*Charcoal* BBQ/Grilling

Huntergonzo

Johnnyhpipe wrote: »

Some other tips:

Make sure your smoker has a thermometer in the lid.

Keep smoker temps around 225-250 farenheit. Don't be tempted to raise this or your meat will cook too quick and will be hard, dry and in the bin! You want low temperatures for a long slow cook.

Use a good dry rub before smoking

Dont keep opening the lid to look at it!!! (Im guilty of this too!)

Dont use too much wood with the charcoal. 2-3 small chunks is more than enough. Too much smoke tastes bitter and manky.

The meat wont absorb much more smoke beyond an internal temp of 150-160 farenheit. So a lot of guys wrap with heavy duty foil at that stage with some liquid. Google 'texas crutch'. If you're in trouble at this stage then since you've already "smoked" it, you could cheat and throw it in the oven (in the heavy foil). Say nothin!

Judge "doneness" by internal temperatures - not time.

Brisket can be hard to get right as its very thin one end and thick at the other - but you want both ends to cook evenly.... Maybe you'll be fine... but do a practice run and dont do your first brisket with 10 hungry friends standing around while you try to explain to them why its going in the bin!


Get a weber charcoal starter

Use good coal. I use weber briquettes as they last long.

Use a water pan in the smoker to keep the air moist inside to stop the meat drying out.

Check out some youtube how-to's before you start!

Enjoy and show us some pics!

Thanks very much for all the advise Johnnyhpipe, I'll certainly be trying it alone first, the last thing I want is crowd of hungry people standing around on the promise of beautiful tender meat and me producing a lump of burned lead.

The temperature could be tricky though because there is a thermometer on the the lid but it's not set right, however it can be adjusted and I have an oven thermometer to correct it off.

Anyway I'll research youtube as you say, have a stab at it maybe next month and see how I go, looking forward to it :- )

oleras

Huntergonzo wrote: »

Thanks very much for all the advise Johnnyhpipe, I'll certainly be trying it alone first, the last thing I want is crowd of hungry people standing around on the promise of beautiful tender meat and me producing a lump of burned lead.

The temperature could be tricky though because there is a thermometer on the the lid but it's not set right, however it can be adjusted and I have an oven thermometer to correct it off.

Anyway I'll research youtube as you say, have a stab at it maybe next month and see how I go, looking forward to it :- )

And remember, if you think it will take 4 hours, it will take 6...:D

Its not a method of cooking to be rushed. Its done when its done.

twerg_85

beertons wrote: »

Do you cover it in sugar and salt to get the water out of it, or do you put it straight on the smoker?

I give it a wet rub with sugar,salt,dill and absinthe (or any anise drink I guess).

On a related note, if you cure a side of salmon for a day or two with salt, you get a texture somewhere between sashimi and cold smoked. Very tasty !

SVI40

If you're looking at slow cooking and smoking on your BBQ, forget about the thermometer in the lid, they are inaccurate. Get something like these.

http://www.thermoworks.com/Smoke

http://www.maverickhousewares.com/digital-remote-bbq-thermometers/

I got the Maverick 732, and the difference between the probe on the grill and the thermometer on the lid is over 50 degrees.

A really good site to check is www.amazingribs.com there is some really good info and recipes there.

Brian?

Johnnyhpipe wrote: »

I normally foil it with a bit of liquid around 150 (farenheit) internal temp. Stops it getting too smokey, dark and dry. Usually falls apart once internal temp hits 195 farenheit!

I stop my shoulder at 190 and foil it. Falls Apart with a nice bark. If it gets too dark and dry I'd say your cook temperature is too high. 195F is overlooked IMO.

The great thing about a shoulder is that it's very very forgiving once it's cooked at the right temp.


I do a crutche method sometimes. Wrap it in foil with apple juice at 160F and cook to 190F. It sacrifices the bark for time. Crutch or no crutch my pulled pork always falls apart. It needs to be tested for at least 30mins before pulling.

TL:DR: low and slow is a winner.

Brian?

Johnnyhpipe wrote: »

Some other tips:

Make sure your smoker has a thermometer in the lid.

