BQ Grills

[Militant83]

http://www.bqgrills.com/New%20Small%20Cooker%20Page.htm

Im looking into a trailer set up and came across these guys. Any brethren have any insight on them good or bad?

[Ron_L]

Never heard of them. The pits look interesting, but you may want to call them to see if they are still in business. The web page hasn't been update in almost two years.

[NorthwestBBQ]

In addition to what Ron said, it's a propane grill/pig/chicken cooker not a traditional smoker. Looks great if you want to roast a whole hog or cook a ton of chicken.

Edit: If you click on current inventory it says: Last Update 09-5-11

[smokeyw]

I know the guys at BQ Grills very well. They build first class cookers, anything you want. I had a custom built pig cooker built there and won the NCPC Whole Hog State Champioship with it this year. The quality is second to none. They have been building grills and whole hog cookers for a long time. They are just getting into the smoker business. Here is one they built this year:
http://www.bqgrills.com/Web%20Pics%20Stacy%20Barnes%20Smoker.htm

[NorthwestBBQ]

I know the guys at BQ Grills very well. They build first class cookers, anything you want. I had a custom built pig cooker built there and won the NCPC Whole Hog State Champioship with it this year. The quality is second to none. They have been building grills and whole hog cookers for a long time. They are just getting into the smoker business. Here is one they built this year:
http://www.bqgrills.com/Web%20Pics%20Stacy%20Barnes%20Smoker.htm

Now that's a beautiful vertical smoker! :thumb:

http://www.bqgrills.com/Stacey%20Barnes%20Pig%20Cooker%20Smoker%20001.JPG

[smokeyw]

Like I said, they are a first class operation. Melvin, the owner started building cookers years ago in the garage and now has cookers all over the world. They just shipped 2 to Australia last month. The shop foreman, Greg is my KCBS competition partner so I know them well.

[BigBobBQ]

Never heard of them but it sure looks like they build a pretty jam up cooker from what I see in the pictures.

[Militant83]

Yeah I had talked to Melvin through email a couple times. I had just never seen much about them in the BBQ scene. But I saw that they had made a few competition rigs. All of their cookers look great. We do a yearly family hog roast and their set up looks like it would work great. I was looking at the small model with the smoke box. It would come in around $2500 with a few extra upgrades. Which is about the max on my budget.

[smokeyw]

Here is a pig I cooked on one of their small pig cookers like you are talking about.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh112/smokeyws/Comprtition/IMG_0394.jpg

[Militant83]

Smokey it looks good... How well do the cookers hold temp? And how efficient are they with the propane? If you recall what was the size of that hog and what was the cook time roughly?

[smokeyw]

The small one will cook a pig on one 20 Lb. tank with gas to spare. They hold temp very well. Once you get it to the temp you want, it will hold that all day. I think this pig weighed about 125 and it cooked for about 9 hours total.

Smokey it looks good... How well do the cookers hold temp? And how efficient are they with the propane? If you recall what was the size of that hog and what was the cook time roughly?

[Militant83]

That would be great for our hog roast.. make it a lot easier than having to babysit some coals...I had been borrow a cooker that was made out of an old 250 gal fuel oil drum it did ok but I had to babysit the coals instead of being able to visit with my guest.

I really like the large model and being able to have a turning grate but its doesnt fit in my budget.

[jgbmgb]

Now that's a beautiful vertical smoker! :thumb:

http://www.bqgrills.com/Stacey%20Barnes%20Pig%20Cooker%20Smoker%20001.JPG

Must agree with SmokeyW, Melvin builds some of the best cookers around and is a great guy to deal with. I also know him personally and he has built a couple of cookers for us and the quality is second to none. His new gravity feed vertical is built like a tank and weighs in at 850 lbs. You won't regret a purchase from them.

[jgbmgb]

Besides whole hog and chicken, they can cook a buttload of butts!!

http://www.bqgrills.com/Resized%20Greg%20Hughs%20Damaged%20grill%20from%20 Washington.jpg

[Militant83]

Smokey and JGB from your experiences with these cookers especially with whole hog is it worth it to go for the larger one and be able to have the turning rack? I like the idea of the turning rack for whole hog. But other than that the cooker is a bit too big for my needs.

[smokeyw]

I personally would not buy the larger one just for the turning rack. My first cooker from them was the small one without the turning rack and it is no problem to cook a pig on it skin side down and never turn it. It will do a nice job. My cooker now is a custom built competition grill and it has turning grates. The skin is so critical in a NCPC competition that you do need a way to turn the pig and work on it and look at it. If I am cooking on it for fun and not practicing for a competition, I usually just cook it skin side down and don't turn it. I had the smoke box, and pot burners on my small one and did use them a lot.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh112/smokeyws/Comprtition/IMG_0219.jpg

Smokey and JGB from your experiences with these cookers especially with whole hog is it worth it to go for the larger one and be able to have the turning rack? I like the idea of the turning rack for whole hog. But other than that the cooker is a bit too big for my needs.

[Militant83]

Cool thanks for the info

[jgbmgb]

I personally would not buy the larger one just for the turning rack. My first cooker from them was the small one without the turning rack and it is no problem to cook a pig on it skin side down and never turn it. It will do a nice job. My cooker now is a custom built competition grill and it has turning grates. The skin is so critical in a NCPC competition that you do need a way to turn the pig and work on it and look at it. If I am cooking on it for fun and not practicing for a competition, I usually just cook it skin side down and don't turn it. I had the smoke box, and pot burners on my small one and did use them a lot.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh112/smokeyws/Comprtition/IMG_0219.jpg

Militant83, sorry so long for the reply. I agree 100% with SmokeyW. I had basically the same setup as the pic above and loved it I have sold that unit and am getting ready to invest in a smoker rig setup from BQ Grills possibly with a small pig cooker on trailer also. Can't beat BQ Grills quality!!