Who's smoking meat this weekend?

[brewbama]

Ribbage

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[jammin]

Asada over mesquite & apple

and then taco 

 

[RRL]

some tasty lookin food!


I smoked my 1st turkey for the gf's fam.... was windy as all heck and freezing rain... but I was on a mission! taped the umbrella tight to the table, the ice forming on it held it solid lol.. so worked out

 

[NSMikeD]

Glad I found this thread. New Years Eve rib roast cooked on my Akorn Kamado.




This is my Cookshack Fast Eddy 120 when I compete

 

[HoppyDaze]

My Traeger is finally done. Now I need to decide between a kamado or just an electric unit. Advice?

 

[dhoge]

After extensive research, I bought a green egg. More versatile than a smoker. Little over two years now and I love it.

 

[HoppyDaze]

I'm leaning that way right now. If I go kamado; I'm really liking the Primo Oval XL

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I'm leaning that way right now. If I go kamado; I'm really liking the Primo Oval XL

If you can find it, Kamado Joe via the Costco Road Show is about as perfect as you can get value-wise. And the Big Joe has more cooking area than the Primo Oval XL an with the split half-moon heat deflector allows you to do 2-zone cooking just like the Primo. The Big Joe at these events typically costs $1199 and comes with a lot of the goodies that cost a lot extra on the Primo or BGE.

The nearest road show I can find to Wilsonville, OR starts next week in Tacoma, but it might be worth the drive.

 

[applescrap]

My Traeger is finally done. Now I need to decide between a kamado or just an electric unit. Advice?

I always plug cheap electric masterbuilt like mine. It works really really well and is easy to use. I was going to get the egg or primo and havent thought about them ever again. I grill over lump if i want that and usually prefer convenience of gas. I think it was temptd2 who posted a picture of the Oster smoker. Looks like a crock pot and chips go in the sides. They are well under a hundred and boy they look convenient. When it comes to taste people seem to prefer lump and kamados. Many seem to like the value driven weber smoky too. All that being said, clearly though kamados are superior quality grills that do a nice job.


I think it comes down to what you want and need. I needed a way to throw meat on a smoker conveniently for a family of four as often as i wanted and in the winter. I want to fire mine up more often and make pies and try mac and cheese. I smoke hot dogs and brats, and loins and ham, because I can whenever i want with ease. I think no matter what you decide you ultimately need an electric as well as an egg. Then you have both and dont need to decide

 

[RRL]

ive always heard electric ones tend to struggle to keep temps in cold weather.

I know for sure my Bradley has a hard time but there is tips and tricks that can help it.

I do plan on building a smoke house for the smoker on my deck so I can smoke year round and have it shielded from the cold and outside elements.

 

[HoppyDaze]

If you can find it, Kamado Joe via the Costco Road Show is about as perfect as you can get value-wise. And the Big Joe has more cooking area than the Primo Oval XL an with the split half-moon heat deflector allows you to do 2-zone cooking just like the Primo. The Big Joe at these events typically costs $1199 and comes with a lot of the goodies that cost a lot extra on the Primo or BGE.

The nearest road show I can find to Wilsonville, OR starts next week in Tacoma, but it might be worth the drive.

The Primo Oval XL has a divider that allows you to heat one side which is a more true 2 zone method than a deflector plate. But, you're splitting hairs at that point.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

The Primo Oval XL has a divider that allows you to heat one side which is a more true 2 zone method than a deflector plate. But, you're splitting hairs at that point.

The Big Joe has that as well... Included standard for the $1199 (Costco special event) price.

I've never used it. I find if I stack the two half-moon heat deflectors, it turns one side of the grill into indirect quite well. I regularly reverse-sear tri-tip, and the bottom side of the tri-tip is never scorched even when I have dome thermometer temps running ~300 degrees for the roasting portion of it.

 

[HoppyDaze]

The Big Joe has that as well... Included standard for the $1199 (Costco special event) price.

I've never used it. I find if I stack the two half-moon heat deflectors, it turns one side of the grill into indirect quite well. I regularly reverse-sear tri-tip, and the bottom side of the tri-tip is never scorched even when I have dome thermometer temps running ~300 degrees for the roasting portion of it.

That's a good price. Does it come with the stand and casters?

 

[gotbeer74]

I find I use my Big Steel Keg which is a komodo style grill/smoker then my pellet smoker. Much more versatile.

 

[applescrap]

ive always heard electric ones tend to struggle to keep temps in cold weather.

I know for sure my Bradley has a hard time but there is tips and tricks that can help it.

I do plan on building a smoke house for the smoker on my deck so I can smoke year round and have it shielded from the cold and outside elements.

I saw your picture above and noticed you had made some winter modifications. My Masterbuilt will stay above safety temperatures even in negative weather but I don't think it keeps a steady temperature. That being said even though it is outside, it is at least shielded by our house on one side as it is on our porch. The problem I have found is that it's constantly working. The problem with it constantly working is getting good chip burn. The Thin Blue Smoke I get in the summer is a little more white. The chips dont seem to give as good of smoke, but i could be seeing steam with it too. Overall, i personally don't mind if it Cooks at 200 250 or 275 and as long as it stays above safe Zone and it passes through 140 in three hours or whatever it is, I'm content to smoke in the winter.