Keep smoker temps around 225-250 farenheit. Don't be tempted to raise this or your meat will cook too quick and will be hard, dry and in the bin! You want low temperatures for a long slow cook.

Use a good dry rub before smoking

Dont keep opening the lid to look at it!!! (Im guilty of this too!)

Dont use too much wood with the charcoal. 2-3 small chunks is more than enough. Too much smoke tastes bitter and manky.

The meat wont absorb much more smoke beyond an internal temp of 150-160 farenheit. So a lot of guys wrap with heavy duty foil at that stage with some liquid. Google 'texas crutch'. If you're in trouble at this stage then since you've already "smoked" it, you could cheat and throw it in the oven (in the heavy foil). Say nothin!

Judge "doneness" by internal temperatures - not time.

Brisket can be hard to get right as its very thin one end and thick at the other - but you want both ends to cook evenly.... Maybe you'll be fine... but do a practice run and dont do your first brisket with 10 hungry friends standing around while you try to explain to them why its going in the bin!


Get a weber charcoal starter

Use good coal. I use weber briquettes as they last long.

Use a water pan in the smoker to keep the air moist inside to stop the meat drying out.

Check out some youtube how-to's before you start!

Enjoy and show us some pics!

This fella/lady/non binary gender person knows what's what.

niallam

My best smoke ever.....

Smoked 1/2 a cow today. Cut some in 2's and some as 4's. 6 and 9.5 hours respectively.
Oak & Cherry on a reverse flow stick burner.

budgemook

Cooked a piece of rib-eye beef yesterday using the reverse sear technique as seen on the Kamado Joe YouTube channel. Was very happy with the result.

Rubbed and ready to go. I cooked it at 250 - 275 F for about 1.5 hours, until it reached about 55 C / 130 C. The meat was about 3.5 inches thick.


Took it off from here to get the grill fired up.


2 minutes aside at about 700 F




Very tasty meat and the charred outside gave a really delicious flavour.

One thing that concerned me though is that I have noticed some rust around the top vent on the Kamado after only 2 cooks (both were in the rain). I keep it in the shed so i'll have to do something to prevent it getting worse. I will rub it in a little oil before I use it next.

niallam

€20 BBQ for really hot sear on a tomahawk steak. Couple of moves around on this homemade job and steaks were perfectly seared then 190c for internal temp of 60c

Rew

Grilling directly over a webber (or other) chimney starter gives your a seriously hot and cheap grill for steak searing, you can also use a hairdryer to fan the coals and get it insanely hot.

Sofiztikated

If my Mrs saw me going out to the garden with her hairdryer, I wouldn't be able to turn the steaks over, what with the men in white coats fitting me for a lovely tightfitting jacket.

BailMeOut

Rew wrote: »

Grilling directly over a webber (or other) chimney starter gives your a seriously hot and cheap grill for steak searing, you can also use a hairdryer to fan the coals and get it insanely hot.

what do you put on top of the chimney? Just a cast iron skillet?

Rew

BailMeOut wrote: »

what do you put on top of the chimney? Just a cast iron skillet?

You could do that but ideally steel grate similar to the bricks BBQ above.

Rew

Sofiztikated wrote: »

If my Mrs saw me going out to the garden with her hairdryer, I wouldn't be able to turn the steaks over, what with the men in white coats fitting me for a lovely tightfitting jacket.

I know what you mean, similarly should have seen the looks we got in work after sous viding t-bones and then climbing out to a flat roof with a blow torch...

BailMeOut

Rew wrote: »

You could do that but ideally steel grate similar to the bricks BBQ above.

isn't the cooking surface too small?

What niallam is doing to his tuna I really like.

Rew

BailMeOut wrote: »

isn't the cooking surface too small?

What niallam is doing to his tuna I really like.

Yeah potentially depending on what you want but for small numbers doing super hot rapid steak searing it's fine.

fourmations

quite surprised to see this coming up in aldi....

any thoughts on this thermometer lads?
i want it as an oven themometer to monitor the heat in my smoker
not as a meat thermometer

https://www.aldi.ie/crofton-digital-bbq-thermometer/p/094439137225700

cheers

budgemook

fourmations wrote: »

quite surprised to see this coming up in aldi....

any thoughts on this thermometer lads?
i want it as an oven themometer to monitor the heat in my smoker
not as a meat thermometer

https://www.aldi.ie/crofton-digital-bbq-thermometer/p/094439137225700

cheers

Can it be used as a meat thermometer?

