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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking.


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Old 10-20-2018, 11:02 PM   #16
stephan
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Join Date: 07-02-10
Location: lake grove, new york
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hank151 View Post
Thanks Stephan looking forward to cooking on it. You ever use one of those gurus on it?
As far as Im concerned there is no reason for one. Once you get your temp set it will burn for a long time I did more than a few 12 hour cooks on a single load of coal.
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Old 10-21-2018, 03:03 AM   #17
Leftwngr
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Join Date: 08-29-15
Location: Orange County, CA
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Originally Posted by Hank151 View Post
Thanks leftwnger can’t wait to get it. Do you use the water pan? What’s your lighting method? Sry for all the questions trying to get a plan together before it’s on my doorstep lol
Water pan - generally, no. Only when my temps get higher than I like or when using bottom shelf. This has more to do with how I bring my cooker up to temp, but more on that in a second.

Lighting method - weed burner to preheat to about 200, charcoal and chunks in a line about 6-7" wide. Light one end and close firebox door, but don't seal completely. Basically, I close the door so the latch engages, but not completely sealed. I do this to ensure the wood burns instead of smolder. Depending how much meat I'm cooking, I will take it to about 250-275, then load the meat. Temp usually drops some, and when it gets to about 260 or so, I'll seal the firebox and close the ball valve about 80%. Cooker will normally hold heat at a solid 275 for hours on end from there.

This method means a hot small fire, so the bottom rack can get a touch hotter than rest of chamber, so if anything is on it, I add some fluid to minimize the hot spot. If nothing on bottom rack then no need for it.
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Old 10-21-2018, 08:43 AM   #18
Hank151
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Join Date: 10-12-18
Location: Plainview NY
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Awesome tips thanks. So that line of coals and wood is essentially burning slowly over time not all at once. So by the time you close it all up there’s still unlit charcoal and wood chunks in there wonder what keeps the unlit pieces of wood from smoldering after you close it up I guess at that point the fire is hot enough for them to just light up
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Old 10-21-2018, 06:23 PM   #19
K.W.
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Join Date: 11-10-15
Location: Southeast Texas
Name/Nickname : flht01
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Originally Posted by pjtexas1 View Post
Glad you pitnaker guys chimed in. They sure run different than most insulated cabinets. Any ideas why?

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I'm not familiar with the different designs on some of the other cabinets mentioned but the pitmakers are reverse flow. Maybe that has something to do with it. I've run my vault with the exhaust in several different positions and always seem to go back to leaving it 100% open, even when running in the 160 to 180 range smoking sausage. Also, it might be worth mentioning I use a cyberQ a lot of the time, especially with the lower temp cooks.
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Old 10-21-2018, 09:13 PM   #20
Hank151
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Hey KW thanks for advice it helps to hear thoughts from all you more experience guys. Was wondering with the Guru how far open do you leave the intake? And also you can get these smokers to run temps that low huh 160-180 range that’s a pleasant surprise I hear a lot of guys saying it’s hard to keep them at low temps I’ll be it those posts were over 5yrs old
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Old 10-22-2018, 06:34 PM   #21
K.W.
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Sorry for the late reply. The intake on the guru is about 30% open. (I’m running the 10cfm fan). If you open it too much it will draw enough to run the temp up even though the fan isn’t running. Also, for the sausage smoking temps, I don’t preheat.




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Old 10-22-2018, 09:53 PM   #22
drw89
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Join Date: 06-07-13
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I fill the tray full of B&B lump and light one corner. Preheat the cook chamber with a pear burner. Run the exhaust vent wide open and adjust the intake valve to 1/4 to 1/2 open depending on the desired temp.

If I am running my guru I keep the same above intake/exhaust setting and adjust intake on the fane to 30-50%.
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Old 10-22-2018, 10:28 PM   #23
Hank151
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Join Date: 10-12-18
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Hey DRW so you fill the whole tray huh. No L shape like they say? Or maze. Guess as long as the intake is only open a bit I wouldn’t matter to much
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Old 10-22-2018, 10:30 PM   #24
Hank151
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Location: Plainview NY
Name/Nickname : Hank
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How do you guys like the pit? Are you happy with the purchase?
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Old 10-22-2018, 10:31 PM   #25
Hank151
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Join Date: 10-12-18
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Name/Nickname : Hank
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Oh one more question anyone ever try making a pizza in it? What you think about temp can you safely get it up to 500 without warping anything?
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Old 10-23-2018, 01:12 AM   #26
Leftwngr
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Join Date: 08-29-15
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I have a maze and never use it. I rarely if ever need more than one line of coals and chunks about 6-7" wide. Mine is a Vault so the size may play into it some. Fuel consumption varies depending how full the cooker is too.

No guru for me. I don't compete. The air flow is so tight, once you figure out the pit, you'll find it cruises along just fine without all the electronics. Learn the pit first and if you really want electronics for monitoring, then go for it. You may find it unnecessary. That's the advice the guys at pitmaker gave me, and they were right.
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Old 10-23-2018, 09:53 AM   #27
Hank151
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Join Date: 10-12-18
Location: Plainview NY
Name/Nickname : Hank
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There’s a 500 dollar upgrade to make the cart in all stainless steel this rig is gonna have to stay outside all the time in the weather that being said anyone thinks it’s worth it to have them build the cart in all stainless?
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Old 10-23-2018, 08:59 PM   #28
K.W.
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Join Date: 11-10-15
Location: Southeast Texas
Name/Nickname : flht01
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hank151 View Post
There’s a 500 dollar upgrade to make the cart in all stainless steel this rig is gonna have to stay outside all the time in the weather that being said anyone thinks it’s worth it to have them build the cart in all stainless?


I wish I could offer some advice on this one but my vault is kept inside when not being used. Their painting process was a zinc primer and an epoxy paint when I bought mine and it still looks new after about 3 years of use. There is one YouTube’r using a Pitmaker safe (Dallas cowboys paint scheme, Michel Douglas I think) that has done a lot of videos and it appears his is kept outside, you might try to get ahold of him for advice.

Even though I do use a cyberQ for some of my cooks (and I do like it) I don’t think I would buy one right away. These cabinets are really easy to run without any help for most type cooks. Eliminating that purchase would go a long was towards the upgrade.

You mentioned pizza in an earlier post. I did see a YouTube video on a pizza cook, I think by J$, where he put the fire grate in the main cooking chamber. I’ve never done this but I don’t think it would hurt anything to try. I accidentally let mine get up to 450 once and didn’t have any problems from it.



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Old 10-24-2018, 06:34 AM   #29
Hank151
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Join Date: 10-12-18
Location: Plainview NY
Name/Nickname : Hank
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Thanks KW for all your helpful advice. I’m gonna order it with the stainless steel cart. It’s already a small fortune what’s another 500 lol. Life long investment mine as well get it the way I want it. Yea your right about the guru don’t need that anytime soon.
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Old 10-28-2018, 10:43 PM   #30
drw89
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Join Date: 06-07-13
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Hank I just dump in the B&B lump and light it up. I always have lump left after a cook.
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