GrillGods, SmokeShows, Fattys, Help Me…

[Toe]

I’ve seen it. Do you have to refill it on long cooks and is it as easy as a pellet grill where you set it and leave it?

Yeah, I've had no trouble with setting it and leaving it. You can control it and keep an eye on the current grill and food temps from your phone, too. You might need to refill it on the very longest butt and brisket cooks, but that's it.

 

[djw004]

Yeah, I'd agree with this.

I've got a Pit Boss, it's good, I like it. Wifi, Bluetooth. But it's not great for grilling and getting a good sear on your steaks or whatever else you're trying to get a good sear on. Smoking wise, to me it puts out good product. Chops, Pork Butts, Ribs, Brisket, etc. All turn out really good for me. Smoked burgers are also pretty damn good. But I won't cook steaks on it. unless I'm doing a reverse sear.

I've got a vertical propane smoker, and I'll get a better smoke on the meat than the pellet smoker, but it's a pain the ass because of temperature control, and I like to set it and forget it.

Yeah for searing I LOVE my blackstone. Can get a incredibly hot and finish on there - baste it in butter like some steakhouses will do. Nothing falls through grates since it's on the flatiron. Also - burgers on that thing have become some of my favorite.

Excited to do some larger quantity smoking this year when hosting at the pool. Anyone here prefer Carolina style to other BBQ options?

 

[djw004]

FWIW, I use a Masterbuilt Gravity Series grill/smoker myself. It's a similar idea to pellet grills, with an electronic temperature controller that you can pretty much set and forget. The difference is that instead of pellets, you've got a hopper full of lump charcoal and wood, and it has no trouble cranking up to 700F! Char-Griller makes a similar model.

Looks really reasonably priced as well. Thanks!

 

[Toe]

Yeah for searing I LOVE my blackstone. Can get a incredibly hot and finish on there - baste it in butter like some steakhouses will do. Nothing falls through grates since it's on the flatiron. Also - burgers on that thing have become some of my favorite.

Excited to do some larger quantity smoking this year when hosting at the pool. Anyone here prefer Carolina style to other BBQ options?

I kinda talked about low-temp smoking vs high-temp grilling before. What I didn't mention before is that it can be really useful to have two separate cookers for those purposes. One really good use for a setup like that is for steaks. Put them in the smoker for a while to slowly soak up smoke flavor, then transfer to a screaming hot griddle for a finishing sear. Marvelous. Also good when you need to cook things at different temperatures, like you can saute some onions and mushrooms on the griddle while the steaks are smoking at a lower temp.

As for different styles, I dabble in a bit of everything. Had some fun recently trying to figure out how to thicken an Eastern NC vinegar sauce. (The trick is that most thickeners like cornstarch get broken down by the acidity of vinegar.)

 

[Jim14510]

Yeah for searing I LOVE my blackstone. Can get a incredibly hot and finish on there - baste it in butter like some steakhouses will do. Nothing falls through grates since it's on the flatiron. Also - burgers on that thing have become some of my favorite.

Excited to do some larger quantity smoking this year when hosting at the pool. Anyone here prefer Carolina style to other BBQ options?

Not a Carolina fan. Smoke the burgers for a while then finish on the Blackstone.

 

[Jim14510]

But I won't cook steaks on it.

Yeah just doesn't do it right unless it's really a roast.

 

[Toe]

OK, you fuckers need to buy this. On sale today only.

ThermoPop® 2

Specializing in cool, unique and professional temperature tools. Super-Fast thermocouples, thermistors, infrared thermometers, data logging and more.

www.thermoworks.com

Seriously, you need a good instant-read thermometer, and this is one of the best options even at its regular price. I gave my dad one of these for Christmas when he got into BBQing. I've already got their high-end Thermapen, and I'm thinking about getting one of these as a backup.

 

[Herbie]

I’d guess for most men it doesn’t really matter what vessel you use to cook your food. The end result will be serving your wife and kids dried out meat.

 

[Huskerbuck85]

I have been doing everything on my Blackstone for outdoor cooking the last 2 years. Love it - but need to get something for more traditional grilling. Looking at getting the PitBoss 820 w/ wifi

Pit Boss Grills | Wood Pellet Grills | Flat Top Griddles | BBQ Smokers

Shop for wood pellet grills, smokers, and griddles. Try new recipes and learn about our 8-in-1 grill versatility. Our grills help you craft BBQ recipes to perfection.

pitboss-grills.com

Never had a pellet grill before - and not interested in spending 1k for a Traeger. I’m seeing this to be about the best value for cost/size

Any recommendations you guys have, or experience with PitBoss?

Any tips for getting into smoking/pellet grilling?

If you’re just looking for a smoke flavor and not to smoke meat just get a nice grill and buy one of these. Save a ton of money or invest that money into a higher quality grill and still come out with smoke flavor.