SUNDAY 9-21-08

[KenP]

I knew a girl with a glass eye.

[RubHer Yellow Ducky]

Originally Posted by KenP

I knew a girl with a glass eye.

That makes a 4 holer !!!

[mikejr]

Originally Posted by KenP

I use a Weber Smokey Mountain and can hold 250* at the lid, 225* at the top grate, all night on coal. I'll typically put a couple of butts on around 10pm and let them go for around 14+ hours. I usually have to refuel after 12 hours, so I get a nice night's sleep.

Weber is coming out with a new 22 1/2" "WSM" for '09 and a new 26 1/2" grill. I'd love to snag one those, but the wife would kick my arse. She says I have enough grills.

I've also got this Weber Performer in black and this Ducane in natural gas.

My favorite is the Performer. Weber's customer service is beyond reproach. You just call them and tell them what you have, what you need and it magically shows up at your door a few days later. Just amazing customer service.

The 2-2-1 is really an adaptation of the 3-2-1 for spares, but it's generally ok for BBacks.

FWIW, the wife just jumped on me tonight about my rubs, so this Wednesday will have a personal rub, not store bought. I'm also going to try a much different baste.

I'll start a thread on it. Maybe there's a few more Q'ers here.

Oh yeah, on the WSM I got a 6" candy thermometer through the lid I'd like to change to a TruTemp, and a couple of BBQ Eyelets so I can run my Maverick ET-7 remote thermometer.

Not so happy with the ET-7. It stops transmitting so I need to get in touch with them also. I've heard good things about their Customer Service.

Just for fun, the cheap Brinkman is known as an ECB, Extra Cheap Brinkman or El Cheapo Brinkman. The funny thing is they work great. You can't beat that.

Thats pretty amazing that you only have to refuel after 12 hours. Since i am using the ECB with propane, I have to re chip about every hour or so. I've not done a butt or brisket on mine just ribs.

So you are just using charcoal then and not using chips like hickory or anything?

I'm using a Vermont Castings grill, its about 5 years old now and its one bullet proof grill. I havent had to change a thing on it, and the sparker still works too! I got tired of replacing the burners and other parts on cheap grills so I bought a good one. I really enjoy cooking on it. Even heat all over the heating surface. Only thing is with three burners, she likes her propane!

I've been kicking around the idea of one of those auto smokers from cabela's. Have you seen those? They use a wood puck and it feeds them in automatically. I havent talked to anyone that has one.

I'd smoke more if i didnt have to tend to the damn thing so much. I wonder if my wife will get me one for xmas.....HONEY...I need a new smoker!

Have you tried smoking a turkey yet? There is a local turkey farm here and they raise the best damn turkeys.

When my buddy does his butts he uses a jerky mop. Really makes a nice bark on the outside.

[KenP]

I mix a few large chunks of hickory with the coal.

To get a long burn with coal I use the Minion Method. That's where you light 10-12 coals and then put them on top of your unlit coal. It works great.

Vermont Castings is a good product. So is Ducane, now owned by Weber, but I use the snot out of our grills. I'll replace the burners every couple of years, maybe less now that I've got the Performer and use it alot.

Are you talking about this type?
http://www.traegergrills.com/?gclid=...FQEGQQodCFoVeA
Rox just got one for her husband so you can ask her about it. I've read good things about them. A top notch product.

I like the Weber because you don't have to tend it constantly. The cheap offset smokers can be a real bear to maintain temps and the fire boxes are made of cheap metal and won't last. You need atleast 1/4" thick metal on the fire box. (That means don't get an offset from your local Home Depot.)

[mikejr]

Originally Posted by KenP

I mix a few large chunks of hickory with the coal.

To get a long burn with coal I use the Minion Method. That's where you light 10-12 coals and then put them on top of your unlit coal. It works great.

Vermont Castings is a good product. So is Ducane, now owned by Weber, but I use the snot out of our grills. I'll replace the burners every couple of years, maybe less now that I've got the Performer and use it alot.

Are you talking about this type?
http://www.traegergrills.com/?gclid=...FQEGQQodCFoVeA
Rox just got one for her husband so you can ask her about it. I've read good things about them. A top notch product.

I like the Weber because you don't have to tend it constantly. The cheap offset smokers can be a real bear to maintain temps and the fire boxes are made of cheap metal and won't last. You need atleast 1/4" thick metal on the fire box. (That means don't get an offset from your local Home Depot.)

