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-   -   MAK Group Buy (https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279141)

Johnny in L.A. 03-02-2020 03:59 PM

OK, so...just a little update...about the MAKs...I bought one!

Spoke with Caleb, who's a great guy. Shipping very soon will be:

MAK Two Star General
Full upper grate
Cabinet door
Grill cover
Accessory hanger
MAK Mobile

After neglecting my stick burner because I didn't have the time and patience to tend the fire, and my backyard being a pile of dirt for six months, I can't wait to start barbecuing again. Thank you rwalters and Caleb and you Brethren! I look forward to posting my first cook photos.

pjtexas1 03-02-2020 04:00 PM

Caleb was late for dinner with his wife because he wanted to get my order processed that night so I would get the cooker sooner. I was hoping he survived the weekend. [emoji23]

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

pjtexas1 03-02-2020 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jstrand (Post 4278781)
I hate you Farkers!!

Thankfully my decision is easy, I have absolutely no money to purchase one and thankfully no credit cards. Otherwise I would have a 2 Star with Super Smoker box.

So screw you guys...I'm goin home.:hand:

You almost hurt my feelings. [emoji33][emoji1787]

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

jstrand 03-02-2020 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjtexas1 (Post 4278787)
You almost hurt my feelings. [emoji33][emoji1787]

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

:laugh: I've been trying to figure out how to get one for the past 3 years. This thread is like salt in the wound!

Just very jealous, but things have improved for me in the past year so hopefully it's in my future.

rwalters 03-02-2020 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jstrand (Post 4278788)
:laugh: I've been trying to figure out how to get one for the past 3 years. This thread is like salt in the wound!



Just very jealous, but things have improved for me in the past year so hopefully it's in my future.



Great, now I’m sad :(

Perhaps you could start a MAK GoFundMe thread?

rwalters 03-02-2020 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny in L.A. (Post 4278782)
OK, so...just a little update...about the MAKs...I bought one!

Spoke with Caleb, who's a great guy. Shipping very soon will be:

MAK Two Star General
Full upper grate
Cabinet door
Grill cover
Accessory hanger
MAK Mobile

After neglecting my stick burner because I didn't have the time and patience to tend the fire, and my backyard being a pile of dirt for six months, I can't wait to start barbecuing again. Thank you rwalters and Caleb and you Brethren! I look forward to posting my first cook photos.



Welcome to the MAK family buddy!!! It’s been a journey and lots of conversations... :)

You gonna sell the KBQ?

KevinJ 03-02-2020 04:17 PM

Most likely going to buy an RV in 2023 and hopefully the Mini MAK will be out by then so let's do this again in 3yrs. :grin:

rwalters 03-02-2020 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinJ (Post 4278794)
Most likely going to buy an RV in 2023 and hopefully the Mini MAK will be out by then so let's do this again in 3yrs. :grin:



My crystal ball shows you’re good to go... I can see you sitting next to the river with wisps of smoke coming from your Mini MAK. It’s a lovely sight :)

Baychilla 03-02-2020 04:27 PM

What type of pellets work best in these things and is there much of a difference between the wood varieties?

I need to acquire a new fuel source to fuel my new Two Star.

KevinJ 03-02-2020 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwalters (Post 4278795)
My crystal ball shows you’re good to go... I can see you sitting next to the river with wisps of smoke coming from your Mini MAK. It’s a lovely sight :)

Think more like camped out at San Onofre, surfing at Old Mans with all the other old men. :heh:

WBDubya 03-02-2020 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baychilla (Post 4278798)
What type of pellets work best in these things and is there much of a difference between the wood varieties?

I need to acquire a new fuel source to fuel my new Two Star.

You can't go wrong with Lumberjack Pellets! BBQ Delight is my second choice.
I want to try Cookin Pellets but still sitting on a pile of LJ.

rwalters 03-02-2020 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinJ (Post 4278801)
Think more like camped out at San Onofre, surfing at Old Mans with all the other old men. :heh:



Dumb crystal ball [emoji37]

WBDubya 03-02-2020 05:03 PM

If anyone talks to Caleb, tell him to get his advertising dept. going on the apparel section of their website! We need MAK logo'd t-shirts, decals, laser engraved Yeti's etc. I know they are busy cranking out awesome grills but I would love to advertise the brand with some swag (and yes I'll be happy to pay for it!).

rwalters 03-02-2020 05:07 PM

MAK Group Buy
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Baychilla (Post 4278798)
What type of pellets work best in these things and is there much of a difference between the wood varieties?

