Is it CHEATING

Q is Q. Your question is like asking if using a Spicewine rather than an offset is cheating. To each his own, if the next guy doesn't like it, tell them don't eat it.

Its not cheating if you are in a different area code, not to mention a different state

You can find you answer here

A year ago I would have said yes and followed up by saying something like Doesn't that take some of the fun/sport out of cooking? In fact, I did say something like that to the Traeger dealer last year at the Royal.

Then after another cold winter with the offset, I got a Backwoods with a guru. Not all that far off from pellets - yeah, I still have to light the fire but other than that I have it pretty easy compared to feeding a stick burner.

txschutte said:

Q is Q. Your question is like asking if using a Spicewine rather than an offset is cheating. To each his own, if the next guy doesn't like it, tell them don't eat it.

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Very well said!

I said no. I kinda thought it was cheating at first but now I am more "Q-educated". As we have read hear before, the cooker is just a tool for the cook. Cooks will choose the best tool that works out for them. I like to play with the fire so I enjoy my off set.

I said no....to be honest I'm not a fan at all, but that said...I just can't so dogmatic as to say it's cheating....I just don't personally like it.....probably just the traditionalist in me.

Who cares! When is this gonna DIE?

River City Smokehouse said:

Who cares! When is this gonna DIE?

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never

I'ts cheating. Pellets are for rabbits... (DUCK.. INCOMING!) Spare my head Brothers. I'ts just my observation after watching the ole guy in the trailer park light and forget.:-D

If I use pellets in my kettle grill, does that make it a pellet smoker?

What makes a pellet smoker a cheat? The pellets? Forced air? Fuel feeding system? Electronics?

Plowboy said:

If I use pellets in my kettle grill, does that make it a pellet smoker?

What makes a pellet smoker a cheat? The pellets? Forced air? Fuel feeding system? Electronics?

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I guess I was thinking along the lines of little or no management. Along those lines, and with respect, how can the cook feel like he contributed, to the cook if all he had to do was adjust the feeder control? I understand the other factors but that's what I'm thinking. I could be educated on this one for sure. Good Q is good no matter the process.

I have cooked comps in a holding tank, a kingfisher, an old grade school proofing oven turned cooker, and on an FEC and Country smoker.

I have gotten a reserve grand in the holding tank, and on the FEC... and gotten lots of ribbons in all of them. It is not the cooker, it is the cook.

I used to be against pellet cookers, until I tried them ) I think it is a continuum and personally, I'd like to try cooking on every kind of cooker before I'm done. I'm going to be learning about cookin' on trashcans this weekend - when I work on my brisket education with Jeff!

leanza said:

I guess I was thinking along the lines of little or no management.

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Good point. I think this is why there are pellet haters (or dis-likers) out there. Its not the pellets. Charcoal has more foreign ingredients than pellets.

By definition of "little management", I'd think use of electric elements, LP, Guru/Stokers, forced air, gravity fed fuel designs, rotisseries, insulated pits, charcoal baskets, the minion method, even charcoal itself and any method used to limit the amount of management is not real BBQ. I'm sure we'll all draw the line differently feeling like some techniques in that list are acceptable and some are not.

Since this wasn't posted in the Competition forum, I assume we aren't talking about cheating in contests, but rather cheating in the art of creating bbq.

BTW, these topics don't twist me one way or the other. To each their own.

Is using a lighter instead of rubbing two sticks together cheating?

We could go on and on.

Plowboy said:

Is using a lighter instead of rubbing two sticks together cheating?

We could go on and on.

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Torch mod

HoDeDo said:

Torch mod

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CHEATER!!!!!

It's like asking if using Fab products is cheating.

To each his own. Q is Q and everyone takes his or own journey to get there.