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Vent: I had to pick between a big offset smoker and a pellet grill for my first real setup
I saved up for a year and finally had about $800 to spend. It came down to a classic Oklahoma Joe offset or a Traeger pellet grill. Everyone online said the offset was the 'real' way to learn, but the pellet grill was so easy. I went with the offset, thinking I'd master fire management. The first month was brutal. I ruined a whole brisket, about 15 pounds, because I couldn't keep the temp steady overnight. My wife joked the smoke alarm was our new dinner bell. I stuck with it, though, and after maybe six cooks, I finally got a feel for the air vents and wood chunks. Now my ribs are decent, but man, that learning curve is steep. Has anyone else almost gave up on an offset before it clicked?
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dylanwilliams1mo ago
Man, that first month sounds painfully familiar... I actually heard Franklin from Franklin BBQ say once that most people's first 50 briskets are garbage, and that made me feel a lot better about my early failures.
My first attempt on my offset ended up with me pulling an all-nighter with a flashlight and a fire poker, feeding split logs every 20 minutes like some kind of zombie barbecue addict. The bark looked like charcoal and the flat was drier than sawdust. My wife found me asleep in a lawn chair with ashes in my hair and told me I smelled like a campfire that went to college and failed out.
But that moment when the temp finally locked in at 250 for four straight hours... felt like winning a small lottery. Now I can't imagine using anything else.
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richard_shah3mo ago
That "smoke alarm dinner bell" line got me... my first time trying to cold smoke cheese in a little bullet smoker, I didn't realize how much smoke it would make on my apartment balcony. The whole building got a bit fragrant and I had some explaining to do to the neighbors.
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