New Trends Create Bad Habbits
 

I occurred to me recently that there are allot of posts screaming for HELP or FAILED COOK. I have noticed this pattern developing in Overnight cook...I went to bed and my fire went out or Pit temp dropped to XXX and I needed this by XXX time. Brothers Stop being lazy & plan your cooks better. ALL the Mechanical Gizmos can't replace the best tool in your Box that hunk of gray matter between your ears.
I still enjoy sitting up at night with a cook Beverage a nice Cigar a good book a little Blues in the background & my dog tending a fire making awesome vittles for the masses. Switching to a good Cup and watching the Dawn of a New Day. It's a religious experience.
If you light the fire stay awake.
I don't stay up like that much anymore unless I need to have something ready for a certain time in the morning I still cook H&F I just get up a little earlier count back 10 hrs from when I need it add 1 more for prep and preheat. It works out just fine and I can nap afterwards. I don't have no gizmos but even the UDS gets a look see once in awhile. More for my peace of mind than any thing else. Planning is 90 % of your cook to get it right.:rant2:

I totally agree! The new trends in BBQ are making some people forget that cooking requires attention! Even if you have a digital temp controller of some sort, you still need to be diligent about watching your pit and making sure your cook is going well. By all means, sneak a nap or two in when you can, but be aware of what's going on with your cook.

ATC (PitmasterIQ or Guru)= sleep Maverick ET 732 = piece of mind with high and low pit temp alarms and food temp alarm.

Well rested cook= happy cook

That said i still go old school to keep my pit tending skills sharp. :-D

Old school works the best. Electronics can malfunction but the mushy thing between your ears will always serve you right.

I'm also in the hot and fast fan club.

I will completely agree with you that the cooking needs to be tended. I do overnight cooks every once in a while, and I do get some sleep. Some being 2-4 hours. I have my Maverick ET-732 to wake me up in that time just incase the temps varies +/- 15 degrees. However I typically can't sleep long because I am more worried about the fire and keeping my temps stable.

The only reason I get sleep is because when I do overnight cooks, I am hosting the party and I need some sleep so I can enjoy the fun and make it to 1-2am as opposed to being alseep by 6pm.

[QUOTE=Bludawg;2617072]
I still enjoy sitting up at night with a cook Beverage a nice Cigar a good book a little Blues in the background & my dog tending a fire


How did you teach your dog to tend the fire?

Exactly the same for me (I do almost all overnight cooks though). I try to get a quick nap in once I have the fire stabilized, but try not to make it longer than 2 hours even with the 732 set to alert me. I normally use the time to do something productive like exercising (I can always use more of that).

What is this exercise you are talking about :crazy:

I use that time to clean or read.

I think there are two things happening here. 1.) legitimate questioning and maybe inexperience 2.) poor planning. Regarding 1.)....I think it is ABSOLUTELY FINE for people to use this forum to talk about mistakes, ask questions, or wig out on things going wrong. No one should make people feel inferior for asking questions.

Regarding number 2.), haven't we all had that, "oh my gosh moment..." When we need to feed people and its not ready? It is the grace we should have to help that brother in the moment but to admonish them to reconsider how they planned. The VERY FACT they starting cooking in the middle of the night tells you they at least had a plan. Maybe not a good one.

Therefore, simply remember where you were at at one point and help people who have questions or are wiggling out.

I agree with Bludawg and Jeffturnerjr.

For one thing, I never sleep well when I have a fire going. Just seems to me, that it is a bad idea. Always felt that. I set my alarm for every two hours, and will nap a bit, but, I want to check in on things from time to time.

That being said, if someone has gone to bed, or gotten mislead, I want to be the guy there to help if possible.

Seems like these two things are not mutually exclusive.

I've had some overnight, unattended, cooks. Some went well, some didn't. The one that went the worst was this past winter when I woke up to see freezing rain bouncing off the cooker. The dome temperature was half of what it should have been.
That's nothing more than a lack of a proper plan and a dumb cook that didn't take weather into account.

