Goldee’s Pit Review: Is This the #1 Texas-Style Smoker? 

We have a large BBQ store in San Francisco, California. We were considering buying three of these but after your crappy interview, there’s probably no way I’d ever buy a Goldies smoker at all and what makes you the like the guy

Last June, my welding buddy and I built a smoker using the Goldees design. We used a 125 gal LP tank and mounted it on a jet-ski trailer and incorporated the folding stack and Chud inspired notched door latch. The food is so good from this smoker that I have been asked to cook for friends parties and events. Convection through the smoker is phenomenal dues to the design. I use a blocking log in front of the inlet to eliminate the hotspot and have cooked up to 10 briskets by rotating the meat between the upper and lower racks.

Jeremy: That was an excellent review. Thanks for sharing. I learned a lot. The infrared visual was an excellent touch. Great job brother. Keep em coming. Looking forward to it.

Well done! This is the best video I have seen, and we'll described, thanks for all you do!!! Keep em coming ❤

Thanks, i really enjoy it when you review pits

Been waiting on this review for a while! The design really interests me, and I really appreciate that Goldee's/M&M tried to do something new and innovative for the offset market. Even though the Goldee's is a bit out my price range, I might nab it one day if I feel the need to, we'll see. BTW, Nice job on the review Jeremy! LOVE the addition of the thermal heat cam for reviews, you should totally keep doing that for future smoker and grill reviews as I think it can really tell a lot about how grills and smokers function in the way they heat and by-proxy, gives people a visual representation of that in a way that a cooking demo sometimes just can't. Keep up the great work, man! Really appreciate all that you do.

Thank you Jeremy for another excellent review! Been on the fence for quite some time on getting a true off set smoker and saw this design a year ago wondering how it would actually perform. Almost pulled the trigger on a Workhorse 1975, but picked up a Hunsaker Drum and couldn't be any happier with the results. As much as I love my drum, my egg, and my Pitts and Spits 1250, I always come back to an off-set. My biggest challenge other than convincing my wife that I need another backyard cooker, is finding a place that sells quality wood and storing it. Appreciate all your work and videos and have learned quite a bit to help perfect my BBQ!

I made this pipe modification on my pit incredible how well this design works

This is a great review man. The infrared camera was a fantastic idea to include. 🔥🇮🇪

Thanks for the review, Jeremy! I've been eagerly awaiting Your review since this pit was introduced. I was so excited when Jonny introduced the Goldee's offset. I'm definitely planning on buying one eventually. It may take me a couple yes, but I know it'll be worth it.

One of the best reviews very informative.

Awesome review Jeremy. If you have not, please review the Lone Star Grillz 30” Offset Cabinet Smoker with 1/2” Fire Box. Thank You.

Purchased the old country g2. I’m amazed at how it cooks and holds temp with minimal wood. I love it

This is probably a crazy thought - I'm not very experienced - but I would love to see a fluid dynamics expert take on the challenge of eliminating hot spots entirely from an offset-type smoker, without creating something that's beastly to clean. Would it work to have the firebox under the main chamber, but connected by an indirect elbow that funneled the heat up, behind, and over the grate, curved in a way that distributed the smoke and heat evenly across the full horizontal surface? There also should be a way to make cooking grates that are a bit more uniformly conductive. I imagine all of this might take some pretty gnarly complex curve bending and welding, but you are the mad scientist, after all :) Love the videos! They've been an amazing learning resource as I get into barbecue with my dad, and they're always entertaining to boot.

Nice! I figured this was a great design. Cant wait for your version. Very curious of the features you have invisioned.

Thanks for the update and views Question... what is the diameter of the smoke stack? I like the idea of this smoker too

I'd love to see you guys review the Old Country G2. I hear it's pretty good and very affordable. Thanks Jeremy and keep'em coming.

Do you have a specific favorite backyard smoker between the 1975t Workhorse, the Franklin, this Goldees, the Millscale, and the TMG Volunteer?

This pit is my dream pit. Loved the review on this pit.

Jeremy, since you’ve got cold weather down there (below 32F), would you do a tips and tricks for offset and pellet smoking in very cold weather? I’m in northern ND, and am curious how low can the outdoor ambient temps get and still have a successful cook.

Another great video. I’ve had my eye on this one and the millscale 94. Hoping one day you might be able to test the millscale too!

I’d love to see a cook on this and the workhorse 1975 personally. Reviews are great, but then taking what we see in your review and watching you put it into action is perfect

Can you do a test about what temperature to remove brisket? Do one at 190, 195, 203 and 205. See if they have carry over heat, some people swear it doesn't continue rising in temperature, some swear it does.

Thanks for the videos and information you provide. First time to contact you. Thanks for being there . Question, is there a calculated value for smoke stack size that works best for the size of cooking chamber. Like cubic feet of cooking area requires cubic feet of smoke stack for the best air flow.

Best reviews out there! I think the inferred camera, along with a biscuit test are 2 of the better things to show in videos like this going forward.

