Thanks T-Roy! I'm a big fan of yours, and of your Yoder Wichita. I really wish I could have gotten a Yoder, then my last name would have already been on my smoker! Keep making those great videos!
T-ROY COOKS I don't assume you mean your comment this way but it kinda sounds condescending. Like: "If I couldn't afford my nice stuff, I'd stoop to your level."
I've had the brazos for about 7 years now and it's been a great smoker for me. Doesn't require a lot of wood to maintain temp and has a good amount of cooking space.
I bought this smoker a few months ago and it's amazing. I recommend getting this over the other old country pits. For the price you can't beat it. In my opinion this pit is better than any pit around a it's price
Thank you @Jeremy Yoder for the information. I'm a retired pipeline welder with a lot of time on my hands. I've been planning on building a few of these when this N.E. Washington snow melts. I'm thinking twenty-four to thirtysix inch on trailers. Not sure yet, but I watch your videos and I'm very excited to get started! Good to have your chemistry input. Thank you very much!👏👍
I just ordered one directly from Old Country BBQ. It is $1,350 with shipping. I live in New York so I think that the extra $250 in shipping is worth it. There is nothing up here that even comes close to the price. I am still shocked that no store carries these smokers in the Northeast. I am super excited to get this smoker!
I wanted to give a big thanks for the excellent information and education you provide on your channel. You definitely helped me make my final decision to purchase the Brazos smoker. There are a lot of great choices out there among some really fine, time tested designs in offset smokers. The more I searched , the more dizzy I became with all the different options and best selling points. At the end of the day it came down to the basics - 1/4 steel stick burner, solid build, and finally best price including tax and shipping. Now that I modded the doors with the recommended materials, I have an amazing smoker. I also geared up with the grill thermometer, remote 2 sensor thermometer, quick test thermo, the right wood, gloves and knives. Whew, I felt like I was outfitting my new baby haha. The greatest challenge has been mastering the fire management - your great tips gave me the standard and technique to shoot for. The results? Wowzer - everything I hoped for. I have enjoyed the best smoked chicken and sausage as well as grilled steaks. One lesson I learned - don’t mix it up- you either smoke or grill but not together. I am now ready to pick a prime brisket and let the pit work it’s charm. Keep the great videos coming; you are helping a lot of folks like myself. God bless sir
I started using a cheap flip-top back in "77" I didn't know shit from Apple. I did good for my first time and been doing it since. I'm decent enough to know that to be good at it you must take care of your grill-smoker and get to know how they cook and treat you..Get to know them. Perfect you seasoning and temperature settings and he patient. You will be as good as the so-called professional grillers. They don't want you to know that. But I do. 👌
I bought this smoker after I saw this video 3 years ago! Beautiful video, great explanation, and spot on! I’m from Texas and we love to BBQ! I glad you chose the TEXAS/MEXICAN made BBQ pit BRAZOS. I got the DXL version which has the counterweight. And I have not had issues with temperatures. The gauge of the steel makes a huge difference
I bought this smoker a few years ago and do love it. I agree about touching the fire box, I welded a 12" piece of rebar to the vent handle so I can adjust it with my bare hand.
Nice review! For your firebox, try cutting a slot into some wine bottle corks and pushing them onto the "knobs" on the firebox...instant "cool touch" knobs.
I lucked out and bought one. It is super legit and I couldn't be more pleased. It is monstrously heavy and built to last forever. At $1100 it's a steal. It is truly 1/4" thick steel pipe. your presentation was excellent.
Got my Brazos for 400 at a scratch and dent place, 1 wheel has a flat spot(dont e er mo e it any way) and the handles on the lids are bent down instead of straight out. Had it for 3 years, never put a gasket on the cooking chamber and love it!
I bought the Brazos based on this video alone. And I couldn't be more pleased. In fact, I was so pleased, that I went back to Academy a week later and bought the vertical Smoke House" from Old Country. Great quality and they were both available at my local store.
I wish more commenters on the internet provided thorough reviews such as this one. A lot of vital information including pros & cons, presented in a "plain talk", understandable manner. Good job. I haven't decided on a brand of smoker yet, but I'm leaning heavily toward this one. Thanks.
Thanks for this video. It got me to buy a Brazos myself. Did my initial burn last night and it kept a really steady temperature from left to right, I was impressed.
Just found a brand new one with some scratches, a bent handle on the cooking chamber and a decent flat spot on 1 wheel. Got them down to 400 and already had some hi-temp paint and my dad is a black smith!
Thanks Jeremy, you did a great job reviewing the Brazos, If I ever get to the point where I'll get a stick burner, you sold me on the Brazos, Thanks again.
I was in Texas Bryan College Station area and saw a display of these smokers at a Buc-ees convenience store. I’m not an offset guy but appreciate the art! Wow, I was blown away at the build of these things. Why get an Oklahoma Joe when these are out there. I was almost tempted to buy one and start offsetting! So many toys so little time
Just ordered this bad boy. I was looking at the wrangler initially. I was drawn in to this brand by Aaron Franklin. Even though I know he doesn't cook on them other than his videos for TH-cam....but still...if it's good enough for him it's good enough for me. I'll post an update once I get her seasoned. I'm a Texas native stuck in Connecticut due to being active duty military. This is the only video on this smoker. Great bargain. Thanks for the review it was super helpful.
Jonathan Brown well if you're in Texas try checking out pits by JJ I got one a few years back and it's awesome... They can customize any pit to your liking
after all the time i have been listening to you about this smoker. i think i am going to buy my self one for my birth day sept 21 . i have been watching an learning about oc brazos . thanks for all the lessons on oc brazos. wish me luck. i have other smokers wsm and pit boss 850 pellet. so i will always have some thing to smoke with from az.
I've had mine (just like yours) over 6 months and several cooks. It's actually a super design, from the heavy construction to the grill level large diameter stack. This isn't a cheap offset either. Love it!
I've been smoking on weber kettles for a couple years; now I'm starting to get a lot more serious about it. Just picked up a 22" WSM and I'm planning to grab one of these next summer. Time to start building the fleet ☺️
As a Southern Californian living in Texas since 07' i admit i was surprised when i came across your video. I bought my Old Country Pits Wrangler at Academy for $540.99 & i love it. Glad to see people outside of Texas doing it right! I do use the top shelf for ribs, chicken or sausage & it works great. May i also suggest using the aluminium pans from dollar tree to catch the grease at the bottom. Hope that brisket came out good. Keep On Smoking!
Great review that inspired me to get one. The shipping has gone up since you did this but I still wanted one. One came up used 5 hours away that was in really nice shape. I made a day trip and got it. The fella had a motorcycle platform lift we used to load it in my pickup and I have a tractor with a loader when I got home. You would need sme serious weightlifters to pick it up !! Although it wasn't really rusty but me being picky about my stuff, I sandblasted it and painted with Rustoleum High Heat . I'm a retired auto body guy so it wasn't a huge deal and I now have a basically new smoker for about half what one shipped would have been. I re-seasoned it and did 4 racks of ribs and a chicken that came out excellent. I was using a Chargriller from lowes for years and the difference is truly amazing. You see the cheap tin ones for sale lightly used all the time. I suspect they couldn't get any good results and gave up. My advise is get a real BBQ Pit and you won't be disappointed.
