*Charcoal* BBQ/Grilling

blue note

gaz wac wrote: »

hey, anyone know if you can just buy closed cans or bottles in The Big Grill to go? Have free tokens but cant stay around drinking...cheers

I got a can from metalman brewery.

Amirani

Any reviews of Big Grill this year? Considering heading down over the weekend. Prices don't bother me too much, more that there's a decent selection of food vendors and good amount of talks/demos.

twerg_85

Amirani wrote: »

Any reviews of Big Grill this year? Considering heading down over the weekend. Prices don't bother me too much, more that there's a decent selection of food vendors and good amount of talks/demos.

Went yesterday. Good vibe and nice to wander around for a while. Tomahawk lamb chop was delicious. Ribs from a demo by Tesco were lovely too. Kinara was very tasty (10 quid though).
Think there are better demos today and if price not an issue , the offside for €30 looks interesting.

Overall impression was 'grand'. Expensive for what it is.
F.

Muahahaha

Just on the Big Grill token system- do they allow you to use tokens from the previous years event?

Gloomtastic!

Muahahaha wrote: »

Just on the Big Grill token system- do they allow you to use tokens from the previous years event?

I don’t know but I very much doubt it....

dingbat

I was at Big Grill today. First time there (had freebie tickets).

Very surprised there wasn't more retail stuff. One stall selling rubs & sauces. Would have thought it was an audience primed to drool over stands and demos from Weber/Green Egg/KJ/etc...

*shrugs*

wobert

I just bought the last one. Wanted to buy a big green egg but was told these are better.
Thanks for the tip.

dingbat wrote: »

Someone in the market for a kamado BBQ (e.g. Big Green Egg) might be interested to note that with the combination of a good GBP/EUR exchange rate and a new Kamado Joe model being brought out, there are perfectly good KJs being offloaded in the UK at decent oul' prices even when you add on the price of delivery to Ireland (and stupidly good prices if you get it delivered to NI).

Example: old model KJ Classic (18") for £755 incl. VAT http://www.abbeydaledirect.co.uk/clearance/outdoor-clearance/kamado-joe-classic-18/

surball

dingbat wrote: »

I was at Big Grill today. First time there (had freebie tickets).

Very surprised there wasn't more retail stuff. One stall selling rubs & sauces. Would have thought it was an audience primed to drool over stands and demos from Weber/Green Egg/KJ/etc...

*shrugs*

I think there was more retail stuff the very first year (2014 I think), the guys from aroomoutside.ie were there. Almost almost bought a Big Green Egg from them on the day. There has been nothing retail wise since then.

I enjoyed it yesterday. Went early and stayed for about 3hrs. We tried:
the beef rib in a blaa - I generally like beef ribs, these were pretty nice
Red pepper lamb tomahawk – beetroot tazkinki – pickle cabbage and fresh herbs - a real highlight from Jack May - https://www.instagram.com/p/Bms4RmgFFXR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
the smoked goat rendang - really good, served with delicious roasted aubergine
burger from box burger - that was pretty poor.

What I find really good about the big grill is seeing the BBQ's and how they are setup and also how different things are cooked. For example last year there was a chap cooking mussels direct on the coals and smoking some trout that he had hanging over the fire. Looked great and tasted fantastic.
I dont go looking to eat my whole dinner, just to have a taste of three or four things. If you look out also they have earlybird tickets, mine cost 20quid for the two of us.

neris

Finally got time yesterday to try a 2nd smoke on the Landmann offset I got a few weeks back. Tried a pork neck this time. Once again the heat was very poor in the smoke section while the fire box was roasting. The thermometer was barely registering heat over 100 degrees. It did get to 150 for a few minutes but dropped back and never got that high again. I used Webber briquettes with hickory chips but the briquettes were burning very quickly. I'm giving it one more chance as a smoker next time by packing it with coals to see if the heat builds and flows through otherwise I'll just have a spare grill lying around

Johnnyhpipe

neris wrote: »

Finally got time yesterday to try a 2nd smoke on the Landmann offset I got a few weeks back. Tried a pork neck this time. Once again the heat was very poor in the smoke section while the fire box was roasting. The thermometer was barely registering heat over 100 degrees. It did get to 150 for a few minutes but dropped back and never got that high again. I used Webber briquettes with hickory chips but the briquettes were burning very quickly. I'm giving it one more chance as a smoker next time by packing it with coals to see if the heat builds and flows through otherwise I'll just have a spare grill lying around

How is the seal around the door? I bet you’re getting most heatloss through a poor seal there. I think there’s some good repair vids on youtube

bamayang

neris wrote: »

Finally got time yesterday to try a 2nd smoke on the Landmann offset I got a few weeks back. Tried a pork neck this time. Once again the heat was very poor in the smoke section while the fire box was roasting. The thermometer was barely registering heat over 100 degrees. It did get to 150 for a few minutes but dropped back and never got that high again. I used Webber briquettes with hickory chips but the briquettes were burning very quickly. I'm giving it one more chance as a smoker next time by packing it with coals to see if the heat builds and flows through otherwise I'll just have a spare grill lying around

Silly question, but is that C or F? 150C would be the top end of what a smoker would normally achieve isn’t it?

