Some folks have been asking about the tongs. They make 2 sizes. The ones in the video are the 32-inch. They also make a 27. 27 inch - amzn.to/4569ApD 32 inch - amzn.to/3rlrw1N I use the 27 inch for food and 32 for fire management
I’m glad to hear the good review of a local pit manufacturer. Those guys have been killing it and I’m glad to see East Tennessee making a mark on the BBQ world. Good job TMG Pits.
Bought a TMG pit last year. Absolutely love it, it's helped take my bbq to a whole new level. Great to know these guys are getting recognition for top, top quality manufacturing!👍
This video discusses a topic that is not discussed often enough: fire management in small offsets. No matter how much someone might be tempted to build a huge fire in a small offset, doing so will create too much radiant heat. Fire management is more important with small offsets than with big ones, because the size of the cooking space in the big ones makes them more forgiving. If you build an inferno in a backyard offset, you can lose over half of the low-and-slow cooking space to the resulting hot spot. Thank you for discussing the principle that, no matter the size of the offset, it is crucial to give your offset whatever fire it needs in order to generate consistent temps and desired outcomes.
Good point…. There is another TH-cam channel that emphasizes fire management and actually has mentioned this “Mad Scientist” channel a few times…. #smokingdadbbq is a great channel for the science of bbq, fire management, side-by-side in-depth comparisons…. Not just “cooking”…. Have a look at Smoking Dad BBQ….
Awesome video Mad Scientist...great review. I've owned a Volunteer for about 1 1/2 years and I too absolutely LOVE it. I run a pretty decent size coal bed and use 2 pieces of wood every 30 minutes or so and it runs great. I may have to try your technique and compare the results. I will be doing a grate level temp check as well. Thanks for the tip. I recommend TMG Pits to everyone!!! "Buy once smile forever"
Big pits don't have to always be used to cook lots of food. It's nice to have some wiggle room when moving stuff (sausage links, whole turkeys, a few burgers before grilling for example) around in the pit without burning yourself by accidentally bumping the grate or lid or food bumping each other (probably don't want your chicken to taste like the fish). Only issue is that it will still require about the same amount of fuel to get to temp and to hold temp regardless of how much food is being cooked, but like MSBBQ said, this smoker doesn't need a nuclear hot fire.
I have a Patriot Pits Freedom 94 and it is a great unit as well. I love the partially insulated firebox since Fall is setting in quick here in Western NY. I can't wait to test it out this winter too.
Love my TMG Fridge 48. It takes a raging inferno to get it heat soaked, but once it’s up to temp, easy to maintain with a relatively small fire. Their work is amazing…the fabricators initials are welded in my firebox. Their wait time is 16 weeks so long as they are no customization. If someone customizes something on it, then the wait time is pretty significant, but so worth it.
I have a Texas Original Pits Luling and love it but if I had known of TMG Pits before I bought it, I would have gotten a TMG because of the location. I live only about an hour away from them!!!
If I ever upgrade from my WSM I will be looking at TMG. That slide out shelf is genius. 14:21 Have you ever smoked turkey ribs??? I need some tips on rubs and sauces to use and temp/time to smoke.
When my grills grow up - this is what they aspire to become! Once again, thanks for great information. +1 on the Patreon. There are so many people on there always posting great stuff and always willing to help others. It's a great place to talk BBQ.
I’m on the waitlist for a fridge TMG pit and I can’t wait!! These guys seem to build an amazing pit. Was almost going to order this one but the fridge was too enticing. Great video.
I have a Volunteer on a trailer as Jeremy described and can’t say enough great things about it. Cooks great, easy to use, can easily take to different locations, plenty of space for wood, folding table, etc. If what you are looking for it is the way to go.
I spy a Goldees pit in the background. I am seriously curious about your thoughts about that monster! Thanks for the great and honest content and reviews. God bless you and your family! Grill on! 🤘
I have a similar smoker as far as wheels are concerned. I made a CNC file and had a half moon cut out of smaller gauge steel to use as heat shields. I folded a dog ear on the bottom and using a magnet sit it on the axle. This tremendously cut down all of that tire heat. On one side I added an Amazon bought heat shield material and it had a sticky side which I stuck on the shield. I have photos of it but don't think I can add to comments.