That's a nice offset rig. Wood over charcoal is a good way to go with these but they're versatile enough for charcoal only or wood only. Be patient and don't overdo it. Learn to use your vents for proper air intake and exhaust to maintain your temps. You can cook with fire in the cooking chamber but if you do, it'll heat up more than from the fire box. Get some fire bricks or clay bricks 4-6 should be plenty and use them for fire in the cooking chamber layered to one side. When you're using your fire box spread them out. They'll heat up and help you keep consistent temp throughout the cooking chamber. Take the grill grate out of the fire box and leave it out unless you're cooking on it. It's well made but the fire directly under it will wear it down faster and it serves no real purpose unless you're cooking with it, or using it for steam with a pan of water on it. It'll stay pristine for cooking of you do this, plus you'll be able to easily tend your fire from the side or top door. I'd also plug the thermometer hole with a nut and bolt and get another thermometer. One placed near the fire box and the other equal distance from the opposite end. Only real way to know your temp difference from side to side. The Kingsford Spray for grills is good for seasoning. A layer of heavy foil in the bottom of the cook chamber will make clean up easier. Change it out as needed. Have fun. Looks like a really nice grill.
Really appreciate this review. I'm now seriously considering this smoker as an option. The shipping is just ridiculously inexpensive for the overall price and quality.
I hear you. I couldn't afford one of the more expensive pits. It was just beyond what I could afford. A year later I am so glad I bought the smoker that I did.
I don't think the smoker has a place to set a tray under the meat. The tuning plates are there and I wouldn't want to mess with the airflow. Definately not worth it for a few drippings. Would rather clean 🤣
@@ssphonetester I was lucky enough to know someone with a trailer. We were able to roll it onto the trailer. I don't think I could have gotten it in the back of my truck. One thing I was surprised about with offset smokers, I didn't realize how much work goes into tending the fire. Lot different than with my little Weber.
@BigTexFyre I couldn't agree more about the fire management part. Seems to be OK upon lighting with charcoal and adding the initial wood although will be hotter than I want. Then once it dies down it's great. However, when I have to add a fresh piece, either the temp shoots way up or smoulders and I get bad smoke . My goal.now is to begin using much smaller pieces and trying to control the temps that way. I'm hoping it becomes easier..
Great review. Thank you for pointing out important things to look for in a good offset smoker-been toying the idea to add one to my backyard and the old country Brazos might be the perfect fit.
I have the Old Country Wrangler offset smoker, also purchased at Academy where I live in Louisiana for $500, and I love mine as well. I have found that I have to choke down the opening on the fire pit door and the lid on top of the smoke stack considerably to get my pit temperature to range around 250-275 when I smoke a brisket or pork shoulder. I use a digital thermometer, also from Academy, and set the hi/lo temps on it with the alarm on so that if the cook chamber goes above or below my set temps of 280 and 240, it will start beeping and I then make adjustments. Sometimes I get it dialed in just right where it will stay in the sweet spot range for hours on end, and other times it seems that I am out there every 10 minutes or so making adjustments, which can get frustrating and tiring. The gasket tape really does help to minimize, if not eliminate, the loss of smoke from the pit. I also built a wire grate in the shape of a rectangular tube which fits down into the fire box, into which I put my charcoal and short pieces of smoking wood, usually oak & pecan, or oak & hickory, and the small space on the outside of the grate allows more air to circulate around the charcoal and wood and that helps with combustion. If you like, I can send you a picture of this item which can easily be built w/ materials from Home Depot. Also, I picked up a small metal trash can at a local hardware store that I put just under the firebox door when I am cleaning out the ash from the firebox once it has cooled down, and I just scrape the ash into the trash can and then sweep out the remaining dust with a whisk broom to get it clean for the next cook. The metal trash can works great in case there is still any hot material in the bottom of the firebox, so it can finish burning out without risk of starting a fire or melting a plastic trash can. Very good review, and I'm going to try your suggestion of spreading beef tallow on the butcher paper when I wrap the brisket next time I cook. BTW, I get the prime brisket from Costco which are really top quality and quite reasonably priced.
I have the same pit and after experimenting with many methods of fire mgmt I have found that using a basket with lump or regular charcoal for a coal base then burning small splits to be the best method of maintaining the temps without spikes. Add addition lump as or if needed. I also have a small 4 inch fan the operates on 2 D cells that I use near the firebox door periodically to gets splits burning into their sweet spot. Simply burning splits to get the proper coal base takes too long and causes way too many peak and valley spikes.
@@philobeddoe5214 Yes, agreed, I do the same, first get a chimney of charcoal going, then pour it into the fire box, then add small splits of hardwood to get the smoke going. I like your idea of using a small fan to help get the splits burning. I also removed the piece that holds the bolt that the smokestack cover swivels on, then put a 5" to 6" adapter in the smokestack hole, then put a 24" 6 inch diameter extension pipe on top to create better draft through the pit, as per JY's suggestion on mods to smokers. Also, I borrowed a friend's angle grinder and cut through the two welds on either side of the baffle leading into the cook chamber, then bent the baffle up parallel to the grate which allows the heat and smoke to rise more easily to the top of the cook chamber versus being forced into the bottom by the original design. This was also a suggestion of JY's, although he took his completely out. Two briskets I've smoked since doing this have come out great, but I spent most of each day outside in 98 degree, very humid weather, and was totally worn out and wringing wet by the time I pulled the briskets off the pit to wrap and finished them in my oven inside my house. I'm gonna wait until fall when it cools off before I do it again. It's just so exhausting to be smoking outside in the heat and humidity of summer here in south Louisiana.
Going to add this pit to my collection of old country pits. Still love my gravity feed smoker from old country . I did some modifications myself to mine... keep those videos coming. Thanks again
@@johnmay9695 Academy in Texas. I pulled the trigger late February. After a couple of cooks you start to realize how I could improve the smoker. The major item was to increase the height by 8” so I didn’t have to bend over so much. You won’t regret this purchase.... Good luck and great smoking.......
It seems like a very good deal for $1,000, because 2-3k seems the average these days and it 1/4 inch, it looks like a tank, very helpful video, thanks.
It's funny how times change.. I got this in my feed in dec 2021 and the mad scientist is saying "if your on a budget like me" when I've watched vids of him recently talking about his 50/500/5000 gallon smokers that he's got for his catering business. Don't get me wrong I'm all for his success and I love his BBQ channel. But I'm more on the "lets buy our first offset" side while he's grown to "I'm cooking on my 5.000.000 gal smoker.. it's actually a grain silo on it's side" :) so here's my review.
You accurately describe the smoker, moreover, you point out the flaws/cons. What I see a lot of people doing in reviews about smokers that cost more then double the price of this model is gloss over the poor construction parts of them. IE leaks, bad air seals, too small a smoke stack, or bad placement of that stack, and poor grate design etc. You give very honest feedback about the smoke and I for one really do appreciate that. If someone spends 2k on an item that was reviewed with nothing but praise and then come to find out it really isn't as good as the reviewer said it can be disappointing. You know the kinds of reviews I'm talking about. "I spent $3500 on this smoker, they're great you should buy one". You've earned my sub with this review. Thanks!
h2oskiaddict Thanks so much. My goal in doing the review was to tell people everything I wish I had known before buying this pit. I really appreciate your feedback. It's certainly not the world's greatest smoker, but for the money it's hard to beat. Hopefully I'll be able to get some other kinds of cookers in the future so I could do a few more reviews with honest opinions.
Well, I bought the Brazos. It's pretty much just how you described it. There's been a couple of changes with the shelf racking system but other then that it's the same smoker. I did do a few mods on it already, mostly in the fire box and some temp probe ports. I added a link to the video I posted about my mods back to this review since I didn't discuss the entire smoker. Anyone that sees the mods I did can get a better idea about the smoker from you.
I did a massive redesign of my Brazos. Mainly added barn doors to the front and raised the top so I now have two very large racks to smoke on. I posted a video about all the mods.
