really early. There are people there at like 8am camping out at the tables and grills. A single person will show up early and take the grill and tables around it for group that wont arrive until 12.
The easier thing to do is buy a cheap portable grill and just grill out on the grass. I have this one just for doing BBQs at Crissy field and you will see other people with similar grills doing the same thing https://www.amazon.com/Weber-121020-Go-Anywhere-Charcoal-Grill/dp/B00004RALJ/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=portable+grill&qid=1562293888&s=gateway&sr=8-10
So it sounds like you can run a propane BBQ (e.g. I've had good luck with this one) on any open grassy space.
Not sure what that's got to do with the other stuff. But I have always wondered why I don't see more random grilling going on.
What the other guy said…. This will cover most of your grilling and smoking needs, and will last decades if you buy a cover for it. Amazon might have free same day shipping too if Home Depot/Lowe’s doesn’t have it in stock
I HIGHLY reccommend the Weber Smokey Mountain. They're around $300 from Amazon, but they are fantastic. There is a plethora of info around and it'll last forever.
https://www.amazon.com/Weber-721001-Mountain-18-Inch-Charcoal/dp/B001I8ZTJ0
I had this Masterbuilt for years - usually under $200 at Amazon and Home Depot. It has active temperature control and takes out a lot of the guesswork. You're not going to be able to fit a full brisket in there, but good for chuck roast, pork shoulders, ribs, and poultry.
Will it make lifechanging barbecue? Probably not. But it's a great way to learn what you're doing.
Some people might not care for them, but there are a lot of people who smoke using just plain old Char Grill charcoal grills with the off-set fire boxs (which sometimes are sold with them, or on a lot of grills they sell you can buy the fire-box on the side and attach it yourself.
They're pretty thin metal and there are some issues (most of which can be fixed with some simple modifications like using some silicone or stove gasket, and extending the chimney down, though), and they won't last forever, but I've got one that I use probably 12-18 times a year that I've had for a few years and it's doing fine.
As far as volume goes, I think a vertical smoker might be the ticket there, as you can basically stack food on top of itself. I've been looking at buying one myself to see how well I like them (I figured I'd buy a cheapish one to see how i like the concept, and if i really liked it, i might buy some materials and build a higher quality one myself).
This is what I was thinking about buying: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BQ59VTO it's $160, but I'm not sure if it's wide enough to real comfortably cook a rack of ribs or a real large brisket. They also have a wider version that I think would be great for briskets & ribs, a few weeks ago they had them available on Amazon at around $270, but whoever had it at that price must have sold out because the only available deal they have in the wider version is now at an outrageous price.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CN38M23/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I would say the biggest thing that a lot of people mess up on is the wrap. I personally use heavy duty foil, wrapped tightly with some space above the meat. Folks either do it too early and it falls apart to easily, or wrap it too late and make it too dry. Also, while folks have their own rubs, and they add a lot to the flavor, you have to remember that this is a big piece of meat that and seasonings only coat the outside. Only desiccants, like sugar and salt, will penetrate below the surface.
I use a basic Weber Kettle. I picked mine up at a local Lowe's Home Improvement store. I think they are sold many places. I'm sure any similar kettle would serve you well if you are willing to try. I set mine up with bricks and a water pan. I've told myself that if I can stick with this setup for a year I will treat myself to a real smoker. This setup honestly works wonderfully. My biggest complaint is having to basically do a headstand in order to adjust the bottom vent. Once you get up to temp you just have to monitor it and adjust as needed. I know the pellet smokers are like auto-pilot. My mother has one. You just turn it on, set the temp, and retrieve the food when it's done. That's fine but takes a lot of the "craft" aspect out of it. If you enjoy the results I guess it doesn't really matter.
Something like a KAB4 burner and propane tank would be ideal:
https://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-KAB4-Pressure-Cooker/dp/B0009JXYQY
Then you can grab a 10-15.5 gallon pot, either from Amazon (Bayou or Concord), Homebrewing.org, MoreBeer, etc.
A couple paint strainer bags or specially made "Brew Bag" can act as a filter.
This should add up to about half your budget. Then you can look into other recommendations here in the thread for the rest.
Weber Charcoal, with the ash can on the bottom (not just the ash plate). It's pretty great as a basic grill. Edit: Looks like $150 on Amazon.
