- Feb 10, 2014
- 3
- 10
I've been grilling for many years on a Kingsford egg-shaped grill, which was retired just last night with a ceremonial last batch of ribs. The fire grate had turned to dust and the unit is no longer made. Gave us a good run for 20 years, though.
After far too many recent evenings and late nights reading 'Meathead' Goldwyn's excellent Amazing Ribs website, I am replacing the 'egg' with the perhaps-not-too-highly-respected Masterbuilt 7 in 1 gas/charcoal smoker. I have not truly settled on gas or charcoal, and I hope this 'starter' unit will let me experience both. I also have hopes of starting large pieces of meat on the charcoal, with lots of smoke, and finishing the long run with gas (did I mention that I am way too tired of feeding briquettes into a cooker, trying to chase a moving temperature?).
Though the cooker isn't a high end piece of hardware, I have ordered the Maverick 733 dual-probe temp gauge, and their quick-read handheld. Finishing off the list of hopefully cool stuff is the Pitmaster IQ fan unit, to hold the charcoal at a steady temp. It gets ordered in two days when the smoker arrives and I can determine which connection will work best.
I figure if the smoker is a bust, I'll still have good tools for the next one. About the only consistent complaint I have read about the 7 in 1, is that it is made with thin metal and doesn't last. Cabela's sells the unit in stainless steel, so if I love it, I can upgrade and have it forever.
I am looking forward to learning tons about smoking, and making real BBQ.
And, if all the stuff I have ordered is totally wrong, please let me down easy. I'm still kind of dopey from the late nights.
About my moniker: Goatbiking. "It's not the size of the hills you climb, it's what you smell like when you're done". So sez my wife.
After far too many recent evenings and late nights reading 'Meathead' Goldwyn's excellent Amazing Ribs website, I am replacing the 'egg' with the perhaps-not-too-highly-respected Masterbuilt 7 in 1 gas/charcoal smoker. I have not truly settled on gas or charcoal, and I hope this 'starter' unit will let me experience both. I also have hopes of starting large pieces of meat on the charcoal, with lots of smoke, and finishing the long run with gas (did I mention that I am way too tired of feeding briquettes into a cooker, trying to chase a moving temperature?).
Though the cooker isn't a high end piece of hardware, I have ordered the Maverick 733 dual-probe temp gauge, and their quick-read handheld. Finishing off the list of hopefully cool stuff is the Pitmaster IQ fan unit, to hold the charcoal at a steady temp. It gets ordered in two days when the smoker arrives and I can determine which connection will work best.
I figure if the smoker is a bust, I'll still have good tools for the next one. About the only consistent complaint I have read about the 7 in 1, is that it is made with thin metal and doesn't last. Cabela's sells the unit in stainless steel, so if I love it, I can upgrade and have it forever.
I am looking forward to learning tons about smoking, and making real BBQ.
And, if all the stuff I have ordered is totally wrong, please let me down easy. I'm still kind of dopey from the late nights.
About my moniker: Goatbiking. "It's not the size of the hills you climb, it's what you smell like when you're done". So sez my wife.