For that price would probably go with the yoder cheyenne. but another feature that is great for these vs. the Oklahoma Joe's is that the legs go into and support the firebox instead of just the main drum. This along with being welded means the fire box isn't going to droop on your like i've seen on a lot of the OJ's
Good to see you've had good luck with your Brazos. My Brazos Smoker developed a 1/2" gap in the top firebox lid. Shouldn't be an issue with a lifetime warranty, BUT Old Country has been anything but helpful. The warranty is a complete joke!
awesome review. finally one on the Brazos smoker. There are a lot of reviews on the wrangler. But I could never find one on the Brazos. You did a great job. it answered all my questions.
Great! I know that I was super hesitant to get mine without a single video up on youtube about it. This is a great little smoker for someone who wants offset flavor and plenty of room to cook for the family without breaking the bank. Let me know if you have any other questions about it.
Great Video. Went to my local Academy and they have the Pecos in stock which look like they same build just with thinner steel and missing one shelf. I do like this style with the thicker steel.
Hey Jeremy, great video! I love watching your videos even if I've watched it a thousand times before and I'll keep watching them. I just picked up a Pecos bbq pit I was fortunate enough to find on Facebook and paid $150! I know the Brazos and Pecos are different models but are actually similar in ways. I just wanted to discuss the build. First off, this grill is much better than the Oklahoma Joe highland I had. It's sealed and BIG! But, there are two flaws I've noticed as I was staring at my new purchase, lol. The smoke stack is big, and at grate level(unlike Oklahoma Joe's), but I don't think it is tall enough. I've extended my stack and found it easier to manage the fire and I can now get more even temperatures across the grill. Another minor flaw I'd like to discuss is the deflector plate above the firebox coming into the cook chamber...I don't find it necessary. I think that it should be cut into half maybe or even taken out completely. I was watching the smoke as I played with the grill and the smoke would be going under the meat. I think maybe cut it back halfway to let the heat/smoke semi-rise so it'd be close to, if not at, grate level where the meat would be, thanks!
Hey Jeremy, to open your fire box grab a deep well socket that's big enough to go over your handle, and if you want easy access to the socket it will fit in your pocket much easier than the hatchet will. lol just a suggestion.
I've got an OC Brazos aswell.. I bought mine used but it hadn't been used yet, for $600.00. I love it!! I also have other smokers too though. Couple of Kamados and an LSG IVC smokers I ordered. That was a huge purchase but I love it!!
Hey I see you found my smoker review. I think that for the money, this smoker is hard to beat. It has plenty of room to cook for a small group of family or friends. I want to get my hands on a couple other smokers too. When I can afford it, I would like to get a Kamado cooker and a Weber Smokey Mountain.
I purchased a brazos from academy week of Jan 15 2024. Baffle plate is no longer welded in, but rests on 2 notches that are factory welded into the smoke chamber.
One question. When you say "if you take care of it," how exactly do you do that? Storage, maintenance, cleaning? A good Video would be educating us on the three points I listed. =)
Jeremy, I did buy the cover for mine and it fits beautifully! I did your Lavalock seal mod without the red sealant and added the heat baffle which really evens out the temp. The price v Yoder & others is really a bargain. I'm 5 cooks into it and highly recommend! Thanks for the vids!
Hey Jeremy, you are doing a great job with your videos. I live in Italy and it is very difficult to find BBQ staff especially off set smokers. Only few smokers get to Italy and Yoder is among them. Unfgortun ately we pay more than two time what you pay in the US for transport reasons. So I bought a Yoder Cheyenne and I am happy with it. I cooked a brisquet with it for the first time and I made many mistakes : the brisquet weigthed 10 pounds, the outside temperature was cold ( more or less 32 °F) and humid and I had a lot difficulties in keeping the temperature around 275° F. After 6/7 hours I thought the bark was ok and I wrapped the brisquet with butcher paper ( the meat temperature was around 162° F). Then I had a very long stall and it took me more than 18 hours on the whole to reach 192° F. The meat was rather good, perhaps a little too dry. I think that I wrapped the brisquet tto early and that I used logs that were too long (pekan wood). I am afraid that the Yoder Cheyenne could be too small to cook a brisquet, especially greater than the one that I cooked. Please give me your opinion and thanks a lot!
Very informative review. I will order one. There's a vendor here in town where I live, they're called Helotes pits. Their smokers are ABSOLUTELY TOP NOTCH but with that type of quality comes a hefty price tag. The Brazos smoker on your review is a good $1600 less. I'm getting a Brazos smoker needless to say. Thanks for the info brother. I'm subscribed to your channel.
I have the 3/8 inch thick Wrangler. These Old Country smokers are all you need in a backyard pit. Great quality high performing smoker at a reasonable price. The $3,000 and $4,000 yard trophies that are so fashionable are just another unnecessary "look what I got" flex for 99% of those that have them.
Very well done review! Saving my $$$ for one. I currently own a 22” Weber kettle and WSM but looking to add an offset and this looks like the one! Thanks again!
Gerardo Alvarez just like you I have a 22” kettle and WSM which are awesome. I bought this offset a couple weeks ago and cooked 2briskets. Absolutely the best briskets I have ever made. Beautiful smoke ring (hard to do on WSM) and excellent smoke flavor. The offset takes more attention adding wood every hour or so, but so worth it. Doing spares and baby backs today. Love my new Brazos smoker.
Hey Jeremy. I just purchased the Wrangler yesterday. My only concern is the lack of a thermometer, unless they're now installing them....I don't know. Great video btw!
Jeremy…there are warnings in the comments about possible poor welds and damage during shipping. Suggestions to go pick one up at a store. We don’t have access to a store that carries them. Did you have any shipping damage? Any concerns? Thanks bb
Another option to quiet down the lid clanking on the door stop might be a 3/8 auto hose. Couple 2-3in sliced down the center with a razor blade and peeled open and around the lid/door stop. Then no worries about negative effects to the paint or loss of glue adhesion. Just throwing it out there. I don’t even own a smoker... Yet! Lol. But your videos are rather convincing.
Enjoy all your helpful videos. Purchased a Brazos a few weeks ago. Finally got to use it this past weekend. Had a very hard time keeping the temp even in the cook chamber. In the video it doesn't look like you have done anything special like tuning plates etc. Most likely just me and needing to get used to the smoker. Believe the problem may have been me being a little over zealous in building a fire much bigger than required. Any advice for a newbie on the Brazos and uneven temps?
I believe they now sell tuning plates to do just that. I just ordered one "loaded" with the plates and a counterweight for easier use with the heavy door.
I can't say for sure just looking at the video, but I think if you put a caliper on the metal you will find the metal is 1/8 inch thick, not 1/4...shich is still a LOT thicker than most dept store smokers. Also, I'd never trust a bimetal thermometer. After spending close to a thousand bucks for one of these a ThermoPro digital with two probes...meat and cook chamber...is the way to go (and that way you read temp down at meat level on the grate, not up higher where the thermometer mount is. On my offset, the temp difference between up where the mount is and down at grate level runs between 30 and 50 degrees. Great review video!
What I've found is if you are gonna use your fire box to grill and grill only get something to block the hole going to the cooking chamber that way you're only heating the smoke box and the whole unit it'll be a lot better
Nice set up, there are a couple of things I don't like. The small fire box, if it was only a little longer, but good thing the easy fix is to put smaller logs in, but you can't move them much to help with heat maintenance. The other thing is the thermometer placement. It should not be in the door at all, but rather near the flue where it exits. In the door it will tend to read high as heat rises, so where it is placed will not give an accurate reading. A second one placed near the fire box would tell incoming heat, and then you could get an idea of how much heat loss there is, which given how thick it is, should not be a whole lot. Too bad there is not much room on either side of the door to place a thermometer., but I am sure there can be a fix for that. Other than that, looks pretty solid. at least they got the flue pipe right, huge thumbs up for that, as you don't see that much. I am looking for a new smoker, and I will keep this one in mind, it's the best one I have seen yet, unless I have one custom made. Thanks for the awesome review.
