British BBQ Society Forums

Hello,
I'm new to this forum so wanted to say hi and introduce myself,

For a few years now I have been doing regular bbqs on gas, hot and fast grilling. Last year a good buddy of mine got his first smoker and having tried the taste of his meat, I was hooked!
This summer I have decided to get into learning how to properly smoke food and am planning on buying my first smoker, most likely a smokey mountain from weber having read the reviews!
Any tips or good or bad points on what size to get, as I'm just a beginner and a little confused! I don't want to get something that's too big as I usually cook for between 4 - 10 people,

Thanks for reading,
Tom

Hi Tom, welcome to the forum!

I find my 22" UDS a little too large for family-only cooks and end up firing up the kettle which isn't as good a cooker (temp control issues). With that said, I do like to make the most out of my overnight cooks, so when I am doing them I fill my UDS to the brim, and have a blast doing so! BBQ leftovers for the rest of the week and plenty to go in the freezer. Always more fun to cook big!

I bought the 47" WSM as I too was not sure about my need for the larger setup. It also has a smaller fire basket and takes less coals, so less expensive on your practices. You would e surprised at how much you can fit in the 47" WSM especially with things like rib racks;

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/wsmcapacity.html

Hi,

Many thanks for your welcome and reply to my post.

Ill take your advice on board and think about it a little longer before making the purchase! i could do with seeing one in person but not sure who supplies them around here (East Yorkshire)
A friend of mine has been smoking and cooking L+S for around 3 years now, so I'm seeing him next weekend for advise on his cooking methods (and meat and beer of course)

Ill keep the forum posted with how we get on!

If you are unsure what you want, can I suggest building a UDS for a first foray? Will cost you well below £100, takes very little skill to build, and will get you going.

Then, if you decide you want to shell out the cash, you have something to base your decision on.

Personally, there is no way I would consider shelling out to replace my UDS because it works so damn well!