I need to acquire a new fuel source to fuel my new Two Star.



You’re in?!?! Welcome to the MAK family! Ask 10 people for their opinion on pellets and you’re likely to get 7-8 different opinions. I’ve been using Bear Mountain and have had great success with them. I had issues with LJ but many swear by them. I am currently tryin a bag of BBQ’rs Delight and so far so good. What options do you have locally?

rwalters 03-02-2020 05:08 PM

MAK Group Buy
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by WBDubya (Post 4278816)
If anyone talks to Caleb, tell him to get his advertising dept. going on the apparel section of their website! We need MAK logo'd t-shirts, decals, laser engraved Yeti's etc. I know they are busy cranking out awesome grills but I would love to advertise the brand with some swag (and yes I'll be happy to pay for it!).



Amen!!! I’ll bet pjtexas would even buy a pair of MAK undies if they were offered... lol.

Baychilla 03-02-2020 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwalters (Post 4278818)
You’re in?!?! Welcome to the MAK family! Ask 10 people for their opinion on pellets and you’re likely to get 7-8 different opinions. I’ve been using Bear Mountain and have had great success with them. I had issues with LJ but many swear by them. I am currently tryin a bag of BBQ’rs Delight and so far so good. What options do you have locally?

Green Mountain, Traeger or HomComfort. Not much.

rwalters 03-02-2020 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baychilla (Post 4278821)
Green Mountain, Traeger or HomComfort. Not much.



Traeger = no way
HomComfort = I know nothing about
Green Mountain = I have heard good things about

I’d try a bag of the GM after you burn through the Bear Mountain that’ll come with the MAK and see whatcha think.

Johnny in L.A. 03-02-2020 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwalters (Post 4278792)
Welcome to the MAK family buddy!!! It’s been a journey and lots of conversations... :)

You gonna sell the KBQ?

It sure has, and I've appreciated all of them. :thumb: I'd send you my first tri tip or St. Louis rib rack but it would get cold in transit. :wink: Plus, I gotta practice.

The KBQ will be for sale as soon as I give it a good clean and polish. It's only got eight cooks on it but could still use a bit of shine.

4ever3 03-02-2020 05:30 PM

MAK 2 ⭐️ has been ordered...

Full upper rack
Door
Cover


(I’m standing beside the road waiting as I type :mrgreen:)

rwalters 03-02-2020 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny in L.A. (Post 4278828)
It sure has, and I've appreciated all of them. :thumb: I'd send you my first tri tip or St. Louis rib rack but it would get cold in transit. :wink: Plus, I gotta practice.



The KBQ will be for sale as soon as I give it a good clean and polish. It's only got eight cooks on it but could still use a bit of shine.



Only 8 cooks... man, I guess you haven’t had time. There are some weekends where my MAK runs almost non-stop. I call those good weekends :)

rwalters 03-02-2020 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4ever3 (Post 4278831)
MAK 2 ⭐️ has been ordered...



Full upper rack

Door

Cover





(I’m standing beside the road waiting as I type :mrgreen:)



And another joins the MAK family! Man, MAK Daddy’s gonna have to buy a bigger house for all the new kids... lol.

KevinJ 03-02-2020 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4ever3 (Post 4278831)
MAK 2 ⭐️ has been ordered...

Full upper rack
Door
Cover


(I’m standing beside the road waiting as I type :mrgreen:)

Woot woot! :whoo:

rm41400 03-02-2020 06:11 PM

+1 here

2 star
+Mobile Mak/Wifi
+Full & 3/4 upper rack

Thanks Crispy Bacon and rwalters for getting this going and everyone else! Appreciate the info along the way. I won’t lie it stung a little pulling the trigger on an expensive pellet grill since I’ve had little experience with them to date.

Customer service was great and Caleb was super cool! Counting the days now...

tom b 03-02-2020 06:18 PM

it is sounding like we are going to need a new appreciation thread...

Cangrats to all the new purchasers!

Robb must have some good commission credits stocked up for his next purchase

Johnny in L.A. 03-02-2020 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwalters (Post 4278833)
Only 8 cooks... man, I guess you haven’t had time.

