Pequod

I'm a bit ambivalent about the MEATER. Mine works well enough. I like it a lot, and find myself using it more than any other Digital Thermometer other than my Thermapen. That said, the company has created such incredibly bad blood with their backers and the BBQ community in general that I wonder whether they'll ever recover. I also worry about the durability of the device from an unknown company with a bad reputation out of the gate. Over in "The Pit" at Amazing Ribs I recently spied some MEATER bashing and stepped in to provide a dose of reality -- it's real and, if not spectacular, it works. But the bottom line is that Apption Labs and MEATER are widely regarded as a fraud. I love the wireless probe concept, but waiting for Thermoworks or another reputable company to release their version before I go all in with a full wireless solution.

Newer grills came with bolts and wingnuts that keep it locked like this: If your grill doesn't have this, contact Dennis. You can retrofit to a locking door. I did this with my 23". The 32" (as in that post) already had this feature.

Ordered the cookin pellets sample pack, so will find out soon. Decent price at $16.50 for 9 lbs of pellets and free shipping.

Proof that South Side culture has been exported to the UK!

Anyone used these? They're much cheaper for smaller quantities than the others. Supposedly higher quality (per folks at Amazing Ribs) too. https://cookinpellets.com/product/1ea-3-lbs-sample-bag-of-perfect-mix-100-hickory-and-apple-mash/

Was thinking about buying some pellets for my cold smoker. Not being a pellet-head, I have no idea what brands are good or where to get small quantities of pellets at a reasonable price. Any suggestions?

I bet @tekobo can help with the London part.

Would Pepper Stout Beef be a possibility? Easy to do ahead then serve from a crockpot. It is both well done and delicious.

Well done tri tip...just trying to wrap my head around that...

@Kevin H - love the techique you used with the splitter and pan to create a direct sear on one side at the end. Need to try that. Did you do anything special with the pineapple? Inject it? Rub it?

What temp are you shooting for today? Curious to see how long it takes to get there. Do you have an IR gun handy so you can report floor, wall and dome temps? No other demands for now.

If it’s Dennis’ rib rack, I’m pretty sure it’s designed so the upper fits over it. You might need to trim down some of the ribs to fit in the front and rear of the 23, but should be fine. You MUST take a picture of this thing when fully loaded!

Yup, there it is. Skewers. Good idea.

I vote dark terra blue.

Using the rib rack, I think you’d be good for all of the ribs on the main grate and then use the upper grate for ~4 of the tri tips laying flat. Since you’d be doing the ribs for 4-5 hours and putting the tri tips on only in the last hour, you’d be hard pressed to put any tri tips on the grate below the ribs. I wonder if there’s a way to position the tri tips vertically like the ribs on the main grate. I bet you could fit 7 vertical tri tips on the upper rack.

Thanks! Can't claim credit for the steam oven technique. @Syzygies is the KK renaissance man who gave us the Smoke Pot, Steam Oven technique and other cool ideas. Wish I could find his original thread, but here's mine from when I first implemented his idea:

Yup, that’s the only time I use the double bottom pan. However, even then there are other ways to skin that cat. For example, by cooking on a cooling rack suspended over a disposable pan. Not trying to talk you out of it. Just make you aware of the alternatives.

I think on Instagram there’s a way for us to watch your first bake live. Hint hint.

Great list. I’d recommend two small tweaks...or at least think about tweaking. 1) Rather than looftlighter, get a MAPP torch. 2) I have a double bottom drip pan for my 23 and almost never use it, so didn’t buy one for my 32. Unlike most ceramics, which require thick ceramic heat deflectors (your KK comes with them too, but you’ll never use them), all you need as a heat deflector on most low and slow cooks is a sheet of aluminum foil on the lower grate. For something that will produce a lot of moisture you want to prevent hitting the fire, a disposable drip pan will do.

Those GI Metal peels are very nice. They’re the peel of choice over at pizzamaking.com. Definitely be getting those if/when I get my WFO someday.

Wow!

Alright, here are mine from tonight. We added a bit of cheddar because my wife decided the cheese (straight mozzarella) on the last go wasn’t quite to the Chicago standard. The cheddar was a nice touch. We did 3:1 mozzarella:cheddar. No other pictures because my daughter and her fiancé were over and he’s an Army guy...always hungry...and I wanted my share!

Yay! Glad it worked for you. Now for the truth. Did you cut it square?

...and welcome to the South Side! Roll up the windows and lock the doors, as my dad would say!

Yes! Don't rush the cooling...Make sure that bottom stays crisp before cutting. But looking GOOD!