Very Cool Review, I just bought the same smoker. Going to have to get the lava lock gasket on there as it leaks too. Seasoned it yesterday and am going to season again tomorrow. Probably put some meat on Friday night 😎 Thanks Brother 👍🏼👍🏼
First off thank you for all the information you put out there. It gave me, someone who has enjoyed Texas style BBQ for along time, enough info and confidence to try to do this myself. Through yours and other videos I did settle on the Brazos DLX. I've run a few test fires in it to try and "learn" the pit. I have removed the baffle plate and get really even temps from side to side, within 5 degrees, but the center of the grate runs 80 to 100 degrees hotter than the the thermometers I have on the door. I am running a stack extension and have chocked the firebox down some to even out the temps. If I ran them wide open then the stack side ran 100 degrees hotter than the firebox side even without the extension. Is there a good way to try and tune this out of the pit or should I just not rely on the door thermometers?
“If you’re on a budget, like I am…” Also, don’t mind my Amazonian pool in the background 😂 love the video bro! I subscribed. 5 years later, they’re out of stock and up $300. I’d probably still get one though.
I had asked about your smoker on your "Tuning Plate" video, but just now came across this. Guess I should've checked before asking. Seems like your Offset is an excellent value when compared with the high end smokers. My modes on my Oklahoma Joe made it work really well in the end... no leaks and it cooked very evenly. However, it was not a high end smoker and the steal was not a thick, which meant it didn't hold temperature as well as a better quality smoker such as yours. That wasn't a big, big issue for me until the northeast winter, when it would only hold temperature for about 35 minutes before I had to add wood and reset the vents, etc. During the warmer months, I got 45 to 60 minutes of steady cooking temperature before having to add wood. Best wishes to you and yours...
I just saw it on the website you mentioned. I’ve been smoking on and off for almost twenty years with grills and propane smokers and I finally have the time to offset. Thank you for this review and all your videos 👍
Dude, u can use that top-grate to put ur link-sausages & other things on that u want to be slow-smoking while ur ribs & briskets are cooking on the bottom rack.
I just bought the upgraded version of this one from Buc-ee's in Alabama. Same basic design, but the lid is counter-balanced. Thanks for the great review video! Now, I'll be on the hunt for some of that gasket and silicon to help seal the lid. Do you ever use yours for regular grilling? I Plan to do both, but this is my first non-gas grill. I suddenly realize that I have a LOT to learn!!
I was at that Buc-ee’s mid June and saw the one you got VERY NICE!!! Looked at all of them. May have to go back (8 hr drive) to pick an Offset smoker!! How are you enjoying yours?
hi I just got my brazos based off your review. Thanks for giving a great review. Im just wondering if you still love it i wish the welding was a little better on the flanges for the door they are a little ruff. Butt it seams to be really good quality for the cost.i have a friend that bought a lone star smoker @3200.00 its really nice but its not 2000.00 nicer then the Brazos. Buy a lot of Brisket for 2000.00 dollars.Oh i had to go directly to old Country Academy doesn't sell this model online anymore. Thanks from Connecticut
I went ahead and ordered my own old country smoker it's going to be here on the 10th thanks for the great video and let me know about this brand of smoker never heard of it before I was going to buy a Oklahoma Joe's and do all the modifications this is a no-brainer all welded and much better in my Opinion. P. S. I'm going to fabricate a cool touch handle for the firebox if I come up with something good I'll send you One thanks again john
Hey that sounds awesome! I'm glad the video helped you out. I only ran across it by chance and there were no videos about it online so I thought I should do one so that people have more information. This is a great cooker if you're trying to make great food for your family and some friends.
i have the pacos i love it but i did do one thing i live on the coast of mississippi an when i had alot of rain the bottom of fire box an chimney would get water in them I drilled a quarter inch hole in the bottom of a smokestack and the Firebox to let water drain out I highly recommend doing that keep it from rusting out mine leak like his did around a door but once it gets up to temperature it pretty much stopped
That sounds like a pretty good idea. I live in Los Angeles, so it almost never rains out here and I always bring it inside a covered area. If you have your smoker outside, those sound like really smart changes to make.
Great review, if I couldn't have afforded my Yoder Wichita, I would have definitely gone with the Old Country offset smoker.
Thanks T-Roy! I'm a big fan of yours, and of your Yoder Wichita. I really wish I could have gotten a Yoder, then my last name would have already been on my smoker! Keep making those great videos!
Thanks brother, I appreciate the support. You keep up the great videos you're doing as well. Keep that smoke rollin'!!!
Best Offset Smoker Reviews for 2018 - Top 5 picks: www.bbqqueens.com/best-offset-smoker-reviews/
T-ROY COOKS I don't assume you mean your comment this way but it kinda sounds condescending.
Like: "If I couldn't afford my nice stuff, I'd stoop to your level."
You are awesome! Super smart ....I will never miss a word from you ...
I've had the brazos for about 7 years now and it's been a great smoker for me. Doesn't require a lot of wood to maintain temp and has a good amount of cooking space.
i'm new to this, how long do you smoke a chicken?
I bought this smoker a few months ago and it's amazing. I recommend getting this over the other old country pits. For the price you can't beat it. In my opinion this pit is better than any pit around a it's price
Thank you @Jeremy Yoder for the information. I'm a retired pipeline welder with a lot of time on my hands. I've been planning on building a few of these when this N.E. Washington snow melts.
I'm thinking twenty-four to thirtysix inch on trailers. Not sure yet, but I watch your videos and I'm very excited to get started! Good to have your chemistry input.
Thank you very much!👏👍
Ok, I'am 72 yr, I've watched many of your videos and you convinced me. I took a weekend road trip of 8Hr to buy a Brazos. Can't wait to get started.
I just ordered one directly from Old Country BBQ. It is $1,350 with shipping. I live in New York so I think that the extra $250 in shipping is worth it. There is nothing up here that even comes close to the price. I am still shocked that no store carries these smokers in the Northeast. I am super excited to get this smoker!
About to do the same. Academy is shipping to NY/LI for 215
I wanted to give a big thanks for the excellent information and education you provide on your channel. You definitely helped me make my final decision to purchase the Brazos smoker. There are a lot of great choices out there among some really fine, time tested designs in offset smokers. The more I searched , the more dizzy I became with all the different options and best selling points. At the end of the day it came down to the basics - 1/4 steel stick burner, solid build, and finally best price including tax and shipping.
Now that I modded the doors with the recommended materials, I have an amazing smoker. I also geared up with the grill thermometer, remote 2 sensor thermometer, quick test thermo, the right wood, gloves and knives. Whew, I felt like I was outfitting my new baby haha.
The greatest challenge has been mastering the fire management - your great tips gave me the standard and technique to shoot for. The results? Wowzer - everything I hoped for. I have enjoyed the best smoked chicken and sausage as well as grilled steaks. One lesson I learned - don’t mix it up- you either smoke or grill but not together.
I am now ready to pick a prime brisket and let the pit work it’s charm.
Keep the great videos coming; you are helping a lot of folks like myself.
