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Quoted from djsolzs:What’s with the celery seed?
It contains a lot of nitrate which is what makes the reddish smoke ring on meat. The pork turned out great, but no smoke ring at all. I think I needed to let it sit on the meat a bit before smoking it and I did not. I may have knocked a lot off when mopping the meat for that matter. Ithink I'll try making a celery seed tea next time and adding it to the marinade
2 weeks later
Nothing fancy, but smoked some Costco Deli Macaroni with Apple Wood for ~45 minutes. It was really good...
4 Rivers Brats. Very good!
Jalapeno Poppers. So much easier to core from the top, but so much harder to tell when they are full of filling.
My newest toy. An A-Maze-N Smoker Tube. Testing it out now. So far so good. Feeding wood chips into an MES is a pain in the ass.
2 months later
Quoted from sawbill:That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the advice.
I smoked Ribeyes at a low temp once before finishing them on the grill. It definitely added flavor. I liked it. I'd think you could do the same with hamburgers. Hell, pop them in the freezer for a bit to chill them before smoking.
I highly recommend one of these. It turns a grill, or any other smoker into a pellet smoker. MY MES maintains the temp and this provides reliable smoke for hours without babysitting it.
4 weeks later
Quoted from golfingdad1:Pinsider in other bbq thread says possible scam....
Maybe delete the link??
1 month later
Anybody got a good stuffing recipe? I really like Costco stuffing, but I can only get it during Thanksgiving. I've tried the Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned but it always seems bland when I make it. I figured I'd add some Sage Sausage to spice things up this year, but if anyone has a good recipe, please let me know....
Quoted from mcluvin:Anybody got a good stuffing recipe? I really like Costco stuffing, but I can only get it during Thanksgiving. I've tried the Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned but it always seems bland when I make it. I figured I'd add some Sage Sausage to spice things up this year, but if anyone has a good recipe, please let me know....
Sage was what I was missing. I made Pepperidge Farms Herbed Stuffing and added a pound of Sage Sausage. That did the trick. I suppose you could just add some sage spice, but I think the sausage gave it some extra kick.
3 months later
Quoted from Jamesays:I am trying to find a good set or single thermometer for my smoker,anyone using something besides drip pans that came with the smoker to help keep clean.Any ideas
I use bulk foil pans from Sam's Club in my smoker. I wrap my water pan in foil as well, but it still can get nasty.
2 months later
Quoted from AntennaMan:Smoked a Porterhouse for the first time ever. 45 minutes in the WSM, then reverse seared on the grill. Why have I never down this until now? Always in the smoker from now on.
I love doing that, but my wife f'n hates it. Anyways, I like plain old grilled steak too. I just need some version of rare....
1 week later
Quoted from vid1900:The white sauce will terrify onlookers, but it's delicious
I've been making a copycat version of Pollo Tropical Curry Mustard sauce. I love that sauce with chicken.
Quoted from mtn-:You bastard. I've never heard of this sauce - you made me google it, and now Im probably gonna make it tomorrow after work.
It's really good! I don't even bother trying to smoke a chicken anymore. I just buy an already cooked $4.99 Rottiserie Chicken from Costco and dip it in this sauce. I've been playing around with variations on the ratio below. The real Pollo Tropical Curry Mustard sauce seems to have a bit more mayo in it. For the sake of calories I try not to go with so much. I have read that folks think the mayo is Duke's which is a traditional style mayo. The mustard is supposedly Gulden's Spicy Brown as empty containers of it have been found in their dumpsters and I don't know what else they would use it for. Let us know how it turns out.
4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Mustard
1 teaspoon Curry Powder
Quoted from RyanStl:That's no fun.
I know, but it's cheaper than I can do it myself and just as good, if you get a fresh one. With that sauce it tastes great. I can't so easily find pulled pork, ribs, or brisket that fit those criteria, so I invest the effort in those things.
They sell that chicken at a loss.
1 week later
Quoted from zermeno68:I love eating pickles and your brine interests me. I see you have peppers as well. How does that brine affect the outcome?
I’ve only brined with basic salt/water solution.
Chick-fil-A is pickle brined.
Quoted from RyanStl:I did not know that about Chick Fila A. I guess that's what separates them.
Rumor is that they pickle brine. The Members Mark Southern Style Nuggets are supposedly based off the Chick-fil-A nuggets recipe and those definitely have a taste of pickle.
2 weeks later
Publix has pork butt for $1.99/lb so I bought one (cheapest I've seen in awhile). I've applied a dry rub of curry powder and pepper and have it refrigerating overnight. Will stick it in the smoker tomorrow. I'm just experimenting. I really like curry powder and am interested to see what it does to a pork butt.