@@clintblundon4880want the tmg. I like the slide out grates alot, massive space, and all around nice smoker. But will most likely go WH because its cheaper, 3/8" thick steel, and shipping cost is way cheaper than what tmg quoted me.
Get a simple winch inside the front of a utility trailer and you could tow it up and into the trailer bed. Ratchet strap it secure. Use a 2x4 on a floor jack, under the door or ramp of the trailer to lower the pit down to ground level 👍
Love their volunteer model. I'd love to see you do a review of their fridge 60, then compare it to a Shirley Fabrication 60. I live in Knoxville and have gone and cooked on TMG's copperhead model (the volunteer, but reverse flow) and its the EASIEST cook I've ever ran. One split every 45 min and it ran rock solid for 10 hours.
I actually have been researching them and reading the reviews. Would love to have one, but a little pricey for the weekend barbecues I do every Sunday before going back to work. Love the good content.
Wonder where they got 27" pipe? I discovered them around a year ago, and had my students build a pit that ended up being similar to their fridge 48. I hope it works good because id love to have one myself
Awesome review! I love seeing the lack of bias, where someone will call out the faults and flaws along with the greatness of an item even when it was free to them. Great job.
Great review, thank you. Interesting the airflow impacts it so much that the you have to run a small coal bed and fire - did I interpret that right? Having a larger coal bed and burning a 2-3 splits at once on my backyard pit really improved the smoke flavor in my briskets. What happens if you run a larger coal bed/fire on the Volunteer?
As I follow along in the video, the build quality approaches "aircraft". All of the flame cut pieces and the welds look outstanding. And wouldn't a smaller fire indicate efficiency?
Love the content jeremy, I'm as green as it gets, I rock the vertical propane pitboss which gets me along but I'd love to get my hands on an off-set. Keep up the good work mad scientist!!!
This looks like a nice pit but you really need to check out Shirley Fabrication in Tuscaloosa Alabama. They have the options shown here and many more that they’ve been doing for years. Trailers included. Much like you would have no shelf, I would have no external analog thermometers.
Hello, fantastic review of this smoker. I’m from the UK and on the look out for a smoker like this for backyard use, but how does it stand up to the Smoke North equivalent, which would you go for? For me it’s between the Volunteer and Smoke North at the moment but not sure which one.
Jeremy just a quick question please….my buddy chopped up some apple wood chunks for me to use on my WSM but it still has the bark on it, are they ok and safe to use?? Also he told me the exact tree is called a “paradise apple tree” is this normal apple wood? Ok to use? THANKS! Love the channel!!
I'm working with a Weber Smokey Mnt but would like to upgrade to a small off set smoker. That one and the Franklin are probably overkill for my small yard. Any reco's? Thanks. Great video, great channel. I, and several of my friends, follow you a lot. Thanks again.
Jeremy, We met the day you loaded this thing up. Was good to chat with you. You are spot on in this video and I can honestly say that what you said to us that day is echoed in this video in regards to quality and fabrication. Appreciate you being consistent and thorough!
Jeremy, what are your thoughts on upright smokers? Wanted to get into barbeque and my brother gave me a cheap dynaglo limited series upright. After watching a lot of your videos offering excellent information and techniques. I was able to smoke a couple of briskets that turned out very well ( in my opinion). They were a huge hit at our family outing. However, I would like to eventually purchase a better pit. I noticed on your channel you don't have any upright smokers, any particular reason for this?
Have a pit from TMG, copperhead 52. Quality and customer service is fantastic. Have the off road package, and Jeremy is correct, everyone who has seen this loves it. Cooking on this is a breeze but is very heavy. Would not recommend castors on any of there product. They have both reverse and traditional smokers.
Where the stack meets the pit... what would it do if it was about half way up the pipe? Meaning up another 6 inches or so from where it is now. Just curious.
Great video review showing all different perspectives for different needs and different people - Thank you Thanks for the 411 on the tongs too- I went straight to their website and got a 10% discount & free shipping
Fat Stack Smokers has hundreds of 80/120 customers waiting for their pits. Some of us (like me), have been waiting on delivery for going on two years. Before you buy any of these manufacturers $5000+ smokers (shipping/tax)...MAKE SURE, they can actually deliver it and will give a refund if not. Fat stack wont offer refunds even though they don't seem to be able to deliver their pits. Lovely people, but lots of disgruntled customers currently.