God bless sir
I started using a cheap flip-top back in "77" I didn't know shit from Apple. I did good for my first time and been doing it since. I'm decent enough to know that to be good at it you must take care of your grill-smoker and get to know how they cook and treat you..Get to know them. Perfect you seasoning and temperature settings and he patient. You will be as good as the so-called professional grillers. They don't want you to know that. But I do. 👌
I bought this smoker after I saw this video 3 years ago! Beautiful video, great explanation, and spot on! I’m from Texas and we love to BBQ! I glad you chose the TEXAS/MEXICAN made BBQ pit BRAZOS. I got the DXL version which has the counterweight. And I have not had issues with temperatures. The gauge of the steel makes a huge difference
I bought this smoker a few years ago and do love it. I agree about touching the fire box, I welded a 12" piece of rebar to the vent handle so I can adjust it with my bare hand.
Its funny... I just bought that last week. And all of a sudden this pops up in my feed. I also love it
Nice review! For your firebox, try cutting a slot into some wine bottle corks and pushing them onto the "knobs" on the firebox...instant "cool touch" knobs.
Hey great idea! I'll give that a shot!
you must be the greatest salesman ever cause' i'm sold on this thing
I lucked out and bought one. It is super legit and I couldn't be more pleased. It is monstrously heavy and built to last forever. At $1100 it's a steal. It is truly 1/4" thick steel pipe. your presentation was excellent.
Thanks so much, David. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I've enjoyed mine.
6 years later, thanks for this awesome and thoroughly informative review.
Got my Brazos for 400 at a scratch and dent place, 1 wheel has a flat spot(dont e er mo e it any way) and the handles on the lids are bent down instead of straight out. Had it for 3 years, never put a gasket on the cooking chamber and love it!
I bought the Brazos based on this video alone. And I couldn't be more pleased. In fact, I was so pleased, that I went back to Academy a week later and bought the vertical Smoke House" from Old Country. Great quality and they were both available at my local store.
I wish more commenters on the internet provided thorough reviews such as this one. A lot of vital information including pros & cons, presented in a "plain talk", understandable manner. Good job. I haven't decided on a brand of smoker yet, but I'm leaning heavily toward this one.
Thanks.
This is the best vdieo I have ever watched about how to choose a good offset smoker.
Thanks for this video. It got me to buy a Brazos myself. Did my initial burn last night and it kept a really steady temperature from left to right, I was impressed.
Just found a brand new one with some scratches, a bent handle on the cooking chamber and a decent flat spot on 1 wheel. Got them down to 400 and already had some hi-temp paint and my dad is a black smith!
Thanks Jeremy, you did a great job reviewing the Brazos, If I ever get to the point where I'll get a stick burner, you sold me on the Brazos, Thanks again.
Just bought a brazos and did a brisket cook after watching many of your videos. Always wanted a offset smoker, glad I got the brazos
How many cuts of meat can you cook at once ?
I was in Texas Bryan College Station area and saw a display of these smokers at a Buc-ees convenience store. I’m not an offset guy but appreciate the art! Wow, I was blown away at the build of these things. Why get an Oklahoma Joe when these are out there. I was almost tempted to buy one and start offsetting! So many toys so little time
Just ordered this bad boy. I was looking at the wrangler initially. I was drawn in to this brand by Aaron Franklin. Even though I know he doesn't cook on them other than his videos for TH-cam....but still...if it's good enough for him it's good enough for me. I'll post an update once I get her seasoned. I'm a Texas native stuck in Connecticut due to being active duty military. This is the only video on this smoker. Great bargain. Thanks for the review it was super helpful.
Thank you for serving in the military! I'm glad I could find a small way to help you out. Show your friends up there what real barbecue is like.
Mad Scientist BBQ lol thanks..I'm already blowing minds just using the snake method on a kettle...crazy up here
Jonathan Brown well if you're in Texas try checking out pits by JJ I got one a few years back and it's awesome... They can customize any pit to your liking
Jonathan Brown gator pits are also a very well known place in Texas but they had a year waiting list
after all the time i have been listening to you about this smoker. i think i am going to buy my self one for my birth day sept 21 . i have been watching an learning about oc brazos . thanks for all the lessons on oc brazos. wish me luck. i have other smokers wsm and pit boss 850 pellet. so i will always have some thing to smoke with from az.
I've had mine (just like yours) over 6 months and several cooks. It's actually a super design, from the heavy construction to the grill level large diameter stack. This isn't a cheap offset either. Love it!
Agreed. It's a great smoker at a fair price. I couldn't be happier with my purchase.
I've been smoking on weber kettles for a couple years; now I'm starting to get a lot more serious about it. Just picked up a 22" WSM and I'm planning to grab one of these next summer. Time to start building the fleet ☺️
I've had this one for about 2 years now and it gets used at least once a week ..I love it
As a Southern Californian living in Texas since 07' i admit i was surprised when i came across your video. I bought my Old Country Pits Wrangler at Academy for $540.99 & i love it. Glad to see people outside of Texas doing it right! I do use the top shelf for ribs, chicken or sausage & it works great. May i also suggest using the aluminium pans from dollar tree to catch the grease at the bottom. Hope that brisket came out good. Keep On Smoking!
Great review that inspired me to get one. The shipping has gone up since you did this but I still wanted one. One came up used 5 hours away that was in really nice shape. I made a day trip and got it. The fella had a motorcycle platform lift we used to load it in my pickup and I have a tractor with a loader when I got home. You would need sme serious weightlifters to pick it up !! Although it wasn't really rusty but me being picky about my stuff, I sandblasted it and painted with Rustoleum High Heat . I'm a retired auto body guy so it wasn't a huge deal and I now have a basically new smoker for about half what one shipped would have been. I re-seasoned it and did 4 racks of ribs and a chicken that came out excellent. I was using a Chargriller from lowes for years and the difference is truly amazing. You see the cheap tin ones for sale lightly used all the time. I suspect they couldn't get any good results and gave up. My advise is get a real BBQ Pit and you won't be disappointed.
good to see someone from Los Angeles doing BBQ youtube channels. San Gabriel Valley says hello!
That's a nice offset rig. Wood over charcoal is a good way to go with these but they're versatile enough for charcoal only or wood only. Be patient and don't overdo it. Learn to use your vents for proper air intake and exhaust to maintain your temps. You can cook with fire in the cooking chamber but if you do, it'll heat up more than from the fire box. Get some fire bricks or clay bricks 4-6 should be plenty and use them for fire in the cooking chamber layered to one side. When you're using your fire box spread them out. They'll heat up and help you keep consistent temp throughout the cooking chamber. Take the grill grate out of the fire box and leave it out unless you're cooking on it. It's well made but the fire directly under it will wear it down faster and it serves no real purpose unless you're cooking with it, or using it for steam with a pan of water on it. It'll stay pristine for cooking of you do this, plus you'll be able to easily tend your fire from the side or top door. I'd also plug the thermometer hole with a nut and bolt and get another thermometer. One placed near the fire box and the other equal distance from the opposite end. Only real way to know your temp difference from side to side. The Kingsford Spray for grills is good for seasoning. A layer of heavy foil in the bottom of the cook chamber will make clean up easier. Change it out as needed.
Have fun. Looks like a really nice grill.
Hey man, I appreciate it. That's good advice.
Hey Seezor, Do you have a picture or a video of what you did? Let me know... Thanks !!
I have been smoking for around 25+years. By far offset smokers are the best for flavor
I agree, i own one. And i love it. Cooks really well. Though i paid a little more. Great made smoker.
Really appreciate this review. I'm now seriously considering this smoker as an option. The shipping is just ridiculously inexpensive for the overall price and quality.
I hear you. I couldn't afford one of the more expensive pits. It was just beyond what I could afford. A year later I am so glad I bought the smoker that I did.
Instead of letting your grease drain out - put an Aluminum pan under your Brisket or ribs and catch it and use it to wet your meat when its done!
