Can a $400 Smoker BBQ Better than a $4000 Smoker?

[@robfreeman5783]

Pecos mods....a water pan is helpful, careful removing the baffles- sometimes you want some obstruction to convection because the firebox is so close to the meat, shroud the stack with 7-8" chimney tubing to create an insulated stack, put a couple layers of bricks on the firebox for a semi-insulated firebox, and a welding blanket thrown over the cook chamber, a propane torch (home depot) helps when the fire goes out. Run the smoker hot and let it heat up to equilibrium for 1-2 hours prior to putting on the meat. You have to be very careful with the size of the splits and their dryness. Pre-warming them is a huge help (I have even put them in the smoker 1-2 hrs to pre-dry them). All these steps help compensate for the shortcomings of the Pecos and other budget offsets. Simply extending the stack is not enough. I am a firm believer that these little offsets can produce BBQ as good, or even greater, than the $5k+ smokers as long as the right amount of attention and mods are applied.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Notes from the cook: -My knowledge is based solely on experience and observation. I do not know the science nor do I claim to know. -Right after filming I did a blind taste test with my wife and she picked the goldees brisket without even hesitating. -The wind was messing up the broll of how hard the pecos was pulling. But what I was trying to explain is the smoke was just slower even though the pecos didn't have a damper at the time. It would have been clear if you were able to see it in person. -I put the briskets point to the stack to take a picture for the thumbnail but i flipped them right away to have point toward fire. -This is a test of 1 brisket on 2 different cookers, therefore you can't draw definitive conclusions from this video. But I think the differences/similarities were glaring enough to be noted and considered. Had a lot of fun with this one and was seriously mind blown by the results. Tell me in the comments if you were surprised as well. Like the video and subscribe if you enjoyed it because it helps push the video on YT. Thanks y'all 🤠

[@TheSlipknot79]

Great video, very informative. Could you please purchase both right / left briskets off the same cow & retest? Lol😂 I'm 1/2 kidding. Cheers!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

@@TheSlipknot79 LOL that would be the true test.. yeah this is just a 1 of 1. I promise someone out there can cook a better brisket on the pecos and also the goldees than i can. So keep that in mind with my results haha

[@mikek1600]

What I learned from this video is that you can make a great brisket on a $400 smoker. Cheers

[@AntsBBQCookout]

lol yep, thats exactly what i said, but i think i said insane.. but great works too!

[@cbaur88]

Agreed, you can make great BBQ on the cheaper smokers IMO BUT you have to work much harder, mods, fire management, constant baby sitting, etc… I run Oki Joe great bbq but I babysit it all day. But I love it!

[@beasthunt]

​@@cbaur88but once you do all of that and struggle, and learn fire management - then you can understand the value of the Goldee's. Everyone should struggle at the beginning.

[@beasthunt]

My wife bought me an abomination of a smoker for fathers day. First time using an offset, and it was one of the worst ones you could buy and man it was the best ribs I've ever had. She bought me an Oklahoma Joe's Highlander where their is no door, it's a tray that slides out. Absolutely bad......but manage fire, watch the smoke color, and you'll get some amazing que. I really wish she would have asked me what I wanted. For a a few more dollars I could have had the Pecos which is a much better smoker.

[@kel01]

​@beasthunt I got the same smoker as a gift. It is a headache, but I am enjoying it.

[@brianegeston9652]

Great video. $4K for a backyard smoker is a lot! I was gonna get a Goldie’s smoker because MM smokers are great. Then I saw the price tag. 😂😂😂

[@benwagoner9741]

Ant, great video! I think you forgot to highlight one major point between the two smokers at the end: time. You mentioned it during the video but that is a huge factor in picking out a smoker. My first smoker was a cheap $200 Chargriller that I made amazing meat in, but I couldn’t leave it for a second. It needed small splits and constant attention. My current and last smoker, is an LSG 20x42. It is so efficient, that I get work and projects done around the house. Once it’s at temp, it just works and holds temp like a champ. It was worth all the extra money in the time savings.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Great point! I can go to the gym when I'm using the goldees, but i can't even make it to dollar general without the coal bed dying in the pecos 😂

[@acvjmv]

I have made mods to my Pecos stack about 1/2 the height of one you used also added a upward baffle to replace the original very similar to Jeremy's solution pit baffle and that allows me to cook on 90% of the grate 4 Briskets is most I have done also using Gourmet wood from academy is perfect size with firebrick in firebox only added 1 stick every 40-45 minutes with lump as fire bed have produced excellent results with a very good bark and juicy tenderness .. the solution type baffle is the 1 mod that changed my Pecos for the better equalizing temp across the grate without hindering air flow wife was ecstatic because I was getting ready to make the 4,000-purchase but the 138.00 mod saved me a ton of money 2 years later and still smoking on 90% of the grate space in my Pecos with no issues and great BBQ

[@C_hoops58]

I have a pecos. The only mod I added was fire brick. Love my pecos.