Quoted from RyanStl:Man, I don't downvote, but was close with this post. I hear ya with the pellet oven. May I suggest a simple Weber Smoky Mountain Smoker. Cheapest, best smoker you can get. You'll be making your own super good BBQ in no time.
Sometimes I just kinda like sitting on my back porch, having a beer and running the smoker without anything actually in it.
Quoted from RyanStl:That's totally cool, but you didn't just check out of the BBQ game like pinmister. When I have my BGE running it's set and forget too, except for the spritzing.
My point is that I just enjoy the experience, even if it doesn't turn out as good as the local restaurant. It's relaxing for me. But hey, different strokes for different folks right?
1 week later
If any of you use butcher paper and have a Publix nearby, they are blowing out the 75 sq. ft. pink Reynold's Wrap for $4.50. That's about half price. It's also gas card week in my area, so spend $50 on groceries (butcher paper counts), get $10 off a gas gift card.
3 weeks later
Quoted from vid1900:More clearance at Lowes
22" KETTLE JOE $199
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I just thought this was kinda hilarious. Their marketing pics for the Kettle Joe. When I get flames like that I'm running for the fire extinguisher.
2 months later
Quoted from Lethal_Inc:Would prefer not to use the brine method.
Most of them are already brined for you…
This year we're just doing the Costco Turkey Breast Thanksgiving Dinner plus some of our favorite sides. It's just a whole lot easier and stress free. I really like their stuffing. The mashed potatoes are OK. Turkey is turkey. The stars of our meals are the sides. More time for football and beer! Kudos to you folks putting in the extra effort though!
Quoted from RyanStl:I have heard others say this and I don't believe that store brine is anything like a wet brine that I do. I use lots of salt, brown sugar, honey, bay leaves, peppercorns, and cinnamon sticks boiled first to get a real nice flavor.
Oh, I'm sure it's nothing like what you do. But they are brined for the most part.
Quoted from romulusx:My bad.
According to this fella, you're right and I'm wrong. My bad...
Quoted from vid1900:Friend owns a smokehouse restaurant just called.
He is giving me $1000 gift card to work tonight. 80% of his line staff is out with covid, on his busiest night.
I'm fully vaxed, but I'm still wearing a mask - probably a new variant from hell will kill me.
Of course I already have my drink started; he sent a Lyft .
I'll steal all the secrets I can
If it's for restaurant.com, it ain't worth it....
Quoted from vid1900:Off to a good start.
Kitchen manager woman just asked "Are you drunk???"
Ask her to define drunk...
Quoted from RyanStl:I think we may need a new thread.
Somebody usually starts a Thanksgiving thread by now...
Quoted from vid1900:These got a super thin coating of what tasted like mayonnaise with paprika mixed in.
"Very thin coating, but must be 100%"
How about some pics of the finished product? You can sleep later 
4 months later
Went to the beach today and somebody dumped a Weber Genesis at a clothing donation bin. The frame was trashed, as usual, but the rest of it looked fine other than being dirty. I have the exact same NG model but no NG at my home. This would have been a perfect donor to convert to propane, but I didn't have my tools or room in the car.
Quoted from Sheev_Palpatine:I cant wait to be able to smoke again. My Traeger has 2 feet of snow on it since Nov and we are supposed to get another foot this week. Been a long winter...
I hope you have some awesome scenery to make up for that. The beach was so damn nice with 76 degree temps and a nice, cool breeze. I drive inland to where I live and it's 85 and hot as fu** with no breeze.
Quoted from Sheev_Palpatine:The ice planet Hoth from Empire Strikes Back has better scenery
Well then, I'll give you an upvote and hope for warmer weather for ya!
Quoted from zermeno68:Any fair warnings in advance I should know about for this quality of meat?
My first brisket turned out somewhere between shoe leather and jerky. Pork Butt is very forgiving. Brisket is not.
3 weeks later
Gordon's Wings about to go on the smoker. Quick tip, if your electric smoker is popping the GFCI, take a brass brush to the plug. Any corrosion will make the GFCI pop.
My pellet tube kept going out so I tried to keep it going for the entire 2 1/2 hours. So 2 1/2 hours at 225, then 10 minutes in the oven at 450. They turned out crispy enough for me. And no shi*, buy your wings at Gordon's if you have one. They are huge! Thank you Jaybird815 for that rtip. $18 for 10 pounds...
Just turn your head sideways...
Quoted from zermeno68:Hot dang!! Those look good and the price you got for those big wings is a super steal! My local Walmart has them for $4.10 lb!! Let’s not even talk about how much my Albertsons charge.