I don't think the smoker has a place to set a tray under the meat. The tuning plates are there and I wouldn't want to mess with the airflow. Definately not worth it for a few drippings. Would rather clean 🤣
Just placed an order for one of these after watching this video several. Thanks for the assist! I appreciate your thorough insights.
Saw one today at bucees was very impressed searches to see if my favorite bbq smoker guy had a review on it I knew you would I’m getting one thanks
I’ve had mine for about a year and I love it! Even better is that I live about 4 miles from Academy and didn’t have to pay shipping.
I got mine from Buccees. Heavy SOB... Took 4 guys to get in in and out of the truck. Happy with it so far.
@@ssphonetester I was lucky enough to know someone with a trailer. We were able to roll it onto the trailer. I don't think I could have gotten it in the back of my truck. One thing I was surprised about with offset smokers, I didn't realize how much work goes into tending the fire. Lot different than with my little Weber.
@BigTexFyre I couldn't agree more about the fire management part. Seems to be OK upon lighting with charcoal and adding the initial wood although will be hotter than I want. Then once it dies down it's great. However, when I have to add a fresh piece, either the temp shoots way up or smoulders and I get bad smoke . My goal.now is to begin using much smaller pieces and trying to control the temps that way. I'm hoping it becomes easier..
BigTexFyre how often are u adding wood?
Great review. Thank you for pointing out important things to look for in a good offset smoker-been toying the idea to add one to my backyard and the old country Brazos might be the perfect fit.
Thanks. I'm glad it helped.
I have the Old Country Wrangler offset smoker, also purchased at Academy where I live in Louisiana for $500, and I love mine as well. I have found that I have to choke down the opening on the fire pit door and the lid on top of the smoke stack considerably to get my pit temperature to range around 250-275 when I smoke a brisket or pork shoulder. I use a digital thermometer, also from Academy, and set the hi/lo temps on it with the alarm on so that if the cook chamber goes above or below my set temps of 280 and 240, it will start beeping and I then make adjustments. Sometimes I get it dialed in just right where it will stay in the sweet spot range for hours on end, and other times it seems that I am out there every 10 minutes or so making adjustments, which can get frustrating and tiring. The gasket tape really does help to minimize, if not eliminate, the loss of smoke from the pit. I also built a wire grate in the shape of a rectangular tube which fits down into the fire box, into which I put my charcoal and short pieces of smoking wood, usually oak & pecan, or oak & hickory, and the small space on the outside of the grate allows more air to circulate around the charcoal and wood and that helps with combustion. If you like, I can send you a picture of this item which can easily be built w/ materials from Home Depot. Also, I picked up a small metal trash can at a local hardware store that I put just under the firebox door when I am cleaning out the ash from the firebox once it has cooled down, and I just scrape the ash into the trash can and then sweep out the remaining dust with a whisk broom to get it clean for the next cook. The metal trash can works great in case there is still any hot material in the bottom of the firebox, so it can finish burning out without risk of starting a fire or melting a plastic trash can. Very good review, and I'm going to try your suggestion of spreading beef tallow on the butcher paper when I wrap the brisket next time I cook. BTW, I get the prime brisket from Costco which are really top quality and quite reasonably priced.
I have the same pit and after experimenting with many methods of fire mgmt I have found that using a basket with lump or regular charcoal for a coal base then burning small splits to be the best method of maintaining the temps without spikes. Add addition lump as or if needed. I also have a small 4 inch fan the operates on 2 D cells that I use near the firebox door periodically to gets splits burning into their sweet spot. Simply burning splits to get the proper coal base takes too long and causes way too many peak and valley spikes.
@@philobeddoe5214 Yes, agreed, I do the same, first get a chimney of charcoal going, then pour it into the fire box, then add small splits of hardwood to get the smoke going. I like your idea of using a small fan to help get the splits burning. I also removed the piece that holds the bolt that the smokestack cover swivels on, then put a 5" to 6" adapter in the smokestack hole, then put a 24" 6 inch diameter extension pipe on top to create better draft through the pit, as per JY's suggestion on mods to smokers. Also, I borrowed a friend's angle grinder and cut through the two welds on either side of the baffle leading into the cook chamber, then bent the baffle up parallel to the grate which allows the heat and smoke to rise more easily to the top of the cook chamber versus being forced into the bottom by the original design. This was also a suggestion of JY's, although he took his completely out. Two briskets I've smoked since doing this have come out great, but I spent most of each day outside in 98 degree, very humid weather, and was totally worn out and wringing wet by the time I pulled the briskets off the pit to wrap and finished them in my oven inside my house. I'm gonna wait until fall when it cools off before I do it again. It's just so exhausting to be smoking outside in the heat and humidity of summer here in south Louisiana.
Going to add this pit to my collection of old country pits. Still love my gravity feed smoker from old country . I did some modifications myself to mine... keep those videos coming. Thanks again
Where did you get the gravity fed smoker
@@johnmay9695 Academy in Texas. I pulled the trigger late February. After a couple of cooks you start to realize how I could improve the smoker. The major item was to increase the height by 8” so I didn’t have to bend over so much.
You won’t regret this purchase.... Good luck and great smoking.......
Your videos are my absolute favorite! Thanks for your great work.
for a store bought smoker those things are just awesome.
It seems like a very good deal for $1,000, because 2-3k seems the average these days and it 1/4 inch, it looks like a tank, very helpful video, thanks.
It's funny how times change.. I got this in my feed in dec 2021 and the mad scientist is saying "if your on a budget like me" when I've watched vids of him recently talking about his 50/500/5000 gallon smokers that he's got for his catering business. Don't get me wrong I'm all for his success and I love his BBQ channel. But I'm more on the "lets buy our first offset" side while he's grown to "I'm cooking on my 5.000.000 gal smoker.. it's actually a grain silo on it's side" :) so here's my review.
Probably 1 of the top 10 reviews of any item on youtube and in the top 5 of a smoker review.
Thanks so much! I'm glad it was informative. My biggest goal is to be clear in presentation, so I hope it was!
You accurately describe the smoker, moreover, you point out the flaws/cons. What I see a lot of people doing in reviews about smokers that cost more then double the price of this model is gloss over the poor construction parts of them. IE leaks, bad air seals, too small a smoke stack, or bad placement of that stack, and poor grate design etc. You give very honest feedback about the smoke and I for one really do appreciate that. If someone spends 2k on an item that was reviewed with nothing but praise and then come to find out it really isn't as good as the reviewer said it can be disappointing. You know the kinds of reviews I'm talking about. "I spent $3500 on this smoker, they're great you should buy one". You've earned my sub with this review. Thanks!
h2oskiaddict
Thanks so much. My goal in doing the review was to tell people everything I wish I had known before buying this pit. I really appreciate your feedback. It's certainly not the world's greatest smoker, but for the money it's hard to beat. Hopefully I'll be able to get some other kinds of cookers in the future so I could do a few more reviews with honest opinions.
Well, I bought the Brazos. It's pretty much just how you described it. There's been a couple of changes with the shelf racking system but other then that it's the same smoker. I did do a few mods on it already, mostly in the fire box and some temp probe ports. I added a link to the video I posted about my mods back to this review since I didn't discuss the entire smoker. Anyone that sees the mods I did can get a better idea about the smoker from you.
I did a massive redesign of my Brazos. Mainly added barn doors to the front and raised the top so I now have two very large racks to smoke on. I posted a video about all the mods.
I’m sales employee of the month and I approve this video
He had me until he said, "...On a budget, like I am." Hahahahahah
Fr I was looking spend about 400 bucks
Then you look at his backyard. Lol
spcwilson79 didn’t even notice that!!
"on a budget"..No offense fellas, but probably why he is able to have a backyard like that. Pretty nice trade off to me.
