Tepro Biloxi Offset BBQ Pit Barrel Smoker

This is an excellent smoker for the price.Bought as an entry into smoking, so my experience of others is limited to non existent.. but this is solid unit, was easy to put together and has performed really well.I took the time to season it properly, not sure what difference that has made but really pleased with the results.Used primarily for smoking, but have done some basic bbq’ing on it too and works great. Managed to do both simultaneously although that is more about managing timings.Have recommended this to friends who also love.

This heavy BBQ is the same as the one it replaced, so I know it works well. Assembly was difficult because a nut spot welded on the small grill chamber was welded at an angle so the bolt would not fit. I needed to grind off the weld and replace the nut with one of my own. Also, some of the holes were very difficult to align. Hence only 4-star.

I read all of the reviews before buying this smoker and they proved really helpful. Where people stated that it leaked smoke, I simply bought some high temperature felt gasket and put it around the parts that I was attaching and the doors. This worked a treat and the leakage of smoke was minimal.I was also nervous about the instructions being in German. This proved nothing to worry about as the diagram was very clear and it went together easily. The only issue I had was cutting a finger when I picked up on section of the smoker as the edges were sharp.Once together I spent some time admiring my workmanship, and then got to work. The smoking process takes a bit of time to get used to and internet research paid off in abundance, as did researching recipes for rubs and bbq sauce.As long as you research, the only way you can go wrong is to over cook the meat. I would also recommend purchasing a charcoal chimney to get some more coals going before you put them on (putting fresh coals straight on gives the meat a charcoal taste - researched on the net :o) )Once the temp dropped I chucked some more coals on and repeated the process every 2 hours.If you want a smoker and don't want to spend a fortune, this is the smoker for you. I can't recommend it highly enough.Remember though, do your homework!!One final comment before you get bored. Invest in some foil trays and put them at the bottom of the smoker in both sections. One will catch the ash, the others will catch the fat whilst allowing you to put some water in them to put some moisture back in to the meats.

I've used this across three summers and it is still going strong. 24-hour brisket on it is incredible. It holds a temperature fairly well and is very fuel-efficient. Lumpwood charcoal and the occasional bit of oak or cherry will keep it at a steady 225F if you slowly open up the intake and exhaust every hour or 90 minutes - that will last around 6 hours without needing more charcoal. The paint over the fire box of course disappeared fairly quickly. I just use the drippings that come out the bottom to protect the metal against rust once or twice a year. It is fairly small - if a whole brisket is on, there isn't room for much else beyond some sausages. I also use it for Christmas dinner - pigs in blankets and the like - as it functions well as a normal oven if you open up the vents. In fact, it can reach temperatures far in excess of a domestic oven, if you wish. It leaked a little smoke at first, but of course the creosote that builds up from smoking works as a sealing mechanism soon enough. This is not for people who expect perfection, but it works well as a simple tool for someone who'd like to smoke meat.

I bought this, basically, on the back of another detailed review left here that gave me confidence that this wasn't just some low quality Amazon tat.Sadly though i've been disappointed by the quality of this BBQ. It arrived as quick as you'd expect from Amazon and I put it together shortly after it arrived. One of the leg components was bent on arrival, it was supposed to be a circular tube but was squashed into an oval. It appeared to be the only issue though so I hammered it out and fitted the rest of the device together. Even ignoring that issue the BBQ was poorly fitting in geberal, for example the legs when assembled needed to be pushed quite significantly to get them square enough to get the holes that connect the top section to line up, putting the bolts through and tightening them left the BBQ in the right shape but itd fly apart if the bolts were removed.Seasoning the BBQ was also a pain, it's recommended you wash the BBQ once together prior to you seasoning but this is the wrong way round as it's difficult to do when assembled. Instructions should say give all the components a strong soap and water wash with a scourer before assembly as doing properly afterwards was impossible. Once I tried to season it the areas that were difficult to wash didn't hold the oil properly so haven't seasoned correctly.I finally came to use it til today and when I fired it up it's apparent that the lid of the main barrel section doesn't fit properly, smoke (and heat) pours out of the sides of the lid, defeating the point of the vent/chimney to control air flow and will almost certainly prevent any attempt at using it as a smoker. I'll need to use some heat proof adhesive duct to close those gaps, hopefully that'll get close to airtight.There are also issues with the fundamental design. The instructions advise to be sure to completely clean it inside after use but there's no mechanism to remove any coals or ash other than a tiny hole to allow water to escape so you have to scoop out what's in there and wash down what's left, but the instructions also say don't allow water to accumulate inside the barrel. You'll need to do this every time you use it. There isn't even a hole in the bottom of the offset barrel so that's even more annoying to clean.Also the metal handle on the lid gets as hot as the body of the BBQ so it's literally to hot to handle. I'll be wrapping the handle with a thick cord/rope to prevent me burning my hand.I suppose it's a get what you pay for situation, this is a cheap charcoal grill that'll do but I really wish I'd saved up a bit and put the money I spent on this towards something better.