Can you provide some examples of "premium" versions of the type of smoker you have? Meaning, with thicker gauge metal and better seals?
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BBQ GAF - Smokin' Your Meat, USA Style
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Can you provide some examples of "premium" versions of the type of smoker you have? Meaning, with thicker gauge metal and better seals?
ErnieMcCracken
Member
What's your budget? A Big Green Egg is awesome but the cost is $$$. I love mine. Not sure about the hybrids but another popular smoker is the Weber Smokey Mountain. I think I'd prefer to get a dedicated smoker instead of a grill with a smoker add-on. You could just buy a Weber kettle grill and a WSM.
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
After reading that article, I definitely was discouraged. I am going to go looking this weekend to do some pricing. Here in Houston there is no shortage of places to go look.
on the flip side there is only one thing on the outside of the egg to rust, so it should last beyond your lifetime.
even our grocery stores have smokers!
I was in Houston last summer (Sugarland, but whatever) and the HEB had golden cow grills. You could grill a sirloin in the approximate location of the sirloin. I'd imagine they were also good for Old Testament reenactments.
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
Yup. That is exactly where I am going to look, lol. I sure as hell can't afford http://www.pittsandspitts.com/
What? How did I miss that?
That's a great idea. As someone who has a two month old, having some ready to eat food is one of the best gifts for a new parent. Pulled pork is great since it's so versatile.
Mac N Cheese, Pizza, Nachos, Cubanos, shepherds pie with corn bread crust. served with eggs, by itself. Fuck now I want to make one, and I think my family is getting a little sick of smoked pork for every other meal.
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
CaptainofIndustry
Member
Hey just wanted to update you. I took your advice and got the Weber Genesis s-310. Just assembled it today. Will try it this weekend!!! Thanks for the input!
Awesome! I'm actually excited for you and would love to hear what you think after you get a few cooks under your belt. Enjoy the real even heat!
Yawp, doing three shoulders this weekend. Two for coworkers and one for a baby shower next week. Going to snake a little off the two I'm making for coworkers since they won't notice after I claw it apart.
bucknuticus
Member
soryr just getitng back on here. $400 max, it needs to be usable as a straight charcoal grill as well.
hows this thing that on sale today?
Char-Griller 06620 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill and Smoker, Red
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GJEPP92/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Butts-a-plenty
Banned
Just get a Weber Kettle $99 and a Slow N Sear for $89. With your budget you could even bump up to the 26" kettle and come in right near $400.
hikarutilmitt
Member
I have this very grill and love it. The only thing I would do is add a Nomex strip to the body to help seal it a little better on the lid and bottom damper/ash pan. I did that to mine and the temps hold a helluva lot more steadily. The newer models probably fix this, but the mod is super cheap and easy to do. If I had the money I'd be using a BGE but this is definitely a great lower cost alternative.
I know I've seen the one with a prep table attached for $250 at HEB here in San Antonio a few times, which is a damned steal.
The Lamonster
Member
Damn, the new 26" Slow n Sear looks really nice. It has a new grate at the bottom so charcoal doesn't fall through, and the larger size provides a longer cooking time.
Is there any reason I'd need two kettle grills? haha I want to somehow justify upgrading my 22" setup.
I was considering this once upon a time. It's supposed to be a really nice grill/smoker, but I heard it won't last as long as other models and the warranty isn't as nice as Weber's. Still while it lasts it is supposed to be very efficient.
I plan on getting a Slow N Sear for Father's day.
If you plan on going this route and don't mind going slightly over budget ABC BBQ recently came out with the Slow N Sear XL That would give you a great grill, great smoker and tons of workable area (remeber you can use the top and bottom racks)
The Original SnS works with the 26" too.
EDIT:
Beat me to it.
This is the only way I smoke currently. It is so stable and foolproof I love it. My only complaint is it takes a few minutes to set the snake up and it really reduces the usable area. I like to make a bowl with a square of HD tin foil in the middle and I fold the corners making a hexagon and then crimp the edges which makes it round and bowl shaped. You can fill that with water if you want. Also make sure your charcoals are touching/overlapping.
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
Beef short ribs are in my opinion one of the finest pieces of BBQ when done right. Huge fucking ribs that look like they came off a T Rex, lol. I have been wanting to smoke some again for a few weeks now. I hope yours turn out great!