Hate that you are still waiting on a pit. I agree. TMG has been doing backyard pits for 3-4 years now. I have no doubt if they blew up they could handle it. The hard part about the FS pits is they had never built backyard pits before and it was kinda like a kickstarter project. I hope you can get you money back once they go belly up. But that isn’t Jeremy’s fault, only Eric is to blame.
Yeah never understood why FatStack with their bigger warehouse wouldn’t have at least 100 80 gallon tanks on hand and 100 120 gallon tanks on hand minimum. Even if he gets his supply chain in order, he laid off all of the welders you think anyone’s going to want to work for FatStack with their instability?
Idk if that would fit through the average side gate on a house …..160 is pretty warm for tires that just sit there , maybe a shield of some sort for the back tires would be helpful….
Some folks have been asking about the tongs. They make 2 sizes. The ones in the video are the 32-inch. They also make a 27.
27 inch - amzn.to/4569ApD
32 inch - amzn.to/3rlrw1N
I use the 27 inch for food and 32 for fire management
Why isn’t any talking about the builder for PIG IRON PATINA???
Where did you get those long bbq tongs?
It's bullshit to only give it to patreon only!
Some can't afford to help you
I’m glad to hear the good review of a local pit manufacturer. Those guys have been killing it and I’m glad to see East Tennessee making a mark on the BBQ world. Good job TMG Pits.
👍🏻
Bought a TMG pit last year. Absolutely love it, it's helped take my bbq to a whole new level. Great to know these guys are getting recognition for top, top quality manufacturing!👍
I have to say, the Copperhead and the Fridge are coolest pits on the market. ...also love the Dumpster. TMG is killing it.
you have the goldee with the 90 degree firebox outlet! cant wait to hear the thoughts on that
Literally said, "You have a Goldees smoker!? Bitch" 😂 Woke my wife up lmao
This video discusses a topic that is not discussed often enough: fire management in small offsets. No matter how much someone might be tempted to build a huge fire in a small offset, doing so will create too much radiant heat. Fire management is more important with small offsets than with big ones, because the size of the cooking space in the big ones makes them more forgiving. If you build an inferno in a backyard offset, you can lose over half of the low-and-slow cooking space to the resulting hot spot. Thank you for discussing the principle that, no matter the size of the offset, it is crucial to give your offset whatever fire it needs in order to generate consistent temps and desired outcomes.
Good point…. There is another TH-cam channel that emphasizes fire management and actually has mentioned this “Mad Scientist” channel a few times…. #smokingdadbbq is a great channel for the science of bbq, fire management, side-by-side in-depth comparisons…. Not just “cooking”…. Have a look at Smoking Dad BBQ….
Awesome video Mad Scientist...great review. I've owned a Volunteer for about 1 1/2 years and I too absolutely LOVE it. I run a pretty decent size coal bed and use 2 pieces of wood every 30 minutes or so and it runs great. I may have to try your technique and compare the results. I will be doing a grate level temp check as well. Thanks for the tip. I recommend TMG Pits to everyone!!! "Buy once smile forever"
Big pits don't have to always be used to cook lots of food. It's nice to have some wiggle room when moving stuff (sausage links, whole turkeys, a few burgers before grilling for example) around in the pit without burning yourself by accidentally bumping the grate or lid or food bumping each other (probably don't want your chicken to taste like the fish). Only issue is that it will still require about the same amount of fuel to get to temp and to hold temp regardless of how much food is being cooked, but like MSBBQ said, this smoker doesn't need a nuclear hot fire.
I have a Patriot Pits Freedom 94 and it is a great unit as well. I love the partially insulated firebox since Fall is setting in quick here in Western NY. I can't wait to test it out this winter too.
Love my TMG Fridge 48. It takes a raging inferno to get it heat soaked, but once it’s up to temp, easy to maintain with a relatively small fire. Their work is amazing…the fabricators initials are welded in my firebox. Their wait time is 16 weeks so long as they are no customization. If someone customizes something on it, then the wait time is pretty significant, but so worth it.
