Off Topic Thread 5.0

Paul Smeenus · 26-04-2021 04:56PM

Yeah_Right wrote: »

I highly recommend getting a rotisserie for your bbq. Especially if you're entertaining. Nothing beats cooking a great big chunk of meat over open flames for a couple of hours while drinking beer.

I also recommend a smoker. You get to cook for the whole day (drinking beer) and it tastes fantastic. Your neighbours may hate you. Especially if they have washing on the line but that's not my problem.

Tell me more about this "drinking beer".

Neil3030 · 26-04-2021 04:59PM

Is a Big Green Egg worth the money?

mfceiling · 26-04-2021 05:20PM

Neil3030 wrote: »

Is a Big Green Egg worth the money?

There's a very good BBQ section on the food forum on boards. The lads there would see you right on advice for the green egg, cooking techniques etc.

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2055542022/1/#post59880959

b.gud · 26-04-2021 08:43PM

errlloyd wrote: »

The BBQ expertise here is coming in clutch.

I am just about to move to an apartment where I have direct roof access from my balcony. So I could store a BBQ on the balcony (but wouldn't want to grill there) and can wheel it out onto the roof to use.

Would a charcoal weber be best for that? Or is it hard to move them around once they're hot?

My initial thoughts were that the Charcoal Weber would be perfect for this but there are a couple of potential snags that you'd need to think about. Depending on how much charcoal you've pout in you would probably need at least a good hour for it to be cool enough to bring back down to your apartment. The other issue would be the charcoal in the bbq itself you would either need to wait for it to completely cool and empty it before bringing it down or be carrying still hot charcoal through the building. It should be fine but it wouldn't be an ideal scenario.

A small gas bbq wouldn't have either of these issues but would not be as neat of a solution and each time you want to use it you would have to bring up both the bbq and the gas container.

Former Former Former · 26-04-2021 08:57PM

pickarooney wrote: »

Just got a new house this weekend and a barbecue is top of the list of must-haves (the kids don't have beds yet but they can use a mattress while I shop for Weber's). I'm rubbish at starting fires, maybe a gas and a charcoal BBQ might be the way to go. That way nobody has to die of hunger while I fiddle with the flames and for bigger gatherings I can just let other people enjoy setting the fire. Those chimney things do make it a lot easier, that said.

If your kids are small, charcoal has the added risk of staying hot for ages. Pain in the hole.

I have a dual gas and charcoal bbq and use the gas bit probably 90% of the time. If I was having a big get together I'd fire up the charcoal.

steves2 · 26-04-2021 10:20PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Get one of the BBQ "chimneys" for coals which make it basically impossible to fail to start the BBQ.

https://www.weber.com/IE/en/accessories/what%27s-hot/must-have-accessories/7416.html

If you're still struggling after using one of these (you can get cheaper versions), give up BBQing and eat only Raw food as you are not worthy.

Supervalu had those chimney fire starter things for charcoal bbqs for only 8e. I got one from woodies years ago and wouldn't be without it to start my bbq, takes minutes to get the charcoal hot enough to start cooking.

molloyjh · 27-04-2021 02:11PM

Zzippy wrote: »

Getting good pizza is all about the temperature. Wood-fired won't get much hotter than gas, if at all, and you don't get any flabour from the wood IMO. The best pizza I've ever eaten was in Luzzos in Manhattan, one of the few remaining coal-fired ovens in NY. Gets much hotter, cooks much faster, and the dough gets much crisper on the outside while still nice and tender inside.

That depends on the gas. Ive an Ooni Pro and they use 37mBar which I can't get to over 380. You really need about 400+ for proper neopolitan pizzas. I get that from a wood and charcoal mix easy. Plus those temps clean the stone better as well.

For the record I love the Ooni. I dont use the BBQ at all anymore (I actually got rid of it at the weekend). I'll happily fire up the Ooni for burgers or steaks etc. They are great from it. Although I would like the try the sous vide thing for steaks at some stage too.

Neil3030 · 27-04-2021 04:29PM

On a related note, if you haven't yet fallen down a YouTube rabbit hole on the "Sous Vide Everything" channel, I heartily recommend.

Dave_The_Sheep · 27-04-2021 05:36PM

Neil3030 wrote: »

On a related note, if you haven't yet fallen down a YouTube rabbit hole on the "Sous Vide Everything" channel, I heartily recommend.

Just avoid the one where he sous vides something for a month. I'm not even joking.

How that guy hasn't had a heart attack yet is beyond me.

molloyjh · 27-04-2021 10:14PM

Neil3030 wrote: »

On a related note, if you haven't yet fallen down a YouTube rabbit hole on the "Sous Vide Everything" channel, I heartily recommend.

Well that's the next few days sorted so.....

aloooof · 27-04-2021 10:43PM

Speaking of YouTube rabbit holes, I'm definitely showing my age after falling down a lawn care rabbit hole...

thomond2006 · 27-04-2021 10:50PM

If you are looking for a YouTube rabbit hole, look up Ben Ferencz. An extraordinary man.

Zzippy · 27-04-2021 11:18PM

aloooof wrote: »

Speaking of YouTube rabbit holes, I'm definitely showing my age after falling down a lawn care rabbit hole...