@@ulisesjaramillo9019 look at the Old Country Pecos. $400, same design, thinner metal.
For that price would probably go with the yoder cheyenne. but another feature that is great for these vs. the Oklahoma Joe's is that the legs go into and support the firebox instead of just the main drum. This along with being welded means the fire box isn't going to droop on your like i've seen on a lot of the OJ's
Picking up a used OC BBQ Brazos this afternoon... and going for the "middle briquet" for Christmas!
Thanks! I’ve been looking at these because there is no way I could ever spend $4000 on a different one lol
Good to see you've had good luck with your Brazos. My Brazos Smoker developed a 1/2" gap in the top firebox lid. Shouldn't be an issue with a lifetime warranty, BUT Old Country has been anything but helpful. The warranty is a complete joke!
awesome review. finally one on the Brazos smoker. There are a lot of reviews on the wrangler. But I could never find one on the Brazos. You did a great job. it answered all my questions.
Great! I know that I was super hesitant to get mine without a single video up on youtube about it. This is a great little smoker for someone who wants offset flavor and plenty of room to cook for the family without breaking the bank. Let me know if you have any other questions about it.
Great Video. Went to my local Academy and they have the Pecos in stock which look like they same build just with thinner steel and missing one shelf. I do like this style with the thicker steel.
The grill lid is like 10 times heaver to open on the Brazos ..lol...hold the heat in better..I have the pecos and it works great
Ya this guys on a budget lol. Look at that fucking backyard. Times are tough. Could only afford the $1,100 smoker :(
Yeah well if you're on a real budget you're not going to be cooking competition level bbq.
here I am thinking the $600 smoker was a stretch lol. maybe if you want to compete or sell food 1100 is a steal.
nkyryry he a loser. i bet he is humble.
🤣🤣🤣
I was thinking the same exact thing...I mean dam
Use that hot plate to warm up your tortillas Jeremy! 🤠
Ok
@@XxJD1RTYxX 😂
Hey Jeremy, great video! I love watching your videos even if I've watched it a thousand times before and I'll keep watching them. I just picked up a Pecos bbq pit I was fortunate enough to find on Facebook and paid $150! I know the Brazos and Pecos are different models but are actually similar in ways. I just wanted to discuss the build. First off, this grill is much better than the Oklahoma Joe highland I had. It's sealed and BIG! But, there are two flaws I've noticed as I was staring at my new purchase, lol. The smoke stack is big, and at grate level(unlike Oklahoma Joe's), but I don't think it is tall enough. I've extended my stack and found it easier to manage the fire and I can now get more even temperatures across the grill. Another minor flaw I'd like to discuss is the deflector plate above the firebox coming into the cook chamber...I don't find it necessary. I think that it should be cut into half maybe or even taken out completely. I was watching the smoke as I played with the grill and the smoke would be going under the meat. I think maybe cut it back halfway to let the heat/smoke semi-rise so it'd be close to, if not at, grate level where the meat would be, thanks!
Baller ass backyard. Wish I had that setup!
You're on a budget, but yet you got a pool in the backyard that makes sense
Hey Jeremy, to open your fire box grab a deep well socket that's big enough to go over your handle, and if you want easy access to the socket it will fit in your pocket much easier than the hatchet will. lol just a suggestion.
btw, I just bought one of these, in no small part, bc of your review!!
Touch up paint : Rustoleum 2000 degree HEADER paint.
My daughter bought me an offset Smoker just like that one. Great video and thanks for the tips 😊
I've got an OC Brazos aswell.. I bought mine used but it hadn't been used yet, for $600.00. I love it!! I also have other smokers too though. Couple of Kamados and an LSG IVC smokers I ordered. That was a huge purchase but I love it!!
Hey I see you found my smoker review. I think that for the money, this smoker is hard to beat. It has plenty of room to cook for a small group of family or friends. I want to get my hands on a couple other smokers too. When I can afford it, I would like to get a Kamado cooker and a Weber Smokey Mountain.
I purchased a brazos from academy week of Jan 15 2024.
Baffle plate is no longer welded in, but rests on 2 notches that are factory welded into the smoke chamber.
Thanks for the review! I ended up getting the loaded version of the Brazos. I absolutely love it
One question. When you say "if you take care of it," how exactly do you do that? Storage, maintenance, cleaning? A good Video would be educating us on the three points I listed. =)
Jeremy, I did buy the cover for mine and it fits beautifully! I did your Lavalock seal mod without the red sealant and added the heat baffle which really evens out the temp. The price v Yoder & others is really a bargain. I'm 5 cooks into it and highly recommend! Thanks for the vids!
Hey David, I'm glad to hear that everything is going well for you. Is yours leaking any smoke after adding the lava lock?
No, it is real tight and every cook seems to help seal it.
Hey Jeremy, you are doing a great job with your videos. I live in Italy and it is very difficult to find BBQ staff especially off set smokers. Only few smokers get to Italy and Yoder is among them. Unfgortun ately we pay more than two time what you pay in the US for transport reasons. So I bought a Yoder Cheyenne and I am happy with it. I cooked a brisquet with it for the first time and I made many mistakes : the brisquet weigthed 10 pounds, the outside temperature was cold ( more or less 32 °F) and humid and I had a lot difficulties in keeping the temperature around 275° F. After 6/7 hours I thought the bark was ok and I wrapped the brisquet with butcher paper ( the meat temperature was around 162° F). Then I had a very long stall and it took me more than 18 hours on the whole to reach 192° F. The meat was rather good, perhaps a little too dry. I think that I wrapped the brisquet tto early and that I used logs that were too long (pekan wood). I am afraid that the Yoder Cheyenne could be too small to cook a brisquet, especially greater than the one that I cooked. Please give me your opinion and thanks a lot!
Gian Paolo Conforti I live 50 minutes away from where these are made. That smoker is one of the best on the market. Just keep practicing.
Benji Smith thank you. Do you think that the dimension of the Cheyenne are ok for cooking a brisquet or a pork butt? Anyway I will keep practicing...
That thing can handle as much as you can pack in it.
Very informative review. I will order one. There's a vendor here in town where I live, they're called Helotes pits. Their smokers are ABSOLUTELY TOP NOTCH but with that type of quality comes a hefty price tag. The Brazos smoker on your review is a good $1600 less. I'm getting a Brazos smoker needless to say. Thanks for the info brother. I'm subscribed to your channel.
Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful. I remember searching for a video review of this smoker before I bought it and I couldn't find a thing.
I love your honesty and the details with your reviews!
Thank you!!
I have the 3/8 inch thick Wrangler. These Old Country smokers are all you need in a backyard pit. Great quality high performing smoker at a reasonable price. The $3,000 and $4,000 yard trophies that are so fashionable are just another unnecessary "look what I got" flex for 99% of those that have them.
Absolutely great review it’s going to definitely be a contender in my offset list.
loved your review so much I went to my local academy and picked one up today... thanks for the info this thing is a beast
Awesome!! I'm glad it helped out. I love mine, and I am so happy I got it. Good luck with your new pit!
Very well done review! Saving my $$$ for one. I currently own a 22” Weber kettle and WSM but looking to add an offset and this looks like the one! Thanks again!
Gerardo Alvarez just like you I have a 22” kettle and WSM which are awesome. I bought this offset a couple weeks ago and cooked 2briskets. Absolutely the best briskets I have ever made. Beautiful smoke ring (hard to do on WSM) and excellent smoke flavor. The offset takes more attention adding wood every hour or so, but so worth it. Doing spares and baby backs today. Love my new Brazos smoker.
Hey Jeremy. I just purchased the Wrangler yesterday. My only concern is the lack of a thermometer, unless they're now installing them....I don't know. Great video btw!