Johnnyhpipe

bamayang wrote: »

Silly question, but is that C or F? 150C would be the top end of what a smoker would normally achieve isn’t it?

Good point - I just assumed he was talking F! If that’s C then yer sorted!

neris

It's 150c but it doesn't hold at that temp. 100c seems to be max. Googled about sealing up etc and few other things may have affected the heat. The smoker was in an exposed part of the garden on Thursday and it was very windy and showery. I think I'll need to seal between the 2 chambers & around the chimney stack. I think the the fuel grate maybe a little low aswell so need to raise it a few inches

tomo75

On Something totally different....I have a Broil King Gas BBQ, given to me as a (used) present from father-in-law. 
Anyway, There are two height settings for the cast Iron grates - I have always used the higher setting - what would the lower setting be used for?
Tomo

neris

Smoked a beef brisket late yesterday evening. briquettes and Webber mesquite chips. Was a long thin cut which was a bit disappointing, dried out slightly around the edges and burnt in part nearest the heat but middle of it was nice for breakfast this morning. Left it to brine for 2 days in coke & onions then put a rub of pepper, salt, mustard, garlic & parika on it. Started it about 6:30 and left it for 3 hours then wrapped it in foil. Still having trouble getting the heat up in the main chamber so I left it in the smoker for the night as wasnt a huge amount of time left in the coals.

Markcheese

Johnnyhpipe wrote: »

How is the seal around the door? I bet you’re getting most heatloss through a poor seal there. I think there’s some good repair vids on youtube

What do people use to seal up the doors? I tried using a heat resistant mastic, which promptly cracked and came off.. And then a rubber seal (ahem). Half melted on and half fell off..
Gonna use an old duvet or something to wrap around the smoke box and try keep the temp even.

janja

Has anyone been able to buy this lumpwood charcoal recently I tried the South African shop and woodfuel.ie both out of stock want to stock up for the winter
Thanks

Dizzyblonde

Janja since you weren't getting replies I merged your question with this BBQ/Grilling thread, maybe the lads here will be able to help.

surball

janja wrote: »

Has anyone been able to buy this lumpwood charcoal recently I tried the South African shop and woodfuel.ie both out of stock want to stock up for the winter
Thanks

I bought some weber stuff from http://arboretum.ie recently.

BailMeOut

janja wrote: »

Has anyone been able to buy this lumpwood charcoal recently I tried the South African shop and woodfuel.ie both out of stock want to stock up for the winter
Thanks

it is so effing annoying that charcoal is considered seasonal in Ireland.

Brian?

BailMeOut wrote: »

it is so effing annoying that charcoal is considered seasonal in Ireland.

Its a pain in the hole.

BailMeOut

anyone ever order Big K from Nisbits? Seems like good value.

https://www.nisbets.ie/big-k-restauraunt-grade-charcoal-lumpwood-15kg/cr951

https://www.nisbets.ie/big-k-lumpwood-charcoal-10kg/cm826

beertons

janja wrote: »

Has anyone been able to buy this lumpwood charcoal recently I tried the South African shop and woodfuel.ie both out of stock want to stock up for the winter
Thanks

Try www.sausagehut.ie

Shakey_jake

Got some pork belly ribs on

Photos to follow lol

surball

bbari wrote: »

Thanks.
They charge £20 for delivery and it works out €260 when its €275 here.

If you haven’t already picked up the Weber master touch 57cm I got one this week for €210
delivered. I was able to price match on gooutdoors. They will knock another 10% off the price they match on. I purchased

https://m.gooutdoors.co.uk/weber-mastertouch-gbs-57cm-barbecue-p417867

using the price £199 on https://www.riversidegardencentre.co.uk/new-weber-mastertouch-57cm-slate-blue-2015.html

Slightly awkward ordering process. Involved one or two phone calls.

bbari

Thank you but i got one at the time from Hillsmount in the north for stg 215 (euro 245). However the price included the chimney starter pack which worth eur 25 and its really handy.

martinr5232

Shakey_jake wrote:

Got some pork belly ribs on

Shakey_jake wrote:

Photos to follow lol

Are they done yet :-)

Muahahaha

Can anyone recommend a bbq cover for a kettle bbq? Weber ones dont seem to get great reviews and are pretty pricey. Theres a couple on Amazon for around 15-20 quid has anyone tried them last winter? Are they durable to last a few years or do the cheaper ones just get ragged after a single winter?

RonTon

I got one in Dairygold co-op (4homes) during the summer , quality is v good ,they had them for kettle and other size bbq’s but they were pricy ,think they were €40-50 , now I don’t know would they still have them in stock at this time of year...

Captain Red Beard

Muahahaha wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a bbq cover for a kettle bbq? Weber ones dont seem to get great reviews and are pretty pricey. Theres a couple on Amazon for around 15-20 quid has anyone tried them last winter? Are they durable to last a few years or do the cheaper ones just get ragged after a single winter?

I got one in homebase, I think the brand is Outback.