*Charcoal* BBQ/Grilling

OldBean

lordstilton wrote: »

I got my webber smokey mountain for 400 delivered from the UK.. I used planet bbq but there are plenty of other places

Cheers - that's much better than what I've seen online/in brick & mortar stores.

Dizzyblonde

Markcheese wrote: »

Did anyone get one of those aldi, smoker/bbq 's.? Any comments yet ?

Yes, there's a thread in the Food & Drink forum:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057585496

Brian?

OldBean wrote: »

Cheers - that's much better than what I've seen online/in brick & mortar stores.

I know there's a conversion kit you can buy to turn a kettle into a smoker, a cajun bandit. I don't think they'll deliver to Ireland though.

Markcheese

Ta, handy out...

fourmations

hi

so im smoking a 3kg shoulder tomorrow
i havent done one in years and last time it was on a wsm copy
i'm doing it on my cheapo offset that i got in aldi on thursday

the shoulder i got was boned at my request but not trimmed at all
i trimmed it so its not 3kg anymore
its not the lovely tidy shape you see on the US bbq youtube vids
its inconsistant thickness and has parts that are very thin
i assume i should tie it up?

im starting it at about 9am and it will be served at 6pm
it will be smoked as long as possible then its going in the conventional oven, i know its generally rested for ages, any advice, will i smoke it hot
and allow for the rest times or reduce rest times and smoke longer

im using lumpwood in a basket and hickory chips
any idea of how much chips to use and how often
im conscious of oversmoking as ive done it before
ive done cooks where everything justed tasted the same it was so smoky
ill be tending the firebox every 60-90 mins, do i do little and often on the hickory?

ive rubbed it well and its bagged in the fridge
do you bother with mops? bastes? sprays? water pans with apple juice? etc etc

thanks

4

Markcheese

fourmations wrote:

the shoulder i got was boned at my request but not trimmed at all i trimmed it so its not 3kg anymore its not the lovely tidy shape you see on the US bbq youtube vids its inconsistant thickness and has parts that are very thin i assume i should tie it up?

fourmations wrote:

im using lumpwood in a basket and hickory chips any idea of how much chips to use and how often im conscious of oversmoking as ive done it before ive done cooks where everything justed tasted the same it was so smoky ill be tending the firebox every 60-90 mins, do i do little and often on the hickory?

fourmations wrote:

im starting it at about 9am and it will be served at 6pm it will be smoked as long as possible then its going in the conventional oven, i know its generally rested for ages, any advice, will i smoke it hot and allow for the rest times or reduce rest times and smoke longer

I'm winging it a bit here but it',ll be a bit of a suck it and see affair.... because its a new smoker - could well be a case of getting a good hot fire in the box and playing with the controls for an hour or so ,
If you can tie it up ,do. If your going for a slow cook on a shoulder I wouldnt freak out about resting it for more than half an hour or so. once its had a couple of hours of smoke just focus on temperature...
I like the idea of basting or mopping on a marinade, but you dont want to be opening up the smoker very often ... so save that for the grill...

lordstilton

I always been told your wasting wood after the first three hours of smoking.. The meat won't take on any more smoke and you just going to give the meat a bonfire smell.. I hate being served over smoked meat.. The oven method will work.. Or you could smoke it in a tray.. After four or five hours tin foil up the tray sealing the meat inside.. Then up your temps, Texas crutch style.. You could even add some Apple juice to the tray before sealing.. You'll easily cook the shoulder in time using that method, you won't get a good hard bark though

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Bassfish

daveirl wrote: »

I've just moved back to Cork from the UK. Anyone recommend me some butchers that would know the American cuts of meat. i.e. I can go in and ask for a Pork Butt rather than have a long drawn out conversation with me explaining about neck end of the shoulder etc., etc. Likewise having slight trouble finding ribs that aren't pre-prepared and ready to be cooked.

Your best bet is the English Market, loads of expert butchers and in my experience they're only too happy to sort you out with less usual cuts and enjoy talking to people who know their meat. Best of luck with it.

