Anybody grilling?


 
I think it's quite solid. IDK on the 10 year thing or even comparing to a mixer. But, it's a vrey solid piece especially given it's price point. (and no not the $199 point I paid) but it's $499 price point. Looked at a lot of smokers like this up to that $500 point and quite honestly I still think it equals anything up to the $800 point. I can't say comparing to a Smokefire. I've not handled one properly put together. All the ones I have seen were assembled poorly and wobbled all over the floor.
I went through it carefully, making sure all connectors clean and tight, Motors are running freely. Auger seems to be quieter now. I think there may have been a couple "clinkers" in it.
Currently cooking some catfish on it. Held smoke temps, then held 210 now holding 350 in range of + or - 10 degrees. Fingers crossed. But I am getting a whole new hopper, motors, controller assembly. He said it will be unbolt one and bolt on the entire thing. If it keeps running, I am going to hang on to the new one
 
Enjoy the catfish! I cannot stomach the stuff, and I grew up on the Mississippi! Ghastly fish. I am just snickering about a pellet pooper cooking a pooper eater! Sorry, Illinois childhood humor.
I just saw a platypus not too far from me for $75 but, I can’t justify the purchase. Do I really need a third 22” kettle?
 
Dan…..
I have already got two 22”, the 18”, GA, Smokey Joe, Simpsons Smokey Joe, WSM, hibachi, and the Hillbilly hearth. The “extra” 22 is destined to be a dedicated rotisserie carriage piece. That just MIGHT have to be the dedicated Vortex unit but, the trip to get it would take me by a great deli and one of the countries best music stores! It could be a really expensive road trip! It might be gone anyway.
Tony UK told me pretty much the same thing, ”Two hour road trip, go for it.”
All you guys are too obliging (read ENABLING) for my own good. Besides, I can feel the “Stink eye”….
Storage or “Reasonable Positionability” is my other concern.
 
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Only reason to not like catfish is either you got some that was not handled well before hand or cooked poorly. That or the fact that they are ugly fish turns a lot of people off. Not the most firm flesh though. Also, any catfish over about 3 lbs is too big to eat.

all my opinion of course
 
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Bruce said:
Only reason to not like catfish is either you got some that was not handled well before hand or cooked poorly. That or the fact that they are ugly fish turns a lot of people off. Not the most firm flesh though. Also, any catfish over about 3 lbs is too big to eat.
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Sorry Bruce, I had I prepared by some extremely fine cooks, the stuff just tastes like something I don’t want to put in my system. Halibut, flounder, the whole of flatfish are as ugly as catfish but, they don’t taste like the bottom of a sewer workers boot. I have tried them time and time again each time PRAYING that they will be good, always disappointed. Tilapia is lighter but, I still don’t care for that either. It just leaves me unimpressed. Can’t sell me on it. I am very happy that others enjoy it, my late sister in law loved it and raved about a local fish places product, actually demanded that I try a bite, didn’t do anything for me. I didn’t hurl but, I wanted to!
 
Timothy: Have you ever eaten fresh wild caught catfish from a good lake/river? Otherwise, you are likely eating pond raised catfish. They live in stagnant ponds super over populated and eat processed unnatural food. I never buy my catfish. I would only eat it if I caught it. Problem is I hate cleaning fish.
 
People confuse a catfish with something like a bullhead. Those are muddy tasting. But channel cat, and flathead are not poop eaters and not mud puppies. A wild caught channel, blue or small flathead cleaned and fileted they are as nice eating a fish as any walleye or basically any fish. Another fish I love (some call it poor man's lobster) is northern pike. Once you know how to bone it I'll take it over any other freshwater fish around. And yet many times the same people who turn their nose up on a catfish will glady chow down on lobster, crab, shrimp. Want a poop eater?
Anyway the catfish turned out great and the grill performed as designed. Perfectly. Temps held as needed, IDK, maybe I fixed it? There are some things I think I will address. I intend to pull it apart and do some mild mods to it to make it more bulletproof. Reinforce the auger motor, maybe install a stronger more robust motor. I have to think on it. Glad it is now working
 
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Ohhhhh, Larry, I will have to disagree. Bullheads are the bomb. Again, a lot has to do with what kind of water you catch them in. They eat minnows. I have caught hundreds on minnows. Here is one that I caught on a 4" sucker minnow while fishing for Northern Pike.