[@wjjohns04able]

My old country is awesome.

[@eleasartoledo7866]

I like how you added the Donkey Kong Country bonus stage theme. Excellent video

[@AntsBBQCookout]

🍌🍌🦍🦍 thanks!

[@supremekingjesus425]

I make good can smoke a brisket with a $250 char griller smoke champ. Or any other offset:?as long as the smoke don’t leak and I stick with my own method and what woodI’m burning that all I need. But anyways, great video. I really do like that Pecos smoker offset I’m thinking of getting the Pecos or wrangler soon.

[@rogerwilco59]

Yeah if you only have $500 then the Pecos will definitely fill you needs. Both briskets looked so good.. Krazy

[@Mike-jv4rz]

Guitars and Golf Clubs- if you're not an expert it wont make you better if you have the best.

[@justink87371]

Where can you find a Pecos for 500.00 bucks?

[@Derek_L1989]

Great video! Not sure if I was the only one that noticed the Donkey Kong 64 theme music, but totally cool. Thanks for all the knowledge. Cheers!

[@gagegleinig5492]

How did you rest briskets over night, oven?

[@BenFeldman-kz7gt]

Ant, Just to give credit where credit is due, your BBQ cooking skills may be the missing factor that accounts for the great quality on the Pecos. I’m not so sure if just anyone could pull that off. Remember what Harry Soo always says: “It’s not the pit, it’s the pitmaster!” He has a video of a guy who wins world steak cook offs on a lousy grill compared to his competitors. Barb of Barb’s BBQ, in her video Two Stay at Home Dog Mom’s cook a brisket produced what looks like a world class brisket on a $69 Walmart grill! These people have tremendous skill! The big question is how much struggle would some regular backyard bbq guy have on the Pecos and how much improvement would he notice on the Goldee’s pit? I applaud your bbq talents and how good you have become!👏

[@AntsBBQCookout]

thats high praise! i appreciate that, but at the same time maybe if harry or Chuck did this they would have gotten that sweetness on the pecos brisket haha

[@beasthunt]

Yeah, it's impressive to see his "I bought my first offset" to comparisins with a Goldee's and both briskets looking insane.

[@zudosmg]

I started on a pellet smoker. Then I bought a Kettle, then I bought a cheap offset (Oklahoma) to build up my skills. I have been doing research on top of building my skills up with all my smokers. This is a great comparison of the Cheap Vs Expensive smoker. Probably another year or so to save my monies and I will be pulling the trigger on an "expensive one". Thanks for the Video and Knowledge!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Awesome, never cooked on an OKJ but I've heard they cook about the same as an old country pecos. If you're in the market for a more expensive pit, I'd sat goldees or workhorse 1975 is your best bet. But can't go wrong with any in the goldees price range. You'll be happy no matter what

[@zudosmg]

Yea it practically looks the same as the Pecos. I actually landed mine used for $300CAD used only once. New in store were $700. Now that I own it I'd never pay the $700 new for one.

[@junkequation]

FYI, I got into making brisket a couple years ago, would have already bought a $1200 Brazos and modded it if they had been in stock at academy last summer. Then I went to my brother in laws house. He's an engineer and has an unmodded Pecos. Dude made the best brisket I've ever had. He needed to choke the fire once in a while which is harder to do if you extend the smoke stack. The baffle plate also seemed to be doing it's job. There was still a hot spot near firebox where he put his water pan, then everything right of that was good temp for bbq'ing. Now if I buy an offset, I'm just getting a Pecos. It already makes the best possible brisket. Advantages of more expensive smokers would be, imo, too minor to justify the cost. I'm still putting off buying one because, in the mean time, I've been making really good brisket in my $300 weber gas grill, adding mesquite to it while only having one side burning gas. You don't have to spend a fortune to be able to make excellent BBQ, I promise.