I'd hesitate to rely on electronics. I deal with broken electronic on a daily basis (automotive), so the chances of finding them on my personal cooker will be slim.
I can't speak of the reliability of these devices, but I did watch an episode of Pitmasters where a gal lost her chances of winning because the electronic bells and whistles failed in the middle of the night.

For me, I'll rely on the knowledge I've gained by using my cooker and trusting that I know its capabilities and limitations.
That, and knowing my own personal capabilities and limitations. I am, after all, my own worst enemy.

Cleaning? Huh?:crazy:

I do think that the electronic devices are a good thing, to an extent.
But we each are responsible for our own cooks. We can use these devices to aid us and make our life more, or less, stress free during the Q. But we all know our grills, smokers and pits well enough to know their quirks and to keep an eye on them.
Weather can play a role if you're working in a condition for the first time, but each and every cook for us should be a learning experience. Look at all the great help we have here. Who could ask for more?
So use what you can to help you along, but always pay attention to what your're doing and you'll turn out the best Q you can.

Please do not set your pit keeper, go to bed and use the term "pitmaster" in the same sentence.

To be fair islanders that still dig "pits" in the ground would laugh at all these fancy rigs of today and say those folks aren't being true pitmasters.


IMO today the term pitmaster is the process of turning out good Q regardless of the tools used. I can control my pits with dampers just fine or occasionaly use a PitMasterIQ for long cooks and get some sleep and won't apologize for it...lol

I guess this was in reference to me this morning. It was more of an exception for me and I like to think that I can come here for help when needed. I understand your point but to be honest no one is making you read or respond to any thread here.

I don't call myself a pitmaster. I am nothing more than a member (and a subscribing one at that) that needed a little help with a cook this morning.

This is an interesting discussion. In some ways it reminds me of my time in high school when electronic calculators were just becoming affordable (Yeah, I'm that old). Lots of kids got in trouble because they HAD to have these new, cool toys, but relied on them solely and had no clue when the calculator was giving them the wrong answer. The kids who were most successful with their new toys were those that had a handle on math and at least had a clue what the answer to the problem should be. they used the calculators to speed things up and to help them confirm the right answer, but didn't blindly believe the device.

Electronic draft controls, thermostatically controlled pits like pellet cookers, remote thermometers, even digital thermometers like the thermapen are much the same to me. I'm a geek and I enjoy using these things, but I know what my results will be before I go into the cook, and if the electronic device fails or the information that it is giving me doesn't make sense, I recognize that and know what to do to get things back on track.

These devices are just another tool that is available to us. Using them in your choice, but make sure that you know the process and how to get to the desired result without those toys. Once you have learned that then you can apply the toys to help you, not hinder you.

I think staying up all night, cooking meat, and playing with fire was the reason I got into this "BBQ thing" in the first place. :ohwell:

Well said Bludawg......

The BEST planning takes place when you choose what KIND OF COOKER. If you plan on many low and slow, then a well insulted and properly set up ceramic grill will do the job. Efficient on the fuel, resilient in most environments.

No electro gadgets here. I just set it and forget it (someone say that before?).

Getting to know your cooker is half the battle. Now that I know size of the draft port opening to the desired temps..... easy!

I have a problem with the words "untended" and "fire" being in the same sentence, especially if one follows the other...I just don't like the possibility that the remote alarms will fail to wake me if something went seriously awry. Hence, I tend not to sleep during cooks.

A Men Brother!!

Ive spent money on the right cookers and electronics so I can stay up partying, thow some meat on, pass out and wake up refreshed before the next step in the process. I see it as evolution.

no thread is going to shame me into changing my mind

No one has made a convincing argument against using something like the alarms on a ET- 732 as a back up to notify you of a problem in your pit.

The odds of both the stoker and your Maverick failing at the same time are slim and none and slim's on his way out of town.

If you need your pork butt ready by say by noon and put it on a mid night with an automatic stoker on it so you can sleep is a beautiful thing. A well rested cook is good for the cook and good for the guests. :grin:

I make a point not to tell someone what they should do or how they should do unless they ask me but I would have to say watching a pit with your loyal dog by your side during a quiet night to see the sun rise is one of the best experiences I can think of.

