I added the following comments to our For Sale, Trade or Free, Group Discounts Forum in my baskets for sale announcement post.
If I missed anyone just add to this post and I will add to the comments section.
Thanks to all for your comments and Happy Smoking :!:
Brethren Comments on my Baskets
Below is some comments on my baskets for your review.
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I just used BigAl's charcoal basket for the first time (3 racks of baby ribs), and all I can say is WOW! The thing rocks. Just as advertised, you load up, fire up, then forget it. As a matter of habit, I kept checking on fire/temp every 45 mins, but there was no need -- it was rock solid for over 4 hrs. And this with my first outing - I'm sure it'll just get better as I learn how to adjust the dividers based on cooking needs. And I can already tell its gonna help with grilling too by sectioning the hot coals from not-so-hot. Plus, it acts as a charcoal chimney when you get started. And-on-and-on-and-on. I'm telling ya - if you don't yet have this tank - get one. BigAl, thanks for your fine product.
Spoon
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Just wanted to let you all know that I just the BAFACB (see subject line)..the thing works just like you all said it would.... and tonight I did pork tenderloin indirect, by setting one off the dividers all the way to the left, as close to the verticle as possible.. set the other just to the left of center of the basket.... moved the whole thing down to the lowest setting and put a rack from the verticle on top. Closed the door vents all the way and dumped a 2/3 full chimney of Royal Oak lump (god I love the Royal Oak... sure beats the Cowboy that Lowe's sells) in the left hand side, on top of a half burnt piece of hickory that was still in there from the last burn.... seared the tenderloins direct over the hot coals. then moved them over to the right hand side where there were NO COALS AT ALL... I figured if the heat could get unlit lump going in that side... it should be able to cook meat that was on that side.... I worked like a charm. Real nice tenderloin... with moisture and slight smoke ring.. done in about 17 minutes.. had just wiped with EVOO, then salt pepper, granulated garlic and Southern Flavor.
Damned near as efficient as a Weber kettle for indirect cooking.
Ray
hobo pie
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Big Al's handiwork arrived a few days ago, today is the first chance I've had to see what all the fuss is about. With an 8# butt as the guinea pig, some mesquite lump from Harry and hickory logs from Greg, I began about 6:30 this morning. A chimney of cold lump and chunks to the right and a hot one with chunks to the left. Forty minutes (7:15) and I was up to temp. This basket is kick-ass! Replacing a few chunks on the (hot) left side of the basket's dividers kept me in the 230 range for about 1 1/4 hours. It would have likely have kept the temp longer, but around 8:30, the unlit side fired up. This is the part that I never fully understood, those coals lit spontaneously...I did nothing but stand back and marvel at the process. AND this all occured with the intake dampers shut as Phil suggested. Its about 9:45 and temp is 258. It did run a little hot (mid 260's) for awhile after the second side fired up, but since I usually mop about every 45 mins. I figure that's fine. At least I haven't yet seen temps drop below 225 as in the past. I'm lovin' it so far Al. This mutha is a tank! Nice job.
Steve (StLouQue)
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Al builds one hell of a basket. Farking steel rod bottom. Awesome.
Bill-Chicago Q Addict
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In all honesty, Als basket with the rebar bottom will probably outlast the Klose basket with the heavy gauge expanded steel bottotm. The Klose is an "S" burn basket, Als is a divided basket which I think is a little more versatile. Dimension wise, they are about the same. so for the $$, Als gets best bang for the buck. Next experimaent with als basket was to to a 2/3 - 1/3 split, with large 2-3 inch gap. Fill BOTH SIDES unlit, then dump a lit chimney on top of the 2/3 side. After about 3-4 hours, if the second side didnt light yet, put a few hot coals on top of the unlit side to start that as a backup burn.
Phil
BBQchef33
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willkat98 wrote:
Al builds one hell of a basket. Farking steel rod bottom. Awesome.
I have to agree. At B1 we never used the Bandera to my recollection. At B2, because the Klose was already full, Harry L, Chi-Bill and I loaded the farking Bandera with a brisket, turds, and who knows what else. Al's fire box installed. What a frigging machine it was.
tk NE Chapter
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The basket arrived today, a day early! The packaging worked well, the carton was in good shape when it got here. I gotta tell you, this thing is built like a battleship. We've been enjoying -0 wind chill for 2-3 days now, and it won't be that much warmer this weekend so it will be a good? time to start a series of tests. I gotta get something out of the freezer, I'll be cooking with large quantities of beer and Kingsford and snow this weekend! Put in an order, you won't find anything else like Al's Made in America Basket! I'll take notes and try to post some results next week.
Mike(Mi)
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Come on Bretheren! This will be the best custom built Bandera basket you will ever get for this money. Send Big Al your check, give your Bandera that BBQ Holiday Gift it (and you) so richly deserve, and 10 years from now be able to proudly say ..."That's the Basket Big Al made for me!!"
Think of it as the Holiday Mod!
Mike(Mi)
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Congrats! If it's built like the one I saw a B2 you'l get much long use from the basket.
David Little
If I missed anyone just add to this post and I will add to the comments section.