[@AVG336]

Well said

[@charlieellenburg3465]

I got the old school pecos. I insulated firebox, removed baffle ,and extended smoke stack to. 42" it was a game changer

[@UnearthlyDust1]

the Baffle in the Old Country does push the heat down, closets to the fire box.... To allow, more even temperature to the farthest from the box. Just an FYI. It's definitely a game changer with that. I see your point, but I have used other styles. Hands down.. leave that baffle.

[@C_hoops1958]

I love my pecos. All I added was fire brick. It is the cook not the offset smoker. Can’t beat the price😊

[@donaldclements406]

The Pecos is great and I have one. For note worth not everyone can afford a 4k$ smoker so for the value at a backyard value the Pecos is the ticket.

[@woodwardoutdoors7742]

Great video. I’m really confused about people saying your video was biased because of your relationship with the folks down at Goldees. I felt that the video was clearly unbiased as are all of your videos that I’ve seen. When you have a smoker that’s 10x the cost of another there are going to be very clear and definitive differences between the two. Pointing out the advantages of the far superior smoker isn’t biased, it’s simply pointing out the facts. But I guess people will always find something to complain about on the internet. Keep doing what you’re doing, obviously things are working out just fine for you.

[@JoshandBabe]

Watched the entire video, you made a lot of good points and the video was well put together. Great job

[@AntsBBQCookout]

thank you, appreciate that!

[@jenniferturner23]

Aaaah you’re talking about the sugar cookie bark as Steve Gow so lovingly refers to it. And yeah, it’s so amazing. Great video, Ant.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

I've heard that term before from Raleigh smoke lol always just thought of that sweetness as brisket sweetnes. Kinda like how bacon when cooked right tastes a little sweet

[@chrispaulsen5746]

I think you gotta learn the Pecos a bit better cuz once you do, you can keep temps at 225-250 pretty easily.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

It's been a while since I fired it up, and like I said in another comment someone can def make a better brisket on a pecos than I can

[@SmokeyGabes]

Same mods on my pecos but I added an upward baffle from the throat and I can use the entire grate now with it about a 13° on average temperature differ from left to right. Haven't done a brisket yet. Beef ribs came out amazing.

[@ignoranceisnotatrend4669]

I have the pecos, how did you add the upward deflector plate, can you please provide some of the details 👍🏽

[@SmokeyGabes]

@ignoranceisnotatrend4669 picked up some sheet metal, made a template with cardboard and cut it with an angle grinder. It's in between the angle iron for the grate, that little 1.5" gap or so to the chamber wall. I wish I could send you a pic of it. It works like a champ dude.

[@ignoranceisnotatrend4669]

@@SmokeyGabes do you have it sitting in there or is it welded in? And how much of the grate are you able to cook on without being in the hot spot by the upward deflector?

[@SmokeyGabes]

​@@ignoranceisnotatrend4669it's sitting in that spot so I can remove it if I want to. I have maybe a 10° temperature difference across the entire grate, and I mean I can use the whole grate and not burn a single thing. It tends to get hotter on the stack end now and really renders fat with that hot air swirling around the top of the chamber. It's crazy how much of a difference it made. I have my stack at 42" with the extension and usually the damper is about half closed

[@ignoranceisnotatrend4669]

@@SmokeyGabes man I greatly appreciate your advice, I'm definitely excited about doing this modification 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@brewpilot8958]

Would be interested to see how the Brazos stacks up (pun intended), being a budget 1/4” smoker.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Tell Mad Scientist to do it haha I think he has both cookers

[@calidan777]

Y’all gotta stop removing the baffle plates from those smokers. I took mine off because of watching KZbin videos and ended up putting it back on because it got too hot all the time and the area of the grate near the firebox was basically unusable. I have a thermometer in the upper middle hole that it comes pre threaded for and then I added two Tel Tru thermometers at grate level and each end of the smoker and with the baffle plate it runs almost perfectly even across the smoker. And I can use the whole grate.

[@AVG336]

True. People just love tinkering with things even if there's no need to. They always think they're smarter than the manufacturer

[@Heavyj6]

What was in the wrap? Butter?

