BBQ and Grilling megathread

[Jimmy Stang]

I really enjoyed last year. Got a new BBQ (nothing fancy - $400-500 range if memory serves). But I really enjoyed evolving into a decent griller (with much left to learn!). My old BBQ was quite crappy and old, which caused a lot of uneven heat, fire bursts, etc. due to the old corroding parts. With the old crappy BBQ gone, I had no excuse anymore and got a lot better with my technique.

I'm not against grilling in the winter, but the location of my BBQ and the amount of snow has put it on hold since about Christmas. I'm really itching to get it going again, not just for the food, but also for the ritual of the smells and sounds, and a glass of wine in my hand. Spring can't come soon enough.

Not sure where I was going with all of that, other than some wishful daydreaming.

So let's talk about rotisseries. Any reason I should or shouldn't be looking at something like this for chicken and the odd roast? My BBQ didn't come with one, but they are easily added obviously.

[Canehdianman]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

I really enjoyed last year. Got a new BBQ (nothing fancy - $400-500 range if memory serves). But I really enjoyed evolving into a decent griller (with much left to learn!). My old BBQ was quite crappy and old, which caused a lot of uneven heat, fire bursts, etc. due to the old corroding parts. With the old crappy BBQ gone, I had no excuse anymore and got a lot better with my technique.

I'm not against grilling in the winter, but the location of my BBQ and the amount of snow has put it on hold since about Christmas. I'm really itching to get it going again, not just for the food, but also for the ritual of the smells and sounds, and a glass of wine in my hand. Spring can't come soon enough.

Not sure where I was going with all of that, other than some wishful daydreaming.

So let's talk about rotisseries. Any reason I should or shouldn't be looking at something like this for chicken and the odd roast? My BBQ didn't come with one, but they are easily added obviously.

I love my rotisserie burner at the back of my BBQ. Completely eliminated flare-ups since the fat doesn't drip onto flame.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Canehdianman

I love my rotisserie burner at the back of my BBQ. Completely eliminated flare-ups since the fat doesn't drip onto flame.

So you're saying I need a new BBQ already? My wife will not be impressed.

A drip pan is necessary regardless of using the main burners or the special rotisserie burners though, right? I can picture that getting quite messy without.

[Canehdianman]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

So you're saying I need a new BBQ already? My wife will not be impressed.

A drip pan is necessary regardless of using the main burners or the special rotisserie burners though, right? I can picture that getting quite messy without.

Yes. I just use a disposable aluminum foil pan to collect drippings

[Canehdianman]

I'm not saying you _need_ a new BBQ, but RFD usually had a thread in the spring about the best BBQ deals.

Probably find one or two on there with a rotisserie burner....

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

When did grilling season end?

A while back

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by edslunch

A while back

Spoiler!

No bbq cover?

I shovel off part of my deck so I can get to the bbq.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

No bbq cover?

I shovel off part of my deck so I can get to the bbq.

Yah I am also lucky my patio faces the sun - so the bbq cover causes the snow to melt quick off the bbq. Then a quick shovel and boom! We're grilling again.

[Canehdianman]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

No bbq cover?

I shovel off part of my deck so I can get to the bbq.

Seriously.

Does he not own a shovel??

Does he not leave the house between October and April?

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Canehdianman

Yes. I just use a disposable aluminum foil pan to collect drippings

And make a gravy if wanted!

[Chingas]

Who has a pellet grill?

I have a decent propane bbq with a rear rotisserie horner but I am missing my smoker. I have done a lot of research online and am leaning towards a green mountain grill over the traeger for its pizza oven attachment and the wifi capabilities.

For those that have a pellet grill, do they provide an adequate amount of smoke or is one better off getting a true "smoker"? I used to have a bradley and we made some great stuff with it but I always thought that it was lacking in heat power.

Has anyone used a green mountain grill? What is your thoughts on the quality of the build? How about the pizza oven attachment? The thought of using the grill as both a smoker and a wood fired pizza oven is quite enticing.

[Hanni]

Smoking snobs or traditionalists will tell you that pellet grills are blasphemous, the fact is they work quite well. You can cook low and slow and get a pretty good smoke flavour or crank up and sear steak. I know 2 people with them and have had some really great smoked meat, brisket, whole chicken, beef ribs and pulled pork from them.

