WSM vs Proq Butt Cook

Cast&Que · Posted: Sep 03 2008 Post subject: WSM vs Proq Butt Cook

Recently at the HolySmoke Backyard BBQ contest the ILBBQS had a battle of the bullet smokers. The Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) competed against the ProQ Excel 20 in the battle. The cookers were compared side by side and each cooker was used to cook chicken wings and fatties.

I had the privilege of cooking on both these cookers. I am not experienced with this type of smoker; the closest I have used to either of these is a modified Brinkmann Bullet Smoker (ECB). I cooked 4 pork butts on each cooker. Both cookers were loaded with Royal Oak lump charcoal some cherry chunks were used for smoke wood. I lit each cooker using 1/3 of a chimney of briquettes using the Minion Method. I started out with hot tap water in both water pans. Both cookers came up to 200 ̊ quickly. I put the meat in the cookers and after some thermometer issues I realized the WSM was at 275 ̊, so I closed the vent that was in the wind and closed one of the other vents down halfway. The ProQ had a hard time getting above 200 ̊ after loading the meat, so I stirred the coals and tossed in a few more handfuls of lump. After making the adjustments to the WSM it settled in at 225 ̊. After stirring the coals and adding charcoal the ProQ came up to 230 ̊with all vents open all the way. Both cookers were stable. The WSM temperature hardly varied thru out the day. Several hours into the cook I did have to close a second vent on the WSM leaving one fully open. At approximately 5 hours into the cook the ProQ�s water pan was nearly empty. I added water to both cookers at this time. The WSM temp remained constant thru the cook while the ProQ varied from 200 ̊ to 250 ̊. I had to add fuel to the ProQ twice during the cook. I added fuel to the WSM once. I expected the larger ProQ to use more fuel, but it did not seem have any more capacity for fuel than the WSM.

Once the butts hit between 160 ̊ and 170 ̊ internally I wrapped them in foil, this is the same method I use when cooking in my offset, stick burner. It was shortly after this I decided I need to increase the heat to get some of the butts done to work with my schedule. At this point the ProQ was still at 250 ̊ with all vents open. I opened a vent on the WSM to halfway; I now had one vent fully open and one vent half way open. The WSM climbed to and held 300 ̊ which was in the range I was looking for. I could not get the ProQ to above 250 ̊.

Both cookers worked well. It was easier to control the temperature with the WSM. The ProQ cooker is large for a bullet smoker, with the original legs the unit feel slightly unstable. ProQ has reportedly addressed this issue and is sending out replacement legs. Some of the sections on the ProQ didn�t fit together well. It was too difficult to get the body sections apart to place or remove meat from the bottom rack without disturbing the cooker. The sections were hard to separate even after the cooker had cooled off. I assembled the sections in a different order and the fit was improved. The access doors in the ProQ worked to added water and charcoal, but they are kind of small and couldn�t be opened without gloves. The WSM still appeared to be a better product. The WSM sections fit together well. The access door on the WSM could be removed without the use of gloves which was nice.

Overall both these cookers are nice and I enjoyed cooking on them. They both turned out good BBQ and were easy to operate.

Here are some pictures.

Skidder · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 10 Feb 2008 Posts: 1720

Great write up!

Starvaque · Posted: Sep 03 2008 Post subject:

Great pics too. Your experience with the wsm is the same as mine, it's an ease to use and turns out great Q.

k.a.m. · Posted: Sep 03 2008 Post subject:

Cast&Que, thanks for the write up it was very informative and some great looking food as well. Very Happy

T00lman · Posted: Sep 03 2008 Post subject:

thanks for the reveiw now my mind is made up .
I think Laughing

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Canadian Bacon · Posted: Sep 03 2008 Post subject:

Great little read,nice job on the pics,butt's look great.
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PlaneSmoke · Posted: Sep 03 2008 Post subject:

Cast&Que,

Would you be willing to share what prompted you to do this test? That is: did someone give you both and say "try 'em out"? Are you a retailer?

You stated you don't have experience with these smokers. What do you normally use?

No hidden agenda here, I genuinely want to know your motivations. If someone loaned them to you to tryout, WHERE DO I SIGN UP Very Happy

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ProQ Excel 20
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Cast&Que · Posted: Sep 03 2008 Post subject:

The cookers are the ILBBQS www.ILBBQS.com

I borrowed them because I wanted to try cooking on them, and since I was cooking on them I might as well report on the two different cookers.

here is my rig I built and typically cook on.

EricH · Posted: Sep 04 2008 Post subject:

Nice review
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Doc1680 · Posted: Sep 04 2008 Post subject:

Good review. That's what I thought we were going to get during the intitial cook-off.
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ceebz · Joined: 19 Aug 2008 Posts: 5

What's up with the legs on the ProQ? It looks like it's about to tip over...

Cast&Que · Posted: Sep 04 2008 Post subject: Re: WSM vs Proq Butt Cook

PlaneSmoke · Posted: Sep 04 2008 Post subject:

Doc,

Have you had any of the issues described?

* leaning
* not holding heat
* difficult to separate the sections when heated
* fuel capacity[/list]
_________________
"Thank Que!"

Mike
ProQ Excel 20
Weber One-touch (2)
Weber Genesis Gold
Weber Smokey Joe

Cast&Que · Posted: Sep 04 2008 Post subject:

2 of the sections didn't fit together well hot or cold. As stated above I changed the order I put them together and it was better.

Doc1680 · Posted: Sep 04 2008 Post subject:

EricH · Posted: Sep 04 2008 Post subject:

roxy · Posted: Sep 05 2008 Post subject:

You mentioned you had to add water to the Excel but failed to mention the need to add water to the WSM. I have both cookers and since the WSM pan is tiny in comparison to the Excels, I would assume that you would have to add water at least twice before you would find the need to add it to the excel.

No disrespect to you but your bias for the WSM is as obvious as my own for the ProBBQ.

I think I will have to do me up a side by side and post the results.. If I ever get a day off.
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Cast&Que · Posted: Sep 05 2008 Post subject: Re: WSM vs Proq Butt Cook

coal miner · Posted: Sep 05 2008 Post subject:

Been watching this one, Chuck. some hard core WSM guys and some that love the Pro-Q. Me, I'm gonna wait on the 22.5 Weber when it comes out. X-mas present to me,hint to Momma!! It seems that both cookers do a pretty good job and both have some small issues.

Doc1680 · Posted: Sep 05 2008 Post subject:

This is going to end up being one of those, "foil or no foil", types of things. Weber is always going to have a loyal following. Especially here in the states. But I don't see Ian and the gang going anywhere. If I remember correctly, he metioned something about a plant in Arizona soon.

So it seems that WSM vs. ProQ will be popping up on the board from time to time.
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Love the voodoo that Q do.

Doc