It seems I am getting up in years and my lab is too - we both were all stiff legged from Saturday.

Oooooo! Ooooooooooo! I did! Seriously though. I've slept through the bedroom being vacuumed around me before. I trust the Maverick will do what it's supposed to, just not sure it would be enough for my own particular needs.

I heard that hearing is the second thing to go during old age. :becky:

Oh, go shave some fish, or something...

Reminds of Welcome Back Cotter...lol Guess i'm showing my age now! Haha

I admit it was hard to trust my PitMasterIQ early on but i pretty much do now, hasn't let me down yet. I just hooked it up to my mini for a butt cook this last weekend and performed flawlessly.

For my two cents (actually with the current exchange rate it's worth $1.34) I think folks who are really into making good quality 'cue and not those who get caught up in the fads, take their time to research what pit they are getting.

Doing an overnight cook takes planning (already said), patience (already mentioned), a few good quality cigars (I'm partial to Ashton VSG's) and some good friends.

In my humble opinion, the "gadget guys" are like the kids who buy the body kits for their cars but do no mods to the engine. Let me step back for a sec, when I say gadget guy I mean the people who buy the latest, greatest, as seen on TV smoker and have no idea what to do with it.

As for a pitmaster (cause I'm just bored today) that is a person who knows that BBQ is an inexact science and each time you fire you pit you learn something. BBQ College is a school that confers no degrees but class is always in session.

well I am sure many a BBQ has been spoiled by a chef that fell alsleep mid cook long before these fancy electronic gadgets like this were around

and before there were fancy electronic gadgets like computers and the internet to complain on

Sleep, and miss smelling the sweet smoke, the peace & quiet, and watching the sun rise?

I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Good discussion to have. Helps old and new alike. I prefer the 6 P method of cooking-Prior Planning Prevents P*ss Poor Performance. I sometimes tend to over plan things, but I try to plan for my own stupid mistakes. And...things generally turn out GREAT. :thumb::bow:

I haven't read all of the replies but this one made me smile. Thanks Uncle JJ.:thumb:

I've cooked two briskets (unattended) overnight in the drum and they turned out great. It's just not worth it for me to do overnight cooks this way. I live so far away from help, if one spark escaped, my barns and several hundred acres would burn before a fire department could get here.
Besides, I LOVE the peace and quiet of late night cooks. Just me and the coyotes out here. :wink:

A Maverick is a great cooking aid, if you rely on temperatures, they are indispensable. And yet, they have a very high failure rate amongst people who cook a lot. I have had multiple failures with Mavericks, including one competition, where we had 5 probes fail, and ended up cooking by feel.

That being said, cook as you want, and to JP, come on here and ask any question you want, speaking just for me, there will never be a stupid question, and I will always try to answer in a helpful and detailed manner. I don't believe in trusting a lit fire and not being awake, I grew up in the country and have a lot of respect for what a loose spark can do (that barn was an amazing site, yes indeedy). But, that doesn't mean I wouldn't love a Guru or Stoker for my UDS.

lol I'm old school. Still haven't convinced myself that I need a Thermapen. :becky:

JP, I did not read BD's comment as directed at anyone, just a commentary that solid planning and developing a variety of cooking skills = good eats. For a lot of years I did all night 16+ hour cooks but in the last 18 months or so I would like to think I've gotten my arms around H&F techniques. I'll do either, depending on the circumstances and I'm a technology geek, but to me the most important thing is my cooking experience and knowledge has been expanded and when chit happens, as it certainly will, I think I'm better prepared to adapt & overcome. That said I (like you) want a place to ask questions when I need help and this is the best place I've found to get timely answers from great folks.

I thought I was doing good when I finally learned my cooker well enough to get it going and go inside for a good nights sleep. I don't use any blowers or fancy thermometers, just know how to adjust the draft for the temp I want and probe to check when it's done. Some of y'all may think I'm lazy but that's just fine with me.

S.t.a.n.
 

This weekend I ran through the house with meat shears in my hand and a Thermapen in my mouth and drove to the beer store-- Barefooted.

