mpriola
Well-known member
All,
After reading here and elsewhere for months and doing a good bit of research, I've finally taken the plunge and ordered a YS640 Competition cart model from All Things BBQ.
So now I'm stuck with the five-to-seven-week wait. Since I really have to do something to pass the time, I thought I'd start a thread asking for advice and thoughts about the whole Yoder world.
***
I'm a Memphis guy, and this is my first foray into pellet smoking. I come from WSM land. Maybe I should have bought a less expensive pellet contraption to start with, but I was swayed by what everyone here said about the Yoder--that overall, it's an amazing cooker. And you know, go big or go home.
I'm a little concerned about the potential lack of smoke flavor, but what I've read suggests that staring a smoke at 180 or so for the first few hours helps that. And also, the brand of pellets seems to play into it.
So I'd like thoughts and tips about that. I keep seeing references to Lumberjack and BBQr's Delight brands, but what else do I need to know? For example, what's average pellet consumption per hour--assuming, I guess, ambient temp from 70-100 and relatively little wind. Does that go way up if it's colder or windy?
How close do the Yoders generally run to the set point? Sounds like they improve over time and with use. Is that accurate?
Pizza: low(ish) temp? Like 400 or so? That runs counter to what I've often read about pizza cooking, which suggests very very hot. Would you consider using The Baking Steel and a pizza stone (one above the pizza, one below)? Just thoughts about pizza generally--because I love pizza and haven't attempted it grill-wise. I know that running my oven at 550 in the summer time sucks, though, so moving it outside would be excellent if it's worth the trouble.
(The Baking Steel incidentally makes the best pizza I've ever made at home, and it's worth the investment.)
Brisket: honestly not my favorite, but I'm willing to be convinced. Anyone tried to adapt Aaron Franklin's method to the Yoder (yeah, he's a purist, but still...) and what were your results?
Pork shoulder and ribs. Well, basically, I can't wait. I've made some pretty dynamite bbq on the WSM, but the Yoder sounds to be a pretty ideal set-it-and-forget-it device. Is it really that simple?
Do you find yourselves using the Yoders for everything, or do you only bust it out for large cooks? In other words, is its relatively large capacity a hindrance or a nuisance? If I'm cooking only a few butts, say, what else should I be doing with the smoker at the same time to get the most out of it, or is it efficient enough that that's not so much a concern?
(The last paragraph, I know, is heretical. Too much smoker is crazy talk. It's more..a lifestyle question. How do you use your Yoders?)
Anything special I need to know about cooking/cleaning that I haven't mentioned?
Thanks for putting up with my new toy excitement. I'd guess a lot of this has been asked and answered, but y'all are such a friendly bunch that I just couldn't resist asking again.
Marty
Memphis, TN
After reading here and elsewhere for months and doing a good bit of research, I've finally taken the plunge and ordered a YS640 Competition cart model from All Things BBQ.
So now I'm stuck with the five-to-seven-week wait. Since I really have to do something to pass the time, I thought I'd start a thread asking for advice and thoughts about the whole Yoder world.
***
I'm a Memphis guy, and this is my first foray into pellet smoking. I come from WSM land. Maybe I should have bought a less expensive pellet contraption to start with, but I was swayed by what everyone here said about the Yoder--that overall, it's an amazing cooker. And you know, go big or go home.
I'm a little concerned about the potential lack of smoke flavor, but what I've read suggests that staring a smoke at 180 or so for the first few hours helps that. And also, the brand of pellets seems to play into it.
So I'd like thoughts and tips about that. I keep seeing references to Lumberjack and BBQr's Delight brands, but what else do I need to know? For example, what's average pellet consumption per hour--assuming, I guess, ambient temp from 70-100 and relatively little wind. Does that go way up if it's colder or windy?
How close do the Yoders generally run to the set point? Sounds like they improve over time and with use. Is that accurate?
Pizza: low(ish) temp? Like 400 or so? That runs counter to what I've often read about pizza cooking, which suggests very very hot. Would you consider using The Baking Steel and a pizza stone (one above the pizza, one below)? Just thoughts about pizza generally--because I love pizza and haven't attempted it grill-wise. I know that running my oven at 550 in the summer time sucks, though, so moving it outside would be excellent if it's worth the trouble.
(The Baking Steel incidentally makes the best pizza I've ever made at home, and it's worth the investment.)
Brisket: honestly not my favorite, but I'm willing to be convinced. Anyone tried to adapt Aaron Franklin's method to the Yoder (yeah, he's a purist, but still...) and what were your results?
Pork shoulder and ribs. Well, basically, I can't wait. I've made some pretty dynamite bbq on the WSM, but the Yoder sounds to be a pretty ideal set-it-and-forget-it device. Is it really that simple?
Do you find yourselves using the Yoders for everything, or do you only bust it out for large cooks? In other words, is its relatively large capacity a hindrance or a nuisance? If I'm cooking only a few butts, say, what else should I be doing with the smoker at the same time to get the most out of it, or is it efficient enough that that's not so much a concern?
(The last paragraph, I know, is heretical. Too much smoker is crazy talk. It's more..a lifestyle question. How do you use your Yoders?)
Anything special I need to know about cooking/cleaning that I haven't mentioned?
Thanks for putting up with my new toy excitement. I'd guess a lot of this has been asked and answered, but y'all are such a friendly bunch that I just couldn't resist asking again.
Marty
Memphis, TN