You had me questioning it, but I just checked my receipt. Yep, $1.80/lb. No Gordon's near you I'm afraid. I hate shi**y , small wings...
Quoted from beergut666:I do 1 cup mayo, 1/4 cup sour cream, juice of one lemon, like 40 cranks of fresh cracked black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of Worcester, and 3/4 cup of blue cheese. This is a pretty chunky recipe, more of a dip than a dressing. If you want to use it on salads you could thin it out with some cream or half and half.
Thanks! I'll give it a try. My local Mojo's has the best blue cheese dressing I've tried and I am certain they make it in-house. It is very chunky. Nothing store-bought even comes close...
Quoted from RVH:Jumbo wings at Restaurant Depot were $1.25 a pound last time I bought them. 40 Lb box of wings for $50.
I wouldn't know what to do with 40 pounds of wings. Are they huge though? All kinds of small wings out there. Gordon's wings are huge...
Quoted from romulusx:GFS has great Jumbo wings! My local is $12.99 for 4lbs.Holy Voodoo the night before cook uncovered will help with crispy wings
That's the one thing I hate doing when it gets hot, turning the oven on. My electric smoker just can't hot enough to do the crisping.
I only marinated these for ~1 hour. It's a real good wing recipe, though I went lighter on the salt. All kinds of flavor.
Quoted from Evets:An easy regular in the dinner rotation. Forty five to fifty minutes at 225 (for pellet smoke) then up to 385 until done, for crispy skin.
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Nice grates! Mine are crap...
Quoted from PinMonk:We use a lodge chainmail scrubbing pad to keep ours relatively clean (also for our vintage cast iron skillets):
amazon.com link »
That would wear right through my crappy ass MES grates, which I've already done. The smoker has been solid, but the grates are cheap Chinesium.
Quoted from Evets:They're only one year old, if that helps. They've seen plenty of use, but I usually clean them up right away.
They look like good stainless. They are a bit thicker. I've got that on my grills, but not on my smoker.
Quoted from vid1900:70th anniversary special edtion 22" Webers' in crazy 50s car colors. $295 w/Free assembly (if you trust a teenage clown not to scratch it all up)
I'd prefer a discount if I assemble myself. They will scratch it up and over/under-tighten screws.
Quoted from vid1900:In most parts of the world, for 1000s of years, you just build your own Tandoor.
Maybe $50 ($100 bucks to build a really nice one)....so cheaper than a SV
You can make it in a steel garbage can, or a big ceramic pot.
In the States, the cheapest place for a giant ceramic pot is Ollie's Discount Outlets. Huge, fancy glazed pot is $50, and if it has any chips, it's 50% off:
I've seen videos of guys actually digging a hole and doing it. I love the idea, especially for space savings, but then I think of all the fertilizer and pesticide that goes into my lawn. Above ground is probably the way to go. Very cool idea!
Quoted from vid1900:I probably wouldn't worry too much about pesticides, I've measured 950 degrees Fahrenheit with a laser thermometer.
But then I'm maybe breathing the fumes. IDK? Still, cool idea!
Quoted from beergut666:I do 1 cup mayo, 1/4 cup sour cream, juice of one lemon, like 40 cranks of fresh cracked black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of Worcester, and 3/4 cup of blue cheese. This is a pretty chunky recipe, more of a dip than a dressing. If you want to use it on salads you could thin it out with some cream or half and half.
What brand of mayo and blue cheese crumbles do you use? Just made this and it was great but I think the Duke's mayo overpowered my Salemville crumbles a bit. Some reviews suggest the Salemville crumbles are mild compared to others and Duke's is a stronger tasting mayo IMO. Thanks!
1 week later
Quoted from Haymaker:pitboss makes them from what I understand. Not much better than Treager.
I've got a big bag of Traeger pellets I'll probably end up giving away. The meat tastes fine, but there is something offputting about the smell of the smoke.
Quoted from vid1900:It looks like it's back in stock.
Working in Firefox right now. Some guys on the BBQ forum said it would not work in Chrome
Could be a targeted code that you might have already used if you got the $5 wood moisture meter...YMMV
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Can't get it to work in Bing either. Who should it be sold by for the code to work?
Quoted from PinJim:WindWind for the win(d), thanks all![quoted image]
Just think of that thing you make after eating smoked meat and having a few drinks
Quoted from PinJim:Winds of change your shorts.
You are not a man until you’ve shi* your pants…
Quoted from aobrien5:Any way to solve juices dripping out the door on this Masterbuilt (other than buy a nicer smoker)? Door seems pretty tight, but I could try adjusting it tighter?
What are you smoking? I have a Masterbuilt and that has never happened to me.