I own a Weber charcoal smoker so I went the more traditional way and really enjoy it, but if you want easy temperature control and the versatility of a smoker and a BBQ pellets seem to do both quite well.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by Chingas

.....for its pizza oven attachment and the wifi capabilities....

wifi for a BBQ? are you planning on setting up a webcam or something?

[GoinAllTheWay]

Grilling steaks (I know, here we go again). I've seen several times that you want the grill on high with the lid open. Makes sense in the summer but do people do that in the winter too?

[NuclearFart]

Originally Posted by Hanni

Smoking snobs or traditionalists will tell you that pellet grills are blasphemous, the fact is they work quite well. You can cook low and slow and get a pretty good smoke flavour or crank up and sear steak. I know 2 people with them and have had some really great smoked meat, brisket, whole chicken, beef ribs and pulled pork from them.

I own a Weber charcoal smoker so I went the more traditional way and really enjoy it, but if you want easy temperature control and the versatility of a smoker and a BBQ pellets seem to do both quite well.

I don't think its trivial snobbery, its just about the physics behind how the sawdust pellets burn under a plate. The big knock against pellet "grills" is not about smoking, its in the context of actually trying to grill - you can't have high heat and generate lots of blue smoke, because they're inversely proportional. The higher the heat the less good smoke the pellets produce, and vice versa, so you really aren't adding much smoke flavor when grilling. Furthermore the heat from pellet grills is almost exclusively convection, not the radiant heat required for a desirable sear, which is one of the main reasons to grill something in the first place.

Its more accurate to think of them as solid slow cook smokers like a Bradley, rather than a decent grill.

[bc-chris]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

wifi for a BBQ? are you planning on setting up a webcam or something?

my guess would be for monitoring temperature?

i know one of my buddies has a thermometer that he can monitor on this phone.

he was telling me that he could be in down town kelowna and would know if his smoker/meat was at the correct temp. i asked him what good it would do if his smoker was too hot/cold and needing adjusting and he was 'down town kelowna'?
he told me that wasn't the point! ha! ha!

my cooking thermometer has a wireless transmitter that sends the smoker temp and meat temp to a 'base unit'. i love it - it's nice to be able to know what's going on in the smoker without having to go out to my deck to check (and you can also set up temp ranges so if the smoker gets too hot/cool it beeps at you to go check the smoker)

[Slava]

I have a wifi thermometer and it’s pretty good actually. You can be doing whatever around the house and it lets you know when it’s done and how the progress. Obviously if you’re cooking burgers it’s not useful, but if you are doing a longer cook and have other things to do in the meantime it’s pretty good.

[Hanni]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

I don't think its trivial snobbery, its just about the physics behind how the sawdust pellets burn under a plate. The big knock against pellet "grills" is not about smoking, its in the context of actually trying to grill - you can't have high heat and generate lots of blue smoke, because they're inversely proportional. The higher the heat the less good smoke the pellets produce, and vice versa, so you really aren't adding much smoke flavor when grilling. Furthermore the heat from pellet grills is almost exclusively convection, not the radiant heat required for a desirable sear, which is one of the main reasons to grill something in the first place.

Its more accurate to think of them as solid slow cook smokers like a Bradley, rather than a decent grill.

Interesting, every knock I've read about them is that because they are pellets and not solid pieces of wood the smoke isn't the same, which isn't really my experience with the end product I've had from them. I hadn't considered the radiant vs convection angle, like I said I don't own one. Obviously the manufacturers claim that they can sear.

[NuclearFart]

Yeah I see that wood choice debate more as a matter of personal taste. The overwhelming majority of people go wrong in their smoking through poor temperature & time control, not their choice of smoke or style of smoker. Pellet smokers are a fine choice and make alot of sense for those of us with busy lives.

I think the whole Pellet grill label is more manufacturer marketing than anything, trying to broaden consumer appeal as a pseudo 2 in 1 device. You might as well just use your oven if you're not smoking with it.

[guzzy]

i have a pellet smoker, a masterbuilt digital smoker and a homemade double barrel smoker. They all work great for different reasons. i have a cooked a steak on none of them and I don't intend to try. I have a Vermont Castings grill, which i love, that i cook steaks and other grilled items. Pellet smokers are not good replacements for grills.

As for pellet smokers, they were work well. Set it and forget it. My double barrel smoker does amazing but stoking the logs, adjusting the flues etc every 20 minutes burns you out when you are smoking a brisket. I am usually to drunk to remember what i started, which is why i went to the pellet smoker.