Old Country Wrangler- Owners Thread

[Displaced Texan]

Wow!!!! Very Nice Indeed!! What wood are you using for your smokes?

Thanks. Hickory mainly and some red oak as well.

 

[Retired Spook]

I bought a LavaLock charcoal basket for my wrangler - curious to see the results. Going to use B&B Oak Lump charcoal and see what happens.

It is terrible hard to get any of the firewood suppliers around this part of Texas to even wake-up - much less return a phone call. I guess it's a thing...

 

[Drum&Que]

I bought a LavaLock charcoal basket for my wrangler - curious to see the results. Going to use B&B Oak Lump charcoal and see what happens.

It is terrible hard to get any of the firewood suppliers around this part of Texas to even wake-up - much less return a phone call. I guess it's a thing...

This will help a lot with maintaining a coal bed in our small fireboxes. Anything we can do for more air in that thing is super important. More air and smaller amounts of fuel are perks to the coal basket in my opinion.

 

[millerbuilds]

This will help a lot with maintaining a coal bed in our small fireboxes. Anything we can do for more air in that thing is super important. More air and smaller amounts of fuel are perks to the coal basket in my opinion.

Agreed, I made my own from some heavy duty expanded metal and also raised it so I can pull out ashes.

- Jason

 

[Retired Spook]

I no longer have the means to fabricate stuff so I bought one - it will be here Wednesday and I am looking forward to seeing how it will work.

In the meantime, I salt & pepper dry brined a smallish 5-pound prime brisket point overnight and post-oak smoked it today (with a few sticks of hickory tossed in just because I had it) to a perfect 200-degrees using the pink butcher-paper Texas crutch method.

I'll never buy brisket at a brisket joint again - it was fabulous! No photos because after it rested in towels in a cooler for 1-1/2 hours me and a few neighbors ate all of it!

It truly is amazing what low & slow does to a brisket. I know I am going to regret eating that much brisket so late in the day but I guess I'll just never learn! :D

Man that was good.

PS. I took the 1/8" heat-plate out of the smoker - it worked fine! In fact, I think it worked a little better without the plate. Whodda thunk?

 

[millerbuilds]

I no longer have the means to fabricate stuff so I bought one - it will be here Wednesday and I am looking forward to seeing how it will work.

In the meantime, I salt & pepper dry brined a smallish 5-pound prime brisket point overnight and post-oak smoked it today (with a few sticks of hickory tossed in just because I had it) to a perfect 200-degrees using the pink butcher-paper Texas crutch method.

I'll never buy brisket at a brisket joint again - it was fabulous! No photos because after it rested in towels in a cooler for 1-1/2 hours me and a few neighbors ate all of it!

It truly is amazing what low & slow does to a brisket. I know I am going to regret eating that much brisket so late in the day but I guess I'll just never learn! :D

Man that was good.

PS. I took the 1/8" heat-plate out of the smoker - it worked fine! In fact, I think it worked a little better without the plate. Whodda thunk?

I agree with Brisket, BBQ joints charge so much for it and I feel as though mine is pretty dang good. When I go to BBQ joints I try stuff that either I don't cook very often or something special only they do and I always get a bit of turkey, how well turkey is tells you how good a Pit Master is...

Glad you enjoyed your brisket!

- Jason

 

[Retired Spook]

Well - LavaLock charcoal basket arrived. I'll admit it was pricey but talk about total quality - this thing is very well made.

Soon as we get a break in the weather I will spark the smoker up and see how I like it.

 

[Retired Spook]

I have never use charcoal in a smoker; I've always just burned oak or hickory splits the whole way through, maintaining a good bed of coals and thin to almost invisible blue smoke. I am guessing that when I need to add charcoal it should be lit in a chimney first? This seems logical but I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything? I do intend to add splits (that I will cut in half) for smoke but my thinking is that using charcoal for heat will save on splits, which are increasingly hard to get...

 

[Newglide]

I have never use charcoal in a smoker; I've always just burned oak or hickory splits the whole way through, maintaining a good bed of coals and thin to almost invisible blue smoke. I am guessing that when I need to add charcoal it should be lit in a chimney first? This seems logical but I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything? I do intend to add splits (that I will cut in half) for smoke but my thinking is that using charcoal for heat will save on splits, which are increasingly hard to get...

I typically start mine with a chimney of lump charcoal. Gives a good bed of coals to start. When I dump the chimney in I put in a couple of splits depending on their size. I let the cook chamber get hot then settle down to my desired temp. My Pecos likes to run around 250 pretty consistently.
The only time I need to add charcoal is if the coal bed starts to get low and I have a hard time keeping temps up. I will use a lit chimney. The only time this happens is on a long cook.