SlickShoesRUCrazy
Member
Smoking some baby backs and a tri tip today
I'm starting to run a little low on Stubbs charcoal so I grabbed a 2 pack of Royal Oak Ridge Briquettes. 2x12lb bags was selling at my Walmart for $7.78 I believe. It was a good price and it's rated really well at TheSweetHome. Scroll for graphs. It has a lower burn temp and a longer burn time than Stubbs so this might be a good one for low and slow.
Does anyone else here use these or do you all use Kingsford?
Does anyone else here use these or do you all use Kingsford?
The Lamonster
Member
I use kingsford for grilling and Stubbs for smoking.
Edit: after reading that article, I'm just gonna switch to Stubbs full time. I always find it at Lowe's.
You use a Slow N Sear right? It's good to know it works well there. Until now I've used Stubbs exclusively this season. I love it. All natural so I don't need it fully lit before it goes in, little ash and a ton of stored energy. I'll give impressions on Royal Oak. I haven't used it yet but Cowboy offers a $1 off coupon on Stubbs
http://www.cowboycharcoal.com/couponLanding.html
SlickShoesRUCrazy
Member
Finished product. Forgot to take a pic before eating lol.
I do those fairly frequently, they turn out well.
Snake method was a great success, next time will be even better now that I know how high I need to stack my coals to get 250F. It was so damn steady.
Only problem was I didn't rotate my meat, so the rack of ribs closer to the coals is overly done to the point of being inedible
Back rack was fucking delicious though.
Only problem was I didn't rotate my meat, so the rack of ribs closer to the coals is overly done to the point of being inedible
Back rack was fucking delicious though.
Ivory Samoan
Gold Member
I shouldn't have come back to this thread, now I have to go raid the freezer for some meat.
The last couple of pages have some really god-tier BBQ on them!
The last couple of pages have some really god-tier BBQ on them!
shiftplusone
Member
So I have a 22" weber kettle grill and got a slow n sear over the weekend
was really god damn excited about it, followed the instructions on how to properly lay out the coals and everything.
Then the grill rose to 400 degrees and I fought for 2 hours to get it to lower and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't ever go down
I had closed the bottom vent entirely and had the top like 99% closed, still at 400 degrees.
Noticed smoke coming out from under the lid
after all that I went to clean it up and saw some of the little vent blades in the bottom seem to not sit on the grill but are bent upwards, so I'm guessing I have multiple leaks all over this thing and now I'm bummed out.
Is there an easy way to fix those? should I just buy a new damn grill and start over with the process?
not even sure what to do about the smoke pouring out of the lid either but I'm guessing the coals were getting too much oxygen from everywhere
EDIT: when I poured the coals I filled the entire thing up like it suggests but maybe that's where the issue begins? I had some wood chunks to use and they fit fine without having to move the grate at all so I dont know
I also had a pretty small pork butt (3 pounds after trimming) so maybe I just had too much fuel for the meat?
was really god damn excited about it, followed the instructions on how to properly lay out the coals and everything.
Then the grill rose to 400 degrees and I fought for 2 hours to get it to lower and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't ever go down
I had closed the bottom vent entirely and had the top like 99% closed, still at 400 degrees.
Noticed smoke coming out from under the lid
after all that I went to clean it up and saw some of the little vent blades in the bottom seem to not sit on the grill but are bent upwards, so I'm guessing I have multiple leaks all over this thing and now I'm bummed out.
Is there an easy way to fix those? should I just buy a new damn grill and start over with the process?
not even sure what to do about the smoke pouring out of the lid either but I'm guessing the coals were getting too much oxygen from everywhere
EDIT: when I poured the coals I filled the entire thing up like it suggests but maybe that's where the issue begins? I had some wood chunks to use and they fit fine without having to move the grate at all so I dont know
I also had a pretty small pork butt (3 pounds after trimming) so maybe I just had too much fuel for the meat?
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
You probably lit too many coals at first, sounds like you may have filled it with lit coals for the temp to be that high. Slow n sear uses the minion method and you only light a handful at first.
This.
Also you can pick up some Large Binder Clips from Staples or another office supply store around you.
Just put 4 or so of them around the perimeter. That'll seal it up in no time.
I will say though, there is a much better solution. Register your weber on Weber.com if you haven't already, and then call them. I called them saying I was getting leaks under the lid and they said that shouldn't be happening. They asked that I made sure it was the lid that was not perfectly circular and not the base and when I said it was the lid they shipped me a new lid at no charge, and the new one came with a silicone grip on the handle for the top vent so you can adjust it without wearing gloves. Weber customer service is fantastic.
