2013 Gratuitous Grill Thread

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  • Mark-DuCo

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    I used my small one, its a Masterbuilt dual fuel vertical smoker, I ran it with gas this time using cherry trager pellets in a pan for smoke
     

    heatman

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    Feb 28, 2012
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    Very happy with my Weber Smokey Mountain 21.5" smoker. Did my first pork butt last weekend and everyone loved it. It took 13 hrs and was very easy to hold temps.
     

    pwoller

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    Yeah the BGE sucks bad and so overrated I went and got a second to make sure I was right.


    Not saying you cant get the job done with them but I think of them as a yuppie version of a real smoker. Doesn't really take much skill to get the end product but hey theres obviously a market for them. All you green egg lovers are going to blast me but whatever. I prefer to use a real smoker.
     

    jetmechG550

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    Not saying you cant get the job done with them but I think of them as a yuppie version of a real smoker. Doesn't really take much skill to get the end product but hey theres obviously a market for them. All you green egg lovers are going to blast me but whatever. I prefer to use a real smoker.

    How is it not a "real smoker?" The style of cooker has been around for centuries. Blast you? Na you did it yourself. :rockwoot:
     

    ddavidson

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    So jetmechG550, why did you go with the BGE, the "fake" smoker, rather than something like the Weber Smokey Mountain? It's their smoker which looks to have a pretty good amount of cooking area and no where near the cost. Maybe that's what I need to figure out, do I want to do more than just low and slow. My needs are low and slow without a whole lot of babysitting. The BGE does this but it looks like the WSM does it too.

    Do you use yours for more than just smoking food? I know that the BGE is versatile in that it's much more than a smoker. Maybe that's what I need to consider.
     

    jetmechG550

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    So jetmechG550, why did you go with the BGE, the "fake" smoker, rather than something like the Weber Smokey Mountain? It's their smoker which looks to have a pretty good amount of cooking area and no where near the cost. Maybe that's what I need to figure out, do I want to do more than just low and slow. My needs are low and slow without a whole lot of babysitting. The BGE does this but it looks like the WSM does it too.

    Do you use yours for more than just smoking food? I know that the BGE is versatile in that it's much more than a smoker. Maybe that's what I need to consider.

    I use mine to smoke, I use mine to do high heat 700+ sears or or pizza or just standard grilling or baking, yes I bake on it and no there is no babysitting involved. For smoking I use the Stoker, but I know how to set my egg(s) up to get the right low temp over night cooks if I had too. I've cooked 35+ lbs of pork butt on my large egg and I've done as many as 7 racks of baby backs on the large. The XL can handle that much more. Fuel consumption is another consideration with Komodo style cookers. I can put 3/4 of an 8.8lb bag of lump in my large egg and pretty much guarantee about 20 or so ours of cooking without having to worry about it. Also with a komado style cooker you will learn it's almost impossible to dry out anything. What's the warranty on a weber? BGE has pretty much a no questions asked lifetime.
     

    phylodog

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    Mar 7, 2008
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    I had a WSM and gave it about six months and just wasn't satisfied. Ash build up was an issue and compared to the offset smoker I had before it didn't seem to impart the smoke flavor that I liked. They don't like the cold or wind or rain and any of the three can make a cook challenging. I read a lot, made some minor mods and in the end decided it just wasn't for me.

    As mentioned above, the BGE is extremely versatile. I'm preparing for a family get together for my daughter's birthday on Saturday. I smoked three whole chickens this afternoon and as soon as they came off I cranked up the temp and grilled a couple pounds of smoked sausage for dinner. Before leaving for the turkey season opener last month I smoked a pork butt for 24 hours at 225*. I didn't have to add fuel, adjust the vents or lose any sleep worrying about what might happen in the middle of the night. When it was done there was still charcoal left over. I've smoked during last winter's blizzard, I've cooked during thunderstorms and when the wind was blowing steady at 20mph. The weather virtually makes no difference.

    I've had two offset smokers (one box style and one barrel) a WSM and I've smoked a good bit on my Weber kettle. Nothing compares to the ease of use, ability to hold a consistent temp, fuel efficiency and versatility of a BGE that I've seen. The Primo smokers look like a very nice option as well. I contemplated going with a Primo but decided on a BGE mainly because of the sale price I paid for my egg.
     

    MattyLite

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    Mar 3, 2013
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    Can someone please start a gratuitous grilled food thread? I like grills but enjoy the finished product more.
     

    jetmechG550

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    Ok your right the big green egg is the best smoker around. I'm done argueing about stupid ****. As you were.