Minder

Brian? wrote: »

Anyone think it'd be an interesting excise to list their equipment and what they primarily use it for? It could answer a lot of questions for people considering purchases

Big Green Egg XL. I use BGE branded white oak charcoal and a selection of chips for smoke flavour. Cook roasts, smoked ribs, wings and brisket. Baked a few loaves of bread on it and its great for pizza. Cooked two roast turkeys Christmas 2014. Last year cooked boned and rolled turkey legs and stuffed turkey carcasses. Have also used it for making slow cooked stews in the dutch oven, in the egg.

Recently took delivery of a small ceramic hibachi for grilling japanese style. Its a tiny setup but sure holds the heat. Its great for small skewers or fillets of fish. Doesn't take half a bag of charcoal to fill up and is portable enough to carry indoors and sit on the cooker top if the weather turns wet.

Next on the shopping list is a Vitcas wood fired oven and a larger hibachi with a few bags of binchotan charcoal. Can't have too many barbecues.

the beer revolu

daveirl wrote: »

I've just moved back to Cork from the UK. Anyone recommend me some butchers that would know the American cuts of meat. i.e. I can go in and ask for a Pork Butt rather than have a long drawn out conversation with me explaining about neck end of the shoulder etc., etc. Likewise having slight trouble finding ribs that aren't pre-prepared and ready to be cooked.

O'Mahony's in the English market is where you need to go. Ask for Eoin. He'll sort you out for any kind of cut of meat you care to dream up.
He's the only butcher I know who likes to be challenged regarding ways to butcher an animal.

OldBean

lordstilton wrote: »

I got my webber smokey mountain for 400 delivered from the UK.. I used planet bbq but there are plenty of other places

Ended up getting the Smokey Mountain 57 with a cover for about €500 from BBQS2U - It was the cheapest I could find and I'm a bit impatient. Still saved more than a few bob so thank you!

oleras

OldBean wrote: »

Ended up getting the Smokey Mountain 57 with a cover for about €500 from BBQS2U - It was the cheapest I could find and I'm a bit impatient. Still saved more than a few bob so thank you!

They seem to have some very competitive prices.

What way did shipping work out ?

OldBean

It was £412 and £48 for the shipping which is pretty alright. It's being shipped on a pallet, die later this week, but I won't be about to see it until the following Tuesday - will report in when it lands. I reckon I've about a day of seasoning ahead of me, then I'll stick a pork neck in.

Edit: Actually, the exchange rate wasn't as good as I had thought. Came in more around the 550 mark. Still better than then 650 - 800 asking price around Ireland.

beertons

Was window shopping today in Johnstown garden center, not that I'd purchase at their price. Very interested in bbqs2u now.

OldBean

If I wasn't as impatient as I was, I'd have waited until closer to the Brexit vote date/June 23rd - the Sterling is pretty sure to drop in the meantime.

That said, it was US $300 in a sale in Home Depot I walked into in the states a few days ago. Sharp increase, eh?

unklerosco

OldBean wrote: »

That said, it was US $300 in a sale in Home Depot I walked into in the states a few days ago. Sharp increase, eh?

The price of Weber BBQ's in the states compared to here is crazy..

Top end summit is $2529, €4500 here. Master Touch grill is $199, €390 here..

OldBean

Even the accessories are 4x the price. I understand it'll always be cheaper in the country of manufacture, and shipping plus Irish tax will stack up the price, but it shouldn't do that much damage.

It's a shame because it makes proper BBQ quite prohibitive when it's supposed to be quite a cheap and easy way of slow cooking.

ECO_Mental

ECO_Mental wrote: »

Just in B&Q today and their own brand (Diall) lumpwood 7kg charcoal was €10?! That's a crazy price increase they were selling it at €8 per bag last year. They are also selling the briquettes in 6kg bags for €12.

Lucky I bought 8 bags of lumpwood last September for €4/bag so I'm good for next couple of months buy I can't see myself buying much at those prices....

.

Just saw the sale in b&q for charcoal 2 for €16, hard to believe i got some for a quarter that price last year in b&q. That's insulting.. out of spite I won't be buying any more there.

Any suggestions anybody for charcoal at a decent price.