Jeremy…there are warnings in the comments about possible poor welds and damage during shipping. Suggestions to go pick one up at a store. We don’t have access to a store that carries them. Did you have any shipping damage? Any concerns? Thanks bb
Another option to quiet down the lid clanking on the door stop might be a 3/8 auto hose. Couple 2-3in sliced down the center with a razor blade and peeled open and around the lid/door stop. Then no worries about negative effects to the paint or loss of glue adhesion. Just throwing it out there. I don’t even own a smoker... Yet! Lol. But your videos are rather convincing.
Enjoy all your helpful videos. Purchased a Brazos a few weeks ago. Finally got to use it this past weekend. Had a very hard time keeping the temp even in the cook chamber. In the video it doesn't look like you have done anything special like tuning plates etc. Most likely just me and needing to get used to the smoker. Believe the problem may have been me being a little over zealous in building a fire much bigger than required. Any advice for a newbie on the Brazos and uneven temps?
I believe they now sell tuning plates to do just that. I just ordered one "loaded" with the plates and a counterweight for easier use with the heavy door.
I can't say for sure just looking at the video, but I think if you put a caliper on the metal you will find the metal is 1/8 inch thick, not 1/4...shich is still a LOT thicker than most dept store smokers. Also, I'd never trust a bimetal thermometer. After spending close to a thousand bucks for one of these a ThermoPro digital with two probes...meat and cook chamber...is the way to go (and that way you read temp down at meat level on the grate, not up higher where the thermometer mount is. On my offset, the temp difference between up where the mount is and down at grate level runs between 30 and 50 degrees.
Great review video!
What I've found is if you are gonna use your fire box to grill and grill only get something to block the hole going to the cooking chamber that way you're only heating the smoke box and the whole unit it'll be a lot better
Nice set up, there are a couple of things I don't like. The small fire box, if it was only a little longer, but good thing the easy fix is to put smaller logs in, but you can't move them much to help with heat maintenance. The other thing is the thermometer placement. It should not be in the door at all, but rather near the flue where it exits. In the door it will tend to read high as heat rises, so where it is placed will not give an accurate reading. A second one placed near the fire box would tell incoming heat, and then you could get an idea of how much heat loss there is, which given how thick it is, should not be a whole lot. Too bad there is not much room on either side of the door to place a thermometer., but I am sure there can be a fix for that. Other than that, looks pretty solid. at least they got the flue pipe right, huge thumbs up for that, as you don't see that much. I am looking for a new smoker, and I will keep this one in mind, it's the best one I have seen yet, unless I have one custom made. Thanks for the awesome review.
Very Cool Review, I just bought the same smoker. Going to have to get the lava lock gasket on there as it leaks too. Seasoned it yesterday and am going to season again tomorrow. Probably put some meat on Friday night 😎 Thanks Brother 👍🏼👍🏼
First off thank you for all the information you put out there. It gave me, someone who has enjoyed Texas style BBQ for along time, enough info and confidence to try to do this myself. Through yours and other videos I did settle on the Brazos DLX. I've run a few test fires in it to try and "learn" the pit. I have removed the baffle plate and get really even temps from side to side, within 5 degrees, but the center of the grate runs 80 to 100 degrees hotter than the the thermometers I have on the door. I am running a stack extension and have chocked the firebox down some to even out the temps. If I ran them wide open then the stack side ran 100 degrees hotter than the firebox side even without the extension. Is there a good way to try and tune this out of the pit or should I just not rely on the door thermometers?
“If you’re on a budget, like I am…”
Also, don’t mind my Amazonian pool in the background 😂 love the video bro! I subscribed.
5 years later, they’re out of stock and up $300. I’d probably still get one though.
Buc-ees has this same smoker for $550! I think that’s a killer deal!!
I spent about 50 bucks in steel scrap at the local salvage yard and built mine :)
Nice job man! I'm not that skilled in metalworking.
I had asked about your smoker on your "Tuning Plate" video, but just now came across this. Guess I should've checked before asking. Seems like your Offset is an excellent value when compared with the high end smokers. My modes on my Oklahoma Joe made it work really well in the end... no leaks and it cooked very evenly. However, it was not a high end smoker and the steal was not a thick, which meant it didn't hold temperature as well as a better quality smoker such as yours. That wasn't a big, big issue for me until the northeast winter, when it would only hold temperature for about 35 minutes before I had to add wood and reset the vents, etc. During the warmer months, I got 45 to 60 minutes of steady cooking temperature before having to add wood.
Best wishes to you and yours...
I just saw it on the website you mentioned. I’ve been smoking on and off for almost twenty years with grills and propane smokers and I finally have the time to offset. Thank you for this review and all your videos 👍
And just ordered it 👍
Thanks man! I've been looking to take the next step and buy a off set smoker. Now I know what to look for! Thumbs up and subscribed!
Thanks man! Let me know what you end up choosing.
Dude, u can use that top-grate to put ur link-sausages & other things on that u want to be slow-smoking while ur ribs & briskets are cooking on the bottom rack.
Good Idea! I'll have to try it out.
I’ve cook my ribs on top rack and cane out fine
I like anyone who uses a hatchet when cooking :)
Rum and Cook molly used a hatchet
@@danielploy9143 Even better :)
I just bought the upgraded version of this one from Buc-ee's in Alabama. Same basic design, but the lid is counter-balanced. Thanks for the great review video! Now, I'll be on the hunt for some of that gasket and silicon to help seal the lid. Do you ever use yours for regular grilling? I Plan to do both, but this is my first non-gas grill. I suddenly realize that I have a LOT to learn!!
I was at that Buc-ee’s mid June and saw the one you got VERY NICE!!! Looked at all of them. May have to go back (8 hr drive) to pick an Offset smoker!! How are you enjoying yours?
I really wish OC would put that recessed lid on the Pecos and Wrangler models. It makes for such a better seal!
Yeah. That must be part of the cost-cutting for the more inexpensive models.
I'm about to order the Brazos DXL... Nice review
hi I just got my brazos based off your review. Thanks for giving a great review. Im just wondering if you still love it i wish the welding was a little better on the flanges for the door they are a little ruff. Butt it seams to be really good quality for the cost.i have a friend that bought a lone star smoker @3200.00 its really nice but its not 2000.00 nicer then the Brazos. Buy a lot of Brisket for 2000.00 dollars.Oh i had to go directly to old Country Academy doesn't sell this model online anymore. Thanks from Connecticut
I went ahead and ordered my own old country smoker it's going to be here on the 10th thanks for the great video and let me know about this brand of smoker never heard of it before I was going to buy a Oklahoma Joe's and do all the modifications this is a no-brainer all welded and much better in my Opinion. P. S. I'm going to fabricate a cool touch handle for the firebox if I come up with something good I'll send you One thanks again john
Hey that sounds awesome! I'm glad the video helped you out. I only ran across it by chance and there were no videos about it online so I thought I should do one so that people have more information. This is a great cooker if you're trying to make great food for your family and some friends.
i have the pacos i love it but i did do one thing i live on the coast of mississippi an when i had alot of rain the bottom of fire box an chimney would get water in them I drilled a quarter inch hole in the bottom of a smokestack and the Firebox to let water drain out I highly recommend doing that keep it from rusting out mine leak like his did around a door but once it gets up to temperature it pretty much stopped
That sounds like a pretty good idea. I live in Los Angeles, so it almost never rains out here and I always bring it inside a covered area. If you have your smoker outside, those sound like really smart changes to make.
How dies the bbq that comes off this smoker compare to your big 500 gallon smoker?
How about an update review video!!!!!!! Great video btw.