I have a Texas Original Pits Luling and love it but if I had known of TMG Pits before I bought it, I would have gotten a TMG because of the location. I live only about an hour away from them!!!
You need to check out Shirley Fabrication smokers they are out of Tuscaloosa Al they are amazing built like a tank!!!
My lone star cabniet smoker has those styles of tires, its so nice when you want to move it from different of your yard.
If I ever upgrade from my WSM I will be looking at TMG. That slide out shelf is genius.
14:21 Have you ever smoked turkey ribs??? I need some tips on rubs and sauces to use and temp/time to smoke.
When my grills grow up - this is what they aspire to become! Once again, thanks for great information. +1 on the Patreon. There are so many people on there always posting great stuff and always willing to help others. It's a great place to talk BBQ.
TMg puts are def legit. The Vol is a beast
I’m on the waitlist for a fridge TMG pit and I can’t wait!! These guys seem to build an amazing pit. Was almost going to order this one but the fridge was too enticing. Great video.
Haven’t cooked on one of those but I’m sure it’s awesome
I just got my fridge about a month ago. I LOVE it.
@@kevingreer7860 I can’t wait. Ordered mine late May so I have at least another 6 months if I’m lucky before I get mine. Glad you are loving yours!!
Does the heat affect the tires? I see that you didn’t go with the insulated fire box
I have a Volunteer on a trailer as Jeremy described and can’t say enough great things about it. Cooks great, easy to use, can easily take to different locations, plenty of space for wood, folding table, etc. If what you are looking for it is the way to go.
I’m excited to see the review of the Goldees pit sitting in the back ground.
Does the workhorse 1975 run a fire more the way you prefer? With a bigger coal bed like larger pits?
I spy a Goldees pit in the background. I am seriously curious about your thoughts about that monster! Thanks for the great and honest content and reviews. God bless you and your family! Grill on! 🤘
Really? When? Edit: looks like at 13:20 ish
I have a similar smoker as far as wheels are concerned. I made a CNC file and had a half moon cut out of smaller gauge steel to use as heat shields.
I folded a dog ear on the bottom and using a magnet sit it on the axle. This tremendously cut down all of that tire heat. On one side I added an Amazon bought heat shield material and it had a sticky side which I stuck on the shield.
I have photos of it but don't think I can add to comments.
Great feedback and review. I've been following TMG for almost a year now and I only Wish I could afford one of their pits💯💯💯
Awesome review! I have a custom Frig72 on a trailer from TMG Pits. Great workmanship all around. Love my Smoker!
That would be my dream smoker next 👍🤙🏾 I have a volunteer on order hopefully receiving next month here in southern California
It’s because it’s from east TN! The greatest place to live in the entire world
Im torn between TMG Volunteer and Workhouse 1975. Which one would you prefer?
I'm in the same boat. What did you decide?
@@clintblundon4880 still deciding, want a tmg but can get a workhorse locally eliminating the shipping cost.
@@clintblundon4880want the tmg. I like the slide out grates alot, massive space, and all around nice smoker. But will most likely go WH because its cheaper, 3/8" thick steel, and shipping cost is way cheaper than what tmg quoted me.
@@TyDavid-d6lIt’s a shame WH 1975 don’t have a pull our grate
Nice review. Wish you had shown more internal info on how the air comes in the chamber. Scoop at grates? Or below?
Get a simple winch inside the front of a utility trailer and you could tow it up and into the trailer bed. Ratchet strap it secure. Use a 2x4 on a floor jack, under the door or ramp of the trailer to lower the pit down to ground level 👍
Love their volunteer model. I'd love to see you do a review of their fridge 60, then compare it to a Shirley Fabrication 60. I live in Knoxville and have gone and cooked on TMG's copperhead model (the volunteer, but reverse flow) and its the EASIEST cook I've ever ran. One split every 45 min and it ran rock solid for 10 hours.
I actually have been researching them and reading the reviews. Would love to have one, but a little pricey for the weekend barbecues I do every Sunday before going back to work. Love the good content.
Just finished my first cook with the extra long tongs , and they are life changing !! Goodbye shovel !
