UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
bargain. get 2.
Yeah. Not getting my hopes up, but would be nice!
Home smoking/BBQ
- Thread starter Whagwan
- Start date
Yeah. Not getting my hopes up, but would be nice!
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
48cm of quality is worth 2 of those aldi smokers. You will notice the size if you're doing a big brisket or more than a couple of racks of ribs but for getting on with now.....
End of the summer you will get bargains galore on gumtree and brand new from the warehouses. They are going to have loads left over with the shit weather.
End of the summer you will get bargains galore on gumtree and brand new from the warehouses. They are going to have loads left over with the shit weather.
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
Shit time of year to buy one eh? Tbh size isn't that important, I don't know loads of people in the area and most of my other half's friends don't eat meat!
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
Proving harder to get one then I'd hoped! Bidding on a 57 cm Webber. Fingers crossed.
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
Now own a Weber. Cheers for the heads up, probably would have bought the cheap Aldi one otherwise, but this just feels quality.
So much information out there on BBQ, it's a lot more involved then then I thought. Going to keep it simple today though and fire it up tonight with some cold beers.
With those starters. Do you put all the charcoal in them? Will be heading to Aldi later anyway to buy meat. Sadly not had a chance to make my sausages yet!
So much information out there on BBQ, it's a lot more involved then then I thought. Going to keep it simple today though and fire it up tonight with some cold beers.
With those starters. Do you put all the charcoal in them? Will be heading to Aldi later anyway to buy meat. Sadly not had a chance to make my sausages yet!
mauvais
on reddit or something
I have a 57cm Weber, it's great. Haven't used it in a while now though because of housing situations.
I'm interested in this wireless thermometer business - I've no built-in one. It never occurred to me that they would take the heat. Has anyone got any specific recommendations?
I'm interested in this wireless thermometer business - I've no built-in one. It never occurred to me that they would take the heat. Has anyone got any specific recommendations?
mauvais
on reddit or something
Starters are great. They probably have a fill line. Clue's in the name, they get some coals going which you can use to heat other coals. About 15 mins in the starter is ideal.
For smoking you can arrange the coals (briquettes) in a circle around the edge, leave a gap and get just one end of it going. This is a fuse and will slowly burn around the circle over the best part of a day.
This sort of thing (not my image) :
Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
It's called the snake method, look up the odd YouTube vid. Basically you'll get 8ish hours of good heat and smoke (the wood blocks in the pic above - I recommend whisky wood chips) where all that's needed is the occasional open/close of vents to regulate the temp (where having either a built in temp gauge or an aftermarket one comes into its own), and the big space in the middle is great for cooking over indirect heat.
Ribs or a huge lump of brisket, slow smoked with almost no effort required through the day. Just keep an eye on it, and maybe wrap in foil after about 4 hours to prevent excess charring if you've put a sticky marinade on your meat.
Ribs or a huge lump of brisket, slow smoked with almost no effort required through the day. Just keep an eye on it, and maybe wrap in foil after about 4 hours to prevent excess charring if you've put a sticky marinade on your meat.
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
Remembered I made some Char Siu last week and froze half of it in its marinade so blatenty got to see if BBQ improves it. Going to some chicken at the same time as a chance to play with indirect heat, then whip the lid of and do some more conventional sausage and maybe a burger.
Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
Sausages and burgers do well with indirect heat too, almost all my bbq cooking is lid on. Do quite thick burgers if you're making them up yourself, give them a good 20 mins and they'll stay moist and juicy.
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
Awesome. It's a whole new way of cooking. Need to get a grill thermometer at some point, but just going to wing it tonight.
Do you stick a water bath in when cooking indirect? Good wood chips to use for flavor?
Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
Water bath (or beer, cider, whatever you fancy!) is good for long and slow smoking, stops meat from drying out. Not necessary for a grill full of chicken wings, burgers and sausage which will cook relatively quickly.
As for wood chips, I prefer the small chips from any old Homebase, wilkos etc. The whisky chips are my favourite. Some people prefer large chunks of wood (and you do get much more smoke so a stronger smokey taste) but I find you get large flare ups of flame when they catch so the temperature in your smoker fluctuates more, and can result in charring of any sticky marinade (ribs etc). I only want to flame grill to finish for the last 30 seconds or so, not be worrying about it for the whole several hours.
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
Zapp's all over this.
If you are just plain grilling rather than indirect/smoking it is also a good move to keep the coals to one side of the grill allowing you a hot bit and a cool bit. I spin the grill to go direct/indirect. Works especially well with chicken wings. As for the starter I just fill it up. The Weber can easily handle a full one of those on one side.