Quoted from aobrien5:Very strange. I'll check the drain from the inside when it cools down.
[quoted image][quoted image]
Look at the pic. There is a severe bend tipping towards that corner.
Quoted from aobrien5:I don't think that's a bend. That's a water trail leading back to the drain. That's what I was trying to get a pic of. Just poured a bit of water there to confirm it flowed the correct direction and it did. But then I saw this.
[quoted image]
There you go. That’s the problem.
I was grilling yesterday and the black flies were bad. I was about to drop $10 on a fly trap, but found an easy DIY trap. Take a plastic bottle and cut the top 5th or so off. Cut a hole in the cap big enough for a fly to crawl in. Put a mixture of water, honey or sugar, and some pungent food in the bottle. Maybe fill it a 1/4 full. I used some rotten banana. Take the top that you cut off and insert it upside down into the bottle. You now have a fly trap. It really works.
Flys like meat because they lay their eggs in it, so I added a chicken broth cube too. We'll see how that goes. When it gets nasty and full of dead flies, I'll just toss it and make another one.
Just finished grilling again. Tossed a little raw burger in the trap. Raw Burger is Fly Crack. Had 2 in the last 6 hours. Got 4 more in ~20 minutes. I'll spare you folks the pics.
Quoted from vid1900:Maybe if they did one out of 100% stainless steel, that would be worth some extra coin.
I've got a Bull grill made out of 304. Very heavy and no rust. But the burners suck and aren't cheap. One of these days, I'm gonna try to finagle some Weber burners in it. For most things though, my Q does what I need.
Quoted from vid1900:Many rental yards have stick smokers now.
Rent one for the week, and make sure you enjoy tending the firebox all day, on a couple of extended cooks.
Exactly! If it's too much work it ain't fun.
Right now, I'm just doing wings. Kirkland pulled pork is pretty good and doesn't take 10+ hours. 3 or 4 hours invested in wings and I'm eating for 3 days straight. And wings ain't cheap.
Quoted from cp1610:With proper prep and then cooked right on the grill you have that is all you need.
My most expensive grill is a POS as far actual grilling goes. My $40 Weber Q that I bought off CL works great and get's used damn near every day.
Quoted from mtn-:Yeah, I know. Ive done quite a few 6h+ pieces of pulled pork and what not on this piece of shit. I manage to get great smoke ring and atleast decent bark.. But its really starting to fall apart now, I need new (cheap) equipment. A used Weber or something. Cheers mcluvin
I sometimes see perfectly good Webers for free. People let the Q cast iron grate get rusty. That can be fixed. The rest of it is aluminum and plastic. Same goes for their Genesis grills, though the frames on those will rust out. They can be saved if you catch it early enough.
Quoted from mtn-:Yeah, I know. Ive done quite a few 6h+ pieces of pulled pork and what not on this piece of shit. I manage to get great smoke ring and atleast decent bark.. But its really starting to fall apart now, I need new (cheap) equipment. A used Weber or something. Cheers mcluvin
Your FB marketplace is a bit less active than mine, but no shi*, there is a Weber Q just like mine with the stand, large tank adapter, and an included large tank for ~950 Krone. That's not too bad. There was another for free that someone converted to charcoal only. No stand with that one though.
Quoted from mtn-:I dont do FB, but thanks for the heads up!
You don't have to have a FB account to browse marketplace listings. Maybe they've changed that? Here's one of them.
Quoted from mtn-:No, but need it to be able to contact people there.
Yeah, I guess it would be a bit weird calling her. I'm surprised Craigslist isn't used much over there. This is a screenshot of everything for sale on CL in Norway right now.
Quoted from vid1900:$50k for a Rickenbacker 4001 might be a little steep....but if it has flatwounds on it...maybe
I think maybe CL is using the $ for kr. I might be wrong. The prices would make a little more sense though.
Quoted from zermeno68:Kudos for not saucing the burnt ends. I finally took a moment to go to a bbq restaurant to see how their smoked products are.
They combined a bourbon bbq sauce to the burnt ends and I hated it.. the cubes had the right texture, smoke… but that sauce!!!!!
Good choice.
I’ve added the food we ordered in addition to burnt ends.
[quoted image]
That looks like 4 Rivers...
Quoted from vid1900:For the next 12 hours, Lowe's has A Maz In tube smoker kit half off for $14
https://www.lowes.com/pd/A-MAZE-N-A-maze-N-9-in-Oval-tube-kit/1003091306
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This is a great deal. I highly recommend if you have an electric smoker. Get yourself one of these if you do buy it. The pellets need to be red hot when you light it or it will go out.
