Recent content by Penoose

I like to use chips as an addendum to my wood chunks. I usually bury some in the charcoal pile when using the minion method.

It's really difficult to accurately predict when a butt will reach your desired temp. I've only done a handful, but my boneless four pounders generally took in excess of 10 hours with no other meat in the cooker. Then, recently, I had a 5 pounder (bone-in) finish in just 7.5 hours with a...

>>Others, I find the bbq to be really "wet" - not moist either - I mean wet. << Possibly from the vinegar sauce? The pork certainly gets wet, since a good vinegar sauce permeates the meat, rather than just blanketing it. I suppose not everyone likes that. But if pork is done well, a thin...

You didn't like the BBQ at Honey Monk's???? It must have been an off day; either that or your taste buds are drastically dissimilar from mine. Lexington BBQ was the best meat I've ever had, save possibly for Duke's in Orangeburg, SC. The Carolinas have the best bbq, hands down. P.j.

I've had horrible luck with this; about half of my smokes have been interrupted by thunderstorms. The biggest problem is indeed the water that collects in the bottom of the bowl. This, along with the high winds that generally accompany such a storm, tends to reduce your temperature. The...

I went to Evergreen today and they did have oak wood, but only chips. I'll probably mix it with some hickory chunks for the brisket. Bought a 5 lb. flat at Costco. Fat cap is mostly intact. P.j.

>>I've had luck at Evergreen Lawn & Garden in Warren or Clinton Twsp. I never boought oak there, but I do get my Hickory and apple there.<< Yes, I usually get wood from Evergreen on 8 Mile. They have quite a selection, including peach and grape wood, but no oak. I was just trying to avoid...

>>Get the big cryovac one, but don't let them trim it!! You want a big ol' honkin' fat cap on it.<< Hmm...many people seem to have experience with smaller cuts drying out. But couldn't the butcher conceivably cut one of these large cryovac cuts down to 4 pounds and still keep the fat cap on...

I'm doing brisket for the first time this week, and I'd very much like to procure some oak wood chunks before then. Any suggestions on where to pick some up? P.j.

Smoked the chicken thighs and legs underneath the ribs...came out very well, actually. As it turned out, I was less than inclined to fire up the gas grill and pull the chicken early, so I just let everything go for 4.5 hours. Ribs could have come off at the 4-hour mark, but were still very...

>>3 hours at 250*<< Your ribs finished in three hours? That's unusually quick, is it not? P.j.

I concur; the Weber starter cubes rule. While I had no trouble using newspaper to fire a chimney, the ashes tended to fly everywhere. Cubes are far less messy. P.j.

I want to cook individual (NOT boneless/skinless)chicken pieces underneath my BB ribs in the WSM. How long should I expect for legs, thighs, breasts at 250 degrees? Is there a significant difference between white and dark meat in terms of cooking times? I am also thinking of pulling the...

Thanks gang. I guess it's best to fiddle about as little as possible. I often need to replenish fuel; perhaps I should try the minion method. I've been using the standard method to start the fire, mostly because it's difficult for me to imagine cooking without all the coals covered in gray...

Often, the Kingsford charcoal briquettes fall through my grate when I dump them from the chimney. The ring is in place, of course, but there is just enough space at the edges for a briquette to fall through. Has anyone else experienced this? I don't think it's a serious problem...just...