I was looking at accessories in new lands yesterday,
webber tinfoil pans 14euro...........they must be good

fourmations

hi

well i thought id report back
I did pulled pork yesterday

the addition of a coals basket make this very usable
it almost useless if you use the grate thats supplied as
theres very little distance between the grate and base
and it chokes itself out in the ash quite quickly,
(i bought a stainless shower accessory thingy in homestore & more)
using a basket allows you to keep good air through the coals
and keep the fire tall rather than spread out

quite easy to hold it at the magic 225- 250F but the fire needs attention
on the hour and uses a fair bit of fuel, i needed a hot clean fire

anyway I bought a full shoulder got it boned and trimmed off the fat cap
i divided it into two pieces to try reduce cooking times, rubbed it liberally
and rested overnight, it went on at midday and i did it for 8 hours
and then pulled it off the bbq and put it in the oven, i was running out of fuel
and light and sure all the smoking is long done by then, it was ready at midnight which is to be expected, it came out amazing and as good as anything ive had in a bbq restaurant, loads of "bark" as it was in two pieces

so basically it very usable with a basket added
the other mod thats common is to use a baffle
but this did not help at all rather hindered it
i think because the food chamber is so small its not needed
the heat was fairly consistant thourout the chamber
also a lot of people extend the chimney down to the grate
to keep more heat in it but the chimney on this is located on the end
and is mounted halfway down the drum and not on the top
so again i think that mod may be fruitless

time will tell it it falls apart but still well worth 80e imo

cheers

Shred

BrownFinger wrote: »

I was looking at accessories in new lands yesterday,
webber tinfoil pans 14euro...........they must be good

They're not cheap but they're also generally sold in packs of 10.

WeleaseWoderick

I have a Weber Spirit E210 that I use fairly regularly for cooking dinner but am interested in getting into smoking food over the summer.

Has anyone used the Weber smoker box accessory?

I was thinking it might be a cheaper way of getting into smoking at first instead of buying a dedicated smoker....

Brian?

WeleaseWoderick wrote: »

I have a Weber Spirit E210 that I use fairly regularly for cooking dinner but am interested in getting into smoking food over the summer.

Has anyone used the Weber smoker box accessory?

I was thinking it might be a cheaper way of getting into smoking at first instead of buying a dedicated smoker....

I wouldn't bother with a smoker box, I had one for my gas BBQ and quickly realised it was a waste of money. You can make smoke bombs with tinfoil, it's more effective.

Brian?

Excellent guide on smoking on a gas grill:

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/gas_grill_setup.html

OldBean

As above, I wouldn't bother with an offset smoke box on a gas grill.

Either use tinfoil or have a look at the entry level kettles that will allow you grill on charcoal as well as smoke food.



I got through a full neck on my kettle yesterday, charcoal lumpwood and applewood. Pulled it after it had dropped from 205f to 145f and it ended up beautiful. I threw in the sourdough on top of the still cooling grill just before serving to get it slightly charred to add some more crispness, even though the bark was pretty well formed.

Made a mustard/vinegar based sauce to go with, and there's not a bit left by this evening. Success.

alastair

After failing to buy a Weber Smokey Mountain on adverts at the start of the year (seller pulled it), and not being able to justify the spondooligs for a new one, I'm putting this out there - if you've a WSM (not the wee one) that you've been thinking of offloading - shout out. I'm looking to do a deal. Cheers!

unklerosco

alastair wrote: »

After failing to buy a Weber Smokey Mountain on adverts at the start of the year (seller pulled it), and not being able to justify the spondooligs for a new one, I'm putting this out there - if you've a WSM (not the wee one) that you've been thinking of offloading - shout out. I'm looking to do a deal. Cheers!

Pm me ur details, I may be changing mine soon..

connollys

alastair wrote: »

After failing to buy a Weber Smokey Mountain on adverts at the start of the year (seller pulled it), and not being able to justify the spondooligs for a new one, I'm putting this out there - if you've a WSM (not the wee one) that you've been thinking of offloading - shout out. I'm looking to do a deal. Cheers!

Would you try building your own smoker? we have an Ugly Drum smoker at home and its a great job. i say we, as my brother put it together following my direction as I wouldnt be the handiest man in the world but its pretty simple and gives great results.

alastair

unklerosco wrote: »

Pm me ur details, I may be changing mine soon..

PM sent.