Why the hell are so many bags of pellets a blend? When I'm smoking meat, I don't really want a blend. I'm sure they exist, but I've never seen a wood chip blend.
Since Lowe's was mentioned, if you are a U.S. veteran, Lowe's gift cards are 20% off at shopmyexchange.com now through I think Father's Day. Currently showing OOS, but they replenish daily. It's a great way to double dip your discounts.
Quoted from zermeno68:Nice ideas I had not considered… see how it goes on a trial run during the week.
Oh, your steak tips looks amazing…. Pairing with the onions is such an easy decision.
Pellets will absorb moisture and that will make them go out. I zap my starter pellets in the microwave for a couple minutes. I've read of some folks soaking the starter pellets in alcohol. I've not tried that...
Quoted from zermeno68:Oooo… small wood chips mixed with pellets to put in a smoke tube seems like an easy winner for me.
Putting the pellets in the microwave seems logical as well, but requires another step instead of pre-blending the smoke tube.
I’ll try this concept first to see its performance.
If you let the tube of pellets sit in your smoker while it's warming up, that's usually enough to remove the moisture from them.
Quoted from Haymaker:Jesus christ! At least it looks like a nice pan, with a smooth surface but you can buy really high end cast iron for a lot less than that. Lol definitely will be some rich yuppies using them once and letting them rust away
The handle looks way too small to me. I guess they know it’s prob not getting used.
Quoted from vid1900:https://brickseek.com/home-depot-inventory-checker?sku=312771714
If your store says "clearance" then the in store price on the Masterbuilt 1050 is $475
This is the big Gravity model of smoker/grill that you can put chunks of wood into too
You can get another 11% off if you live in a market that has Menards, because HD is matching the Rebate thing:
https://www.homedepotrebates11percent.com/#/home
That should bring the total down to $422
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You can also get a coupon to knock another 15% off from Wearecoupons.com. I have not bought a coupon from them, but the OP said he did and showed a receipt verifying it worked on the clearance priced grill.
Quoted from zermeno68:Sadly, my town says Out of Stock. This would be a perfect fun grill to both Smoke and grill using Charcoal.
Check Facebook Marketplace. I see these all the time, and sometimes still new. I'd actually prefer the 800 since it won't eat as much charcoal, includes a griddle insert, and can still accomodate that snazzy pizza oven insert.
The 1050 is a tank compared to the 560. The 560 kinda looks like they cheaped out on the quality of the materials. I have a number of stores around me at ~$800 and a few that are at $475, but those stores are all out. I wonder if the buy at at one store, then return and rebuy at a clearance store trick would work with HD?
Quoted from cookpins:First post on this thread. Picking up a 7lb prime rib for Christmas this year. Looking for any suggestions on recipes/cooking method. I'm thinking a reverse sear in a cast iron w/ butter and rosemary, salt and pepper season, then finishing it with a light smoke on my Chargriller 980. Last time I did one I did the reverse sear and finished in the oven. Turned out great but thinking the charcoal/smoke flavor from the chargriller could kick it up a notch.
How are you liking the Chargriller 980? After watching a few reviews, I'm going to try and find one vs. the Masterbuilt.
Quoted from Jaybird815:Father’s Day/Birthday present from the wife, it’s a beautiful grill.[quoted image][quoted image]
Are the chromy looking bits real chrome or plasticky shi*? Looks real nice!
1 week later
Masterbuilt 900 is ~$499 in store at Costco. It’s an 800 minus the griddle but with the pizza stone accessory.
Fan-powered temp control for the Weber Kettle starts shipping in a couple of weeks. Looks nifty...
https://www.spidergrills.com/products/venom
I picked up a Gravity 900 from Costco. I just missed a free 1050 on Marketplace and I've seen a couple of free 560s. The 1050 was in rough shape but worked. Masterbuilt's warranty sucks, but if the controller ever dies, you can replace it with a Fireboard controller.
Quoted from Bax1:such thin flimsy metal though. It is a good starter to learn stick burning but then go to an ok joe.
I'd say take your $60 and look for something used, but better.
Quoted from Bax1:agreed.
The shiny, new thing is charcoal gravity feed. Time and again I see folks posting that it's the best smoked meat they've ever made. You can run wood in them too. Masterbuilt owns the patents and they also own the Char-Griller brand, so you aren't gonna see a Weber gravity feed anytime soon. They are prone to grease fires if you don't keep them clean. That's a good thing on the used market. Say someone who is technically illiterate melts their fan or their switches? The smoker stops working and they toss it or give it away. All the shit that melts can be bought for cheap on Amazon. The fan is $20. Switches are ~$7. The controller is $60. You can even upgrade to a Fireboard for a couple hundred if you want.
