I want to buy a smokey joe and want to know which one do you guys prefer?

i vote for the silver. if ya need to carry it just use some bungee cords.

Is this due to venting?

I'm torn. I have a gold, and I'm not a fan of the side vents. But it is totally mess free when I throw it in the trunk of my car.

I have the gold, no prob reaching high heat, uses little charcoal. I can't relate to any of the problems people mention. At this point I have no intention of doing any mods to my SJG because it works so flawlessly.

scott, yes but also the price.

I live at 7500 ft so i wanted to make sure that the silver or gold get's good air to the charcoal.

The gold does not get good airflow to the charcoal as a rule. There are a couple of threads floating around about firebuilding methods to help overcome the airflow issue. This one even has a diagram:

http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/fo...40039023/m/112108341

jake, you were ready to mod before you even tried your sjg.

http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/fo...40039023/m/438101311

One of my friends had an unused sjs in his garage. We cooked only once on it but I actually preferred my SJG over the silver.

I suggest people learn to cook over their equipment & realize that no matter what you do to your sjg it'll never be a 22" kettle. That's part of its appeal.

I own a performer also, but the smokey joe seems like a fun grill. Plus i need to feed my addiction for more grills!

After the first time I threw it in the trunk of my car full of ash and half-burned charcoal, I knew I wouldn't mod the bottom. The convenience factor is huge. However, even banking the coals between the vents, etc I have trouble getting a satisfactory fire. I still might pick up a silver for use around the house when it's not worth firing up the performer. I think it depends on what you're going to use it for. If you want to use it at home, get a silver. If you want a grill for camping, tailgating, or picnics get a gold.

Jake, Have you used a silver?

http://picasaweb.google.com/js.../5325832158456386706

^ great pics!

I think you needed 10-25% more coals & let them become more fully engulfed before grilling, if you're going for high heat. If you really want high heat leave the lid off longer.

Yeah, I didn't realize that I pulled the coals too early on that first cook until I saw a couple of the pics I took with flash. In the pitch dark out there, they looked like they were glowing really well. I've tried more coals since then... about 3/4 chimney. That was better, but no matter what I do the fire starts to strangle as soon as the lid goes on.

I've never used a silver, but they're on my local craigslist for $10-20 almost every day. Of all the Webers I don't own, it seems like the easiest to add to my collection.

If they're that plentiful, then I'd encourage you to get a silver and let us know if it really is any better. I might also get a silver, to do a direct comparison myself. I can't complain about my gold too much, though, especially considering I got it in almost unused condition for $10 off of CL...

I also got my SJG from craigslist, new in box, $10. I had originally planned to mod it sort of severely, then use it for a firebox on my ECB. TVWBB readers convinced me not to cut up a limited edition color, so now it's my travel grill.

I say you do the direct comparison, while I shop for a One Touch Platinum for another project I'm working on.

During my first cook on my brand new SJG last year, I had no idea how to create the convection with the high side vents so I covered the entire bottom grate with lump. It was bloody hot with the lid off, but nearly went out completely with the lid on and all vents open. Since then, I realize that setup #1 in the diagram works best for me. It gives you maximum clearance between the grate and the top of the lid, and even heat from both sides. Of course, one thing that may not be obvious from the diagram is that when you place the drip pan with either end next to the side vents, there has to be clearance and a charcoal-free area there: in other words, don't make a ring of charcoal; just two side piles.

I still reiterate my original opinion; that is, that Weber should have designed the SJG with a scaled-down ash can, à la OTS. It would have given the best performance. The other solution would have been to put the side vents about an inch lower, closer to the bottom grate plane, to encourage cold air venting. I think that they put them as high as they did to maximize the safety factor during portability, when full of ash and unused coals. Just my thoughts.