    Who's arguing? I just wanted to know why felt a centuries old proven design was not a real smoker? Your comment had troll like over tones so I'm just calling you on your bull****. I'll put my Q against anyone's cooked on a "real" smoker. :rolleyes:
     

    femurphy77

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    I had really high hopes for this thread but see it spiraled into a name calling pissing match.



    Having said that; and hopefully this isn't seen as further fuel for the ridiculous side of this thread, I was always under the impression that you didn't want your meat directly over the flame as in a BGE or other kettle type smoker? I'm in the early stages of leaning to smoke meat and refuse to spend a bunch of money until I'm successful on the setup I currently have.



    So I'm not asking anyone to diss one style smoker over another just explain the different techniques involved in using a sidebox style smoker vs one with the heat source directly below the cooking surface. Obviously both work, help me learn!!
     
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    steveh_131

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    Having said that; and hopefully this isn't seen as further fuel for the ridiculous side of this thread, I was always under the impression that you didn't want your meat directly over the flame as in a BGE or other kettle type smoker? I'm in the early stages of leaning to smoke meat and refuse to spend a bunch of money until I'm successful on the setup I currently have.

    I know that some folks use a ceramic plate between the flames and the upper grate in the BGE's.

    And in a kettle, you can place the coals either in a ring around the edges or off to one/both sides and then put the meat above a pan of water on the other side.

    I am no expert, just sharing some of my research over the past week or two!

    IMG_0217.JPG

    It's best not to link to pics on your local machine. No one can see them but you :D

    So I'm not asking anyone to diss one style smoker over another just explain the different techniques involved in using a sidebox style smoker vs one with the heat source directly below the cooking surface. Obviously both work, help me learn!!

    The heat source can be below the cooking surface. it seems that the key is to get low, even heating all around the meat. Many people really like the UDS (Ugly Drum Smoker) which is a 55 gallon steel drum with the firebox at the bottom and a grate at the top. The distance between the heat and the food seems to work very well.

    But all of these methods are going to be a bit more work and use a lot more charcoal than a BGE or similar cooker, because they won't hold in the heat as well.

    Has anyone here ever built or used a UDS? I'm considering it, while I shop around for a kettle.
     

    jetmechG550

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    BGE, primo and komodo joe all have a plate with legs. It's used legs up or legs down depending on what you are cooking indirect. For smoking, it's legs up, grid over that, you can either set a drip pan in there or I just usually place foil over it. For pizza or baking, it's legs down and your pizza stone or baking pan goes on top. High temp cooking for pizza usually cleans the plate setter off anyway and it comes off looking almost new. Some accessories fit BGE and Komodo Joe and can be used across products. Primo os more of an oval shape and their stuff just won't work with BGE or KJ.

    If you are in the market for one and are either willing to travel or wait, I highly recommend attending an Eggfest and getting a demo. Sullivan Hardware has a good price every day but their fest is Aug 24 and they have a demo package. I just picked up my XL at GA Mountain Eggfest, it was a demo and never got used. Went down there because we wanted to check out the area and the fest is one of the best going. Porkopolis in Cinci is in July. Chef JJ's Backyard in Broad Ripple sells them as does Pools of Fun. Godby Hearth and Home on 36 sells BGE and Primo. One of my co-workers has the Komodo Joe, he ordered it but I don't know if there is a dealer around Indy. Basically it's a red egg. Bass Pro sells a komodo style cooker with the browning name on it. I know nothing about whether or not accessories will fit in it and what they have available. The bubba keg is an insulated steel komodo style cooker. It's comes in a little cheaper than the ceramics but not sure who sells them anymore, Menards used to but now they sell some cheap off the wall one brand but in looking at it it just seems really cheap and doesn't seem very thick so not sure how it would do in the colder temps.

    Just remember, the grill doesn't do everything, you still have to have some idea on what the hell you are doing. A buddy mine bought one after having been over several times. Never made ribs before and tried them one of the first things he made. He called me and said they were terrible and asked how I did mine. He thought it was just throwing them on there and taking them off 4-5 hours later.
     

    femurphy77

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    Just remember, the grill doesn't do everything, you still have to have some idea on what the hell you are doing. A buddy mine bought one after having been over several times. Never made ribs before and tried them one of the first things he made. He called me and said they were terrible and asked how I did mine. He thought it was just throwing them on there and taking them off 4-5 hours later.

    This is why I insist on succeeding with the rig I have before graduating to a more expensive one. I know I'm limited with it but I need to get the mechanics of it down before I spend big bucks. Everyone keep those pics of finished product coming, they are quite encouraging!
     

    red_zr24x4

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