Getting a Grill (spinners optional)

[Cheddar]

So, moved and got approval to buy a new grill.  This go around heading back to charcoal; gas was too easy and ended up mostly using oven.

Miss that smokey flavor.  Looking for input on charcoal grills with smoker.  No wierd gas/charcoil hybrids, that is why God gave us ovens.

[MahrinSkel]

If you want a charcoal grill/smoker, you pretty much have to go with some variant of the Texas Oil Pipe design:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Char-Broil-Silver-Smoker-Off-Set-Charcoal-Smoker-and-Grill-12201560/100327576?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cBase&gclid=CN7u05G3ksICFS-CMgod1zYA1g&gclsrc=aw.ds

That's a comparatively cheap version, at the high end they control smoke and temperature by adjusting the draft automatically (as well as being made from better steel).

--Dave

[Evildrider]

My buddy swears by his Big Green Egg, but they are pricey.

[brellium]

If you want a charcoal grill/smoker, you pretty much have to go with some variant of the Texas Oil Pipe design:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Char-Broil-Silver-Smoker-Off-Set-Charcoal-Smoker-and-Grill-12201560/100327576?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cBase&gclid=CN7u05G3ksICFS-CMgod1zYA1g&gclsrc=aw.ds

That's a comparatively cheap version, at the high end they control smoke and temperature by adjusting the draft automatically (as well as being made from better steel).

--Dave

eyup

http://www.amazon.com/REC-TEC-Wood-Pellet-Grill/dp/B008DZS1LO/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_8?ie=UTF8&refRID=123225ZJNYR54P174VTN

A thousand dollar grill with all 5 star ratings, that's impressive. (granted they look fake)

[Paelos]

So, moved and got approval to buy a new grill.  This go around heading back to charcoal; gas was too easy and ended up mostly using oven.

Miss that smokey flavor.  Looking for input on charcoal grills with smoker.  No wierd gas/charcoil hybrids, that is why God gave us ovens.

You have two major choices in the South. If you're rich you get a Big Green Egg. If you're not rich, you make your own out of a steel drum that you cut in half and solder a smokebox to the end of it, and put on trailer wheels so you can tow it to tailgates.

You strike me as an Egg guy.

[Chimpy]

You should not use just any old steel drum if you go that route. You need to specifically look for one that is untreated steel. The vast majority of them are treated/coated and using them as a grill or smoker will add all kinds of toxic shit to your food as the coating burns.

[Paelos]

You should not use just any old steel drum if you go that route. You need to specifically look for one that is untreated steel. The vast majority of them are treated/coated and using them as a grill or smoker will add all kinds of toxic shit to your food as the coating burns.

Cheddar's a high level exec from my understanding. I don't think he's going the redneck drum route.

[Cheddar]

You should not use just any old steel drum if you go that route. You need to specifically look for one that is untreated steel. The vast majority of them are treated/coated and using them as a grill or smoker will add all kinds of toxic shit to your food as the coating burns.

Cheddar's a high level exec from my understanding. I don't think he's going the redneck drum route.

wut.  I am just a dude earning a buck, I am not an exec.  This is how rumors start.

Gonna check out green egg.  Normally I stick with Weber, but figured would check.  400 dollars max budget.

[Pezzle]

Well, that can get you the mini, 10" diameter. 

The $650 medium only weighs 95 pounds and probably does not come with a stand.  Nice devices though. 

[Abagadro]

Get a Weber kettle and just use a coal holder or separate smoker box when you need smoke. Weber has accessories that make it fairly easy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ1do5y_X7M

[Salamok]

You should not use just any old steel drum if you go that route. You need to specifically look for one that is untreated steel. The vast majority of them are treated/coated and using them as a grill or smoker will add all kinds of toxic shit to your food as the coating burns.

I swear the hipster brisket trailers are using old 2000 gallon propane tanks converted into smokers.

[Jimbo]

I'm with Abagadro, I'm going back to a Weber kettle eventually. I have a gas grill and it is okay. But the Weber is awesome and you can move the fire around to make slow cooker/smoker out of it. Or hell, watch Alton Brown's Good Eats and make your own smoker.

