JMSetzler
Babbling Farker
Since I'm a total noob with offset cookers, I decided to try something simple for a first cook on the Old Country BBQ Pits Brazos that I picked up at Academy Sports last weekend.
I started out by putting a layer of Kingsford briquettes on the base of the firebox...
Then I dumped in about 2/3 chimney of lit coals...
While the grill was warming up I prepped two whole chickens... about 5lbs each...
Then I tossed on a couple oak logs and let them burn for another 20 minutes or so...
Then put the chickens on...
A couple hours later...
The experience:
Controlling the temp in this pit is no more complicated than any other grill or smoker I have used. The exhaust was fully open for the entire process and I used the intake on the firebox to control the heat. I started out at a reading of 325° on the thermometer mounted on the cooking chamber (River Country model that I snagged off my UDS.)
I was expecting a cook time of less than 2 hours on these chickens at that temp. The cook ran for about three hours instead. I'm going to have to either run some pit probes in on my next cook to measure the temp at grate level or reposition the external thermometer (which is accurate and calibrated) to a lower position in the cooking chamber.
I'm thinking about drilling a small hole in the bottom side of the smoke stack to use as entry for probes so I can monitor meat temps while I cook. I didn't probe these chickens throughout the cook. I just checked them periodically after the first 75 minutes with my instant read thermometer.
The chicken tasted great! It was as moist/tender/juicy as any I have cooked on other grills and smokers. There is definitely a different flavor from the wood fire cook. I can't yet say that it's better/worse than my other methods but it was simply delicious.
I'm happy with it so far
I started out by putting a layer of Kingsford briquettes on the base of the firebox...
Then I dumped in about 2/3 chimney of lit coals...
While the grill was warming up I prepped two whole chickens... about 5lbs each...
Then I tossed on a couple oak logs and let them burn for another 20 minutes or so...
Then put the chickens on...
A couple hours later...
The experience:
Controlling the temp in this pit is no more complicated than any other grill or smoker I have used. The exhaust was fully open for the entire process and I used the intake on the firebox to control the heat. I started out at a reading of 325° on the thermometer mounted on the cooking chamber (River Country model that I snagged off my UDS.)
I was expecting a cook time of less than 2 hours on these chickens at that temp. The cook ran for about three hours instead. I'm going to have to either run some pit probes in on my next cook to measure the temp at grate level or reposition the external thermometer (which is accurate and calibrated) to a lower position in the cooking chamber.
I'm thinking about drilling a small hole in the bottom side of the smoke stack to use as entry for probes so I can monitor meat temps while I cook. I didn't probe these chickens throughout the cook. I just checked them periodically after the first 75 minutes with my instant read thermometer.
The chicken tasted great! It was as moist/tender/juicy as any I have cooked on other grills and smokers. There is definitely a different flavor from the wood fire cook. I can't yet say that it's better/worse than my other methods but it was simply delicious.
I'm happy with it so far