I like Stubbs BBQ sauce if you're getting shop bought. This place also has a really good selection: BBQ Rubs, Sauces, & Marinades | BBQ Gourmet
Country Woodsmoke facebook group has some guys on there that sell wood chips and dust if you haven't got a warehouse near you.
Also second whisky chips, they are a bit sweeter than plain oak
If you are just plain grilling rather than indirect/smoking it is also a good move to keep the coals to one side of the grill allowing you a hot bit and a cool bit. I spin the grill to go direct/indirect. Works especially well with chicken wings. As for the starter I just fill it up. The Weber can easily handle a full one of those on one side.
I like Stubbs BBQ sauce if you're getting shop bought. This place also has a really good selection: BBQ Rubs, Sauces, & Marinades | BBQ Gourmet
Country Woodsmoke facebook group has some guys on there that sell wood chips and dust if you haven't got a warehouse near you.
Also second whisky chips, they are a bit sweeter than plain oak
a_chap
When the world came apart, where were you?
Surprised no-one's mentioned creosote. It was one thing I was most concerned about when using my smoker.
This is a good article about it: Why do I get a bitter flavor on smoked meats?
This is a good article about it: Why do I get a bitter flavor on smoked meats?
Starters are magic - you save a fortune in crappy lighter bags and you can cook on it immediately it’s hot.
Alex
How do you light the first one ?
Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
Set all the coals in the horseshoe shape round the outside. Pile up about 6 or 7 briquettes in the middle, with a firelighter block or a bit of lighting gel. Set them going, 5 minutes later move them to one end of the "snake" and you're away.
Got it, so I’d just light the smallest number probably possible in the chimney and then do as above.
Will give this a go.
Alex
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
OK I lied, last minute old school BBQ with sausages and shop bought chicken skewers. My mum just arrived from Dublin and she loves BBQ sausages as does Mini Fire so back to basics it is!
Mainly posted for chimney starter lighting cheat. Which isn't dangerous at all. Oh no.
Superb !
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
Haha cheers, the camping stoves are cheap as fuck on Ebay if anyone is feeling brave. I take the chimney off before it is 100% through as I get worried about the radiated heat and the gas canister.
It's all about managing the risk.
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
Ha. That's an awesome cheat. I've got a few of those stoves and saves the mess from burnt bits of paper.
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
Went okay....
Thought I may done to much food for two of us.
Thought I may done to much food for two of us.
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
I got some of the weber whisky chips. Quite expensive, but added a lovely flavour. I don't know if I didn't soak them long enough or they shouldnt just be dumped on the charcoal, but I got a lot of lovely smoke quite quickly and then it was finished .
Zapp's all over this.
If you are just plain grilling rather than indirect/smoking it is also a good move to keep the coals to one side of the grill allowing you a hot bit and a cool bit. I spin the grill to go direct/indirect. Works especially well with chicken wings. As for the starter I just fill it up. The Weber can easily handle a full one of those on one side.
I like Stubbs BBQ sauce if you're getting shop bought. This place also has a really good selection: BBQ Rubs, Sauces, & Marinades | BBQ Gourmet
Country Woodsmoke facebook group has some guys on there that sell wood chips and dust if you haven't got a warehouse near you.
Also second whisky chips, they are a bit sweeter than plain oak
I used what I had in last night, so rubbed the chicken with oil, then used a Piri Piri seasoning I had in the cupboard and siracha on them once they were mostly cooked.
Some nice sounding stuff there, but at a price. Think I'll have to investigate making some nice sauces and glazes myself.
Want to fire it up again, but foolish decided to enter a fell race. Oh well. Will probably help to burn some of it off.
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
So it's a gorgeous sunny night and yet I'm working away reading about BBQ when I should be cooking it. Its a bloody huge subject isn't it. Not sure I'm brave enough to do big bits of expensive meat. Yet.
What kinda of thermometers do people and use. All this wireless shit looks pretty cool. But rather expensive. Do you use the ones you leave it the meat or monitor the temp of the grill.
I'm also rather keen to make my own BBQ sauce and one that doesn't use ketchup! The French Guy Cooking one looks a good start, but didn't realise there were so many styles till I looked at that Amazing Ribs....
What kinda of thermometers do people and use. All this wireless shit looks pretty cool. But rather expensive. Do you use the ones you leave it the meat or monitor the temp of the grill.
I'm also rather keen to make my own BBQ sauce and one that doesn't use ketchup! The French Guy Cooking one looks a good start, but didn't realise there were so many styles till I looked at that Amazing Ribs....