[murdoc]

Kamado Joe Grill

These things are awesome.

[jgsugden]

I've never found that I needed the expensive tools to get great results.  A $60 Weber is going to give you fine grilling results if you use the right techniques.  If you want the low and slow bbq experience with great smoke, you can do that on the Weber, too - it just takes a bit more effort.  

[Merusk]

Get a Weber kettle and just use a coal holder or separate smoker box when you need smoke. Weber has accessories that make it fairly easy.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ1do5y_X7M

Thirded, if you're going Charcoal you go Weber. Only folks going for "I AM BBQ MAN" and take it WAY too seriously do the trailer thing and, Ched, you just don't strike me that way.

[Typhon]

Kamado Joe Grill

These things are awesome.

Woah, that's mighty spiffy!

[Tmon]

I bought a big green egg a couple years ago, the thing is fantastic.  I use mine for grilling, smoking and baking bread or pizza.  They aren't the cheapest cookers out there, and the egg cult is almost as bad as the apple cult.  On the upside there are plenty of cheaper 3rd party accessories for the egg that are usually cheaper and just as useful.

[Cheddar]

I normally stick with what I know (Weber) but gonna check out some reviews on this there Green Egg.  Only reason I am willing to shell out the extra cash is I need a lot of space; part of the fun in grilling (besides excuse to drinks beerz at 4pm) is timing all the deliciousness so it finishes at exactly the same time.

And you are correct; I do not have enough of a neckbeard to pull of a DIY style cooker.

[Jimbo]

Oh and thanks to the dancing monkey with a hat! (Paelos) I've been using brine and marinades more. I made a beer can turkey for my son, his friends, and I last night :)


Brine'ed and Rubbed and the beer can holder from Pampered Chef is awesome. I used Blue Moon with this one.

Finished! It was awesome.
We did Thanksgiving last night, since I'm working Thursday and the kiddo is doing some performance and is going all over this week.

This is a plain old 4 burner gas grill, but I have a Weber over at my parents house. I want to build a fire pit out there, since one day I'll get the farmstead. Oh how much room do you have Ched? A friend of mine built a backyard oven, which makes some awesome pizza's and breads. Damn homeowners association won't let me build one at my current house. So I'm stuck with my gas grill.

[jgsugden]

Another note: I know a few folks that do some serious work with cinder blocks.  You've got to be careful doing it because the heat travels into the ground (killing vegetation, melting plastic pipes, etc..), but it is a great way to be able to take on bigger stuff that won't fit on a Weber (whole pig, a dozen turkeys, etc..). 

In the end, you're just talking heat + food + smoke.  The heat might be radiated, convection, or directly applied by metal - but the core is pretty darn simple - and we've been doing it for a long time.

[Cheddar]

Finished! It was awesome.
We did Thanksgiving last night, since I'm working Thursday and the kiddo is doing some performance and is going all over this week.

This is a plain old 4 burner gas grill, but I have a Weber over at my parents house. I want to build a fire pit out there, since one day I'll get the farmstead. Oh how much room do you have Ched? A friend of mine built a backyard oven, which makes some awesome pizza's and breads. Damn homeowners association won't let me build one at my current house. So I'm stuck with my gas grill.

Renting this place, had to move states recently so did not want to be stuck in shit neighborhood.  Otherwise, yes please, want to know more!

I would KILL to have an outdoor wood oven.

[Paelos]

Bird looks great Jimbo! Brines are great for poultry and pork.

I would love to have a nice outdoor grill. 20th floor of the condo doesn't seem like that's happening soon. Maybe when I get my own house.

[croaker69]

One downside to the BGE. A friend of mine was moving his Large on the patio and had a caster break and the egg tip over. They are fragile.

[Khaldun]

I find I can do everything I want, including smoking stuff, with a Weber kettle. I just have to hang around, that's all, but I like that, as long as the beer holds out. I think the only thing that would be really tough is a long cold-ish smoke of something delicate like fish, but I'd rather do something like curing than smoking for that sort of thing. I can fit two small whole chickens w/chopped garlic and herbs under the skin in my Weber with coals piled on the other side and then periodic drops of soaked hickory chips and replenishment of coals gets me two beautiful smoky grilled chickens. Couldn't do it better on a Texas pipe, just could do another two or so chickens. Not often I need four whole grilled chickens even when there are people over--it would be cheaper in that event anyway to have two Weber kettles.