Ken,

The smoker i was looking at was a Bradley http://www.bradleysmoker.com/ Its a digital set and forget. Cold smoker with heat. Supposed to be a good unit from what i've read on the Cabelas reviews.

I do the same with my grills, always using it. Last weekend we did a drunken chicken. Those always come out great. Got a great can holder at Cabelas for making them.

I looked at all sorts of grills and what drew me to the Vermont Casting was the heavy castings they used on the lids and also the thick wall s/s piping they use for burners. My burners look like the day I took them out of the box. I was looking at some of the all s/s grills, but they lids seems cheap. I dont think I looked at Ducane or Webers.

I noticed with my cheapy brinkman that the temp is fidgity and takes alot of futzing around with the flame level to keep it in the optimum range.

I got one of those little Coleman grills for the Buffett concert, for being a portable grill it's really nice and did a nice job making tailgate fare.

So how long you be Q'in?

We've got a Smokey Bones close by and they make pretty good Q when I dont want to be tending to it all day long and am jonesing for some Q

[Big Dad]

[quote=wpage]

Originally Posted by Big Dad

Today was great, caught a 12 pound silver, I cut it into steaks, packed it in the freezer.

BD,
Congrats on the 12 pounder.

What did you catch him on?

And where?

Orange Russian River Fly, on Bird Creek, Turnagain Arm, Anchorage, Alaska.

[KenP]

Originally Posted by mikejr

So how long you be Q'in?

Forever... Oh wait. Burning up a steak on the grill isn't Q'ing like I thought it was. Only 6 months of really doing it.

About 7 years ago I decided I should learn how to grill the proper way, not just toss some food on the grill until it was blackened. That just led to me wanting to try smoking and we love it. I want a larger smoker and Weber is coming out with 22 1/2" WSM in the next month or so, but not sure the wife is going to go for that.

There's alot more I want to do like a meatloaf, some cheese, and other stuff. I nail the ribs and the butt, however I really want to get the large full packer brisket down pat.

[brad_p]

You guys eat alot of BBQ

[KenP]

Originally Posted by brad_p

You guys eat alot of BBQ

What's great about Q is I can cook a couple/few butts, eat it up with a bunch of guests, then vacuum freeze the pulled leftovers. The stuff lasts forever. Just take the frozen bag and put it in some simmering water until heated back up. It tastes, smells, and is just as juicy as when it came off the smoker.

We're having a friend come stay for a few days and I'm supposed to cook some Baby Backs for us tonight, but the wind is so gusty I'm not sure I'll be able to hold the temps low enough for a 5 hour cook. I'm still cooking them, just wary of the conditions.

[mikejr]

Originally Posted by KenP

Forever... Oh wait. Burning up a steak on the grill isn't Q'ing like I thought it was. Only 6 months of really doing it.

About 7 years ago I decided I should learn how to grill the proper way, not just toss some food on the grill until it was blackened. That just led to me wanting to try smoking and we love it. I want a larger smoker and Weber is coming out with 22 1/2" WSM in the next month or so, but not sure the wife is going to go for that.

There's alot more I want to do like a meatloaf, some cheese, and other stuff. I nail the ribs and the butt, however I really want to get the large full packer brisket down pat.

I've not found anyone that knows how to smoke cheese. Nothing better than a good hunk of either smoked american or cheddar cheese. I'd heard about using cheese cloth or something.

I wont have time to Q anything up in the next few weeks so tonite my wife and I went to smokey bones for some Q. Was telling her about that Bradley Smoker...and I didnt get push back...woohoo...might be on the horizon!

I've been grilling since I was about 16 or so. Smoking, probably in the past 5 or so years. Prior to learning about smoking I just thought BBQ meant slappin some sauce on a hunk of meat and grilling it.

I've got the ribs down and can make a consistent rib every time. My neghbor always does the butts and he has those nailed. He did a HUGE brisket about a month ago. Was great. But he cooked it all night in a slow cooker then smoked it for 8 hours or so if I recall correctly.

I've read about the meatloaf, they call it a funny name like a buffalo turd or something dont they?

I agree with you the stuff freezes very well and tastes just like off the smoker...and we dont even vacuum pack it. Just put it in a plastic container and freeze it up.