Here comes the goldies reaction video lol

Been looking forward to this!

Any thoughts on comparing this to the LSG Texas Edition?

If you get an opportunity, would love to see you use the pellet smoker from Lone Star Grillz! Would be very interested to see you review it and to find out if Lone Star has gotten closer to the offset taste than other pellet smoker brands. Build quality on the LSG pellet grills looks second to none!

An old friend of mine had an old cast iron stove ducted into a 50 gallon drum for a smoker back in the day... thing worked wonders but also did not have a direct hole to pass any heat directly into the cooking chamber

Great review as always

I have a bbq food trailer in Meade county Ky, close to Fort Knox area. I’ve been watching your videos for years and have learned a lot from you.

Franklin’s vs Goldee’s smoker ?? 🤔 which one would you choose ?

Work horse 1975 on casters is $2700 and is constructed of 3/8 thick steel.

Do you think this 90° bend between the firebox and smoke chamber would work on something as large as a 1000 gallon? Or is it best to keep that a traditional set up? Looking to weld a 1000 gallon in Iraq in the next month or so.

I have a lang 48 deluxe and would love to see you do a review on it , and I really need the help with figuring out how to use it

Great review!!

This review was awesome.

Great video. I also know that once you put a water tray in front of that hotspot it somewhat fixes the problem

For a backyard BBQer just wanting to smoke with no offset experience teying to make some food for his family and frineds, probably never a group bigger than 15, what off set smoker do you think js the best option on the marker?

Great review!

Hey Jeremy I recently found a landman smokey mountain series (I believe) do you have any experience with this smoker? It looks pretty solid.

Would be interested in your opinion of lone star grillz here in Texas…. More affordable with high quality workmanship

Looking like a bbq Terminator with the camera😂. Great review!

Ladies and Gentleman, my fellow pitmasters and pitthusiasts, let this review be a dire lesson to every last one of you in the world of BBQ - Goldees knows BBQ so well it can even overpower your mics. Use with great precaution. If you or a loved one have cooked BBQ on the Goldees Backyard BBQ Pit and experience audio level clipping, consult an audio engineer or a sound professional today. I've been waiting on baited breath for this review. Great work Jeremy, pardon the snark. I'm amped to get one. I think the Elbow is great design inspiration. Damn tradition and ego.

How would you grade this pit next to Franklin's pit? Which one is better?

Great genuine review. I'm currently just finishing one in the uk very similar. We used the 90 bend out the fire box but used a collector coming out the cook chamber. I have been chatting with jirby throughout the build and he seems interested on how it cooks in comparison to their pit. Im super excited to do the 1st cook on it. They definitely look like a great pit and as you say' M and M are up at the top of the list for making great pits.

Is this 1/4" steel all throughout the unit or are some parts , like the firebox door made of heavier steel ?

Love the reviews Jeremy would you say it’s better then the 1975? And also could you get it with a rover mod?

Jeremy, my only question out of curiosity is the water pan that Johnny said comes with every pit, and what difference it would have made for your thermal imaging. Thanks for the video. Cool closing music, did Erica choose that?

I’m sorry if you mentioned it and I missed it but what is diameter elbow do they use? Looks like maybe 6”. Also, where the elbow enters the cook chamber, is the bottom half below the cook grate closed off? One shot in the video looks like air will only enter on top of the cook grate.

Bought an offset smoker just because of you and love it! One major issue I and many others have is reheating the bbq food as it's not worth smoking a small amount. Please please can you make a video how to properly reheat the food in a oven and not the souis vide method which results in soggy bark. Thank you so much!

Since there is no direct venting from firebox to the cook chamber, does it matter where in the firebox you build the fire? If I build the fire closer to the chamber does that generate more smoke than heat and further away does more heat than smoke?

Done a similar design but where the pipe comes in is lower and i built a full length under grate diffuser, much like a horizontal gravity feed, and that really takes care of the hot spots. Great review Jeremy!

Any scientific thoughts regarding the same cook chamber inlet and outlet sizes? Perhaps “identical air metering size and how that relates to even air flow? When I saw that PIT for the first time I thought about high end Gaming Computers and “fan layouts”. Balance is key when pressurizing and hot gaming case? Your thoughts?

Id like to know between the workhorse 1975 vs this Goldee's pit which one you you like the most for a good backyard cooker

Great review as always, Jeremy. Do you think you can get your hands on a Patriot Pits to review sometime? Would love your opinion on that one. 3/8" steel built for us up in the northeast. Pricey, but it looks amazing. Keep up the great work!

It’s crazy how no one’s seen this type of pit style before out here in west Texas you could find them everywhere I’m 26 I think i seen my first pit like this when I was 10 or so

Would you recommend a water pan where the hot spot is there no need??

Hey Jeremy have you ever done a review on a offset by lone star grills I would appreciate your opinion.

The thermo-camera was a great idea to see the heat distribution and air flow in the smoker. I'd like to see a few more cooks before the owner takes the Goldees away. The audio was clipping through most of the video. Started off well but started clipping rest of the video.

