New Trends Create Bad Habbits

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.
 
Bludawg said:
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:
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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.
 
Fwismoker said:
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.
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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.
 
deguerre said:
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.
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I heard that hearing is the second thing to go during old age. :becky:
 
deguerre said:
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.
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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
 
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:
 
Uncle JJ said:
Sleep, and miss smelling the sweet smoke, the peace & quiet, and watching the sun rise?

I'll sleep when I'm dead.
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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.
 
landarc said:
. 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.
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lol I'm old school. Still haven't convinced myself that I need a Thermapen. :becky:
 
JP7794 said:
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.
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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.
 
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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)
 
16Adams said:
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)
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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.
 
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