I'd be looking for one of those used before I'd buy that Charbroil thing.
Quoted from vid1900:Myron Mixon has a really nice gravity smoker if you want USA made
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$7K? Ouch! And you can't even grill or make pizza on it.
I haven't messed with charcoal in 20+ years. There sure are a lot more brands now. I got some B&B and had to go back to the store for something cheaper when I realized how long it's going to take to do the initial burn-in. Can't waste the good stuff on that.
What charcoal do you folks use? I got B&B lump because so many prefer it. But I got Cowboy briquettes for the initial burn-in. It’s burning clean for me and hits 600 no problem.
If you have an Academy Sports nearby, they are doing 20% off most everything through tomorrow (online only, must login to see discount at checkout). Makes B&B lump $12/bag. The website seems to be getting hammered right now.
Quoted from vid1900:In store only, many Costcos have clearanced the Masterbuilt 900 with Pizza Oven for $299 right now
Worth a check if you have been looking for one.
Don't look on website because it's $599 if you want delivery. [quoted image]
And go get that price adjustment if you paid $500 2 weeks ago I've done wings and spare ribs on mine. Both came out great. I have yet to do a pizza, but I'm itching to. Cowboy briquettes were dirty as F. B&B lump burned real clean. Night and day difference.
Quoted from Haymaker:Kingsford is the king of ash. Kingsford sucks. you're paying for a bunch of dirt when you buy kingsford.
edit- I just remembered a video that looks a little deeper into it from one of my favorite youtubers of all time:Everyone I know running gravity grills really prefer running lump over briquettes. I've never heard any of them complain about ashes flying everywhere. I've pretty much moved away from briquettes entirely these days no matter what I'm doing.
I did my burn-in with Cowboy briquettes. During the day it looked clean enough. Once it got dark I could see ash flying everywhere. I put foil between the top opening and the bin. It was very dark and sticky sooty after the cook. You could see where it was trying to travel to the top switch which would have eventually created problems. The B&B lump only produced a fine, gray layer on the foil. No stickiness at all.
Quoted from Jazman:I've got the smaller one and only use it for smoking. Hoping that by just using it at the lower temps it will be easier on the wear and tear. Also picked up spares for the most likely parts to rust out.
I only use lump with it and it's been doing awesome. The temp is consistent but not to temp in the middle of the unit (control thermometer is on the side) so I use a separate wifi thermometer unit and just do a delta on the set point so the middle of the chamber is where I want it...
I replaced the stock thermometer on my 900 with this one. Once the controller hits temp, it's pretty rock solid, but the Galafire reports ~100 degrees less throughout a multi-hour cook. I feel like they shouldn't be that far off. Maybe I got a dud.
Quoted from mcluvin:And go get that price adjustment if you paid $500 2 weeks ago
Got the adjustment! I liked it at $500. I love it at $299. 
Quoted from zermeno68:So, if I did not read it was maple blueberry I would swear this place is trying to sell molded meat.
Haha…. That sounds a little too sweet for my taste.
I bet most of that ended up in the dumpster. That flavor combo makes no sense to me.
Have any of you folks done Picanha? I've been seeing it pop up on some of my smoker groups and it looks really good. Local grocery and butcher want ~$13/lb for it. Too rich for my blood. My Costco has started carrying it at ~$7.50/lb, so I grabbed some.
The vacuum packed 2-pack Picanha was what I was focused on, but there was a single sitting right there with them, not vacuum packed. It actually just says top sirloin cap. They left the fat cap on there and frankly I would have been OK with them trimming it down a bit. This is an attempt at reverse sear on my Gravity using B&B lump and a few cherry chunks. I did 225 F and pulled at 130 F internal. My intention was to sear each side for 3 minutes at a higher temp but that was a bust. I'm paranoid of flare-ups and started to have one. I love the color though. That's about perfect to me.
Quoted from Bax1:you forgot something mcluvin . How was it? you can't go and say how you did it and not tell us. As Joe would say "Come on man!"
It was very tasty. Super moist and tender. I'm gonna buy the 2 pack next time and hope the fat ratio isn't quite as high. I weighed the cooked fat. We ate a couple chunks of it and still had 11 ounces of fat out of that ~3 pound cut. For that matter, whatever fat is left over I'll just render next time vs. tossing it.
Quoted from vid1900:I've seen all the Holy rubs in ~5 pound bags at BBQ competitions for like $40.
Even at the Restaurant Supply in town, the Montreal Steak seasoning is $45 for 7 pounds, so the Amazon sale might be a pricing mistake.
