Finally got some pictures of my new Grill

It's got 800 sq inches of cooking space. Cast iron grates. Adjustable firebed. Easy ash removal (remove the firebed, and tip into a trash can). Steel construction. Wheels at one end for easy one-person mobility. Thermometer. Storage space underneath.

I've already cooked on it three times. I love it! I just have to keep those cast iron grates clean and well-seasoned so they don't rust.

The company sells an optional side-mount firebox to turn it into a "Texas-style" smoker. I could just do an indirect smoke, since it's so big. But, I've got a separate smoker already, and will probably use that for smoking.

Cool Allen, lots of good eats coming!

Have fun!

Cool! When is dinner going to be done?

It looks like a good one! I like my bbq Kansas City style.....when is the grub gonna be done?

I bought the same one two days ago and I also want to buy the firebox and the rotisserie. This is a great smoker!

allen, congrats, she's a beaut!!!

just curious: do you use briquette or lump charcoal?

if you've never used lump, ya gotta try it in your new grill. the flavor from real wood charcoal is amazing.

to me, gas grills are just outdoor ovens. it's nice to be able to put wood chips in them for smoke, but otherwise, it's an oven.
briquettes are good, will give you decent flavor, but lump charcoal is a whole 'nother level.

Allen, my husband made a firebox for his smoker...I'll ask him how he did it.

buckytom said:

allen, congrats, she's a beaut!!!

just curious: do you use briquette or lump charcoal?

if you've never used lump, ya gotta try it in your new grill. the flavor from real wood charcoal is amazing.

to me, gas grills are just outdoor ovens. it's nice to be able to put wood chips in them for smoke, but otherwise, it's an oven.
briquettes are good, will give you decent flavor, but lump charcoal is a whole 'nother level.

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Buckytom, I've been a die-hard Lump burner for years. However, it appears things have changed a bit since I last cooked on a charcoal grill. That was 8 years ago. In the time between, I was living in upstairs apartments, or using my MIL's grill. I've noticed, now, though, that the Lump tends to burn up much quicker than what I remember. Rainee mentioned some things about the differences between Lump and briquettes. Now, I find myself using a mix of Lump, Briquettes, and wood. I'm using the wood just to get rid of it, as it's illegal to just burn wood in a pile in the backyard inside city limits. By burning it in the grill, then cooking over it, I can say I'm using it for fuel to cook with I'm almost done with the wood, then I'm going to use a mix of Lump and Briquette.

When I smoke, I get a small amount of charcoal going, then use some good-sized sticks or maple and/or oak. I've been using Hickory, soaked and wrapped in foil, but am going to try chunks on my next attempt, tomorrow.

All, why do you wrap your wood chuncks in foil? Does it help keep the smoke going longer?? Do you poke holes in the foil?

I just smoked a using chunks for the first time this weekend and was surprised. I thought that the wood chunks would burn longer than they actually did. I bought hickory chunks from a local outdoor store. The chunks weren't that big, largest being the size of a woman's fist. I thought I would be able to use 6 or 7 chunks and not have to add more, but found that half way through my smoker stopped having smoke rise from it, so I added more.

Allow me to clarifiy myself. I wrap wood chips (small stuff) in foil, after they've soaked in water. I puncture two holes in each side, and throw them on the coals. It'll smoke for over an hour or so.

I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to use chunks (large stuff you mentioned). The bag says to soak them. I hope I don't produce so much smoke that the outside of my next pork butt turns black.

htc, you should only see a whiff of white smoke coming from the cooker (except right after you have added the wood).

Also remember, you only need to add the wood for the first few hours. too much smoke and it will be over-smoked or bitter.

Do you wrap the chips so they won't get burnt too fast? I should try that next time. I usually just toss the chips on the coal.

Thanks for the info Rainee! I think I was ok with them amt of wood I used, didn't taste bitter like the last batch.

I was going to say what Rainee said - Once those 7 or so big chunks of soaked in apple juice Hickory burn up I don't add more (I did once and it was waaaay smokey and bitter). The chips I find, even when soaked well, burn up too quickly and don't impart a strong enough flavor.

Allen, do you put anything in your drip pan? I always put apple juice. If you don't you should try this - it's wonderful!!!

I've always heard that you want to wrap wood chips in foil, and puncture a couple holes. This basically creates an sealed environment, with little free oxygen, so the wood doesn't burn, it just chars into charcoal (this is how charcoal is made). The holes allow some smoke to escape.

I agree with what everyone is saying about not adding hickory for to long, as hickory can be a strong flavor, as can mesquite. This is the main reason why I only smoke my pork butt for 4 hours, then finish in the oven.

kitchenelf, I don't put any apple juice in the drip pan, but I do baste the pork with apple juice in a spray bottle. Some of the juice drips down into the pan, along with the fat.