BailMeOut

is there such a device that can remotely monitor the temperature inside the BBQ? I get that there are loads of devices that you can use to remotely monitor the temperature inside the meat you are cooking but I'd like a wireless version of the main BBQ thermometer (for my egg).

OldBean

Look for an environmental thermometer/probe - Some will work with your standard digital thermometers, you just need the probe itself.

ZaffizaKunt

BailMeOut wrote: »

is there such a device that can remotely monitor the temperature inside the BBQ? I get that there are loads of devices that you can use to remotely monitor the temperature inside the meat you are cooking but I'd like a wireless version of the main BBQ thermometer (for my egg).

I have this -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B014DAVHSQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495543183&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=ThermoPro+TP-08 - There are two probes on it, one for the meat and the other for the BBQ. Works great.

budgemook

BailMeOut wrote: »

is there such a device that can remotely monitor the temperature inside the BBQ? I get that there are loads of devices that you can use to remotely monitor the temperature inside the meat you are cooking but I'd like a wireless version of the main BBQ thermometer (for my egg).

The same thing that monitors the meat temp should work for the air temp too, no?

OldBean

The internal probes are a little too sensitive to reliably use for ambient temps. The ambient/environmental probes are made a little thicker to get a more accurate read.

Johnnyhpipe

Most of the better thermometers seem to have a thinner meat probe and a thicker probe which clamps to the grill. You can get them on amazon for about 20-30 quid.

niallam

I use a Maverick ET 732.
Great piece of kit.

BailMeOut

ah...I had not realised two probes came with some of them. Thank you for the info and going to get shopping now.

ZaffizaKunt

Currently in the middle of my first ever smoking session. Ribs on the kettle since 11.30am so an hour or two left hopefully.

Been out in the garden all day and the smell of smoke is fab. Beer in hand and sun shining. Our US, Ozzy and tropical cousins around the world don't know how lucky they have it with good weather to sit out and enjoy this whenever they want!!!

Johnnyhpipe

ZaffizaKunt wrote: »

Currently in the middle of my first ever smoking session. Ribs on the kettle since 11.30am so an hour or two left hopefully.

Been out in the garden all day and the smell of smoke is fab. Beer in hand and sun shining. Our US, Ozzy and tropical cousins around the world don't know how lucky they have it with good weather to sit out and enjoy this whenever they want!!!

How'd it go?!

oleras

The day that was in it, BBQ time.

Lets try The king of slow, Brisket.

Its a terror to find, our brisket is different from the yanks, we dont let the beasts grow as big and our slaughtering process is different it seems so we dont get the American style point and flat, packer stlye that comes in at 14-20lbs.

This icke one was only 2.5kg. €20.00 worth.



Smoke was rolling @9am, mesquite wood.



Rubbed and ready to go on. 40g seasalt, 20g peppercorns and 10g wicked blends piri piri rub.



Around 6hrs later @250c it was ready to wrap, internal was 160c



Another 3 hrs and it was ready to come off.



All that juice was saved, fat was seperated and added back into the leftoves.

My first time cooking brisket and was happy with how juicy it stayed.





Chopped it up and a bit of BBQ sauce.





So much leftovers !

longshanks

Ok folks, today I picked up a spotless, food grade steel barrel from a very nice man in Kilkenny, tomorrow I'll pick up some pipe nipples, elbows and ball valves etc. Then I start burning and drilling and assembling.
I haven't seen the steel grills for cooking on anywhere local so if anyone can tell me where they are available I'd appreciate it.
Also, I was thinking of using one of these as the charcoal basket (maybe drill a few holes on the bucket to let air in, ash out) instead of having to fabricate one from expanded metal sheet. Any reason why this would be a bad idea?
I've watched a few youtube videos so I'm taking some info from there and making the rest up as I go along.