Grilling

[ACamp1900]

So, did you get a pellet smoker? If yes, what did you end up getting? I am in the market.

Nah I went with the Pit Boss Memphis Monstrosity. A charcoal, gas and electric all in one. The only thing it doesn’t do is pellets lol. I think I may still get a pellet smoker tho. The one I got is good but the smoker box is fairly small. The homemade one I had in Cali was like ten times the size so that has been an adjustment. Here is the one I got:

 

[ACamp1900]

It’s okay, if I knew what I know now I’d have stuck with a pellet. Thinking of something like this to go with it:

Do all my smoking on that but my grilling on the beast.

 

[NDohio]

It’s okay, if I knew what I know now I’d have stuck with a pellet. Thinking of something like this to go with it:

Do all my smoking on that but my grilling on the beast.

That's the kind of thing I am looking at. I do my grilling on a charcoal grill (weber), but really want to start smoking.

EDIT: And my goodness, that is a beast!

 

[Irish Joe]

Nah I went with the Pit Boss Memphis Monstrosity. A charcoal, gas and electric all in one. The only thing it doesn’t do is pellets lol. I think I may still get a pellet smoker tho. The one I got is good but the smoker box is fairly small. The homemade one I had in Cali was like ten times the size so that has been an adjustment. Here is the one I got:

I have a Masterbuilt electric smoker I feel the exact same way about. It gets the job done, but I have to fill with wood chips every hour. I've loved my pellet smoker since I got it. Much easier to set it and forget it.

 

[ACamp1900]

The best part of my beast is the charcoal portion honestly. It has a nice adjustable level if it gets too hot,... easy to clean out. The propane is eh and while the smoker works well enough it’s just too small. I like to entertain and cook for friends/family and in Cali I could smoke a beer can chicken, couple racks of ribs, a plate of hotlinks, and a couple Tri tips and have room to spare. In this thing I can do Ike a rack of ribs and maybe our I’m lucky fit a bird on the side and that’s it

 

[Henges24]

I'm in the market for a combo grill & griddle w/ a lid that covers both methods.

Does anyone have one that they could recommend? Not having any luck finding much online.

 

[Irish#1]

Just bought this PitBoss 850 DX Series 840-Sq. Pellet Grill. Lowes had a sale, $150 off with free assembly and delivery, so I pulled the trigger. Got it primarily for smoking. First timer. I'm a fan of pulled pork so a Pork Butt will be my first go at it. Any advice fellas?

 

[ACamp1900]

Just bought this PitBoss 850 DX Series 840-Sq. Pellet Grill. Lowes had a sale, $150 off with free assembly and delivery, so I pulled the trigger. Got it primarily for smoking. First timer. I'm a fan of pulled pork so a Pork Butt will be my first go at it. Any advice fellas?

Play around with different pellets,… I find certain cheaper brands cause heat spikes etc,… I like the treagar apple or pecan pellets but I also have a different smoker.

Clean out your traps and the bottom of the smoker itself every few smokes,… the ash will build up and also cause heat spikes or temp variations,… hope you enjoy

 

[SWirishfan]

Brine your pork for 12-18 hours. This is maybe the single most important cooking step.

 

[FU BK]

Just bought this PitBoss 850 DX Series 840-Sq. Pellet Grill. Lowes had a sale, $150 off with free assembly and delivery, so I pulled the trigger. Got it primarily for smoking. First timer. I'm a fan of pulled pork so a Pork Butt will be my first go at it. Any advice fellas?

Ive got a pit boss pro series 1600. Love it, but pit bosses are known for uneven heat distribution. Watched a video on it and welded my own heat tent up at work. You can find them now on Amazon ad other places. Made a huge difference in how even it is across the grates.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

I just bought the RecTeq Flagship 1600 because we often do family meals with my parents/siblings/nephew/niece and it's fantastic. I've waited a year+ since my last one was taken out of service.

I smoked on a PBC (Pit Barrel cooker) for nearly a decade before smoking a hole in the bottom. I've also smoked a number of times on my dad's WSM (Weber Smoky Mountain).

I've paid my dues in learning to work coals and trying to maintain temps for long smokes but this Pellet smoker is the cat's pajamas. The app is easy to use, with such fine control. Smoke is highest between 220-240. Can program cycles (haven't done it) but the phone notifications for smoker temps or probe temps approaching presets is so nice!