A robot mower and spread a 3-in-1 feed May and August. Couple of hours work a year, let the mower do the rest. Thank me later.

awec · 28-04-2021 09:20AM

Zzippy wrote: »

A robot mower and spread a 3-in-1 feed May and August. Couple of hours work a year, let the mower do the rest. Thank me later.

Is that 3-in-1 stuff grand if kids are running about over it?

Ours needs seeded in parts and fed but our 2 are running about over it all the time so not sure if I'm wasting time doing it.

Zzippy · 28-04-2021 10:16AM

awec wrote: »

Is that 3-in-1 stuff grand if kids are running about over it?

Ours needs seeded in parts and fed but our 2 are running about over it all the time so not sure if I'm wasting time doing it.

Yeah, it's safe, small granules that disappear after the first drop of rain. If you're overseeding could you fence off those parts for a couple of weeks to give the new grass a chance? I'd also wait a month to seed, higher temps then will give better germination.

mfceiling · 28-04-2021 02:33PM

A bag of Richardson's 20 10 10 and a couple of lambs for pets.
In a few months the BBQ will be hopping with the smell of burnt lamb.

aloooof · 28-04-2021 02:36PM

Zzippy wrote: »

A robot mower and spread a 3-in-1 feed May and August. Couple of hours work a year, let the mower do the rest. Thank me later.

I'm extremely tempted by this, tbh. How does it handle extremely bumpy / massive hollows and dips? If I can get as far as getting it somewhat level this year, I'd be tempted...

28-04-2021 04:40PM

Arlene Foster heads off to her retirement wood heated shed.

She's has had a bad few years, most but not all her fault and the the list of potential replacements makes for some pretty grim reading.

hold my beer · 28-04-2021 04:43PM

Hard to be positive about the future of North South relations with all the unrest, and now upheaval.

The Inbetween is mine · 28-04-2021 04:46PM

I never believed there was much chance of a united Ireland happening .... today is the death knell for any remaining hope.

28-04-2021 05:00PM

hold my beer wrote: »

Hard to be positive about the future of North South relations with all the unrest, and now upheaval.

It's hard to know how things will play out but stepping back and looking at some of the bigger picture stuff might illustrate where things are trending.

In polling earlier this year, the DUP dropped 9% from the last election leaving them barely ahead of Alliance and a ways off Sinn Fein.

What's more interesting however is where those votes went which wasn't Alliance and instead the hardline TUV. Ousting Foster over gay conversion (and not the far more serious failures of the last few years) strikes me as a 'wait until the right moment' scenario and something they can sell to the ultra conservatives they've lost to the TUV.

But overall hardcore unionism is shrinking politically. Favourability towards a united Ireland has grown from an average of 20% pre 2010 to 43% this year which is a dramatic acceleration. The DUP have likely picked their battleground and are going to move to the right. They will be battling for voters that will absolutely never consider voting for a United Ireland and will alienate moderates and soft unionists who might.

I think we're in for some sabre rattling and potential destabilisation - but I also think the group most likely to suffer from Arlene's departure are the DUP and large U unionists.

awec · 28-04-2021 05:07PM

Remember that Irish political discussion is not allowed.

28-04-2021 05:20PM

awec wrote: »

Remember that Irish political discussion is not allowed.

Just to clarify in-case the discussion continues - is it ok to discuss Northern Irish / UK Politics or is it nothing relating to the Island of Ireland?

Dave_The_Sheep · 28-04-2021 05:23PM

That's a political question, Venjur.

Ban!

aloooof · 28-04-2021 05:26PM

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

That's a political question, Venjur.

Ban!

My brain read this as "that would be an ecumenical matter".

swiwi_ · 28-04-2021 06:11PM

RIP Michael Collins. Respect for being the man who didn’t get to walk on the moon. His book is a great read.

Bazzo · 28-04-2021 06:40PM

swiwi_ wrote: »

RIP Michael Collins. Respect for being the man who didn’t get to walk on the moon. His book is a great read.

He's up there with the big fella now

irishbucsfan · 28-04-2021 06:53PM

Always remember Collins because naming the three astronauts on the leaving cert was made easier by him sharing a name with our lad

EDIT: oh yeah, and the fact he flew hundreds of thousands of kilometres through space, risking his life, then all the way back, in order to progress science

Zzippy · 28-04-2021 10:25PM

aloooof wrote: »

I'm extremely tempted by this, tbh. How does it handle extremely bumpy / massive hollows and dips? If I can get as far as getting it somewhat level this year, I'd be tempted...

Our lawn is pretty level so I don't know but the better ones are designed to handle undulating surfaces and even steep slopes. Good idea to level it regardless. We've had ours 4 years now and it works away brilliantly, lawn is in great nick and I save hours every week I would otherwise be cutting grass.

awec · 28-04-2021 10:37PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Just to clarify in-case the discussion continues - is it ok to discuss Northern Irish / UK Politics or is it nothing relating to the Island of Ireland?

Any politics on the island of Ireland is a straight no.

Westminster politics it depends. If we think it's too hot, we'll nip it in the bud. Use your judgement, if you think it could annoy the UK based posters on here don't bring it up.

Boris Johnson's expensive taste in wallpaper is fair game.

Off Topic Thread 5.0

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