OT: Harvard BBQ smoker

[chriswnc]

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...l?hootPostID=08910156b04fe30ff4445fde93bc69c7

 

[DawgsOnTheWing]

Well, it is shaped somewhat like an egg..........

 

[aTotal360]

All for not if you don't soak that shoulder in Dale's.

 

[codeDawg]

Nerds.

 

[Dawgzilla]

I like it, but making a smoker "foolproof" kind of takes all of the fun out of it.

Big Green Egg sells an electronic device that attaches to the air intake at the bottom of the egg. It monitors the temperature of your meat and the inside temperature of the egg and, based on your preset values, adjusts the bottom opening to achieve the ultimate temperatures. The guys who work at BGE pretty much hate the device, and agreed with me that it kind of sucks some of the fun out of the whole process.

 

[drt7891]

You'll never see competition bbq people using a BGE. There's a reason for that.

 

[WrapItDog]

Damn it my BGE is obsolete. What's next my Yeti**

Cooking 220 lbs of brisket doesn't exactly make you and expert. That's probably a days cook at a place like Franklin BBQ.

 

[Dawgbite]

You'll never see competition bbq people using a BGE. There's a reason for that.

The reason that you see very few BGE at a competition is that ceramic breaks very easily and is very heavy to transfer. The temperature controller that BGE sells is not made by them but is made by BBQ Guru and they make several different models, BGE just puts there name on it. I really don't understand the contempt for a green egg, when I cooked competition, I cooked on a Jambo but I still think the Egg is the best patio grill made.

 

[WrapItDog]

The Wood Chicks lady on the TV show BBQ Pitmasters rolls with a few eggs.

This is my tailgate grilling rig**

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

They use pellet smokers, like smart people

 

[Crazy Cotton]

My competition rig was made by a couple of Amish relatives that stopped schoolin after 8th grade. I can get those same results 6 briskets at a time. Double wall stainless, smoke brothers electronics, I can keep the interior variation under 5 degrees over a 12 hour session, just by turning the nob and drinking a beer. I got two butts on mine right now that will be ready to go in the morning.

View attachment 1987View attachment 1988

 

[PBRME]

Big Moe Cason is another on the national circuit that uses the egg.

 

[fishwater99]

You'll never see competition bbq people using a BGE. There's a reason for that.

Check again, they are used all the time in competitions. FYI. I am not a BGE user..

 

[Dawgbite]

My competition rig was made by a couple of Amish relatives that stopped schoolin after 8th grade. I can get those same results 6 briskets at a time. Double wall stainless, smoke brothers electronics, I can keep the interior variation under 5 degrees over a 12 hour session, just by turning the nob and drinking a beer. I got two butts on mine right now that will be ready to go in the morning.

View attachment 1987View attachment 1988

Tell us more. What fires said Amish masterpiece?

 

[Col. Forbin]

Yes your Yeti is obsolete. Introducing the newest addition to the y'all lifestyle: http://www.litcoolers.com/

 

[Crazy Cotton]

They've run a butcher shop for the last 30 odd years, they make these one at a time on order. Basically they started making their own and people wanted them. I was up there visiting couple of months ago and decided I really needed that. It's a pellet. It has become hard to compete without one, you have such complete control over temp that the cooking is now a given, and it is down to quality of meat, seasonings, technique, etc. Just the way it is now. It is hilarious visiting the Amish fabrication shop because they can't have electricity, so they put air motors in their large machines and "rent" their gas powered welders and air compressors to power everything. These are double wall everything, all welded stainless, which is not an easy build.

http://www.dutchvalleymeatsinc.com/frontier/yvgbhv8bi6hu0a6o71d2rks1tohsku

Here's those butts at 10:00 this morning. Just got over the stall, so should be hitting my target temp in about two hours, then rest for an hour or so. That's 6 pounders at 215 for in total about 13 hours, no Texas Crutch needed. Ribs just went on.

View attachment 1990

 

[Dawgbite]

I'm impressed with the grill but even more impressed with how they can make it without electricity. I have never used a pellet grill but I can see how it would simplify things. My only negative is that I work in the wood industry and a lot of our saw dust goes to a pellet mfg. I do not want to eat anything cooked over some of the Chinese plywood dust that we send out. They may tell you that the grilling pellets are separated from the wood stove pellets but I don't trust them.

 

[dorndawg]

Harvard of the South BBQ smoker:

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

Unless your plywood is made from apple or mesquite trees, no need to worry

 

[jakldawg]

You can buy the same thing for your Weber kettle grill, too.
Pitmaster IQ at Amazon.

 

[DerHntr]

I will buy a Yoder YS640 pellet smoker next. You cannot beat the versatility of these things. I've seen them in action multiple times and can't wait to have one. Making competition level meat has definitely gotten easier.

http://www.yodersmokers.com/ys640-pellet-grill.html

 

[ckDOG]

Man, you can compete well with almost anything

It's all about finding the sweet spot with whatever you've got. Most of the smoker arms race is just a dick measuring contest. Granted, some equipment dumbs it down for you, but my crew has won and placed highly in kcbs and mbn competitions cooking in nothing more than glorified trash cans.

 

[aTotal360]

Question for you pellet smokers...how long does a 20 lb bag of pellets last? Is the fuel a money sink?

 

[randystewart]

View attachment 1997

 

[Crazy Cotton]

That's the best deal on the market

Those are made by a bunch of my Mennonite relatives as well. I got the custom one because I want to put it into an outdoor kitchen in the next year or so and the stainless is some insurance against rusting out and it will match the other stuff I want to do. That Yoder has the best electronics, has searing capacity, and it built like a tank. Put your order in now, they are in high demand.

I will buy a Yoder YS640 pellet smoker next. You cannot beat the versatility of these things. I've seen them in action multiple times and can't wait to have one. Making competition level meat has definitely gotten easier.

http://www.yodersmokers.com/ys640-pellet-grill.html