between these 2, which one...and why?

[dieselndixie]

have had a brinkman, then a double barrel, and almost had myself talked into a masterbuilt electric, but the Texan in me wont let me go electric.

I am interested in more cooking surface than i had...the double barrel was surprisingly small for a large cookout.

and I care the most about being able to leave it unattended for 4-6 hours a pop...unlike the stick burning double barrel.

what are the advantages/disadvantages of these 2 styles?

http://austin.craigslist.org/for/2077193763.html
http://austin.craigslist.org/for/2067277915.html

thanks...its pretty much briskets, ribs, and pork butt for me

[Teleking]

I don’t think either of those could go 4 to 6 unattended.

YMMV
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[dieselndixie]

i was afraid of that. dont get me wrong, i dont mind sitting around, with some beverages, and tending to the smoker. I just know my buddies UDS can go for a good while without messing with it, and my double barrel needs atleast checking on it about once every hour/hour n a half

[Teleking]

[dieselndixie]

i know i know...and it needs to go that long...cuz you gotta pull everything to tend to the fire.

[erniesshop]

[Cranky Buzzard]

How much are you wanting to cook at once? Cooking for family and friends or cooking for a huge group?

I agree that the 2 you have listed won't go for long without needing attention.

The UDS will work great unattended, if you need to cook a lot more than you can fit on a UDS you can look into some of the vertical insulated type pits out there as well.

Charlie
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[GeorgeH]

You might check out the Stumps vertical smoker with the gravity feed. I'm planning on buying one. Superior makes one very similar.

If you want to leave it unattenced 4-6 hrs, I'd say the only other option is electric.

George

[Jarhead]

CookShack or Fast Eddy's
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[SoEzzy]

If it was my $500 (not a miss type), I'd look at the square one, if you're close enough to actually go look at it, I would do.

Why the extra $100, well I'm pretty sure that if you look at it, and it fits your other needs, you'd be able to have a "maze" built that would allow you to burn for 4 or 5 hours easily, for the extra $100.

Of course that's just my opinion about the choice of the two cookers you posted... I would build another 85 gallon UDS double decker for about $214.00 if it was my money.
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[Teleking]

[SoEzzy]

Yup I hear you, that's why with a drill on hand, I choose to build my own 85 gallon UDS's and the $214 includes a brand new drum, 2 new grates 26" from Amazon,com, a new Thermometer (though I'd buy an adjustable one next time), the hard ware, (Stainless steel through out), and the charcoal basket with a 22" kettle charcoal grate and a wrap of #9 expanded metal.

For just past the $400 mark I could double my capacity again, I can get 10 - 12 butts on a single one of these drums so that's 2 cases of butts on $428 worth of home made equipment!
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[Cranky Buzzard]

[erniesshop]

[Teleking]

[erniesshop]

Your Going To Be Real Busy For Awhile !!!
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[ggarner]

[dieselndixie]

First off, thanks to all for contributing. I know on a forum its easy to just blow of a guy with questions similar to what you have seen/answered before.

I am a bbq novice. Been learning for 2 years now...from S. Carolina, but living in Austin for past 8 years...so I blend my carolina roots with a true texas bbq.

I loved my brinkman for ease, but was waayyyy too small. So I built a double barrel. After help from some of you, I added some mods to the double barrel, but I still cant get temps to hold for longer than about an hour and a half. Keeps me sleeping on the couch!

Anyway, here is exactly what I am looking for.

1. ability to cook 1 10bs brisket and 2 pork shoulders at once...to be vacuum sealed (will get recomendations on that next)

2. leave unattended (this means I can sleep if smoking at night) for around 4-6 hours and still hold temp

3. If its small/ish then it can stay on my covered porch...if large, then it goes in the yard uncovered (but its TX....it dont rain!)

....I am turning my nose up at electric for now....I just cant skip out on good bark and a smoke ring.

keep the suggestions coming. I built a UDS for a buddy, but havent finished the charcoal basket, so I havent got to try one yet. I may just be looking past it because my DBS doesnt hold temp like I want it to. Taste on my DBS is awesome, but its a full days work.

[ggarner]

For what requirements are, I think your only 2 options are and UDS or an insulated vertical smoker. Given the price of the smokers you were previously considering, If I were you I would go with the UDS. They are super easy to build, and about the only tool you actually need to make one is a drill and a few different sized bits.

A brisket and 2 shoulders sounds like it could be done on a regular sized 55gal UDS but I am just sort of guessing on that. If you ever want to do more than that at once you may be better of spending a little extra $$ now and getting the 85gal drum that SoEzzy was talking about.

I guess the deciding factor would really be how often do you smoke/what quantity do you usually smoke? If you normally only cook for you and that special someone and then on occasion you would do the 2 butts and the brisket I would lean more towards the smaller drum because it should consume less charcoal each use so it will be saving you money if you dont really need the extra surface area of the 85.

[Teleking]