 

[wildozarkwine]

Wild boar in my new uds

 

[NSMikeD]

The Big Joe has that as well... Included standard for the $1199 (Costco special event) price.

I've never used it. I find if I stack the two half-moon heat deflectors, it turns one side of the grill into indirect quite well. I regularly reverse-sear tri-tip, and the bottom side of the tri-tip is never scorched even when I have dome thermometer temps running ~300 degrees for the roasting portion of it.

I took 2nd place with tri tip in a competition last October, using my Akorn, cooked it low and slow at about 215 until about 105 internal, then removed the plate, opened bottom and top vents all the way, left the lid open five minutes to get a good fire then put it back, closed the lid and finished the steak. Did the same thing with a filet the year before and took first place in beef. Now I realize the Akorn is small and no way try are going to get two zones, but I do like the way I can bring the temperature up several hundred degrees in a short period with a kamado (forget lowering it, that takes forever).

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

That's a good price. Does it come with the stand and casters?

Yes...

 

[jammin]

grilled chicken tacos

 

[JonM]

Got a request to do pork butt for the Packers vs. Cowboys game on Sunday.

 

[headbanger]

This is my Cookshack Fast Eddy 120 when I compete

View attachment 383247

Nice! I've been cooking on a FEPG500 at home for the past few years and it has literally changed my life. We hardly ever turn the oven on anymore unless we're baking cookies. I'd love to have a FEC100/120 but I don't compete and we don't cook enough meat to justify the expense. At any rate I can't imagine it, or anything else, would turn out much better Q than the 500 and it also doubles as a great WF pizza oven.

 

[HoppyDaze]

If you can find it, Kamado Joe via the Costco Road Show is about as perfect as you can get value-wise. And the Big Joe has more cooking area than the Primo Oval XL an with the split half-moon heat deflector allows you to do 2-zone cooking just like the Primo. The Big Joe at these events typically costs $1199 and comes with a lot of the goodies that cost a lot extra on the Primo or BGE.

The nearest road show I can find to Wilsonville, OR starts next week in Tacoma, but it might be worth the drive.

So check this out...they don't have a Big Joe at the Tacoma show and they won't even facilitate getting one there for me to buy. Apparently they are upgrading that model, so maybe they don't have many left? It kind of soured me on the company to be honest.

 

[Konadog]

My Traeger is finally done. Now I need to decide between a kamado or just an electric unit. Advice?

What didn't you like about the Traeger? What model did you have?

 

[HoppyDaze]

I liked my Traeger, I'm just sick of having to replace parts. I had to replace the hot rod three times, the auger pin, the fan and the control panel. Now my auger tube is clogged with swollen wood pellets which means I have to pull the auger out and clear it...not that big of deal but I'm over it. It's been eight years and it's been a great grill for me. Now, I just want something with no electrical parts ...

 

[Konadog]

Thanks, I was asking because a neighbor just purchased one, a pro series 34, replacing an old electric webber (we ran it into the ground ) and I have been looking at a big green egg, but really liked his Traegar.

 

[HoppyDaze]

They're nice when they work, but too many times I had big plans to BBQ and had to deal with a broken grill. My dad got one at the same time and had all the same issues.

 

[applescrap]

@hoppydaze sounds like you are really leaning towards a kamado, can't go wrong there. If you want to save some coin try to get one used. They come up all the time here in Denver.

 

[NSMikeD]

Nice! I've been cooking on a FEPG500 at home for the past few years and it has literally changed my life. We hardly ever turn the oven on anymore unless we're baking cookies. I'd love to have a FEC100/120 but I don't compete and we don't cook enough meat to justify the expense. At any rate I can't imagine it, or anything else, would turn out much better Q than the 500 and it also doubles as a great WF pizza oven.

The FEC110/120 are great, but the are singular in purpose. For home use I am sold on cookers that can do low and slow and then fire up for pizza equally well. Not every cooker can to that - they tend to do one better than the other, That's why the Akorn Kamado is my go to cooker at home. Note: marinating a butterflied lamb right now for grill later for dinner.

I wonder of the folks seeking to drop big coin on a ceramic kamado know what they are missing in something like the PG500. Pellet cookers are so easy to start, they dial in cook temps and the clean up can't get any easier. I would imagine the one is likely to use it more frequently, like you.

 

[NSMikeD]

I'm leaning that way right now. If I go kamado; I'm really liking the Primo Oval XL

Get an Akorn Kamado and then spend $700 on prime rib eyes guilt free .

Nothing against the ceramic kamados . They are beautiful works of art to have in the backyard and amazingly good cookers with the versatility do low and slow one day then pizza the next, but the Akorn has proven to be a great kamado cooker at 1/3 the price.

 

[applescrap]

Smoked two hormel always tender pork roasts yesterday, whatever they are. I had no trouble keeping 275 in freezing temperatures. Even got thin blue smoke, was surprised. I went really lightly on the chips per load based on past experiences of element working more. They were really good, hickory and cherry, cooked to 160 pwr instructions.

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