I buy the 29 oz Montreal shakers at Sam's and they last me for years. They are currently on sale for $5.48. The 7 pounder is a slightly better deal, but I'd be leaving half of that thing to someone in my will. 
I double checked the vacuum packed Picanha at Costco. Mine was an oddball with much more fat to meat than what I saw today. I won't make that mistake again.
1 month later
Quoted from vid1900:Don't over-trim your briskets.
They trimmed yours a hell of a lot better than they did mine. Mine had lots of hard fat. It passed the sniff test. Gonna be a long night.
Quoted from Jaybird815:You still alive?
Yeah, totally fine. It was, thanks to the new grill, the best brisket I've ever done. When I thawed it, there was no weird discoloration or smells. I smoked it to 160 then wrapped it in parchment and used my oven to get it to 206, only because I overslept a bit. It turned out great. It tastes like a really good brisket. You would have no idea it has been sitting in my freezer for 5 1/2 years.
Quoted from zermeno68:I love the electric smoker idea. I’ll keep a look out for a cheap unit.
You'll find MES all day long for cheap. Some MES are better than others though. I just don't have the space so getting rid of mine.
Quoted from Zartan:Just had Brisket for the first time a week ago at a place called “Smoke and Spice” in Windsor. Pretty awesome! Now I need a smoker!
I recommend a Masterbuilt Gravity. You can put wood chunks or splits in with the charcoal. The flavor is fantastic. So much better than my electric smoker. There are issues with these smokers. If you aren't aware of them, you can break shi*, or burn your house down. Replacement parts are readily available for cheap on Amazon though. You can find them really cheap, even free, used because folks don't clean them, then get a grease fire and screw something up. I shoulda taken a pic of my brisket, but it was 6 in the morning. Awesome smoke ring and bark. Best I've ever done.
Quoted from PinJim:You'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between the fresh and vacuum sealed product.
Same here. He's probably not vacuum sealing.
Quoted from Jazman:So, I was at Costco to pick up some brisket... everything was choice were in the past it was always prime. When did that change? Did I just not notice the last couple times?!? Bummed and walked out empty handed.
I don't think it matters so much with a cut like brisket. I haven't bought one since the switch to compare though.
Quoted from zermeno68:Now… tenderness. Damn… little tough. What did I do wrong? Fat side was 205, while other side was around 195.
I made sure the other side reached 200. But dang…
Wife love the flavor, but not a fan of its toughness. What can I do differently next time?? Gotta ponder.
Did you definitely slice against the grain? It looks great!
Quoted from zermeno68:Okay… with all that seasoning how do you tell where the grain is running? I totally forgot to figure that out before cutting.
My mistake, but it was only 1/4 of the meat “wasted”.
Before seasoning, figure out the grain, and cut a notch out of a corner of the meat so you know.
3 weeks later
Quoted from Cudaman:Out of curiosity, has anyone found a great burger seasoning? I actually like Weber Gourmet Burger seasoning with some added pepper.
I use Montreal Steak Seasoning for burgers.
Quoted from zermeno68:Also, got some Kingsford Hickory 20 lb bag for $3 each.
I've seen some folks posting crazy good deals on charcoal from WalMart recently. Gonna have to check them out.
Quoted from vid1900:100% real wood.
No bark, no glue, no binders, just compressed wood fibers.
(The only one that's not is the trager pellets that are sprayed with wood oil perfume. I'd avoid those, lol)
Yeah, they were Traeger pellets. It was not a pleasant smell for sure.
Quoted from jrcmlc:Lol. It really was a non thing... It happened, didn't hurt anything, went ahead and cooked.
I think I see sparks. My Gravity doesn't catch all the grease so well. Get some grease dripping on a wood deck and then get some sparks on it. Thi isn't a Gravity, but same idea. A few months ago a fella burned up a good chunk of his deck with a Gravity.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Masterbuilt/comments/13uia6f/im_done_with_masterbuilt/
Quoted from jrcmlc:The deck is Azek, I guess it could melt and eventually burn HOT lol.... but the house is cedar and redwood LOL....really it turned out to be a non issue at all...but I figured I'd share.
I hear ya. I'd just shi* my pants if I started my smoker remotely and saw that. A windier day and the sparks travelling a bit? You just never know what they may land on. It was a non-issue this time...
Quoted from zermeno68:My local Costco. Finally have a Prime Brisket. How is this rate per lb??
Worth it?
[quoted image]
Those were $2.99/lb 5 years ago. That's a pretty good price. Most every cut of steak has doubled in price since then.
Quoted from Jazman:So I got some briskets at Costco this week. They had Prime at $4.49/lb but also had choice at $3.99/lb. I got the choice. For brisket, $.50/lb for choice versus prime is a no-brainer...
