The $30 smoke barrel that actually works (and why I stopped buying $400 pellet grills)

So my brother married into a family of grill snobs and bought a Traeger, which is fine — but he's spent five figures on accessories for meat he cooks in 15 minutes. Meanwhile, I got this cheap stainless steel barrel from a hardware store last year and have been pulling briskets at a steady 225F with zero issues. The secret isn't the electronics; it's just consistent airflow and good wood. Has anyone else gone minimalist or are you all still chasing the Wi-Fi-enabled grill hype?

I switched last year and never looked back. The $30 barrel was stupid to buy but