Howdy folks.
I have an excuse to possibly justify buying a new grill. :loco:
My grilling experience ranges from gas 3-burners, to a decade on a Weber kettle, and the past six years using an Akorn and a KJ Big Joe.
Two buddies and I are cooking in the backyard division of a KCBS sponsored event soon in a couple months. It's the first time any of us have done anything like this.
One of my team's members has been working closely with a local pro the past year and he's coached him up pretty well.
We are competing in: pork ribs, chicken and pork.
Between the 3 of us we have 3 Kamado Joe Big Joe's and an Akorn that we can use.
I'm leary of using these because transporting them is a risk....in my mind at least. I'm not real fond of moving around these three 24" ceramic grills....getting them set-up.....and then having to get them returned to our collective homes.
On top of this, I'm currently on the mend with a compressed vertebrae that's been spasming like hell the last three weeks. The new meds have the spasms calmed down the last two days....and I have my fingers crossed that this and some PT will continue to improve.
The thought of moving those grills has me scared of re-aggravating this back.
Okay.....here is where I am on this:
I'd appreciate some suggestions on possible grills that would work for this event as well as be nice additions to our grilling arsenal for the times we want to cook for folks at work (around 30 people).
We'll have access to power strips at the competition.....and at work and off course at home.
A nice pellet grill is something that would work. I live fairly close to the Rec Tec headquarters and have seen these up close. Their largest grill would set me back about a grand, but would handle our needs along with the Akorn. It'd also give me a grill that I could use at home for unattended cooks while I'm at work or sleeping. Their customer service seems to be very strong....like what I've experienced with Kamado Joe, which has been beyond anything I've ever seen with any product I've ever owned. I live close enough to Rec Tec that I'd not have to do shipping and I could get my grill back to them very quickly for issues that may develop.
The second thing direction I've been looking towards is with the Weber WSM 22" smokers. They've always intrigued me but I have somehow never used one. That old Weber kettle I had was simply a workhorse that allowed me to do a lot.....used bricks for indirect and the vent controls worked well.
They'd cover our pork and ribs....an maybe even the chicken (we could do that on the Akorn).
A pair of these would set me back $800 but would get used as secondary smokers when my Big Joe was being used for other foods. I could very easily transport these to work on the times we have large cooks for our folks there.
What kind of burn times can I expect from the WSM 22" ?
How steady is is ?
How many slabs of ribs will lay flat on it ?
How many butts will she hold ?
How much temperature difference can I realistically expect between the two grate levels ?
Do I need to stick with charcoal briquettes or can I use the same lump I use on my kamado grills ?
What size wood do I need to use to supplement the coal.....chunks (preferred since I have some already) or do i need to stick to chips, smoking tubes or other ?
I'd love some insight and suggestions from folks who have used either of these and from the comp guys who probably see the backyard hacks like me show up with all sorts of stuff.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to throw out there all my considerations and hope for some experienced guidance.
Thank you !!!!
I have an excuse to possibly justify buying a new grill. :loco:
My grilling experience ranges from gas 3-burners, to a decade on a Weber kettle, and the past six years using an Akorn and a KJ Big Joe.
Two buddies and I are cooking in the backyard division of a KCBS sponsored event soon in a couple months. It's the first time any of us have done anything like this.
One of my team's members has been working closely with a local pro the past year and he's coached him up pretty well.
We are competing in: pork ribs, chicken and pork.
Between the 3 of us we have 3 Kamado Joe Big Joe's and an Akorn that we can use.
I'm leary of using these because transporting them is a risk....in my mind at least. I'm not real fond of moving around these three 24" ceramic grills....getting them set-up.....and then having to get them returned to our collective homes.
On top of this, I'm currently on the mend with a compressed vertebrae that's been spasming like hell the last three weeks. The new meds have the spasms calmed down the last two days....and I have my fingers crossed that this and some PT will continue to improve.
The thought of moving those grills has me scared of re-aggravating this back.
Okay.....here is where I am on this:
I'd appreciate some suggestions on possible grills that would work for this event as well as be nice additions to our grilling arsenal for the times we want to cook for folks at work (around 30 people).
We'll have access to power strips at the competition.....and at work and off course at home.
A nice pellet grill is something that would work. I live fairly close to the Rec Tec headquarters and have seen these up close. Their largest grill would set me back about a grand, but would handle our needs along with the Akorn. It'd also give me a grill that I could use at home for unattended cooks while I'm at work or sleeping. Their customer service seems to be very strong....like what I've experienced with Kamado Joe, which has been beyond anything I've ever seen with any product I've ever owned. I live close enough to Rec Tec that I'd not have to do shipping and I could get my grill back to them very quickly for issues that may develop.
The second thing direction I've been looking towards is with the Weber WSM 22" smokers. They've always intrigued me but I have somehow never used one. That old Weber kettle I had was simply a workhorse that allowed me to do a lot.....used bricks for indirect and the vent controls worked well.
They'd cover our pork and ribs....an maybe even the chicken (we could do that on the Akorn).
A pair of these would set me back $800 but would get used as secondary smokers when my Big Joe was being used for other foods. I could very easily transport these to work on the times we have large cooks for our folks there.
What kind of burn times can I expect from the WSM 22" ?
How steady is is ?
How many slabs of ribs will lay flat on it ?
How many butts will she hold ?
How much temperature difference can I realistically expect between the two grate levels ?
Do I need to stick with charcoal briquettes or can I use the same lump I use on my kamado grills ?
What size wood do I need to use to supplement the coal.....chunks (preferred since I have some already) or do i need to stick to chips, smoking tubes or other ?
I'd love some insight and suggestions from folks who have used either of these and from the comp guys who probably see the backyard hacks like me show up with all sorts of stuff.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to throw out there all my considerations and hope for some experienced guidance.
Thank you !!!!
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