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Keri, Thanks for the recipes. I saw this post and wanted to pass on something to the whole forum that I learned about baking pecan pies. I am sure many of you will chuckle at my ineptness, but maybe it will help somebody. A couple of years ago, I set out to make a pecan pie (I was homesick...

You bet, David! Twenty-odd years ago when my brother and I started barbecuing (using ECB's), we had never heard of rubs, so did our ribs and briskets with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Turned out pretty good. Later, we found a barbecue spice made by a local company (Cain's), and started using...

Eric, I had the same experience you are having, and ended up cancelling the order. The company would only rarely respond to emails, and when they did, never had a helpful answer. Always got an "I'll look into it," response, with no follow-up. Needless to say, I have not done any business with...

SAM, Do you have any other thermometers? It would be good to have some confirmation that the probe is accurate. If that is your only thermometer, you can check it quickly in some boiling water. That should give you an approximation of the accuracy. Once you are confident in your thermometer...

Chris, that was a darn nice thing to do! You work like an animal keeping this website in tip-top shape, and then take the time to write a comprehensive response to Mr. Wagner in his hour of need. What a guy! I just wanted to acknowledge you publicly for your generosity and helpfulness! Good...

Frank S, That sounds like one regulation M1A1 "Brisket, Beef, Barbecue-type." Nice job! A cooked brisket won't ever have the same texture as a butt. Different animal, different cut. Brisket is usually served in thin slices cut across the grain, rather than pulled like pork. In a slightly...

Hiya Pat, My brother and I competed against one another for years, trying to cook the "better ribs." At the time, neither of us knew anything about rubs, bastes, etc., and we turned out lots and lots of sensational ribs. We always used salt and pepper, and the occasional garlic powder. Even...

Howdy Bill, Congratulations on your success. I think you are right on track with your comments on fresh charcoal and using hot water. Something I have found useful is use about a 1/2 to 3/4 chimney of coals when using the Minion method. I know that is more than a lot of people use, but it seems...

Truer words was never spoke! Stogie's right - expect slight differences each time. You have to set it before you can forget it, and the settings don't produce the same results with each cook. Practice makes perfect. I am always interested to read (on the Cookshack message board) about the highly...

There is a small chain of grocery stores in the Maryland, DC, Virginia area called Magruder's that has whole CAB briskets on sale for $ .99/pound. No idea how long the sale will last. I was alerted to this from one of the other message boards. Anyway, I went to the one on Duke Street in...

Tmadar, A lot of us spent our formative years rasslin' ECB's into producing something edible. The results were (for me, anyway) highly variable. The damned things just can't be controlled reliably, even when modified. That's why nobody in this thread has recommended the ECB. Here is another...

Bryan, The rub is pretty salty, so I would recommend using it sparingly at first. I destroyed some perfectly innocent ribs the first time I used it. Enjoy, George

Howdy Bryan, No experience with Mary's Cherry rub, but I do like Head Country rub and sauces. The rub is pretty salty and not hot, so I usually amend it some. I have been experimenting with a mixture of 1 part Head Country, 1 part Wild Willy's, and 1 part Old Bay. Still experimenting. As with...

Howdy Roger, I have found smallish flats at Costco, BJ's, and Shoppers Food Warehouse, but availability is not consistent. As for whole briskets, I have not seen one. There are a few meat markets around (a couple in Arlington, one in Springfield), but I don't know if they have briskets. If they...

Jim, Chris has a "Modifications" section on this website that includes information about modifying the charcoal grate. I fixed mine with a spare ECB grate. Fits right under the WSM grate. Question: when you open the side door to get the temp up, does the temp fall again after you replace the...

Gerhard911, I have used quite a bit of mulberry over the years, and it seems fine. That said, I admit that I do not have the most discerning tastes when it comes to wood varieties. Other than mesquite and black walnut, I can't tell a whole lot of difference between most domestic hardwoods...

Howdy Mick, Hope the rain quits! A brisket is an excellent idea, but it also would require a long (overnight) cook. Fool proof brisket: Take a 5 - 7 lb. flat with fat layer, cook (fat layer on top)at 225 until internal temperature is 165 - 170, wrap in foil (egad!), continue cooking until...

Hi Mickey, I agree - BBQ is best fresh. I think if I were in your shoes, I would do an overnight cook on the butt and start the ribs the next morning. Wrap the butt in foil and a towel, and store in an ice chest until dinnertime. I love the convenience of cooking overnight. Loin backs or...

David, You are correct - once you get past the plateau, the temperature will start rising at a faster rate. But, by that time, the temperature difference between the cooker and the meat is not very large, so it may not rise as fast as you think it should. Sometimes when the temperature doesn't...

Welcome all, Another way to go is keep your eyes peeled for a crew that is taking down a tree, or cleaning up after a storm. You can get WAY more than you need in a hurry. George