[@guillermocalderonmedrano1033]

It's not the Smoker it's the fool in front of it lol

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Deep.. wait shouldn't they have come out the same then? 😂

[@pinky882]

@@AntsBBQCookout 1 brisket on each smoker...one time isn't near enough data to come to any reasonable conclusion about effects on end product quality. There are clear advantages to the Goldies pit, regardless of price, but there are too many factors that affect the final outcome of brisket to say it's the smoker; I'm just saying.

[@Jz-my8gc]

I subscribed! Keep up the videos with the goldees smoker!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

7 briskets on the goldees next wednesday!

[@Jz-my8gc]

@@AntsBBQCookout It's Wednesday

[@JOSESBBQ]

another day, another victory for the OG

[@AntsBBQCookout]

🫡

[@K4HLER]

Ant - Happy Thanksgiving bro. Wishing you the best!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you have an awesome one, bro 🙏

[@daad658]

Love the Donkey Kong Music!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Haha good ear!

[@theboogiemanstan]

I have the pecos. For its price its a great product. But everything he said about the fire management is true. In the near future i plan to upgrade to a higher quality smoker and lose that problem.

[@cameronbatko]

Well I guess you gotta make the Goldees fight the 250gal now. Great video as always Ant!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Hahaha perhaps. I've cooked them side by side already for an event I was doing didn't pay much attention to which was better. But Goldee was pulling harder, which makes sense since the stack is bigger than my 250 lol

[@andrewpope204]

Great video! That goldees pit looks nice. I've been looking hard at the 1975 workhorse.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

im going to try and get my hands on one so i can do a few in depth review type videos with it like these goldees ones. i think its the best value on the market. the pipe thing that blocks the heat with the goldees pit makes a huge difference in the way the pit runs, but over 1000 dollars cheaper with the workhorse is so hard to pass up.

[@andrewpope204]

@@AntsBBQCookout don't think you could go wrong with either offset. I was also thinking of getting the 1975 on the trailer.

[@MrNeusbalm]

Great video!...Dude, is that music at time 3:44 from Donkey Kong 64 for the Nintendo 64??

[@itsjussjerry]

Great video! Do you happen to have a trimming video? If so, I’d like to learn.

[@MrSupedoSpade]

Id love to have seen you do the taste test blind first then uncovered tbh

[@AntsBBQCookout]

I hear ya, but I'm a one man crew so not possible for me. For what its worth, before i tasted it, i was sure they would taste about the same. They looked so similar before i cut them and even looking at the slices there was just slight differences. But the taste/texture difference really shocked me. Also, my wife blind tasted though and she picked Goldees immediately.

[@TheDrunkenBBQ]

$400 or $4000 cooker gives here the same outcome, my wife will ground me in both cases as she thinks i have enough cookers🤣👍🔥

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Haha might as well go big and get a 4k smoker then!

[@johnshultz9557]

Ant what did u use to remove the baffle plate on the pecos, I have a pecos and the stack u used a piece of pipe and a clamp?

[@AntsBBQCookout]

yeah pipe and clamp for stack, and an angle grinder to take off the baffle

[@jasonwalters6857]

Question when you wrapped did you let the brisket come down in temp? Or just wrap right off the smoker?

[@Jeffdoeswhat]

Now I have to go play Donkey Kong County.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Hahaha

[@charlieellenburg3465]

Use 8" long splits about 2-3 " thick. Shut all vents and open door a few inches. Very good smoker for whay ot is😊

[@glennevitt5250]

Thank you for this information 😎 Hey Happy Thanksgiving to You and Your family 😎

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Np, happy Thanksgiving!

[@GeekyMitch]

Love your videos man! One thing that would really have made this a bit more of a telling test might have been a blind taste test. Not that I'm questioning your integrity lol But there's an effect when you know something is SUPPOSED to be better that makes it better. It's like paying a ridiculous amount for dinner at a fancy restaurant: you WANT it to be amazing, so it's going to be, if that makes any sense.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

i hear ya, I felt pretty good about my critique, because I was sure they would taste the same. On the outside they looked identical, cooked about the same length of time, and they felt the same before I cut them. Slight differences on the inside of the cut, but I did not expect it to taste that different. Another thing to note, is the last time I cooked on the pecos was over a year ago (the rib video is on my channel somewhere lol) so I was def out of practice and learning while i was going. not a perfect test, but hope it was interesting still.