 

[Retired Spook]

Agreed, I made my own from some heavy duty expanded metal and also raised it so I can pull out ashes.

- Jason

Where you at - I need your advise :D

Hope all is well!

 

[millerbuilds]

Where you at - I need your advise :D

Hope all is well!

Took a quick staycation, but can't seem to escape this Texas heat!

- Jason

 

[Retired Spook]

Took a quick staycation, but can't seem to escape this Texas heat!

- Jason

No kidding about that. I am west of you and I am sick of this heat. Feels like its been 100+ every day since February...

I recieved my charcoal basket and set it on the firebox grate (turned grate 90-degrees) and I will spark it up in a few days and see how I like it. I'm thinking that even if I use only splits, it will keep the coal bed organized better, but I am going to start with lump charcoal and give that technique a try.

 

[millerbuilds]

No kidding about that. I am west of you and I am sick of this heat. Feels like its been 100+ every day since February...

I recieved my charcoal basket and set it on the firebox grate (turned grate 90-degrees) and I will spark it up in a few days and see how I like it. I'm thinking that even if I use only splits, it will keep the coal bed organized better, but I am going to start with lump charcoal and give that technique a try.

I agree on the heat, it came way to early this year...
I typically start with a pile of lump, pour hot coals on top and add splits as my cook goes on. I keep set a side, some of the bigger chunks of lump and add them as well for long cooks. The other thing I do is always close the exhaust when I am messing with the fire, so that ash does not get pulled into the cooking chamber and onto my food.

Jason

 

[Retired Spook]

I agree on the heat, it came way to early this year...
I typically start with a pile of lump, pour hot coals on top and add splits as my cook goes on. I keep set a side, some of the bigger chunks of lump and add them as well for long cooks. The other thing I do is always close the exhaust when I am messing with the fire, so that ash does not get pulled into the cooking chamber and onto my food.

Jason

Good thinking on the exhaust damper; I will keep that in mind!

 

[Retired Spook]

Sunday smoke...

The thin blue hickory smoke.

The pork shoulder.

Initial impression of the coal basket is that with the coal basket on the firebox grate (grate rotated 90-degrees) the fire is higher in the firebox and breathes much much better and I seem to be getting better smoke and now have to keep the firebox door closed and use the firebox-door-damper to regulate the fire/temperature, whereas previously with the factory slotted firebox grate lower in the firebox, I had to keep the firebox door fully open to maintain temps.

 

[millerbuilds]

The basket wakes up the wrangler! Glad you had the same results I did.

- Jason

 

[Drum&Que]

Awesome pics! Ya the coal basket is definitely where it’s at. I just control my temp with the door. Like I said, I use WAY less fuel since I cut the baffle out. I don’t like using only charcoal because it lacks the flavor I desire. So I just start with a full chimneys of coals.

 

[Retired Spook]

Awesome pics! Ya the coal basket is definitely where it’s at. I just control my temp with the door. Like I said, I use WAY less fuel since I cut the baffle out. I don’t like using only charcoal because it lacks the flavor I desire. So I just start with a full chimneys of coals.

You cut the baffle completely out? Exactly what model OC smoker do you have?

Never mind I read back and see you have a Wrangler you took the baffle out of.
I will admit, I haven't been cray-cray about the baffle. I'll have to think on it a bit...

 

[Retired Spook]

Followed recipe (amazingribs.com) to the letter but used a "carolina rub" - came out tender and moist - bone slipped right out - but completely bland taste and it smelled like pig. Tossed it in the trash.

I've never had pulled-pork before - I don't think I am a pulled-pork guy. I love St. Louis ribs so I will stick to that when I need a pork fix.

I've roasted many shoulders in the oven and I love em. I've also cured and smoked MANY pork bellies - I can make great bacon! I've even cured pork shoulder and made cottage bacon which was great but this pulled pork was just a complete turn-off.

 

[Drum&Que]

You cut the baffle completely out? Exactly what model OC smoker do you have?

Never mind I read back and see you have a Wrangler you took the baffle out of.
I will admit, I haven't been cray-cray about the baffle. I'll have to think on it a bit...

I love it. I can finally get it (and maintain) hot enough temps to cook good chicken. You gotta be careful though because the temps will definitely soar on you if you use too big of splits or the wrong kind of charcoal. You’ve also got to be patient and let the temp come down when you first put your coal and splits on. I think I’m gonna Start using a half chimney of coals to get started Instead of a full. Just too dang hot!