Mostly though you shouldn't have lit all of your charcoal. Go to their website. They have videos showing how to do it.
shiftplusone
Member
Nope, I counted out 12 briquettes (of stubbs), lit them in the corner with a starter cube, and waited 15-20 minutes and threw in the rest of the coals.
Started about 2 PM and by 3:30 it was up to 400
What kind of thermometer were you using? Also did you just leave it alone with both vents wide open until 3:30? I've found it's a lot easier to get the temperature up than it is to get it back down. If you closed your vents most of the way once it hit 200 then it might be your leaks. Call Weber and tell them all the areas that are leaking. They might be able to help and it's easier than modding and cheaper than buying a new unit.
The Lamonster
Member
I don't have a ton of leakage under my lid, but I've still tried to apply large binder clips and they just slip right off. Any suggestions?
That's definitely not normal. I'd bet your main issue is leakage from the lower vent. And just to confirm - you are using a prob, right? Versus the gauge on the lid.
First is your probe cord running under the lid or through the vent? I still don't know the best way to do it but when it's under the lid I obviously get more leakage.
Do you see the picture I posted? Just like that. If it won't clip in one spot try moving it to either side. Also you want it as far pushed in as you can if that makes sense.
Applesauce
Boom! Bitch-slapped!
If you're putting the lit coals on bottom of the unlit coals then you're essentially turning that thing into one big chimney starter which possibly explains the rapid rise in temp. Every time I see someone use an apparatus like that (Smokenator, etc) the lit coals go on top of the unlit coals. I've never used one, however. But that could be what caused that and from my experience Weber dome thermometers are fairly accurate.
I wouldn't trust them. They can be off by as much as 50. Best bet is to get a digital thermometer and clip it at grate level, or cut a potato or apple in half and put the probe thru that with the tip exposed to lay it flat above the grate by about half an inch.
They're off by more than that depending on vent position. The thermometer is on the opposite side of the top vent so if you have the vent over the indirect side which is recommended your thermometer is over the direct side and is giving a much higher reading.
Shin Johnpv
Member
Alot of those leaks are going to close up over time. The inside of your grill is going to get residue built up on it and it'll see any little cracks and holes from the metal not sitting perfectly.
Smoke some really fatty stuff, like a few pork butts, and some ribs and you'll seal up those little leaks fast.
Personally I'm not a big fan of the things like the smokenator, or slow and sear, I say give the snake method (if you're not sure I can post examples and how to set it up) a try a few times. I've just found it way way way easier to get that low temperature for smoking, compared to the devices.
Also yeah listen to everyone and get a digital thermometer that will go at the grate level. The one's Weber puts into to the top of it's lids are bi-metal thermometers and just due to their nature can be wildly off temp. Plus the temperature at the grate is going to be different than the temp at the lid.
The Lamonster
Member
Probe is through the vent. Looking at your pic, I think my problem is that my binder clips are too big. I have the largest size, but yours look medium size. I'll try that!
But have you tried the Slow n Sear? It's awesome even just for 2-zone grilling; you don't even have to put water in it. Much preferred over the standard Weber charcoal trays.
Shin Johnpv
Member
No, because I'm not spending 90 bucks to accomplish something I can already do for free. I tried a smokenator last year, simply because I found a used one on craigslist for super cheaper. I was super not happy with it. Specially when you need to add coals to extend a cook.
The snake method just works perfectly for me, I never have issues with it, and it takes make 10 minutes of setup time.
Mr. Giggles
Member
2 hours in. Had to put some beans on the lower rack. Will foil wrap the ribs in another hour.
My friends raved about everything. I thought the beef ribs were on the chewier side but still really good. More like steak texture than fall apart.
Pork ribs were probably my best and the beans with bacon and rub were on point. All in all happy with my output today.
Alright, quick question for the thread:
I'm smoking some Butt this Saturday and wanted some ideas on a side to go with the pulled pork. I'm trying to eat better, so I'm avoiding BBQ sandwiches, bread, pasta and the like so I'm just having the pulled pork straight. What would you all suggest as a tasty side to go along with it. My thoughts were heading towards a bacon corn hash or something.
I'm smoking some Butt this Saturday and wanted some ideas on a side to go with the pulled pork. I'm trying to eat better, so I'm avoiding BBQ sandwiches, bread, pasta and the like so I'm just having the pulled pork straight. What would you all suggest as a tasty side to go along with it. My thoughts were heading towards a bacon corn hash or something.
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