[@GeekyMitch]

@@AntsBBQCookout absolutely dude, love seeing your videos - wish I had the time or dedication to work with an offset - just have to live vicariously through folks like you. Love my MB gravity - a nice mix of 'true smoke' and convenience for your average back yarder...but I do have dreams about one day buying a quality offset :)

[@teequitoo]

So is the meat probe actually accurate with ambient temp? I keep one probe across the grate and it's always significantly higher than the internal probes that also have an ambient temp

[@AntsBBQCookout]

If it's right on the grate, wouldn't the grate be giving off heat? The ones in the meat would be mostly just the hot air. Idk though, for me the ambient temp was about 25 degrees lower than the gauge which is what I expected it to be since the gauge is pretty high

[@jacobstarling6384]

I think the stack was too long on the pecos that’s why the smoke was falling flat. Did you get the smoker up in temp then let it come back down to the temp you want to maintain? If you put smaller pieces of wood especially two small pieces of wood will cause the fire to be hotter. You have more surface area of wood to catch so it would get hotter and burn up faster. If you use a bigger piece of wood it would burn slower and not as hot and would be much more stable and controllable. There’s definitely a different procedure for cooking on the two. Removing the baffle you get more direct heat from the fire box causing the brisket to over cook. Even on a cheap smoker you shouldn’t have to add wood every 15 minutes.

[@AVG336]

Excellent point

[@darthyodah]

I usually like ur videos…. But this video was created with being bias in mind. I get it that Jirby is ur buddy now…. But that characteristics u were using to degrade the pecos-brisket was evident to me that this video was only made to advertise the Goldee’s smoker. Overall. Keep making videos. Ur doing a great job. Just didn’t like this video.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

What specifically did I say to make you think I was being biased? After I filmed I did a blind taste test with my wife and without hesitating she picked the goldees brisket. Do you think maybe your thoughts are biased because you know I'm friends with Jonny? Like if you didn't know that would you still say the same thing?

[@Boomer-yr3tl]

I agree 100%! Sus!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

I'm asking for specifics in my commentary that we can discuss that you think are biased, but all I'm getting is "how youre feeling". Can't help you with that 🤷‍♂️

[@hullbryann]

​@@AntsBBQCookoutI think modifying the pecos by removing the deflector plate did more of a disservice than help. Yes it pushes heat down, but having a big opening with direct heat from the firebox and then comparing it to a smoker (Goldees) that is specifically designed to limit the heat from direct flames isn't exactly apples to apples. The pecos brisket ended up being cooked almost like a direct heat/offset hybrid. I do agree with the stack extension to give it a better draw but it certainly exacerbated the lack of the deflector plate in making the pit run hotter. That more direct exposure to heat is what also led to the early surface bubbling and puffiness. It behaved exactly as a brisket would towards the end of a cook when temperatures are pushed into the 275-300 range. The Goldees is a fantastic, game changing pit in terms of its design. And you did acknowledge that you didn't pay as much attention to the cooks as you would have liked. But having a 400 dollar pit means that you probably do need to be more on top of the cook than a 4000 dollar pit.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

​@hullbryann interesting, thanks for sharing. If you want good fat render on the brisket you gotta cook it pretty hot at the end from my experience (like 300F) and before I modded it I would always get a crunchy bottom brisket. And anything blocking the airflow is gonna slow down the pull. But again were talking about a smoker I bought for $400 bucks brand new lol so it comes down to where you want the draw back. Crunchy bottom/slower pull or less direct heat.

[@kevinwill8542]

Good video ..I have old country Brazos 1/4 model. I've do the mods and a few more. It cooks really good and better the the Pecos I had.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

im tempted to get the brazos g2 just to try it out, but i got way too many pits lol

[@AVsBBQ]

Great video! I’m a few weeks away from receiving my Goldee’s smoker. You mentioned you were using full splits in the Goldee’s smoker…how long was the temp maintaining before adding more wood?

[@AntsBBQCookout]

with about 4 full splits, door barely cracked and the stack at 25% it was like 40-45 mins.