It's brisket. Marbling ain't really a factor. I doubt anyone could taste the difference between Prime and Choice.
Quoted from ovfdfireman:Fun conversation, I often default to choice grade. Since brisket is a very fatty piece of meat to begin with, when I buy prime, we sometimes feel the point is too fatty in a prime. Though I like both, and do care too much. Good quality choice or prime.
Prime can be sold as Choice, but Choice can't be sold as Prime.
2 weeks later
Quoted from zermeno68:This was taken at the store about less than week ago. Granted it’s Albertsons, which is known to have higher prices in general.
But damn… $6.99 lb for this!!! Next time I go to Walmart I’ll take a photo there.
Got a Costco nearby? No f'n way would I pay $6.99/lb for pork shoulder. Albertson's sucks. And I'm sorry, but you ain't never getting a California Publix in the 21st Century...
Quoted from PinJim:Facebook marketplace is a great place to pick up a sealer. I bought mine a
I would not buy used though. If the previous owner was careless and got fluids into the pump, it will fail sooner rather than later.
Quoted from jrcmlc:I cannot imagine needing to save whatever fraction it would be to buy a vacuum sealer used from some random douchebag on Facebook
I buy plenty of stuff used and and have no problem with it on many things, but I would not go that route with a vacuum sealer. Costco has one on sale right now. It might be even cheaper in-store.
Picked up a like-new Weber Baby Q with stand for $50 last night. Price on the receipt that was still tucked in the manual? $270 + tax. Sweet, older lady sold it to me.
Quoted from jrcmlc:I buy basically nothing used but I hate people and hate dealing with douchebags.
I'm not much of a people person either, but I do enjoy searching for a deal and finding one. With a lot of things, you can make a buck spend like 50 cents, a buck, or 2 bucks. I like to stretch my dollars...
Quoted from PinJim:But if I can get an almost new vacuum sealer for $10, I may take the chance.
Food saver used to offer crazy good deals on refurbs direct from their website. Think I got mine for $25. Still works great.
1 month later
Publix has USDA Choice Bone-In Rib Roasts for $6.99/lb limit 2. If you ask the butcher, you can get a whole one already vacuum packed. I paid ~$120 for mine. Gonna wet age it for a couple of weeks, then cut it into steaks.
Quoted from mtn-:Please indulge me in your process of wet ageing?
Crank the fridge to lowest temp setting. Leave the vacuum sealed bag in the coldest part of the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks, or until wife says "get this shit outa here!!".
Gotta do a little work, but this is half price ribeyes for me.
Quoted from zermeno68:Has anyone put 2-3” casters on this unit? Though it is light, seems like a logical think to do if you move this little guy around.
The one I bought ~7 years ago had rollers on the back of those legs so you could tilt it to move around. Mine actually stayed in pretty good shape except the top started rusting bad underneath the paint. The plating on the shelves is real thin too. Scrub too hard with the green side of a scotch pad and you'll see copper real quick.
Quoted from mtn-:Aah. Yes, prolonging the natural ageing process. I assume you salt them quite generous before vac?
When you buy the whole slab, it comes already vacuum sealed. This is my first time wet aging. I didn't add salt. The directions I'm following just said to keep it vacuum packed and just above freezing for 2 to 3 weeks. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Quoted from zermeno68:My local Home Depot prices for wood chips. Are all wood chips guaranteed to always be real wood? I’m hoping this sector does not have the issue that Pellets do.
Where are the bargain deals for wood chips? How is this cost for a small bag?
I'd say don't buy any of that. Get an A-MAZE-N pellet tube and use pellets for smoke and the electric for steady temps. Just don't buy Traeger pellets. They have some sort of oily shit in them and are nasty smelling.
Quoted from zermeno68:I could use a smoke tube inside this electric smoker like I do with the pellet grill, but want to first experience it using the chips.
For this Masterbuilt smoker seems like you will have to continue to apply more chips for long cooks given you cannot load a lot in advance.
That was my experience. You are going to be constantly feeding wood chips for the first couple of hours. After that it doesn't really matter. I liked using a pellet tube in it vs. doing that. I've got a Masterbuilt Charcoal Gravity Feed now and I like that a whole lot better. The taste and appearance is just on another level.
4 weeks later
Quoted from mtn-:Aah. Yes, prolonging the natural ageing process. I assume you salt them quite generous before vac?
I ended up wet aging it for 1 month. This is a beef rib roast that was vacuum packed. Been sitting in my fridge at ~34 F for the last month. No funky smells or colors when I cut it open. I ended up with ~12 1 1/4 " ribeyes, a few kinda small, and the beef ribs for ~$120.
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