So appreciate the thoroughness in your breakdown of this beauty. It’s all in details ❤️🔥
Look forward to becoming a patreon.
Wonder where they got 27" pipe? I discovered them around a year ago, and had my students build a pit that ended up being similar to their fridge 48. I hope it works good because id love to have one myself
great pit I have a pit from TMG the copperhead 40 reverse flow I love it
Do they sell any that are bigger? Like with two doors instead of one? I want to be able to hold 10 slabs of ribs at a time.
Awesome review! I love seeing the lack of bias, where someone will call out the faults and flaws along with the greatness of an item even when it was free to them. Great job.
@MadScientistBBQ you should check out pig iron patinas pits, he does some sick builds on bagged trailers. Top notch stuff too out of Texas.
Oh yea they build some really nice pitts up there with TMG.
Great review, thank you. Interesting the airflow impacts it so much that the you have to run a small coal bed and fire - did I interpret that right? Having a larger coal bed and burning a 2-3 splits at once on my backyard pit really improved the smoke flavor in my briskets. What happens if you run a larger coal bed/fire on the Volunteer?
Good honest review of an offset smoker. How well do you like the Goldee's smoker?
i really like the slide out rack on the bottom.
Great feature
As I follow along in the video, the build quality approaches "aircraft". All of the flame cut pieces and the welds look outstanding. And wouldn't a smaller fire indicate efficiency?
Love the content jeremy, I'm as green as it gets, I rock the vertical propane pitboss which gets me along but I'd love to get my hands on an off-set. Keep up the good work mad scientist!!!
Love your videos and your advice is greatly appreciated I want to know when are you going to review the goldees smoker
This looks like a nice pit but you really need to check out Shirley Fabrication in Tuscaloosa Alabama. They have the options shown here and many more that they’ve been doing for years. Trailers included.
Much like you would have no shelf, I would have no external analog thermometers.
I have a Shirley 24x50. LOVE mine. Makes my life so easy on big or little cooks.
Hello, fantastic review of this smoker. I’m from the UK and on the look out for a smoker like this for backyard use, but how does it stand up to the Smoke North equivalent, which would you go for? For me it’s between the Volunteer and Smoke North at the moment but not sure which one.
Jeremy just a quick question please….my buddy chopped up some apple wood chunks for me to use on my WSM but it still has the bark on it, are they ok and safe to use?? Also he told me the exact tree is called a “paradise apple tree” is this normal apple wood? Ok to use? THANKS! Love the channel!!
Curious to know if there is a noticeable difference in smoke flavor between the other backyard smokers you have tested?
Wig😊
This is so cool!
There is going to be a very happy new pit owner. Good Luck Everyone in the contest.
The welding is superb and the overall design is functional a big ten-4
I’m very curious what about the design makes this pit run different than the workhorse or other similar offsets. They seem nearly identical in design
Totally missed an opportunity for your best Arnold voice and to show off your muscles at 20:40 😆 awesome channel man!
Do you shovel out coals during the cook to keep the coal bed small? If so, do you shovel them out before or after the fresh log(s) catch?
No. You run small splits.
Great video. What do most of them use as far as drain system?
What do you think is a good pit maybe to start catering bbq/ like food truck
Jeremy do you think this Pitt would make a good competition smoker, it looks like the cook chamber is large enough for a 4 meat comp. ? 15:32
Love your work Jeremy! Also, thank you for rewarding community. Cheers to good BBQ!
Awesome looking pit...reminds me of my Workhorse 1975w...
Been waiting a while for this video. Can’t wait to hear what you think about it.
Totally cool with the tires
This was a nice birthday treat! Thanks man
My first build was a wagon style offset it has 30in mud tires on it.
I feel like those tires are absolutely necessary. Larger tires = more surface area touching the ground = easier to move. Especially on dirt/grass.
Thank you for doing this review! Only question is are you standing at a Chud table?
Great looking smoker ! What is the finish on that smoker ?
Nice unit, thanks for the thorough review !!!
In terms of fire management, does it run different than a Millscale 94?
If you use smaller splits, do you still have that same airflow issue?
I noticed you were using it a few months ago and was waiting for this video
You make somebody want to join your patreon.
