BBQ and Grilling megathread

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

In the spirit of this thread, I'll aim to get through it by summer. The tank is in pretty good visible shape, but it won't be sitting around for long either.

I actually have a good backup plan. My dad is going to Costco to fill his and offered to take mine as well. THEN he offered to grab a new cylinder and fill it if they wouldn't fill the cylinder in question. The old man is a good one.

The tanks are like $40 and less than $10 to refill at Costco, so it's not even that expensive. I get around 8-16 hours of heat from my patio heaters on these tanks and I've been thinking to keep a spare filled tank on hand so when the heater uses up the first tank, I can refill the other at my leisure.

On a sort of BBQ note, last year my neighbor was talking about how excited she was to replace her tiny BBQ with a Traeger smoker. Then Covid happened, but I haven't seen a Traeger in her back yard. I'm disappointed. I was looking forward to the occasional smells of a Traeger smoking meats all of last summer.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

The tanks are like $40 and less than $10 to refill at Costco, so it's not even that expensive. I get around 8-16 hours of heat from my patio heaters on these tanks and I've been thinking to keep a spare filled tank on hand so when the heater uses up the first tank, I can refill the other at my leisure.

My folks seem to "need" to go to Costco every couple of weeks, and are all too happy to take my tanks to refill. Co-op wants about $22 for a fill from empty (20lb tank), so it isn't even close. Especially if I have propane mules for parents.

Steering us back a little bit, I picked up a couple of these 9x13" aluminum trays for my convection/toaster oven and I would highly recommend them if you like cooking things on the BBQ but don't necessarily want to grill or use a basket. Mushrooms with some butter, salt, and pepper, for example.

My shelf is 7" deep, so this overhangs by 2" but is in no danger of falling, it works really well and gives me more real estate.

Apparently non-stick coatings on other cooking sheets shouldn't be used over 400-425°F, but plain old aluminum is just fine. They aren't non-stick per se, but you shouldn't be cooking that dry anyway. And they clean up easily, and they don't have to be babied.

I also like pan frying potato chunks in a cast iron skillet and they turn out nice and crispy. They take a while though, so start those early.

[username]

Question for the group here: Has anyone converted a Weber bbq from propane to gas? I went to BBQs Galore and they said that Weber doesn't officially "allow" it, so I couldn't purchase a conversion kit. Has anyone accomplished this, unofficially? If so, do you mind sharing the wizardry used to do this?

[Two Fivenagame]

Recently bought "Cowboy" brand charcoal from Lowe's and it was terrible. It was basically gravel with little chunks of plywood. You get what you pay for I guess.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Two Fivenagame

Recently bought "Cowboy" brand charcoal from Lowe's and it was terrible. It was basically gravel with little chunks of plywood. You get what you pay for I guess.

Cowboy charcoal. Yup, it's made with bits of real cowboys, so you know it's good.

[Jimmy Stang]

Propane update (because you're dying to know!): Costco wouldn't fill my tank manufactured 04-11. Guy said that it technically expired at the end of March, not April, as per their policy. I had instructed my propane mule parents not to put up a fight since they were willing to get me a new tank and fill on their visit anyway, and they did. And my new tank was manufactured this month, so I'll get the max life out of it. Costco kept the old one too, so that's one less thing to take care of.

I think that I originally acquired that tank years ago from a disgruntled man outside of the Mac's store in my neighbourhood. His daughter was moving out of province, couldn't put it on the moving truck obviously, and Mac's wasn't giving him his deposit back from the Tank Traders program (not sure how that even works). He was annoyed, asked me if I used propane, and said that he's rather me have it than "these bastards in here". It was nearly full too. So it really owes me nothing, that tank.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by username

Question for the group here: Has anyone converted a Weber bbq from propane to gas? I went to BBQs Galore and they said that Weber doesn't officially "allow" it, so I couldn't purchase a conversion kit. Has anyone accomplished this, unofficially? If so, do you mind sharing the wizardry used to do this?

i have never done this and after looking at this website, it seems like a pain, but here is a starting point for you:

https://tvwbb.com/threads/how-to-gas-conversion.82839/

[Incogneto]

I bought a traeger.
I made ribs.
I was un-impressed.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Semi-related to our thread: Does anyone know if propane cylinders expire at the beginning or the end of the month that they are marked?