[@bear7304]

Hey Ant. Great video my friend! Always enjoy your content and passion to share your expertise amisdt your not so success cooks to all of us as your subscribers and viewers. Quick question: I have a PBX pit barrel cooker and the original PBC as well. My question is, will you ever do a brisket video on the PBX or PBC? This would be something awesome for us who own drums versus offsets. Hopefully you will in the very near future. Thanks bro!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Thanks so much! I have a custom drum smoker I had made a year ago by my buddy who made my 250, and I have yet to cook on it 😂 it's been sitting covered in my backyard this while time. I want to make content on it, though so a strong maybe for the near future

[@VillanuevaMedia]

@@AntsBBQCookout I definitely would love to see a versus video for all 3 pellet vs offeset vs drum video. It's content man!

[@zionsgateranch]

I love my Brazos! I bet it would compete no doubt! 😎

[@AlLunacyQing]

The smoke ring on the Pecos was much more pronounced than the Goldees. But the Goldees brisket did look better. Great experiment!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Great observation! Might be because I had to choke up the fire so much because of the swings. But odd that the smoke flavor was less pronounced. I'm guessing it's because I used less wood over all (goldees was using probably 4x the wood pecos was at any given time)

[@justinr9753]

It's looking like the new Brazos DLX didn't have a baffle, i wonder if the others still come with baffles

[@gregorykarimian3813]

Really good video. Controlled for a lot of variables. However, Only thing I would also include next time is people randomly chosen to blindly taste test the brisket. Ofc don’t tell them which brisket is which. And by random i mean random. Don’t choose brisket connoisseurs because most people eating brisket are not Jirbys or Aarons. Also thanks for all the video you have posted over the year. Learned a-lot from you. A year ago I knew nothing about goldees, the culture of bbq in Texas (im from LA), how to cook brisket, etc. but not I know a-lot of more.

[@BrandonStRandy-jo3ot]

Most smoker manufacturer's these days put way too much of their labor cost on the consumer. The labor it takes to make these nicer smokers is also a cost of doing business and turning a profit so a decent percentage of that should not be passed on to the customer. Many of these smokers (i.e. Goldees, Moberg, Lang, Mill Scale) are overpriced in my opinion.

[@erickwalsh9258]

That Goldees smoker looks 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@AntsBBQCookout]

💯💯

[@BenFeldman-kz7gt]

Ant, Great job! I think Mad Scientist got similar results when he compared the Pecos and the Franklin. Your backyard looks like a bbq squatter’s village!😂 That may be the cleanest I have ever seen that pink hat! Does the Goldee’s smoker clean clothes too? Jirby has never mentioned that!😂 Happy Thanksgiving! Can’t wait for the 7 brisket cook!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Hey brother, hahaha I guess the cleaning is an added feature! Yeah I remember he did expensive smoker cheap brisket and cheap brisket expensive smoker on his franklin and brazos crazy stuff I guess that's 2 points of data in favor of expensive smoker

[@00fluxone]

A+ on the tasting music

[@bigcatstomping]

Is there a link to purchase a Pecos grill

[@doublem3084]

www.academy.com/p/old-country-bbq-pits-pecos-smoker

[@MikeBrownBBQ]

Great video Ant, if your able to build your own pit thats the route to go. Forr 4200 bucks I can build a nice 500 gallon pit for myself. Briskets looked good.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Thanks brother, yeah that's the best bet, then you can make the pit exactly how you want. Great to hear from you, hope you're doing well

[@MikeBrownBBQ]

@AntsBBQCookout I'm doing well, brother!! I've enjoyed your content you've been putting out!! Your doing awesome!!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Thanks bro!!

[@chronicmango]

Two things: 1.) Sam’s Club’s meat sucks. 2.) I prefer to control temps in the Pecos with a water pan and the stock baffle. Can use most of the grate with a water pan right where the baffle comes into the main smoker barrel. 3.) Goldees will probably be my first big offset unless I make my own, but I love my Pecos for now.

[@narbekalantarians6269]

Nice comparison. Pecos and WSM are both thin metal so you can do a good job, but you can't get the same fat render.

[@jeromeblack4543]

Think you should have put the thicker one in the in the goldee' s pit

[@AntsBBQCookout]

It was slightly thicker but I thought it'd have a better chance surviving in the pecos than the thinner one

[@chrishabgood8900]

I have a pecos, I removed the baffle plate, turned it sideways on the inside and cut off 90% of the firebox. So I can run a normal fire.

[@erickwalsh9258]

Goldees brisket further along due to smoker build quality?

[@erickwalsh9258]

Easier to use? Less wood usage?