20180815 Airport Lake Bullhead caught on sucker minnow.jpg
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
Enjoy the catfish! I cannot stomach the stuff, and I grew up on the Mississippi! Ghastly fish. I am just snickering about a pellet pooper cooking a pooper eater! Sorry, Illinois childhood humor.
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This Floridian does miss Okeechobee catfish. A very small variety best served whole (after removing the head and gutting of course) with all the fins intact!

the-catfish-house.jpg
 
Bruce said:
Timothy: Have you ever eaten fresh wild caught catfish from a good lake/river? Otherwise, you are likely eating pond raised catfish. They live in stagnant ponds super over populated and eat processed unnatural food. I never buy my catfish. I would only eat it if I caught it. Problem is I hate cleaning fish.
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Bruce, I grew up on the Mighty Mississippi, I’ve had catfish from every kind of water, rivers, streams, lakes and ponds and they all do not impress me, I’m not moving on this one folks, it’s simply not for me.
And, Jon, Dan, stop it! I really don’t have room but…I just showed a picture to my wife and after a very short eye roll she said “You don’t get much for yourself…” but, I’m not sure I can get it in the KIA! Times like this is when I wish I still had the Jeep! I know it would fit in that!!
 
Timothy, I grew up on the Mississippi as well. The fish I posted above were all Mississippi fish. But, I get it about about catfish. Some people don't care for Ribeye either.
 
Upper part of the river Central WI and above. Pretty clean. Down south maybe not so much?
Anyway my kitty fish was deslish. Only one issue with it (well 2). I over did the salt. And I could have cooked it just a hair longer. It was safely done, but 5 or 10 more minutes would have made it just a touch more tender on the thicker part of the fish.
Tim, I swear, if you were here and I sat you down and fed you, never told you what kind of fish I was giving you, you would never think it was cat. Now, I am careful of what I buy. I watch where it's sourced, (there are some sourced from places you would not want to eat it from). I do this with all fish I buy. Which is a huge reason I don't buy fish with weird names or from countries I am unsure of. I do buy farm raised fish of all types. It's good and it's consistent. You just have to watch how and where it's sourced. Many times a well farmed fish is better and "cleaner" than wild caught.
 
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Bruce said:
Timothy, I grew up on the Mississippi as well. The fish I posted above were all Mississippi fish. But, I get it about about catfish. Some people don't care for Ribeye either.
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Thanks Bruce, I might converted by either you or Larry but, every piece I have had was just “Catfish”! I’ve never understood the folks that don’t like ribeye!
LMichaels said:
Upper part of the river Central WI and above. Pretty clean. Down south maybe not so much?
Anyway my kitty fish was deslish. Only one issue with it (well 2). I over did the salt. And I could have cooked it just a hair longer. It was safely done, but 5 or 10 more minutes would have made it just a touch more tender on the thicker part of the fish.
Tim, I swear, if you were here and I sat you down and fed you, never told you what kind of fish I was giving you, you would never think it was cat. Now, I am careful of what I buy. I watch where it's sourced, (there are some sourced from places you would not want to eat it from). I do this with all fish I buy. Which is a huge reason I don't buy fish with weird names or from countries I am unsure of. I do buy farm raised fish of all types. It's good and it's consistent. You just have to watch how and where it's sourced. Many times a well farmed fish is better and "cleaner" than wild caught.
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That’s fair enough, I’m ready for a day of swapping food tricks! One of these days, it has to happen! I agree about “responsibly“ farmed fish too!
 
I grew up on the Ohio river and fished for catfish and carp. Best fishing was right where the raw sewage was dumped. Never considered eating those things. Moved to Missouri at about age 40 and finally tried them. They were really good. I am sure they are all farm raised.
 
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