighs more than the Academy model.....the pay what ya get for motto comes to mind................

http://www.gatorpit.net/backyard_pits/trad_upright.htm
Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: LostArrow on June 21, 2015, 11:08:04 PM
I'd be very leary of buying this cooker!
For about the same price buy a 18 in weber WSM
Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: muebe on June 21, 2015, 11:56:05 PM
I have found that nowadays you really get what you pay for...

Seems awfully cheap. I would imagine the build quality would be less than par and not air tight where it needs to be.
Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: smokeasaurus on June 22, 2015, 12:27:15 AM
In the BBQ world it is kind of like this: You either have well offs and poverty.....same with grills...either junk or super non-affordable......no more middle class......
Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: drholly on June 22, 2015, 12:40:03 AM
In the BBQ world it is kind of like this: You either have well offs and poverty.....same with grills...either junk or super non-affordable......no more middle class......

In the immortal words of one of my friends from other forums (would like to see him again...) "hole, fire, grate..."

Don't get me wrong - I love my cooking tools (just like my friend loves his speakers.) But at the end of the day, we are adding heat in some controlled way to our food. If I can't afford the coolest / latest cooker (and I can't...) I need to find a way to bring that heat in the right / controlled way to my food. Or find something else to cook. That is the fun to me - when I don't have the "magic" tool / cooker / ingredients to create the recipe I want to do, I need to figure out another way. It might be more difficult, but will be more fun if I can accomplish it. To me that is the best part of cooking.





Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: Hub on June 22, 2015, 09:12:01 AM
Interesting mesh of designs.  It'll probably work with a lot of tending and practice.  A stoker (if there is one that will fit it) would probably be worth its weight in gold.  I've owned a couple of lower priced offsets and they were okay as long as you didn't get too far away from them  ::)

Hub
Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: Jaxon on June 22, 2015, 10:00:30 AM
What DRHolly said...I enjoy the challenges in outdoor cookin'.

Aaron Franklin cooked for a couple of years on a couple of $99 flimsy, "no-seal" smokers and learned to cook some mighty fine bbq...that was all he could afford at the time. (one of the smokers was given to him)

He learned to cook 2 briskets in each one which was a HUGE challenge.  That helped lay the ground work for his future.

It STILL goes back to the ol' sayin'..."it ain't the cooker, it's the cook"

But what do I know? I'm just a backyard jack.

just sayin'...
Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: Big Dawg on June 22, 2015, 12:51:06 PM
Thanks for all of the comments.  He currently is cooking on a Master Forge (http://www.lowes.com/pd_404331-95393-MFJ576DNC_1z0wekyZ1z11k5r__?productId=3878738&pl=1) and is looking to get more into smoking.

There's no way that he was going to be able to drop 2-3 K on a smoker.  Fortunately, Cory is somewhat of a tinkerer, so, hopefully, he may be able to address, at least, some of weaknesses.  He also likes tending a fire, so he will get a chance to do that, too!

He's seen me cook on my two WSMs several times with good results, but, I guess, decided that was not the way he wanted to go.

I'll be interested to see what he does with it.




BD
Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: smokeasaurus on June 22, 2015, 01:00:14 PM
Why can't BBQ Mfg's make "mid-grade" units.  Not 1/4" and not thin 20 gauge crap.  12 gauge seems to be a good thickness that many Mfg's ignore.........
Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: tlg4942 on June 22, 2015, 01:16:55 PM
Why can't BBQ Mfg's make "mid-grade" units.  Not 1/4" and not thin 20 gauge crap.  12 gauge seems to be a good thickness that many Mfg's ignore.........
Money money monnnnney....   
 My son gets to go to the huge wholesale home shows in Atlanta , Miami etc.. He said the Chinese are there with cameras taking pics of every angle.  So they can copy it make it cheaper, If we stopped buying that cheap $#!* they would improve it.
Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: Big Dawg on June 22, 2015, 03:03:50 PM
Why can't BBQ Mfg's make "mid-grade" units.  Not 1/4" and not thin 20 gauge crap.  12 gauge seems to be a good thickness that many Mfg's ignore.........
Money money monnnnney....   
 My son gets to go to the huge wholesale home shows in Atlanta , Miami etc.. He said the Chinese are there with cameras taking pics of every angle.  So they can copy it make it cheaper, If we stopped buying that cheap $#!* they would improve it.

I tend to agree.  It seems like there could/should be something, somewhere, in between $250 and ten times that much  I'm not that Cory would have gone for it, but, the option should be there.

But most people, it seems like, are real bargain hunters and I just don't think that there's the demand, particularly for this particular type of unit.





BD
Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: Jaxon on June 22, 2015, 04:37:38 PM
I consider the Old Country Pecos smoker a mid-grade / mid-priced smoker at $399.
Since I read Aaron Franklin's book, I have learned how to operate it more successfully.  It works GREAT for me - but I'm just a backyard jack.
you can watch my review here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qif94h4vg38
Title: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: Jaaleb on June 22, 2015, 06:49:29 PM
I've used an inexpensive offset for the past few years when I decided I wanted to learn to smoke. Recently I purchased an Akorn after knowing a kj or bge was out of my price range. I haven't had it long and have only done 2  low and slow but I am incredibly happy with the results. If you can catch a deal they're in the $250 range. Maybe not what some people want, however I'm thrilled with the results so far.
Jay
Title: Re: Anyone know about this ...
Post by: Big Dawg on June 23, 2015, 02:35:08 PM
I've used an inexpensive offset for the past few years when I decided I wanted to learn to smoke. Recently I purchased an Akorn after knowing a kj or bge was out of my price range. I haven't had it long and have only done 2  low and slow but I am incredibly happy with the results. If you can catch a deal they're in the $250 range. Maybe not what some people want, however I'm thrilled with the results so far.
Jay

I agree with that, too.  But again, Cory has been with us on several competitions and I cooks on WSMs and my SIL cooks on a Vision Kamado.  Cory has not shown the least interest in going in either of those directions. 

As the song says, "Different strokes for different folks!"





BD