Hello, newb looking for advise on a used 5 footer vs getting new old country.

[dshuld]

Well, headed home with an over under still on the pallet :-D. She still wouldn't budge on the brazos but one day maybe she'll let me expand lol. Thanks for the help everyone!!

 

[DubfromGA]

The top rack on my Old Country over and under doesn't have quite enough clearance for butts. That's a 7.5 and a 7.1 pounder.

I can easily get six of them on the bottom.

Cool.


Thanks. :thumb:


I'm always capacity curious about pits. Thanks for the pic.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Well, headed home with an over under still on the pallet :-D. She still wouldn't budge on the brazos but one day maybe she'll let me expand lol. Thanks for the help everyone!!

Oh Ya.!!!!!

 

[dshuld]

Quick question, 1/2" npt gauges are what I'm looking for right? I got rushed out of the store when I started looking at them lol.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Yes.

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004DK92ES/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504394621&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=river+country+3%22+adjustable#featureBulletsAndDetailBullets_secondary_view_div_1504394643272[/ame]

 

[dshuld]

Awesome thanks again Smitty!! Grabbed a maverick remote from home depot for now...gonna try some googlefo later after I unpack the truck and see what I can find for gauges. Hopefully I'll get her seasoned and cooked on tomorrow.

 

[SmittyJonz]

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Tel-Tru-BQ300-Barbecue-Thermometer-aluminum/dp/B0052EKQ2G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504400650&sr=8-1&keywords=3%22+Teltru[/ame]

or

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/River-Country-RC-T3W-Professional-Thermometer/dp/B004DK92ES/ref=sr_1_3?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1504400681&sr=1-3&keywords=3%22+River+Country[/ame]

 

[dshuld]

Lol thanks again!!! Are ashcroft thermometers as revered in this community as their pressure gauges are in others? Or is tel tru a better thermometer then ashcroft?

Edit: does anyone use Wika therms? In my other world ashcroft and wika are the two most recommended when buildinging out a co2 reg for planted tanks.

Edit 2: found a pair of ashcroft 30EI60R040 550° for $30 shipped on fleabay so I grabbed them. I've had the ou doing a clean burn before seasoning for about the last hr now. Not sure how much I trust this home depot maverick hd32. Occasionally it's having temp swings from 350ish down to 266 and back up with in 2 blinks of the light flashing. I found a post from a few years ago on google the mentions a remington branded dual probe therm as being the same as a maverick 732. Is the 732 still a decent wireless therm or should I go with something else? I did find some of the remington branded ones for $25 but from what I can tell it's a discontinued therm so not sure if should go that route either.

 

[dshuld]

Ok I'm ready for you brutal honesty...how's my first cook on her look? Its a chuck tender roast with nothing but italian dressing spread on it (the way the boss likes it lol).

 

[mrpigs]

That's some dang nice looking bark, good job!

 

[dshuld]

Thanks! I still need to make a charcoal box for it yet. Pork chops came out "tanned" but no bark and ribs are om their wrapped cook stage. Going to have to eat two things I don't care for to see how they taste lol. Mrs said the chops taste good though so I suppose I'm happy with the ou. Should hopefully have the gauges by next weekend so I can calibrate and install them before the next cook.

 

[SmittyJonz]

I'm wanting a Thermoworks Smoke. I have a 732 but have gone thru several probes. I think steam from the water pans kills them......

Did you Grill or Smoke the Pork Chops? I prefer them grilled direct. PlowBoys Yardbird is Great on Porkchops.

 

[dshuld]

I've seen a few mentions of moisture problems with 732 probs. I'll have a look at the thermoworks ones a little more, saw that name mentioned somewhere when googling in the wee hours of the morning.

I didn't use water pans for yesterdays cook, forgot to grab a pan(s) for it. I smoked the chops on the upper grate while the ribs were on the lower grate. I'm not usually one to eat pork tbh, except bacon, but I did eat two of the chops and felt they were ok for my first time taste wise. I don't normally go for ribs either but had one and was pleasantly surprised. Fell off the bones and tasted the best out of the three things I cooked. I like sweet baby rays orig sauce so that's what we used on the ribs while the chops got a bath of Italian dressing like the chuck before being tossed on.

I do need to make a charcoal basket(s) before the next cook though. I'm not sure on two wider baskets placed so they ride between the two center spaces of the 3 vents or 3 narrower baskets, one on each vent. From what I experienced yesterday, in my normal weather patterns I wont need more then 3/4 the space the stock grate provides for the "cold" days and likely only 1/2 the available space on regular hot days to keep the ou up to temp. I did admittedly use more fuel this time then I really needed to and by the time it died back enough to manage "feeding" it every so often to stay between 250 and 275 on the maverick I was being choked by ash. I am chalking that experience up to total newb syndrome though .

So that being said, I'm leaning towards 3 narrower baskets roughly 1/4 the length of the stock plate and roughly the same width as the stock plate. That way on my 325ish hot days a year I can go with 2 baskets and on the 10 "cold" days a year I can toss the third basket in if needed(unless I'm entirely over estimating my thoughts here). I need to measure how much clearance there is between the bottom of the fire box and grate rails so I can see how long of a bolt I can use for stand offs so I can still use the direct grill side of things. I'm also going to look around for fairly long fireplace shovel so I can clear ash beneath easier while I'm cooking. Sorry for being long winded and thoughts all over the place, still not caught up on sleep from not sleeping Saturday night.

As always, your thoughts and knowledge are very much appreciated :-D.

 

[SmittyJonz]

are you planning on running it on charcoal? I'd burn splits in it unless just grilling in the firebox.

 

[dshuld]

Charcoal to get her going then splits of hickory from there on out.

 

[SmittyJonz]

I wouldn't build a basket. Id cut out the center of the existing grate and put 2 layers of expanded criss crossed then reinforce grate with angle iron.

Bludawg welded a whole new round stock grate but not necessary. he ran a fire in the center and had room to preheat splits on the sides of the fire grate - but I think he made his new fire grate longer.

 

[dshuld]

with as warped as the stock got not sure how well that will work out. Suppose I could buy new angle and flat and do a bolt together bulid

 

[SmittyJonz]

Bludawgs firegrate.......

 

[SmittyJonz]

Thanks to photobucket the pics in his threads can't be seen. I found the firegrate pic searching google images and took a pic of my computer screen. I can't find a pic of his fire but a lil charcoal and 2 splits in the center of fire grate ran 300* easy.

 

[dshuld]

Cool thanks!! Was looking for that post this morning to see if I could do the right click end around but couldn't find the thread for some reason.