[@AntsBBQCookout]

I think it's the harder pull but just guessing. I have no idea

[@Disastrousmedia]

Good stuff Ant! I haven't watched you or any of my other favorite BBQ channels. I've found that im losing interest in BBQ lately. It would probably help if i could venture and smoke different meats, all I've been doing lately (probably over a year) is chicken. Once im in a better place ill probably find my love in BBQ again. ✌️

[@YouTubeAccountHandle]

When you round up something that costs 499 to 400.

[@DarwynnCarter]

Did you really use the "hotdog in a hallway" reference? Like from the Porky's movie? 😆

[@TimRaper-u5i]

Well, I was thinking about buying a Pecos... Makes me wonder about that plan now...

[@Outbound1219]

A better comparison would be to use the Brazos atleast that one is a 1/4 inch steel offset, thinner the metal the harded it will be to keep even temps, good video though

[@nskimn8r884]

Now I’m hungry for brisket! Just wondering if those mods are using galvanized metal? Extremely toxic under heat. Be careful

[@AntsBBQCookout]

yeah galvanized, i talked to Jeremy (mad scientist) about it, and he said not to worry since the heat it experiences at the stack is not even close to dangerous temperatures for galvanized steel.

[@MandoPercussion]

Hey now--did I just see your personal cookbook or cuttingboard around 9:02?! 🤔 I WANT IT!!!!! 😅

[@AntsBBQCookout]

😳😳😳

[@MandoPercussion]

@@AntsBBQCookout Just sayin'...You'd sell out SO QUICK! 💪😎

[@AntsBBQCookout]

@@MandoPercussion a subscriber made it for me! thanks for the feedback and support, i'm thinking of doing merch early next year! I'll keep y'all updated in the community posts.

[@MandoPercussion]

@@AntsBBQCookout That's really cool on both accounts. You're definitely one of my top watches across all platforms. You got a real knack for educating us in The BBQ Game with full authenticity and transparency! 🙏😇

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Thank you! I really appreciate that, made my day

[@fyimediaworld]

How do you compare two totally different sized smokers? They run at different temps, and they have completely different operating techniques.

[@jeremynewman3553]

The pecos is more hot on the stack side if not modified

[@mattmeagher365]

Where are you getting an Old Country Pecos for $400?

[@pacman_17]

@jirbybbq you're behind on a bunch of reaction videos 🤣🤣

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Lol man those lives were so fun. I'm hoping he'll bring it back! Got another goldees smoker video coming next Wednesday to add to his list

[@jimmyhooks8926]

Good video. Bugs me though that a $4000 cooker leaks around the door

[@larrymansfield9393]

Great video

[@quickfire93]

I've been debating on trying that stack extension mod for my Pecos, but I'm not really sure it needs it. I've normally got the stack half closed with a single log burning 225-250. Though I do have to go mess with the log every 15-20 minutes. I'd love to show you pics from my last cook to compare :)

[@AntsBBQCookout]

i think its worth it especially since its like 10 bucks if you get a galvanized pipe like i did,. Even with the stack extension, it didn't pull as hard as the goldees. id have to run it without the pipe to see how big of a difference it makes though.

[@johncrane1894]

⁠I’m not sure if you’ll have time to answer this, but…I have a Klose trailer pit, 30 inch diameter, 7ft long pit. I’ve had it for about 12 years and I’ve figured it out, however, it does have “tuning plates.” My understanding is that they were placed to make the heat disperse more evenly. I’ve found it does help with the hotspot by the firebox, but I’m really interested in your thoughts on tuning plates. Thanks and I really enjoy your videos. I do think the Goldees pit is ingenious.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Tuning plates make a pit run more like a reverse flow than an offset. So you get a slower pull. I've used a reverse flow on an overnight cook literally once though so not an expert by any means. You've got your pit figured out and dialed in that's what's most important. Tuning and baffle plates are fine. Primitive pits uses baffles and the food it produces is fantastic.