I had it together in the first 24 hrs of delivery. I've smoked chuck roast twice, chicken thighs twice, ribs once and pork chops once. All have been excellent with room for improvement. I wet brined the chops for 5+ hours and probably should've pulled them sooner and they could've been enhanced with a bit more seasoning but I was afraid they'd be too salty. Instead, they had almost too much moisture. Ribs were great, smoked 4 hrs (because I couldn't leave work sooner), foiled with butter/brown sugar for 80-90 mins, then pulled and back on the grates for 45 mins while we waited for dinner. Thighs were great.

I can't speak to longevity but RecTeq is incredibly heavy duty. A friend of mine has the size smaller and he loves his as well. Definitely a long term buy and not the cheapest but I'm really happy so far. (I know my deck needs to be stained again, it's on the list)

 

[NDBoiler]

Just bought this PitBoss 850 DX Series 840-Sq. Pellet Grill. Lowes had a sale, $150 off with free assembly and delivery, so I pulled the trigger. Got it primarily for smoking. First timer. I'm a fan of pulled pork so a Pork Butt will be my first go at it. Any advice fellas?

Don’t F it up, rookie.

 

[Irish#1]

Don’t F it up, rookie.

It has the electronic controls and the app, so that should help me avoid too many blunders. lol

 

[pumpdog20]

Not to poo poo anyone's investment into the smoking/grilling game, but to anyone in the market... save your pennies and get a yoder.

 

[FOTY977]

Not to poo poo anyone's investment into the smoking/grilling game, but to anyone in the market... save your pennies and get a yoder.

I just upgraded my Yoder to a Workhorse 1975. I love the Yoder but the workhorse craftsmanship is just another level of incredible.

 

[pumpdog20]

I just upgraded my Yoder to a Workhorse 1975. I love the Yoder but the workhorse craftsmanship is just another level of incredible.

If you're telling me that there's a grill that is "another level" to a yoder, I freaking need to check this out!

 

[FOTY977]

It has the electronic controls and the app, so that should help me avoid too many blunders. lol

I promise an app will not save you The good news is pork shoulder is pretty hard to screw up. Get a decent quality piece of meat, don’t rush it, learn to cook to feel not time & temp and you’ll be in great shape.

 

[pumpdog20]

Appears to be an offset, rather than a pellet grill. But yeah, that is a nice looking grill.

 

[FOTY977]

If you're telling me that there's a grill that is "another level" to a yoder, I freaking need to check this out!

1975 Offset Smoker

Introducing the 1975 Offset Smoker from Workhorse Pits, our largest capacity offset smoker, designed for large-scale cooking. With robust construction, exceptional performance, and a host of included and optional features, the 1975 model is perfect for those who want to take their grilling game...

workhorsepits.com

Bonus link, the founder has a podcast with a former Franklin pitmaster who has all sorts of restaurant/commercial chops

Quetorials

I am fascinated and inspired by food cooked with fire.

youtube.com

 

[FOTY977]

Appears to be an offset, rather than a pellet grill. But yeah, that is a nice looking grill.

Yes, I am a masochist who needs to ruin my entire day not just cook good food.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Not to poo poo anyone's investment into the smoking/grilling game, but to anyone in the market... save your pennies and get a yoder.

I wish I could but I have too many other expenses and things in my life to fork out that much for a smoker right now. Maybe in 15+ years, when my kids are in the world but right now RecTeq hit the sweetspot for me.

Early impressions have me impressed and I know a more expensive smoker wouldn't make me better. It all comes down to prep, understanding of different meats and controlling the heat/smoke. Yoder and Smoker Bros Workhorse do represent the Lexus class.

 

[pumpdog20]

I wish I could but I have too many other expenses and things in my life to fork out that much for a smoker right now. Maybe in 15+ years, when my kids are in the world but right now RecTeq hit the sweetspot for me.

Early impressions have me impressed and I know a more expensive smoker wouldn't make me better. It all comes down to prep, understanding of different meats and controlling the heat/smoke. Yoder and Smoker Bros do represent the Lexus class.

Yeah, I was a dickhead for saying it. Rec Tec is a really good smoker. But I'll stop at Pit Boss is legit... kidding... maybe

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Yeah, I was a dickhead for saying it. Rec Tec is a really good smoker. But I'll stop at Pit Boss is legit... kidding... maybe

I'll be honest, I hadn't seen the Workhorse units until I saw the post above. Those things are sexy and look like they'd last a couple decades with just a little sheltering. They'll certainly be on my shortlist for the future. I'm definitely someone who tries to buy longevity and quality over the impulsive/immediate gratification so I can appreciate these more robust/expensive smokers even if it's not in the cards.

