The 2009 Grillin-N-Stuff Thread

[Dan Lambskin]

i smoked some 1/2 chickens yesterday...i'm still learning to use my smoker, so they came out just OK. i had read to smoke them at 300 degress rather than the usual 200-250 for other meats, but i had trouble getting my temp above 200. finally realized i wasnt getting enough air flow to the coals, made some adjustments and got it going (too late though). anyway, the skin came out a bit chewey and the smoke flavor seemed almost unnoticable (i used sugar maple for that one) but the meat inside was really moist and tender.

next will probably be a pork shoulder for some BBQ pork, so hopefully i'll have made some refinements by then

[knapplc]

RE: Smokers/smoke boxes/etc. A couple of weekends ago we did some charcoal grilling at a cabin. There is just no comparison between gas grills and a charcoal. No matter what attachment you put on the gas grill, the charcoal trumps it, every time. The difference in flavor is amazing.

I just bought a great, huge gas grill last summer, and I'm already thinking I need to get a charcoal grill on the side. It's more work, but the flavor is in a complete different league from gas.

[Metroid]

RE: Smokers/smoke boxes/etc. A couple of weekends ago we did some charcoal grilling at a cabin. There is just no comparison between gas grills and a charcoal. No matter what attachment you put on the gas grill, the charcoal trumps it, every time. The difference in flavor is amazing.

I just bought a great, huge gas grill last summer, and I'm already thinking I need to get a charcoal grill on the side. It's more work, but the flavor is in a complete different league from gas.

Totally agree, I just got a gas grill and I already miss cooking with charcoal. I was thinking I'd put in a brick charcoal unit at the new house but the backyard doesn't really lend itself to one. I'm thinking about just getting one of those "bubble" Webber's for charcoal.

[scottaa1]

I'm thinking about just getting one of those "bubble" Webber's for charcoal.

I still have the Weber kettle grill I bought back in 1994

[Metroid]

I'm thinking about just getting one of those "bubble" Webber's for charcoal.

I still have the Weber kettle grill I bought back in 1994

That's the year I graduated high school.

[Dan Lambskin]

RE: Smokers/smoke boxes/etc. A couple of weekends ago we did some charcoal grilling at a cabin. There is just no comparison between gas grills and a charcoal. No matter what attachment you put on the gas grill, the charcoal trumps it, every time. The difference in flavor is amazing.

I just bought a great, huge gas grill last summer, and I'm already thinking I need to get a charcoal grill on the side. It's more work, but the flavor is in a complete different league from gas.

yeah i am still a purist and use charcoal...it only takes about 15 minutes to get a fire going with a charcoal chimney

anyway, this is the offset smoker/bbq combo i recently bought...nothing fancy, but so far it gets the job done

[knapplc]

I've seen that at Menard's. The charcoal grill is like $100, but the smoker attachment is another $90 or so, right?

[Dan Lambskin]

I've seen that at Menard's. The charcoal grill is like $100, but the smoker attachment is another $90 or so, right?

this one was $150 at Sears (K-mart also had it), came with the smoker box. AFAIK there are quite a few of this style out there from various manufacturers (Target had one on-line only for $199 + almost $100 shipping )

[Tyeattolah]

I'm thinking about just getting one of those "bubble" Webber's for charcoal.

I still have the Weber kettle grill I bought back in 1994

That's the year I graduated high school.

Geez, I had 18 years in the USAF by then

[scottaa1]

I tried the bacon-wrapped shrimp and scallops on the grill last night. I need to experiment on wrapping it different ways. The bacon didn't crisp up as much as it did using the broiler. All that bacon fat dripping on the burner shields put off a ton of smoke and gave enverything a great smokey flavor. I hope the neighbors to the east didn't have the windows open