Thanks to all for your comments and Happy Smoking :!:
Brethren Comments on my Baskets
Below is some comments on my baskets for your review.
_____________________________________________________________
I just used BigAl's charcoal basket for the first time (3 racks of baby ribs), and all I can say is WOW! The thing rocks. Just as advertised, you load up, fire up, then forget it. As a matter of habit, I kept checking on fire/temp every 45 mins, but there was no need -- it was rock solid for over 4 hrs. And this with my first outing - I'm sure it'll just get better as I learn how to adjust the dividers based on cooking needs. And I can already tell its gonna help with grilling too by sectioning the hot coals from not-so-hot. Plus, it acts as a charcoal chimney when you get started. And-on-and-on-and-on. I'm telling ya - if you don't yet have this tank - get one. BigAl, thanks for your fine product.
Spoon
____________________________________________________________
Just wanted to let you all know that I just the BAFACB (see subject line)..the thing works just like you all said it would.... and tonight I did pork tenderloin indirect, by setting one off the dividers all the way to the left, as close to the verticle as possible.. set the other just to the left of center of the basket.... moved the whole thing down to the lowest setting and put a rack from the verticle on top. Closed the door vents all the way and dumped a 2/3 full chimney of Royal Oak lump (god I love the Royal Oak... sure beats the Cowboy that Lowe's sells) in the left hand side, on top of a half burnt piece of hickory that was still in there from the last burn.... seared the tenderloins direct over the hot coals. then moved them over to the right hand side where there were NO COALS AT ALL... I figured if the heat could get unlit lump going in that side... it should be able to cook meat that was on that side.... I worked like a charm. Real nice tenderloin... with moisture and slight smoke ring.. done in about 17 minutes.. had just wiped with EVOO, then salt pepper, granulated garlic and Southern Flavor.
Damned near as efficient as a Weber kettle for indirect cooking.
Ray
hobo pie
_____________________________________________________________
Big Al's handiwork arrived a few days ago, today is the first chance I've had to see what all the fuss is about. With an 8# butt as the guinea pig, some mesquite lump from Harry and hickory logs from Greg, I began about 6:30 this morning. A chimney of cold lump and chunks to the right and a hot one with chunks to the left. Forty minutes (7:15) and I was up to temp. This basket is kick-ass! Replacing a few chunks on the (hot) left side of the basket's dividers kept me in the 230 range for about 1 1/4 hours. It would have likely have kept the temp longer, but around 8:30, the unlit side fired up. This is the part that I never fully understood, those coals lit spontaneously...I did nothing but stand back and marvel at the process. AND this all occured with the intake dampers shut as Phil suggested. Its about 9:45 and temp is 258. It did run a little hot (mid 260's) for awhile after the second side fired up, but since I usually mop about every 45 mins. I figure that's fine. At least I haven't yet seen temps drop below 225 as in the past. I'm lovin' it so far Al. This mutha is a tank! Nice job.
Steve (StLouQue)
_____________________________________________________________
Al builds one hell of a basket. Farking steel rod bottom. Awesome.
Bill-Chicago Q Addict
_____________________________________________________________
In all honesty, Als basket with the rebar bottom will probably outlast the Klose basket with the heavy gauge expanded steel bottotm. The Klose is an "S" burn basket, Als is a divided basket which I think is a little more versatile. Dimension wise, they are about the same. so for the $$, Als gets best bang for the buck. Next experimaent with als basket was to to a 2/3 - 1/3 split, with large 2-3 inch gap. Fill BOTH SIDES unlit, then dump a lit chimney on top of the 2/3 side. After about 3-4 hours, if the second side didnt light yet, put a few hot coals on top of the unlit side to start that as a backup burn.
Phil
BBQchef33
_____________________________________________________________
willkat98 wrote:
Al builds one hell of a basket. Farking steel rod bottom. Awesome.
I have to agree. At B1 we never used the Bandera to my recollection. At B2, because the Klose was already full, Harry L, Chi-Bill and I loaded the farking Bandera with a brisket, turds, and who knows what else. Al's fire box installed. What a frigging machine it was.
tk NE Chapter
_____________________________________________________________
The basket arrived today, a day early! The packaging worked well, the carton was in good shape when it got here. I gotta tell you, this thing is built like a battleship. We've been enjoying -0 wind chill for 2-3 days now, and it won't be that much warmer this weekend so it will be a good? time to start a series of tests. I gotta get something out of the freezer, I'll be cooking with large quantities of beer and Kingsford and snow this weekend! Put in an order, you won't find anything else like Al's Made in America Basket! I'll take notes and try to post some results next week.
Mike(Mi)
_____________________________________________________________
Come on Bretheren! This will be the best custom built Bandera basket you will ever get for this money. Send Big Al your check, give your Bandera that BBQ Holiday Gift it (and you) so richly deserve, and 10 years from now be able to proudly say ..."That's the Basket Big Al made for me!!"
Think of it as the Holiday Mod!
Mike(Mi)
_____________________________________________________________
Congrats! If it's built like the one I saw a B2 you'l get much long use from the basket.
David Little