[@johncrane1894]

@@AntsBBQCookout You know, I just can’t thank you enough for your reply. The fact that you took the time to answer my question truly makes me a fan. J

[@AntsBBQCookout]

​@johncrane1894 anytime man! Hit me up on instagram anytime I don't get alerts for youtube reply, so I'm more likely to respond on insta

[@robfrancois]

I commend you for using DKC music

[@coreypaul9806]

Interesting video but the irony of doing an “apples to apples” comparison on these cooks is that you have to treat every aspect differently if you want to get the best result that each can produce. For starters I don’t want as big of a brisket on a smaller smoker. I also wouldn’t trim as aggressively on the larger smoker, aerodynamics is slightly less important when you have insane air flow…just trim it so liquid doesn’t pool and soften your bark. Just about the only thing I would do the same is use the same seasonings….even the wood moisture I would want different since the smaller firebox burns down those splits so quickly. And in the smaller smoker I would rotate the brisket a few times but in the bigger one you don’t even need to move it unless you want to wrap. Also in the smaller one I place the point toward the firebox because it can take the heat but I place the brisket in perpendicular to the firebox in a bigger rig. Cool video tho, I would prefer to see a video where you intentionally manipulate the briskets to maximize the potential of each smoker tho. Smoke on bro.

[@charlieellenburg3465]

New pecos os 1/4" thick. I want to try one

[@jsmiller7373]

Id love to have a goldees smoker, but people have been making good briskets with perfectly rendered fat on much less than your cheap smoker for generations. Its knowleddge, not equipment, one test with 1 brisket doesnt tell much of a story

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Yep, I agree it's in my pinned comment 👍

[@jamesblair5971]

You get what you pay for bottom line. Good video!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

💯 thank you!

[@tancandyfanlel201]

Nice vid

[@AntsBBQCookout]

thanks!

[@mefobills279]

Old country made in Mexico. Its Amazing the American pit manufacturers can compete.

[@dearjohn8789]

the key with the pecos and brazos is to load them up with meat. If you put more meat on the smoker the heat will disperse more evenly. Adding a stack on the Old Country does absolutely nothing for the draw. Add you a heat diffuser plate to help. Voila.

[@RaleighSmoke]

My kind of video. 😉 That sugar cookie flavor is from perfectly rendered fat, at least that’s what I think. It’s hit or miss to me. As for the smokers, I’d love a quality one, but can’t justify the price for a few cooks a year. I’d rather buy a used boat. But who knows? Maybe one day. Hope all is well with you/ the family. Happy Thanksgiving!

[@AntsBBQCookout]

I am not a pecos master at all, last time i fired it up was like 2 years ago when I made ribs on it lol so im sure if i had a couple more cooks i could improve the fat render but hopefully video is still informative. Great to hear from you bro! Happy Thanksgiving!

[@Flavadave84]

Digging the donkey Kong music.

[@sdichampion]

I'll take my $500 Pit boss and spend the other $3,500 on meat.

[@aarondennison3205]

Love the videos..The pecos is finicky. If you use a split bigger than a 3x3x6-8 you’re gonna be chasing temps all day. Like a woman it needs consistency.

[@dholl1596]

I use bigger splits but the door has to be open to keep the fire going good with the stack about 1/2 to keep the temps down. Then it hums along nicely in mid 200s for me. No mods.

[@samsonhorvath3614]

Blind taste test would have been a lot more interesting? And a taken preconceived ideas out of true comparison.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

If it helps, I did a blind taste with my wife off camera and she immediately said the goldees was better. It shocked me how obvious the differences were once i tasted it, at the point where I wrapped the briskets I was thinking they were going to taste the same, the weird bubbling on the pecos brisket was completely gone the bark looked fantastic. On the cutting board you couldn't tell one from the other.

[@bryceallen9288]

Quality of meat and you can do it on a weber.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Quality really matters, and yes, webers are dope

[@lidinqin1]

@@AntsBBQCookoutagreeeed

[@cubaisdeath]

its not an Ant vid if it doesn't have a sick cook and even sicker music lol

[@AntsBBQCookout]

Hahaha thank you!

[@samak12]

I think I just watched another Goldees sponsored video 🤔

[@AntsBBQCookout]

It's a goldees pit review video did you want me to talk about something else?

[@noahkraft6453]

It’s not the pit it’s the cool. I’ve seen Franklin cook a brisket on a Brazos. Is Old country a great smoker no it’s not but it’s good for the price point. I’m a Shirley fan and I’ll leave it with that.

[@whaattheef2169]

I’ll take the pecos offset I don’t have one 😂

[@phillipwatkins4318]

Yeah there was no point in making this video. Instead it should’ve just been why you like about the Goldee’s smoker. Plus we already have enough videos comparing cheap smokers vs. Expensive smokers.