Outdoor Grilling: What are you using?

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
I got this from the guy I work for on Saturday's from April thru November for the last 11 year's. It needed new burner's after 4 year's of being on a waterfront deck. I've had it so long I've replaced the burner's twice ; immediately when I got it and last year, about $200 All together. It's gas but for free I can live with it ! It took 3 of us to lift it on the deck , you can see where the bolt on end piece's bent up a little . Wonder if I could put a mild lift on ito_O20200201_113827.jpg
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
That's a nice grill even if it is profane. I'd cook on it!
It need's an external cleaning , the cover had a tear in it then rain water filled the drip tray and overflowed as u can see . It sear's and has a rotisserie thing I've never used , but the best part; Free :) No , it didn't come with the bottle !! LOL Forgot to mention it's a JennAir .
 
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Richard

First Fill-Up (of many)
Location
Oregon
Weber, Weber, Weber. Expensive? Yes but worth every penny. I have a Weber Spirit (gas) and the Smokey Joe (charcoal) and they are top quality. Gas is the fast weekday way to grill and Charcoal is the perfect lazy weekend sitting by the fire way to go.

After you get those squared away, get yourself a smoker for even more fun.
I agree, I have a Genesis. Top line build quality.
 

AlbatrossCafe

First Fill-Up (of many)
Location
Western WA
Questionable pic but I have a Green Mountain Grill Daniel Boone model - a pellet grill. A smoker/grill combo that is direct competitor to a Traeger.

I do all my grilling on this thing. It sears well enough as it can heat up to 500 degrees. I was worried at first that it would go through pellets like crazy. It starts to at 420+ degree F temps, but you don't need to hold it that hot for too long. At <400 degrees it is efficient. I don't see it being anymore of a PITA than gas.

I like the flavor that comes with the smokiness. It makes the best ribs. Also I can control temps and it has temperature probes that I can monitor via app. So it's great for slow cooking. I can stick a big roast on it at 260 degrees and let it cook while I'm working on my X. Every once in a while I can check my phone or set an alert when the internal temp reaches 120 degrees and I need to flip it, for example.

People say "ohh hurr durr you cook with a WiFi grill you aren't a real cook" but you still have to know what you are doing or you are gonna mess it up. Plus, most of it is in the preparation. This to me functions about like a gas grill but with the added bonus of being able to "bake" stuff as well.

cZ6vtcR.jpg
 

Zack.

Has been dubbed Arnold
Supporting Member
Location
Livermore, CA
At home: Cheapo Weber gas grill that we got as a housewarming gift. Does the job just fine, and low maintenance.

At the family cabin up in Tahoe: OG Weber charcoal grill. A bit of a struggle if you don’t plan appropriately, but frickin nailed it the last couple of times for that nice charcoal flavor.
 

robcarync

Sliders
Location
Raleigh, NC
Weber charcoal kettle grill. 22" inch. I use the "Slow n sear" charcoal basket insert, which allows you to do some crazy good smoked meats (pulled pork, ribs, chicken, turkey, Brisket, etc). It is also really good to cook steaks nice and slow to guarantee a nice medium rare finish.

  1. Pro: Having a cookout where you are smoking wood all day smells incredible.
  2. Pro: Food is so much better on charcoal because you can cook low and slow. Anyone can do burgers on propane in 10 minutes, but pull off a giant smoked pork butt? That is unique.
  3. Pro Cooking all day gives you a chance to drink bourbon and sit outside while it cooks.
  4. Con: Takess a long time to get started and get to right temperature. I use a propane torch for easy lighting and a "BBQ Dragon" device that basically is an adjustable fan to get good air flow to the coals. Makes it a bit easier. Once you learn, it isn't too difficult though.
  5. Con: Takes more practice and effort to learn. I learned from amazingribs.com and have done BBQ competitions on nothing but a weber kettle grill with good results. If you like cooking, its a good thing to learn. If you are not that excited about it as a craft of cooking, maybe not worth the effort. It definitely is more difficult than turning a dial to low, medium, or high temperature.
All in all, I have cooked on charcoal and propane. Charcoal is totally better...but really effort prohibitive to get it going for something basic like a quick burger or a basic chicken breast. But if you are interested in BBQ style meats, or thick cut steaks, the kettle is so versatile. It is a family and friend favorite whenever the topic of cooking out comes up..."Rob do those smoked chicken thighs again" or "do those ribs again". I am a man...I have an ego I guess...I enjoy that aspect :)
 

robcarync

Sliders
Location
Raleigh, NC
Here are some photos of what I got going on today!