I found this grill myself, and I must admit it is really nice. It is inexpensive, yet far from cheap. I bought mine with the fire box added, putting it together was a bit of a pain due to weight and my bad back, but found the pain and suffering worth every penny.

It is pretty easy to cook anything throughout if you like cooking. I'm not completely used to mine yet, plus I use a lot of different woods/charcoals, but maintaining a 150-225 range is easy as I would have hoped. The intake baffel on the fire box and the exhaust damper make it super easy to maintain any temp you like with a little practice. Everything I have done on it has turned out as good or better than I expected, and I am very very happy with that purchase.


A few tips I have found using this rig for a short time make it a lot easier to use. For instance I use an a thin aluminium sauce pan, the kind you can find for about 3 bucks, as a humidity/temp control source. Instead of a drip pan filled with water I use that 2qt aluminium pan full of water, and add water to maintain it, and place it right in front of the opening to the firebox to moderate the temp and humidity into the barrel. It makes a constant temperature easy to achieve...I usually run between 150-225 depending on what I am doing that particular moment.

I'm trying a new technique as it is still a new grill to me, but I am going to do a 12-18 hour brisket...it is 7 hours in right now as a matter of fact, and looking and smelling quite wonderful. I would be happy to post a detailed cooking description once I see how it works out...haha

A thing that I have found on situations that you feel you overdid the smoking process and the exterior of the meat is black and quite dry looking...What I like to do is in the morning I let the fire burn out (I use mainly wood and charcoal, no lump) usually an hour or 2 before I pull the meat I start my sauce...sometimes it contains the drippings other times it doesn't. If I smoked it right I don't need the drippings in the sauce. Make the sauce, it takes about 2-3 hours depending on the thickness you prefer, and brush it on then pull the meat off. Let that first coat sink in and brush again and let that absorb. If you do this using a sweet sauce and then let is absorb it removes all the bitterness of too much smoke. Then a final brushing of sauce before reheating (if you prefer this step) in th oven covered for about an hour @ 150-225 depending on the meat, When it comes out it is usually pretty good. I would expect no complaints. But I am working on perfecting this tecnique and will keep you updated if you are interested.

I guess a lot of this is off topic, but they were brought up here and I thought I would toss in my 2 cents. I hope I didn't offend anyone. But the bottom line is I really really love this grill and would recomend it to anyone who is looking for an excelent home smoker/grill. The shear cooking area is enough to feed over 20 people at one time...8 thumbs up!

A brisket is something I haven't tried yet. I want to, but the sheer cooking time is a little daunting. Also, no place here carries a brisket, so I'd have to order it through my job. That doesn't bother me, as I'd get it "at cost"!

Well it is 7 in the morning, I have 12 hours on that brisket and it is in wondeful shape. It is still on the smoker and will remain there for about 1-2 more hours to finish the bottom off.

I have had it in a disposable aluminium pan for the first 11.5 hours...keeping temps between 150-225. The first two hours were dry rubbed in the pan and covered at 225...then 6 hours around 175-200 uncovered.

I layerd the woods to try something new. Each hour was a different smoke untill the last 2 which was a mix of hickory and mesquite. I covered it with foil again at about 8 hours in and let it moist roast, plus basted with the juice and fat that was in the pan (the basting went on all night).

I have the juice in a bowl and it is slightly salty, which is perfect. I'm actually thinking about making a sauce.

The brisket is out of the pan and sitting on the grates. I added a few more chunks of mesquite and stirred the fire to get the temp back to about 225 (it has been at 150 for the last 3 hours or so while covered), so now it is going to wait out the fire...dry out a little bit and get some decent smoke on the bottom of the brisket that was sitting in drippings all night....

The drippings...ahh the goodness...I could take these and just thicken them into a sauce but now...that's not enough. I'll work some magic and pray for help that it turns out ok and make a nice thin sauce for a quick brush before reheating and slicing.

Briskets take time...they only take as much time as you are willing to give. If you want to do them quick...slap a quick 2-4 hour smoke on them and finish them in an oven. I prefer to cook all night...when it isn't so ****ed hot outside. I'll wrap...but I won't bake...it is on a wood or charcoal fire from start to finish.

I can get into my wood chip experiances...but as you have allready seen I can say nothing quick and consise...haha But soaked wraped chips are great for a gas grill.

AllenMI said:

A brisket is something I haven't tried yet. I want to, but the sheer cooking time is a little daunting. Also, no place here carries a brisket, so I'd have to order it through my job. That doesn't bother me, as I'd get it "at cost"!

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I can get you anything you want. Our grocery stores sell dry ice...

I have a most wonderful old school butcher. Hand cut choice is just that choice not select like the grocery stores try to sell...prime...yeah he has prime...it is beyond wonderful but it can get expensive. Kobe fillets...yeah, they have those as well but they are crazy expensive. They ship I believe...I'll ask if anyone is interested.

WTurkey, where are you? (not precisely-generally?)