I'm a rookie, and looking for answers!

[chad]

on the other hand, I may make gumbo on my frying rig (in the garage). yea, that's the ticket, chicken and sausage gumbo.

I hope you don't mean turkey fryer in the garage?? :? That's a classic way to burn down the house. I realize you wouldn't be using oil and deep frying but that's an open flame and lots of heat going up to the ceiling of the garage.

Have fun, be safe, make sure your insurance is paid up!

[smokeypig]

yeah, its a turkey fryer, but its got an electric heating element. it started off as an electric smoker (just awful!) and was converted by my dad into an outside stove (sort of). basically, it looks and acts like a turkey fryer but no open flame, just a coiled heating element. it does work good, tho.

and yes, the insurance is paid up....

[chad]

Cool!

Ya seen the electric turkey fryer at Sam's??

My wife flinches every time I point it out! :D Not quite the same as the firing up the propane but it is a pretty cool 30 quart electric deep fryer.

[Stucue74]

Originally Posted by brdbbq

the bitch of it all was 1) staying awake and 2) pulling the pork (my hands were sore for days....). sold 1/4lb for 4.50 per with barbecue cole slaw and pickles on a hamburger bun. it sold so fast that all but 1 tray was gone in about 1.5 hrs. and I didn't even get to eat it!!

and crowd went wild!!!

You need some Bear Claws

http://www.barbecue-store.com/bearpaw.htm[/quote]

Do those Bear Claws/Paws really make a difference? I've always used a fork and while it may not be enjoyable hasn't taken me longer than 5 minutes a butt.

[racer_81]

Originally Posted by brdbbq

You want to probe your butt . Who's next ?

Jason - you gotta watch Brian Real Close........

[brdbbq]

Originally Posted by Stucue74

You need some Bear Claws

http://www.barbecue-store.com/bearpaw.htm

Do those Bear Claws/Paws really make a difference? I've always used a fork and while it may not be enjoyable hasn't taken me longer than 5 minutes a butt.[/quote]

If nothing else they are itmidating so no one will fark with you while you pull your pork. So to speak.

[smokeypig]

i didn't at the time. do now. couldn't live without'm.

i used only my hands, which were covered in heavy rubber gloves. foolish me, i didn't let'm cool down first.

i'll never, EVER do that one again.

[JasonF]

The first hour is looking good. I'm getting 250 on the Weber, which is probalby a little hot so I'll wait a little bit longer than the 1 hr interval to add some more charcoal. But for now, it's looking good, and smelling good too! :)

[JasonF]

Well, it went well overall.

At first, things seemed to be running a little hot, then a little cool (right around 200F)... after working the dampers a little I got it back up to the 240 range right around 3 hours of cook time and I pulled everything.

The chicken was great! The ribs, I think I might have cooked them a bit too long because the meatiest pieces were great, but the rest were a bit overdone..... oh well, I'll learn with time (to buy meatier ribs, and how long to cook them).

I cooked for myself, my wife, and 2 of her old college roommates- and the girls wouldn't stop talking about the food! They were not only impressed, but they cleaned their plates. There is hardly anything left (I pulled a few big ribs for lunch tomorrow!)

So thank you all for your help and your input! Tomorrow I'll dive in to a pork butt for my first attempt on my newly broken in ECB. I just hope it's not as windy as it was tonight, that might make things a bit difficult!

Thanks again guys!

[slat]

Looks pretty good to me. When you having the Brethren over. LOL. It takes a little practice and some questions to get it all put together. My Q has improved quite a bit since I join about 3.5 months ago.

[Bill-Chicago]

Looks good to me too.

Can't wait to hear how you like the ECB. It will add a new dimension to your cooking.

Don't forget to post results!!

[Solidkick]

Great looking cook.......maybe here's a few pointers to consider.....

You can generally tell when your ribs are done by the meat pulling away from the ends of the bones about a quarter to a half an inch. From judging from the picture, I'd say you might not have been quite there yet, that the ribs were probably done, but a little chewy.

Get you a spray bottle at Walmart (health and beauty section) and spray your ribs with some apple juice to help combat the dryness. Some use a mixture of vineger and apple juice.

Chicken looks excellent!!

Don't be discouraged if the butt thing doesn't work out. I still haven't mastered that SOB yet myself. I'm a ribs, chicken, and wings man because of it! LOL

Keep up the great job, you have every reason to be proud (that smile on your face) and keep us posted!!

[chad]

Dude! You got 'que! :D

Congrats and remember that practice does indeed make perfect! With the pork butt just be patient and go get a spray bottle for the mop :D

[Saiko]

Yea, the ribs should be pulling back from the bone a bit more. Try the 3-2-1 method next time, it's almost fool-proof. 3 hours smoked, then wrap in foil and smoke 2 more. Unwrap from foil and smoke 1 last hour. It's kind of a pain in the butt if you are doing a lot of ribs, but they really come out nice.

[parrothead]

and 2 of her old college roommates- and the girls wouldn't stop talking about the food!

Yeah, but did they break out in a spontaneous pillow fight in your honor? That's when you know you have good Q!