I got the 22.5" Weber kettle with the legs chopped off. I have it recessed into a wooden grilling table, which works out pretty well for table space!

I have the "Slow n Sear" charcoal basket. It has a built in V-notch that serves as a water pan. Fill it up with water, and it keeps the cooking chamber very humid, and also acts as a thermal buffer to help dampen temperature fluctuations. I can load up the basket and maintain a solid cooking temperature of ~250 F for 5+ hours.

I got a baby back rack of ribs on for today...2 hours in! Mix of apple and hickory wood chips get sprinkled all in with the charcoal which makes a great flavor!SLowNSear.JPG Weber.JPG RIbs.JPG
 

Xterrorista

Charcoal Briquette
Supporting Member
Location
Denton, TX
Unfortunately I've gone to gas. The only place for a grill at the house is in the deck. Since I have a walkout basement the deck is wood. And 10ft above grade. Charcoal on a wooden deck is a nono.
Same. Minus wood and basement.. I wrap water soaked wood chips in tinfoil and get smoke that way. I'll leave a crack open at one end and set it on the grate above a flame till it smokes, then pinch it off till it's smoking how I want it and move off flame a bit. Then I'll start cooking.
 

robcarync

Sliders
Location
Raleigh, NC
I've cooked some great ribs, pulled pork, and other slow cooked meats with a propane grill. It isn't ideal, but there are a couple of tricks:

1) Just because there is a burner, doesn't mean you have to turn it on. I will put one burner on the low heat setting, and drop a pork butt or ribs on the cooler side with no direct heat. This allows the chunks of meat to cook slower without direct heat.

2) Use a water pan to act as a thermal buffer. Use a low profile foil pan, fill it with water, and put it under the grate and over the burner. The mass of water absorbs the intense direct heat, and prevents burnt edges. It also keeps the humidity up so everything stays nice and moist.

3) I use dry wood chips wrapped in a foil pouch with tooth pick holes poked into it for air flow. I put them under the grate and near the burner so it starts to smoke.

4) Get a good grill thermometer near the grate level so you can adjust the burners to an actual temperature. I am playing games with a non-uniform temperature gradient to get the temperature where I want. The average grill has a thermometer that is 6 inches above where the meat is. I use a digital thermometer that has two probes, one that snaps into a holder on the grate to monitor the temperature close the meat, and one that sticks into the chunk of meat. A good thermometer makes cooking so much more consistent for me.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Picked this up today.

It's got 4 racks, a set of racks that will hold 5 racks of ribs, and two meat hanging hooks.
20200710_180617.jpg

Really looking forward to running it. Just doing a clean out run right now. It was a little dingy.

Pretty sure I bought it from a drug dealer but for $100, I'm not gonna complain....
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Picked this up today.

It's got 4 racks, a set of racks that will hold 5 racks of ribs, and two meat hanging hooks.
View attachment 14787

Really looking forward to running it. Just doing a clean out run right now. It was a little dingy.

Pretty sure I bought it from a drug dealer but for $100, I'm not gonna complain....
That was a good deal !! Make sure he didn't leave anything in there :confused: But if he did , I'll dispose of it for ya :D
 

CHUG

Lockers Installed
Supporting Member
Nice score.. Make good Hot fire.. Or take Gopher torch and sterilize the thing good.. FIRE IS GOOD!!.. Pressure wash more fire.. Season it.

hope not a meth cooker. If it smells like cat pee ( poor mans Meth). more fire!!!. Then smoke good wood to coat & Seal it up. Cook first meals for the Neighbors kids.. ;-)
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
I bet with some locking hinge's and Xterra ingenuity you could mount this in the trailer so it pop's up and out into a usable position .

Does that mean I can have the smoker ?? :confused::D
Sorry, smoker smokers stay where they are. I'm finally getting a good handle on what i like and I'm very pleased with my collection. I just wanted an upgrade for the kettle that has the built in table.

Doing baked potatoes and chicken breasts tonight!
 

CHUG

Lockers Installed
Supporting Member

Brunnie

Bumpers Installed
Supporting Member
Location
Colorado Springs
Nice looking, But might want to boost up your Fuse! Most plugs, are 10 amp. 15 amps. and Pushing 300F for a heat.. that is warm!

if yea can regulate the heat, Slow cook Meat on the way to camp. ;-)

report on how it does?.