[rattran]

I have 2 weber grills, a big one and a huge one. Lots of room when I need it. And chunks of wood for smoking. My roommate has a nice 2 chamber $900 smoker, but he uses my weber instead as it's so much easier.

[Count Nerfedalot]

I hate cooking on gas grills, I can taste it in the food every time.  My Weber finally rusted out a couple years ago and I found this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kingsford-Charcoal-Grill/33603464 which I have enjoyed a lot.  Much better airflow control, raise and lower coals, side access to move coals around (although the opening is too small to easily add a bunch at once, for example), etc. I expect I'll need a new ash pan in another year or two, but otherwise it's held out pretty well considering I've left it out in the elements since I bought it and the cheap cover I got shredded in the wind in half a year.    I haven't tried smoking with it yet. 

After successfully building a patio from pavers I've been contemplating enhancing it with my own built-in grill from firebrick and either reuse my old grill piece from the Weber (tough due to it's being round) or buy some nice sized rectangular replacement grills and build the box to fit around them.  But that will probably wait a couple more years or until this Kingsford collapses into a pile of rust.

[Tmon]

Here's a few pics of stuff I don my BGE

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c283/haroldjus/Turkey_zps81468670.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c283/haroldjus/Pizza_zpsccb67eeb.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c283/haroldjus/Bread_zps6bec7de0.jpg

I bought some fire brick splits when I got the egg, depending on how I lay them out I can cook indirect with them, use them to raise things to a higher level in the dome or a combination of both.  The BGE plate setter which does the same thing costs around $70 my bricks were $12.

[Cheddar]

In a meeting today green egg came up.   I dunno, after holidays I will decide.

Was set on weber, but when waiting for folks some advocated for green egg, made me think twice.  Then dude who came as account manager mentioned his pellet grilling.  It sounded glorious, but hard to find.

[Viin]

In a meeting today green egg came up.   I dunno, after holidays I will decide.

Was set on weber, but when waiting for folks some advocated for green egg, made me think twice.  Then dude who came as account manager mentioned his pellet grilling.  It sounded glorious, but hard to find.

In NW Denver there's a pellet grilling place in the mall of all places. Looks slick but I don't need another grill right now.

[Rasix]

My dad loves his green egg.  Uses it all of the time.  He built a pretty nice setup for it in his backyard (he's retired and has too much time on his hands).

[Cheddar]

Split the difference.  Settled on an Akorn grill from Lowes; part Weber part Green Egg.

I really, really, toyed with Green Egg but felt silly spending 800+ on charcoil grill.  At $299 I still feel silly, but wife insisted.  Had to prep grates today, but it is on like Donkey Kong next weekend (working sun up til sun down currently).  Plan to tinker with beef jerkey this spring.

[jgsugden]

One upgrade worth the cost for grilling (high heat): Cast iron grates.  I've done most of my recent grilling on a firepit with a cast iron grill. 

Note that cast iron grates require some effort to maintain, but the marks are worth the effort.  They require more work than cast iron skillets because they get hotter and the oil breaks down more.  I have not tried the enamel covered cast iron grates, but they might be worth the investment. 

[Merusk]

They aren't. Unless mine were cheap on the last grill, a Brinkman, the enamel flaked off after one grilling season. This meant I had to worry about flakes of it in food or replace them (which I did)  wasn't worth it.

[jgsugden]

That sucks.  Was the enamel cast iron grate one that came with the grill? 

[Merusk]

Yeah, so it could have been lower-quality. It was also about 8 years ago so it's possible mfg techniques have improved.  That's just my experience with them.

The stainless steel grill surround is still in great shape so I don't believe it was heat-related. It's just that the grates that didn't last.  (The guts are all rusted out now, too. It was the last thing my Dad and I built together so it's going to pain me to replace it as that will cost less than putting new components in.  )