Coincidentally, I have a cylinder that is marked April 2011, and they expire after 10 years. So... have I missed my chance for one last fill, or will I slip in just under the wire?

Just take it to 7-11 or similar to exchange and 90% of the time the person doesn't check the expiry so you trade your expired tank for a new one, and then it'll go back to Tank Traders and get recertified.


Funny story, at my previous job we acquired a company that had a contract to do propane tank re-certification in the summer as a side business. (We eventually divested that part of the business). Our policy was that everybody had to do drug tests before being hired. 90% of the kids that were hired for summer season to do propane tank recertification didn't come back on day 2, but my favourite was the kid that when asked why he wasn't going to sign the offer responded "I just really love to smoke weed man".

[Canadianman]

Originally Posted by Incogneto

I bought a traeger.
I made ribs.
I was un-impressed.

How did you do them? What didn't you like?


Come on man, you've got the sum of human knowledge at your fingertips, there's no excuse for not improving.

[Incogneto]

Originally Posted by Canadianman

How did you do them? What didn't you like?


Come on man, you've got the sum of human knowledge at your fingertips, there's no excuse for not improving.

I have honed my Oven-ready ribs for years, and I call them the 'best ribs in western Canada.', so the Smoker ribs have a high bar to go against.

I tried a 3-2-1 recipe.

Any Traeger owners want to help out with a good method?

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Incogneto

I have honed my Oven-ready ribs for years, and I call them the 'best ribs in western Canada.', so the Smoker ribs have a high bar to go against.

I tried a 3-2-1 recipe.

Any Traeger owners want to help out with a good method?

What temps did you use? What kind of ribs? How did you wrap them? What sort of rub? Did you spritz? What kind of liquid if any did you use when you wrapped them?

[Sluggo]

Originally Posted by Incogneto

I bought a traeger.
I made ribs.
I was un-impressed.

I'm assuming you did pork back ribs you may have to cover them to keep them from drying out or adding some water when they are bowed side down. I also read that when smoking chicken you can put a few half apples or pears to keep them moist and add flavor I imagine that would also work on ribs too. Either that or you may need to cook them more so they are tender.

Currently isolated in a condo with no balcony for a grill and haven't made anything since October

[DFO]

Originally Posted by Incogneto

I bought a traeger.
I made ribs.
I was un-impressed.

Don't give up. Even mediocre smoked ribs are better than oven only ribs.

[Canadianman]

Originally Posted by Incogneto

I have honed my Oven-ready ribs for years, and I call them the 'best ribs in western Canada.', so the Smoker ribs have a high bar to go against.

I tried a 3-2-1 recipe.

Any Traeger owners want to help out with a good method?

I have a different pellet grill, but I find my ribs need closer to a 2.25-1.5-0.5, otherwise they dry out.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Weitz

What temps did you use? What kind of ribs? How did you wrap them? What sort of rub? Did you spritz? What kind of liquid if any did you use when you wrapped them?

This is exactly why I hate these discussions, so many factors. What type of chips were used? Comparing side ribs and back ribs is apples and oranges. Another reason is because so many people are convinced that there recipe, method, rub, timing is THE BEST!! Very few ever tried someone else's ribs or Brisket and thought they were better then their own. For me its my sauce I make that finishes everything off. Cause if you messed up somewhere along the way just smother them in sauce.

You have to experiment with different recipes until you've tweaked one good enough to produce a taste and texture that you enjoy. There is so much more to it then throwing a rack on the Traeger. I'm not going to go off and say its an art, however you have to know how the change the flavors to suit you taste buds.

[DownhillGoat]

I cheat with mine. Sous-vide at 62 °C for 48 hours. Chill then freeze for an hour. Then smoke. Say what you will but they're to die for.

Note: this is beef ribs. Not sure which you're doing.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by DownhillGoat

I cheat with mine. Sous-vide at 62 °C for 48 hours. Chill then freeze for an hour. Then smoke. Say what you will but they're to die for.

Note: this is beef ribs. Not sure which you're doing.

This is cheating??

[Wormius]

If your ribs take 2 days longer to cook by using a different method, yeah… that’s not technically cheating.

Cheating would be using a pressure cooker and finishing them off on the grill.

[Boblobla]

If they ####ing taste good it's not cheating. Purists be damned.