Coming from a PBC/WSM, I can't believe how easy it is.

 

[FU BK]

I wish I could but I have too many other expenses and things in my life to fork out that much for a smoker right now. Maybe in 15+ years, when my kids are in the world but right now RecTeq hit the sweetspot for me.

Early impressions have me impressed and I know a more expensive smoker wouldn't make me better. It all comes down to prep, understanding of different meats and controlling the heat/smoke. Yoder and Smoker Bros Workhorse do represent the Lexus class.

Yeah....fishing shit for me is way further up on the priority list. My pit boss gets hot and cooks whatever I put in it...lol...good enough for me

 

[Irish#1]

Yeah....fishing shit for me is way further up on the priority list. My pit boss gets hot and cooks whatever I put in it...lol...good enough for me

Since it’s just the wife and I and we don’t grill that much, I thought the Pit Boss was a good compromise between cheap and pricey. The wife got me a Blackstone last year so if I had spent too much I probably wouldn’t be posting here anymore. Lol

 

[NorthDakota]

Appears to be an offset, rather than a pellet grill. But yeah, that is a nice looking grill.

My dad has a nice pellet grill. Forget the brand. I like using it for burgers and such. I hate it for steak. I cooked him one on it for father's day since he really likes the thing. His steak turned out excellent medium rare.

I did not do nearly as well on my mother's steak or mine. Had to let it finish about ten minutes in the oven.

 

[Huntr]

I just bought the RecTeq Flagship 1600 because we often do family meals with my parents/siblings/nephew/niece and it's fantastic. I've waited a year+ since my last one was taken out of service.

I smoked on a PBC (Pit Barrel cooker) for nearly a decade before smoking a hole in the bottom. I've also smoked a number of times on my dad's WSM (Weber Smoky Mountain).

I've paid my dues in learning to work coals and trying to maintain temps for long smokes but this Pellet smoker is the cat's pajamas. The app is easy to use, with such fine control. Smoke is highest between 220-240. Can program cycles (haven't done it) but the phone notifications for smoker temps or probe temps approaching presets is so nice!

I had it together in the first 24 hrs of delivery. I've smoked chuck roast twice, chicken thighs twice, ribs once and pork chops once. All have been excellent with room for improvement. I wet brined the chops for 5+ hours and probably should've pulled them sooner and they could've been enhanced with a bit more seasoning but I was afraid they'd be too salty. Instead, they had almost too much moisture. Ribs were great, smoked 4 hrs (because I couldn't leave work sooner), foiled with butter/brown sugar for 80-90 mins, then pulled and back on the grates for 45 mins while we waited for dinner. Thighs were great.

I can't speak to longevity but RecTeq is incredibly heavy duty. A friend of mine has the size smaller and he loves his as well. Definitely a long term buy and not the cheapest but I'm really happy so far. (I know my deck needs to be stained again, it's on the list)

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I've got a dual fire 1200 that I've had for about a year and a half and absolutely love it. I use the hell out of it - pork and beef ribs, loins, chops, roasts, chicken, fish, vegetables, bread, cornbread, smoked chili, smoked bean soup, pizza. I've done a couple briskets on it and they were good, but I'm still perfecting that to my taste. Every time I smoke I have to also do a small meatloaf because that's one of my wife's faves. I get pork belly and make burnt ends that my daughter hoovers up like they're candy, I'll prob get the cold smoke box add on at some point because I'd really like to get into smoking some cheeses. I love my recteq.

 

[laughingirish92]

Just bought this PitBoss 850 DX Series 840-Sq. Pellet Grill. Lowes had a sale, $150 off with free assembly and delivery, so I pulled the trigger. Got it primarily for smoking. First timer. I'm a fan of pulled pork so a Pork Butt will be my first go at it. Any advice fellas?

i have a pitboss that i bought from walmart a few years ago and love but i mainly just grill on it like i'm getting ready to grill some skinless chicken breast strips and shrimp marinated with several seasonings i use

 

[IAIrish]

Brine your pork for 12-18 hours. This is maybe the single most important cooking step.

Disagree. Imo, brining is necessary only when you need to cover up the taste of meat. The best Duroc pork shoulders here in IA are well marbled- as long as you cook it low, slow and up to about 205, that fat liquefies and becomes melt in your mouth perfection.

I've played around with lots of methods of cooking shoulders and this is where I'm at. One thing trick i have learned; cover it with applesauce for the last 4hrs or so of cooking.