Power outlet is wired to an 100 amp fuse that feeds the inverter, so it has its own outlet, not a factory one. She picked up a Cookbook off Amazon specifically for this device. From what I've heard from truckers is for slow cooking, wrap the meat in foil, put that in the cooker, and cook for 4-5 hours (just like a crockpot). For already cooked food, reheat for maybe 60-90 minutes.

Next weekend is a trip to Steamboat and we will give it a try on a couple of day trips.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Power outlet is wired to an 100 amp fuse that feeds the inverter, so it has its own outlet, not a factory one. She picked up a Cookbook off Amazon specifically for this device. From what I've heard from truckers is for slow cooking, wrap the meat in foil, put that in the cooker, and cook for 4-5 hours (just like a crockpot). For already cooked food, reheat for maybe 60-90 minutes.

Next weekend is a trip to Steamboat and we will give it a try on a couple of day trips.
I was thinking Zucchini bread , CRAB CAKE'S , pork butt. Make sure to post a review ! ;)
 

Xterrorista

Charcoal Briquette
Supporting Member
Location
Denton, TX
Power outlet is wired to an 100 amp fuse that feeds the inverter, so it has its own outlet, not a factory one. She picked up a Cookbook off Amazon specifically for this device. From what I've heard from truckers is for slow cooking, wrap the meat in foil, put that in the cooker, and cook for 4-5 hours (just like a crockpot). For already cooked food, reheat for maybe 60-90 minutes.

Next weekend is a trip to Steamboat and we will give it a try on a couple of day trips.
Very interested in how it does. This could be a camp vittles game changer~
 

Brunnie

Bumpers Installed
Supporting Member
Location
Colorado Springs
Very interested in how it does. This could be a camp vittles game changer~

ROAD TEST!!!! :D

So the GF finds Calzones at the grocery store and we decide to test out the stove. About 30 minutes before lunch we wrapped them in foil, put them in the stove/oven, and plugged it in. After the 30 minutes was up we opened the stove, unwrapped the calzones and ate a nice hot sandwich. Two thumbs up for this thing.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Made some modifications to the Bandera's fire grate today. It made a good difference in my smoke quality and I played with fire control to keep the temperatures in check.

We had some burgers left over from the cookout in the freezer so we thawed them and threw them on just for SnG. They turned out great with a little apple wood to sweeten them up.

20200920_193249.jpg
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Made some modifications to the Bandera's fire grate today. It made a good difference in my smoke quality and I played with fire control to keep the temperatures in check.

We had some burgers left over from the cookout in the freezer so we thawed them and threw them on just for SnG. They turned out great with a little apple wood to sweeten them up.

View attachment 15526
Do you think there's a difference between a Granny - Red and delicious - winter green wood itself being used to smoke . Diif apple , diff wood ? just curious
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Do you think there's a difference between a Granny - Red and delicious - winter green wood itself being used to smoke . Diif apple , diff wood ? just curious

I don't really know? I think that the variety doesn't affect the wood. It's the sweetness of the fruit wood and if there are flavor differences, no one has ever mentioned them in my research.
 

Xterrorista

Charcoal Briquette
Supporting Member
Location
Denton, TX
Do you think there's a difference between a Granny - Red and delicious - winter green wood itself being used to smoke . Diif apple , diff wood ? just curious
I had to read this a few times to think I knew what you're talking about.

Age of the wood being used will 100% give you a different flava'.. Any green wood will be stronger and have a different profile than seasoned wood. Older, dried out wood will be dusty and harsh-er tasting..

Using two different types of apple will get different flavors but you'd prolly not notice unless you had two pits running and did a taste test that day. Altho, mesquite vs apple and you've got a different piece of meat altogether.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
I'm using a weber charcoal pot (like pic above). I did gas for years, and it was convienient, but charcoal is my current favorite.
I love the Webers! They're very versatile and you can get so many neat pieces to cook different styles of foods. I have the Pizza Kettle setup for mine and I'm looking to upgrade grates and get a Vortex soon.
 

kirk

Butterfly King
Moderator
Supporting Member
Location
Allen, Texas
Nice! Im not fancy enough for charcoal (unless camping. then its like my fire.) and I use my gas at home. I have a real old real heavy smoker i got from my dad but havent used it in ten years.
 
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