And y'all are worried about a wayward overnight spark?????

S.T.A.N.





(Sarcasm-wit-humor implied/intended)

LOL...funny stuff. A side note about the overnight spark...It's actually safer having the controller because the vents are closed where the sparks would come out of.

:amen:
I've noticed a trend in multiple forums, whether its a BBQ, gun or motorcycle forum, it seems some of the founding or tenure members get tired of the newbies asking something, or doing something different than what they deem as correct.

It's BBQ.... if you mess it up, learn from it. Regardless of technology, pit type, and or time of day.

jeffturnerjr you said it right sir. Thank you. :clap:

Jeanie, I don't own a Thermapen, but, if I find one laying about, I can't help but take temperatures of all kinds of things. Smokejumper now makes me check it out and back in again.

I can certainly see both sides of the discussion here. I do temp control for a living and have been trained to keep temps as precise as possible. For that reason I really enjoy the low n slow aspect of BBQ. I plan to have the time to do it. Heck, it's therapy to me. I will say this, the Thermapen changed my BBQ world from the first time I used it and cut my learning curve by at least half. The reason is, I could not even cook Toast before I got serious about BBQ. OH! And that probe on the Thermapen is just right for checking "probe tender".

^ well those purple Thermapens must be extra special!

Ah. Remember the old days when you could cook how you wanted, when you wanted on what you wanted with whatever for fuel and use whatever meat you wanted and put whatever sauce you wanted on it or not and you didn't have someone telling you that you were doing it wrong or the old school way or the new school way or the better way or the worse way.

I remember those days.

You make a mistake, you learn from it. You want some extra learning from it you can post a question or comment about it. Or you can use the search. But certainly, if we've all learned everything or it's all written down and there's no more questions to ask, then I guess we just move everything to a search db and we shut this place down.

That'd be sad.

Not me, no two sides
 

You got something to say? I want to hear it. Got a question, ask it. I love this place. I even pulled up to the table and bought a beer. I learn something everyday about cooking, life and hell I even know what kind of dog I want next because of this forum. Fire away. I'll listen.

Sometimes my answers come from way out where the buses don't run. That's ok. We'll laugh.

One of the absolute worst things in the world is the doctor saying "sit down, we need to talk". This other stuff is easy.

Thank you. :clap2:
I'm thinking we need to get together brother. :thumb:

I'm a "veteran" on forums with topics other than BBQ (I'm a noob here). There are times I have to reel myself in when "a noob asks a stupid question".
Sometimes we have to remember there are people with less knowledge than we have. None of us were born with the knowledge we use on a daily basis.
If you're ever in doubt about your current state of awesome, always remember you were a dumbass noob once too. Yes, you need to be knocked down a notch my friend. You're not special in the grand scheme of life.


The second worst thing in the world is when a guy like me says the same thing.
(I'm the guy that's about to tell you about your car. If I sit down, you're about to have a bad day) :icon_blush:

I used to sail as a deck officer on tankers. In school we learned all the techniques for navigation primarily dead reckoning, and celestial navigation. By the time I graduated electronic navigation had come to existence (Loran) not GPS as we know it, but pretty clever stuff, for that time, All of the shipping companies that I worked for required that we continue to do all the manual systems that we knew. It could take 45 minutes to take a celestial position, or you could go the loran machine and have one in three minutes. The theory was – if this new technology should fail, you still have a job to do….safely navigate the ship to its destination.

I think that it somewhat applicable here (otherwise I would not be wasting your time). All the new toys are great and I do own them. However there is not enough that can be said about knowing now to work without them. I had a failure on a temp controller this weekend at a comp on one of my cookers. It had been so long since I had to do in manually….I was up most of the night adjusting openings, on a cooker that for years I just used to set and forget.

I think is just makes sense – and you know, sitting there with a cold beer, good book, some hard driving blues and a sleepy dog—I think that is what got me started in this to begin with.

Amen to the original post. BBQ is an art and a true artist uses the brain and talent for the finished product.

Cheers to Bludawg...

You're 12 years old, I still don't understand how you joined when you were two. The old days, pffft.

Well said for a adolescent