tony b

Great cooks everyone! Happy 4th of July!! So, being the classic BBQ holiday here in the US, it was baby back ribs, potato salad and corn. BUT, the ribs were a new experiment - 2 different experiments actually. I cut the baby back rack in half. Dry rubbed both with mustard and Dizzy Pig. After 90 minutes, I sprayed both pieces every 30 minutes with a brew of apple juice, apple cider vinegar, bourbon, sage, marjoram, thyme, cumin and S&P. I used the cheapo coffee maker that I bought on Amazon Prime Day, like I'd seen in YouTube BBQ videos. The herbs and spices go in the basket with a paper filter and the liquids go in the tank and you brew it just like coffee. Once it cools, then it goes into a spray bottle. With an hour left, I smeared some of the smoked lard on the pink butcher paper and wrapped the one half rack. Didn't do anything more to it until the end. The unwrapped rack got spritzed every 30 minutes until the end. Both came out really good. Hard to say which technique worked better - each has its own benefit and I will be using both techniques in the future. And Yes, there are pictures to prove that it did, indeed, happen! First, yesterday I cold smoked some of the Wagyu beef tallow and the pork leaf lard using the cold smoker with apple and cherry wood pellets. Smoked for 4 hours. Beef on the left, pork on the right. You can see the smoke around the outside. The pork just barely melted (it's in the 90s here). Both came out AMAZING! Can't wait to use the Wagyu on some steaks and chuck roasts! Ribs on the grill. Indirect, 250F with the Guru. smoker pot with hickory and apple wood chunks. Plated with some of my brew (English Pale Ale). The wrapped ribs were falling off the bone with a nice mouthfeel from the extra fat. The unwrapped/extra spray ribs had a nice crust and were moist. Just about to fall off the bone tender. Flip a coin - it was a toss up as to my favorite!

Awesome!

If you make Syz's smoker pot, the keys are 3 small holes in the bottom (mine are 3/32"). Folks have messed theirs up by either drilling too many holes or too big holes. The idea is to starve the wood inside of oxygen, so it smolders and not actually burns. This is the exact same process as how charcoal is made. You will be surprised to find that after your cook is over, the wood inside is actually charcoal now. The other key trick is the holes go in the bottom, not the lid. You want the smoke to go back into the hot coals to burn off some of the volatiles that don't produce "good smoke." I just used mine today for a rib cook.

Thinking about making a SMASH with Marris Otter and Loral hops. We'll see if it pans out.

First off, Welcome to the Obsession. As you can see, there's a lot of passion on this Forum. I'm a tile guy, but nothing wrong with pebbles (especially if your name is Bam-Bam! LOL!) You're going to be blown away by the upgrade from the BGE! The KK is a far superior cooker. You've just upped your game to the next level, automatically. Hoping that your delivery will be there in time for the Holiday feasts!

Wish that I had friends like that!

Glad to see another homebrewer on the Forum. There are a few of us here.

I've had the good fortune to meet a couple of folks from here in person, but haven't gotten to cook with anyone yet. It would be fun, I have no doubts! @Jon B. and I have been conspiring for years for him to come over to cook with me when he visits his sister here in town. Maybe one day?

If the 32" behaves similarly to my 23", your top vent was too open for the target temp that you were shooting for. On mine, 250F is about 1/8 turn off the seat. The bottom vents don't really control temperature, as long as you're not starving the fire of enough air to keep burning. Agree with @Syzygies - The double drip pan from Dennis would be the way to go if you want to keep the drippings. As long as your guest were enjoying the meat, you did a proper job! We've all had to learn from someone who went before us. That's one of the best things about this Forum - members willingness to share what they know and their "failures" as well.

Nope, it's the "preferred" lard for baking. It's basically melted down caul fat from around the kidneys. Milder flavor and softer texture.

My leaf lard arrived yesterday, so I'm eager to try Mad Scientist BBQ's trick on a rack of ribs. Pork Ribs Cooked Like Brisket | Mad Scientist BBQ - YouTube Thinking about firing up the cold smoker to smoke the lard and some more of the beef tallow, too.

Fire Big Blue up and show us what you're cooking!

Welcome to the Retirees Club! It's a great group of folks and I'm sure that you'll get the hang of it quickly!

Indeed! We certainly know how to spend other people's $$ on this Forum!

I've used the FiAir for years now. Love it! https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D5FS7HA But, alas, it's not available right now.

Welcome to the Obsession! Over time, you'll likely want to pick up the missing grates for your KK, as they will add a lot of flexibility to your cooking! Along with some other accessories like the pizza stone and basket splitter.

@Basher you have a special friendship indeed there, mate! Cherish it for as long as you both are breathing!

@jonj - take that Caesar salad to the next level - grill the romaine lettuce. Cut the head in half lengthwise, brush on some EVOO and place cut side down to grill until a light char develops. You will like the results!

Yes, I remember them well. Miss them a lot! I learned a great deal from their posts back in the day!

It all depends upon how "into" BBQ they are? If they are just casual cookers, then it's probably not going to register with them why the KK is a superior product, especially given the price tag.

I wish that I could decipher why photos sometimes post sideways?? No clue! The most likely explanation for your inability to ramp up the temps after the rib cook was that you were low on charcoal at that point. One of the mantras of this site is "You Can't Put Too Much Charcoal In The Basket!"

I lost Kipper at the end of 2020. He was 14 years old. The house is so empty without him around now.

Nicely done with the uncrating. The heavy heat deflectors make excellent pavers - you won't ever use them inside the KK for a cook. No one does, not even Dennis! For indirect cooks, just use the drip pan or a sheet of AL foil.

@remi - BRAVO for tackling a brisket right out of the gate. You pulled it off, regardless of the hiccups. You are correct in deciphering that your top vent setting was a bit high for a 300F target. A 1/2 turn on my 23" puts me around 350 - 375F.