Nice review, what happened to your lava mic setup. Hope you get that sorted 🤔 That smoker would be a perfect fit in my back yard.

Good review

I worry about rust. I wonder if it's better to use some hot paint before you use it. How's the cooking in cold weather? Did you want a welding blanket??

I'd be curious to see your thoughts on a Big Phil/Blue Smoke Smokers pit

It would have been interesting to see heat camera showing the effect that a water tray at the opening of the elbow would have on the hot spot. (its something that Goldee's suggests to do)

I have an idea that may help with the inflow smashing the grate.

would like to see the stack bc you can see smoke coming out of the firebox, is there draw?

I believe if these intakes and exhaust was close to the top the extreme heat would roll across the top and the rack would still get plenty of heat and smoke but you might could use the whole grate

You really need to check out Bil Phil’s newer pit they came out with. Blue Smoke Smoker. Made a backyard model that could be affordable for everyday consumers. Base model starting at $1700 for a high quality constructed offset, with the cook chamber and fire box being made of 3/8s pipe. He makes larger pits as well. Would love to see you review on how it cooks. Cheaper and looks much better quality than the old country gen2

Great review .. thanks. Following from New Orleans

I think it's a very cool design

Please do some cooks with it. I am thinking about getting one.

Have you ever done any videos on reverse flow offset smokers?

Hey Jeremy love the show. Can you tell me what is the diameter of the stack and how long is it? I can't see the top in the shot to see how long it is. Thanks Bro. I guess I should have watched the whole video lol. I got the height.

I'd like to see this pit run against the 1975 work horse pit.

Any plans for reviewing a Jambo Backyard offset?

Jeremy have you ever reviewed or cooked with a Lone Star Grill?

I would love to see you evaluate at lone star grillz pit!

I am dying to get a nice thick well built welded smoker but they are just not in my budget at the moment. Around christmas time I bought a cheap Char Griller smoker. It is horrible. The smoke leaks out of every area possible. It has a top lift lid on the fire box so its very hard to manage the air flow like id want. And it is incredibly hard to keep a consistant fire going in the size fire box provided. One minute its way too low barely hitting 200 degrees the next minute the thermometer is pegged all the way to 700+ degrees. I was better off just using my reconstituted wheel barrel open pit. Unfortunately with my open pit I was unable to do things like Brisket and Pork shoulders. But I made some amazing ribs on the open pit.

Great review. Lifetime grill. $4200 seems like a decent value.

Not sure what is going on with your mic, it sounded like you were yelling into it more. Regardless a very informative review. Maybe this design will start a new trend, just like the ongoing debate about the smokestacks. Love what you do! Can't wait to see whats next!

This pit is a machine its design to smoke and only smoke, the damber adjustment is great idea. I have an idea for you Jeremy. Do a video about which pit is rendered fat brisket better between the goldees, workhorse1975, tmg or mill scale and which pit take the short time to do that rendered.

If I was gonna get a backyard offset, this would probably be it. It's also probably more space than I'd need, but when you get up to that price range, there's an element of "go big or go home," where I feel like I could just pay an outfit like LoneStarGrillz a little more money for WAY more space.

A plate steel arm with notches on a hinge welded to the Fire Box would allow the door to be opened and closed to adjust the opening size and stay secured from wind. Have a stay cool handle on the notched bar to flip it up and down into its proper gaps.. But it would need to be 30 plus mph winds to move a door I think..

Yes please do another cook with beef ribs in the tallow

This is definitely a great pit without doubt and totally each to there own on how it looks. They definitely put a lot of thought into this build and in all the videos i have seen on this pit so far' the thing does exactly what it should! Cook great bbq for the backyard plus the potential to do that little more if needed in regards to capacity. Great honest review for sure as always 👌 👏 👍 IGNORE the trols

This pit absolutely rocks! I'm in Australia so I couldn't purchase from MM, so I had a pit built (230 gallon) and it kicks ass. Everything Jeremy said is accurate. Haters can hate but the proof is in the brisket 👍

What is the diameter of the firebox elbow please

Tankx Mucho!! "R" U up for doing a wee bit of engineering speculation on mods that would carry this pit over the top? Say redirecting, or baffling the smoke intake so as 2 minimize the hot spot, for instance. Whaddaya thunk??

As an owner of a 1975 I'm quite intrigued by this. If i ever had the extra funds I'd buy this just because. But my 1975 is chugging along nicely for my needs

Nice video good information. Thank you.

@mad scientist bbq could you test a lang smoker ?

What's with the jab at the workhorse "that doesn't really have the same capacity in part because it has two grate levels..." when the top grate is optional, removable, and these two pits have nearly identical sized main cooking grates?

Nice!

what are your top 5 pits?

Yesssssss!

Would love for you to review a outlaw smoker

Have you ever used a Horizon smoker?

Two requests… can you make a video on kamodo kamados and on Memphis grills???