As far as the charcoal time vs gas thing. I use a charcoal lighting tower (type charcoal tower into amazon or something. Weber has a good one of these too). Honestly, by the time you light the grill up, go back in and assemble whatever it is and go back out, the coals aren't too far off from being ready. And the flavor is way WAY better. I can instantly taste what a person has cooked on. And not just in a 'charcoal tastes better' way, but I can also taste the propane. (As a side-note, I can also taste who used a charcoal tower vs who used lighter fluid, because I can taste the lighter fluid.) Even my wife, who is not into grilled food or any of it, prefers to eat things I've made on a charcoal vs when we go elsewhere and they used a gas grill. So if someone is comfortable with using charcoal, I really recommend it. But to each their own.
I have a traeger, and I'm actually fairly disappointed in the quality I get from it. It's nice to not need to keep an eye on my coals or anything but the smoke flavor is miniscule, and unless I'm mopping or basting every hour, or cooking something with a massive fat cap, the meat turns out far drier than in a traditional smoker.
I've gone back to a traditional charcoal and wood fired smoker, and I'm MUCH happier with the quality of the finished product.
Edited to add: I specifically bought this, and after adding some LavaLock gasket between the fireboxes and the smoke box, and around the smoke box door, it's a MUCH better unit for flavor and cook quality.
Is it the best? Hell no. But it's a decent start for me.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004RALL/ref=sbl_dpx_B00B58A0QU_0 From an add in the link above. I too would recommend Weber. I have wasted time with the other "lesser" brands and have not found one live up to Weber with charcoal. YMMV
Weber Smokey Mountain. Far and away the easiest almost set it and forget it. $250-$450 depending on size. I have the 22" and its $439 on Amazon now
Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker 22 Inch Smoker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001I8ZTJA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_vCZnEbS91SBHH
I've never used an Oklahoma Joe to be honest. I've been working with one of these, so my input should probably be taken with a grain of salt.
I do think your problem is the smoker though. I'm actually reconsidering my "bad thermometer" theory, as you say you cooked a turkey on it and I assume that it tasted just fine else you would have mentioned it.
Somehow heat isn't getting transferred from the fire box to the smoking chamber. Like... at all. A whole large bag of lump coal + a bag of wood over 4 hours is enough fuel to heat a house in winter. That much in my Kamado would probably produce enough heat to turn my grill into a forge!
EDIT : Maybe not a house... but definitely a garage.
I'm thinking about upgrading my smoker. As it is, I'm using a propane grill that I modified. Hole on the side (air intake) and hole on the top (exhaust). I've had some great successes but it's getting old and dirty.
I'm thinking of a Weber Kettle. Thoughts?
I'm hoping you missed a digit - Euro and dollar are about equal, $40 is not a lot of money - I'd consider that a throwaway grill. You'll pay almost that much for a good bag of lump charcoal.
This is the grill you should look at to start with.
I would definitely recommend a small charcoal grill! I got the Weber Go-Anywhere for exactly this purpose and it has been great. https://www.amazon.com/Weber-121020-Go-Anywhere-Charcoal-Grill/dp/B00004RALJ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=4L3EUUN25PFR&keywords=weber+go+anywhere+charcoal+grill&qid=1660307059&sprefix=weber+go%2Caps%2C61&sr=8-3
Given its shape, I don't need to use the top grate on the charcoal grill. I can just lay the skewers across the top of the grill to get that nice kebab set up where they're directly over the charcoal.
Yes! There is something great about smaller grills. They are very efficient, super easy to clean, easy to store, easy to pack etc. I have the funds to upgrade by I am having so much fun with my 14" I really don't plan on "upgrading" any time soon. Hey check out the SmokeyJokey, this is what I use, it could offer a bit more safety and efficiency with the heat. You'll need a lidded machine to keep those delicious burgers from flaring up too! Great minds drink alike!
https://www.amazon.com/Weber-10020-Smokey-14-Inch-Portable/dp/B00004RALL?th=1
Going to give a dissenting opinion here since the consensus seems to be a Weber Smokey mountain (wsm).
As someone who has owned wsm and several other smokers I’m not a fan of it being a one trick pony. It’s a great reliable smoker but no option for direct heat grilling.
I recommend a Kamado style smoker.
I used to own one of these char griller akorns and got a good 5-6 years out of it. Could have gotten more had I treated it a little better.
Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Charcoal Grill, Graphite https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GJEPTJS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BV04A13RJY9AND1ABMHD?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I’ve been smoking on a Kamado joe ceramic smoker for the last 5 years and though it’s not in your price range Kamado Joe has a kettle that is which you could check out as well.
Kamado Joe KJ15040320 Kettle Joe 22 inch Charcoal Grill, Blaze Red https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GQCMWR3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WXR18H206M53T9HRMJ8H?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
How is this even different from the Amazon version? I feel like even with the cover it's cheaper there, unless I'm missing something else? https://www.amazon.com/Weber-Original-Premium-Charcoal-22-Inch/dp/B00MKB5TXA/
I would look for one larger than 26 inches unless he is single and tight on space.
To be fair I have the Kamado Joe XL and I have ran out of room more than once. Mine is charcoal so I fo not know a ton about electric smokers but this one seems okay.
i believe that's a refrigerant tank, not a LP tank.
but then again my size reference is what's commonly used in the US, so maybe other places use different sizes ?
either way, really great fab work, but at the end of the day the body is cheap steel, and you can buy a portable steel grill for < $50 https://www.amazon.com/Weber-121020-Go-Anywhere-Charcoal-Grill/dp/B00004RALJ/
Is this the one that made good BBQ?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CN38M23/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_SW5EJ4SK8NT2HDRDTXHT
Currently thinking about something like this.
I have a masterbuilt (https://www.amazon.com/Masterbuilt-130B-Digital-Electric-Smoker/dp/B07CN38M23/ref=asc_df_B07CN38M23/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241944202239&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16454815917033304272&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021721&hvtargid=pla-477169957356&psc=1) that I really like. Very easy to use, small footrpint, you can get excellent smoke taste, very moist meat, and it only releases a small amount of smoke.
If you're just looking for options, and you're not married to an offset:
Weber Smokey Mountain 22"
Aside from that you could look at the various Kamado style cookers out there...
Primo Ceramic
Big Steel Keg
And then there are a lot of pellet smokers in that price range. (Treager, Rec-Tec, etc)
And sometimes I find a semi local manufacturer that will make what is essentially an OK Joe offset but out of thicker material for like $550-$750ish at a local Home Depot, but I never can find any reviews online about those cookers and I never see them on the website, so it's hardly worth mentioning (unless you're in the Houston area, in which case, randomly check the Gulfgate Home Depot and see what's out there)
For the record, I have the 22" WSM and the BBQ IQ 110 that I linked above, and I'm turning out the best BBQ of my life with that setup, and it's dead simple to use.... so in that $500-600 range I don't think you can beat it. It's about as easy to use as a pellet smoker, but I can burn charcoal, charcoal and wood, or just wood if I want.
I recently did the following:
Weber Smokey Mountain 22"
This is the most basic temp controller they offer, but it's dead simple to setup and use. You can get the 120 or 130 for more features, and I believe the 130 has the app control and what have you. I love this setup because I can smoke with charcoal and chunks, or as long as I start the fire I can go pure stick burner as long as the sticks/logs/etc fit in the cooker and with the 22" most of them do.
All the flavor of a pure stick burner or a charcoal smoker, but the precise control of electricity.... I did a couple of briskets the first weekend I had the setup and they were the best briskets I've ever cooked, and probably top 3 for briskets I've ever eaten. I smoked some chicken breasts/thighs for thanksgiving and that's easily the best smoked chicken I've ever had.
Cleanup is pretty easy on this smoker, it's got the Weber warranty and customer service behind it. Replacement parts are readily available, there's a huge community following and plenty of knowledgeable people around to give you advice about it.
I'm not saying you have to get this setup, but I think it's worth some consideration.
This is what we have and it works great! Cost is $200 right now but sometimes it goes on sale for as little as $100 according to the friend of mine who recommended it to me. We use ours all the time :-).
Webber Kettle $165
Slow n' Sear $60
Electric smoking is how I got into it also! I started with one like this and they sometimes come down to $150 range for Black Friday. Just set the temp and add wood chips for the amount of smoke that’s needed. The masterbuilt (MES) has a pretty big following online with mods that he can play with too. Mine lasted for 3 years and then burnt out which sounds pretty common too.
Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker, 30 inch, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CN38M23/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_1zsUFb9FQFH55?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Char-Broil 17202004 Digital Electric Smoker, Deluxe, Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SMRXYCE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_gBsUFbDY7X9NB