I'm working with a Weber Smokey Mnt but would like to upgrade to a small off set smoker. That one and the Franklin are probably overkill for my small yard. Any reco's? Thanks. Great video, great channel. I, and several of my friends, follow you a lot. Thanks again.
Jeremy, We met the day you loaded this thing up. Was good to chat with you.
You are spot on in this video and I can honestly say that what you said to us that day is echoed in this video in regards to quality and fabrication. Appreciate you being consistent and thorough!
Thanks man! I believe you cooked all the food we ate that day
@@MadScientistBBQ yessir! You have a great family
If you had to pick one for our back yard what would it be?
Jeremy, what are your thoughts on upright smokers? Wanted to get into barbeque and my brother gave me a cheap dynaglo limited series upright. After watching a lot of your videos offering excellent information and techniques. I was able to smoke a couple of briskets that turned out very well ( in my opinion). They were a huge hit at our family outing. However, I would like to eventually purchase a better pit. I noticed on your channel you don't have any upright smokers, any particular reason for this?
Best pits out there hands DOWN
excited to see that goldees pit in the back!
Where did you get those extra long bbq tongs from??
What are the tmg pits coated/painted with?
Any idea when the Goldee's smoker review will drop? That's one I've been interested in seeing for a while now!
Wow that trailer is amazing 🤩
Love these reviews. Are you going to do a review on the 1975?
This guy is the KING OF THE SELLOUTS!
Another great review! I need you to get ahold of a Lone Star Grilz and do a review on it!!
Have a pit from TMG, copperhead 52. Quality and customer service is fantastic. Have the off road package, and Jeremy is correct, everyone who has seen this loves it. Cooking on this is a breeze but is very heavy. Would not recommend castors on any of there product. They have both reverse and traditional smokers.
That thing is a beast!!
Where the stack meets the pit... what would it do if it was about half way up the pipe? Meaning up another 6 inches or so from where it is now. Just curious.
Great video review showing all different perspectives for different needs and different people - Thank you
Thanks for the 411 on the tongs too- I went straight to their website and got a 10% discount & free shipping
Ordered mine a few weeks ago.
Fat Stack Smokers has hundreds of 80/120 customers waiting for their pits. Some of us (like me), have been waiting on delivery for going on two years. Before you buy any of these manufacturers $5000+ smokers (shipping/tax)...MAKE SURE, they can actually deliver it and will give a refund if not. Fat stack wont offer refunds even though they don't seem to be able to deliver their pits. Lovely people, but lots of disgruntled customers currently.
Fatstack is soon going bankrupt. I ordered one and paid in full after watching mad scientist promote it.
Hate that you are still waiting on a pit. I agree. TMG has been doing backyard pits for 3-4 years now. I have no doubt if they blew up they could handle it.
The hard part about the FS pits is they had never built backyard pits before and it was kinda like a kickstarter project. I hope you can get you money back once they go belly up. But that isn’t Jeremy’s fault, only Eric is to blame.
@@farrisfcs39 than eric should have never promoted a company that has never built pits before
Yeah never understood why FatStack with their bigger warehouse wouldn’t have at least 100 80 gallon tanks on hand and 100 120 gallon tanks on hand minimum. Even if he gets his supply chain in order, he laid off all of the welders you think anyone’s going to want to work for FatStack with their instability?
@@mikearchibeque7220 I would say no…
This thing is beautiful. Gonna have to join patreon for this John.
The stack can be very large the purpose of a damper is to adjust the flow
Texas really does owe everything to Tennessee.
Idk if that would fit through the average side gate on a house …..160 is pretty warm for tires that just sit there , maybe a shield of some sort for the back tires would be helpful….
Please tell me your doing Shirley Fabrication next?
My Copperhead was sitting next to this pit when I went to pick it up, so I touched it. Added bonus for the lucky winner 😂
Mr.Yoder have you filled this up with ribs yet? If so what’s the max you think you can fit in it?
Where do you get your wood from?
Jeremy I have 1975. What is your take on coal bed for that smoker. Similar to volunteer or Franklin?
Similar to Franklin
I got a lone star smoker an got the off road package best move lot easier to move