Loggers

[Tony Weisse]

Got a pork butt cooking over of couple of chuck roasts and was just wondering . . .

How many log their barbecuing in a methodical manner? I originally went so far as to develop an Access database for tracking time, temp, vent position, etc. Now I pretty much keep an eye on the dome temp and check for doneness about the time that seems right.

How much do you record what goes on in the pit?

 

[Scott Hoofman]

I should do more, but most of the time I just record when I hit my target temp.

 

[Vernon N]

I used to be real O/C and log time and temps in excel; graphing them.

Now that I have figgured out how it works, I have stopped trying to degenerate an art to pure science. I am finally confident enough in my success that I can work with "when it is done, it is done."

Yes, the last time that I tried a real experiment a week or two ago, I turned on the O/C and logged it until it was clear that the selection of an experimental system was wrong for the desired result.

 

[Dale Perry]

My first cook I recorded every 15 minutes on an all nighter. It about killed me. lol, now all I do is keep track of my sauces and rubs I make.

 

[Bryan S]

I log or write nothing down. I put charcoal in put some lit ontop of the unlit place meat in the with NU-701 hooked up or the Guru probes if using it for an overnight cook then we eat when it's done.

 

[Jerry N.]

I keep a mental note of the rub and time to cook - maybe a few other things. Basically, I'm just trying to capture what folks in the family like and don't like. They think I'm fishing for complements when I ask them questions while we're eating, but I'm really just trying to keep moving the taste in the right direction.

 

[Brian L.]

I never write down anything about the cook or other items like sauces and stuff. I'm one of those never measure types. I would probably do well to keep some records, especially when modifying rubs,sauces, and marinades. But, I'm a fly by the seat of my pants type, but I should at least try!

 

[Ray Crick]

So far, I have kept a log of every smoke and have found my notes helpful on future cooks. However, I do not record temps as often as I did first time (every 15 minutes). Now I sometimes go 30 to 45 minutes.

Ray

 

[Jimbo M.]

Chris' web pages really motivated me to log things initially. My log book smells pretty darn good, I must say!

But I don't vary my technique much at all now (Kingsford, MM, same spot on the patio) and I've proven I can nearly do it in my sleep.

Still log things when I cook new meats, but ping it on a 30 minute interval ... and like Dale, my first overnighter cured me of worrying about keeping a log!