I know, it's embarrassing. I tried ribs, and chicken, and then moved just to reverse-sear steaks because the cook is so short. I can make an awesome steak with the KBQ, searing it over the firebox. If I lived in the country and could sit out and drink some beers while tending the fire, I would enjoy that. Now, I'm just too busy with too many things to do. One day... :wink:

But with the MAK, that will change!

pharp 03-02-2020 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebijack (Post 4277357)
Not really. The company I had such a bad experience with doesn't get much bad press either. Not anywhere near like it should. Folks just put them up for sale and say they are going in another direction. Since if they told the truth. It would not be an easy sale. If that makes sense.

Mine works great. In fact I bought three more. Maybe you just could not use it.

pjtexas1 03-02-2020 06:51 PM

I think I'm more excited for everyone getting their new Maks than I am for my own. I'm almost afraid that I might turn into one of those pellet heads.

Rwalters what issues did you have Lumberjack pellets?

And I already knitted my pair of Mak undies. [emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

rwalters 03-02-2020 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rm41400 (Post 4278853)
+1 here

2 star
+Mobile Mak/Wifi
+Full & 3/4 upper rack

Thanks Crispy Bacon and rwalters for getting this going and everyone else! Appreciate the info along the way. I won’t lie it stung a little pulling the trigger on an expensive pellet grill since I’ve had little experience with them to date.

Customer service was great and Caleb was super cool! Counting the days now...



And another... YES... lovin’ this!!! Welcome to the MAK family :)

4ever3 03-02-2020 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom b (Post 4278856)
it is sounding like we are going to need a new appreciation thread...

That’s a good idea!

4ever3 03-02-2020 07:27 PM

Is that 5 grills sold?

rwalters 03-02-2020 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjtexas1 (Post 4278878)
I think I'm more excited for everyone getting their new Maks than I am for my own. I'm almost afraid that I might turn into one of those pellet heads.

Rwalters what issues did you have Lumberjack pellets?

And I already knitted my pair of Mak undies. [emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk



I have a theory regarding LJ pellets and my MAK. I actually had a few flameouts using their oak pellets. As you know, oak burns with a fairly high BTU. I was experiencing the issue during the hot summer months only. My theory is that the Funnel Flame Zone is almost to effective at moving the heat into the cooking chamber on a super hot day AND with using straight oak pellets. Because the fire to maintain temp is so tiny on a hot day, I think I created my own problem by using a super high BTU pellet. I lost a few fires. I took the LJ oak pellets out of the equation and the problem was immediately gone. Since then, I have switched to Bear Mountain which is what MAK will send... and it just so happens they are readily available on the west coast. If I were to return to LJ I’d select one of their blends as it would contain some lower BTU wood types. Perhaps straight oak would kick butt in the winter, but I haven’t tried.

All that said, you have a 1 Star coming which does not have the Funnel Flame Zone. It’s not as efficient at moving heat up into the cook chamber. Straight oak may work just fine for you.

gtsum 03-02-2020 07:31 PM

Congrats to all the new MAK owners! Undoubtedly getting one of the best pellet coolers on the market!

FWIW, I tried many kinds of pellets in my yoder and Memphis elite and lumberjack pellets, by far, were my favorite.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

tom b 03-02-2020 07:42 PM

Another Lumberjack use, I use the supreme blend without trouble

Baychilla 03-02-2020 08:01 PM

Anyone use Lumberjack hickory?

tom b 03-02-2020 08:23 PM

I have run LJ Hickory but I prefer the supreme blend. I have found at times I prefer to dial back the smoke some

KevinJ 03-02-2020 08:29 PM

I used to use LJ 100% Hickory then switched to LJ Comp Blend, less ash and still get a good smoke profile.

rwalters 03-02-2020 08:36 PM

Not sure how many of you live in climates that have 100° plus days on a regular basis during the summer. I really think that was my issue with the oak pellets. Perhaps we should move... lol.

BKING! 03-02-2020 08:36 PM

My favorite after some experimentation is LJ pecan

4ever3 03-02-2020 08:49 PM

We’ve decided the LJ competition is our all around favorite in the GMG.

Time will tell on the MAK.

noeldavid 03-02-2020 09:01 PM

I have been using CookinPellets Hickory and CookinPellets Perfect Blend on my Mak 2 Star for many years and recently got some Lumberjacks Hickory and Pecan to try. I prefer CookinPellets because it gives out a more pronounced wood flavor to the meats compared to Lumberjacks. Even when turning on the grill you can smell they are not CookinPellets. Also, CookinPellets leave behind 50% less ash than Lumberjacks. I have also tried BBQers Delight and I prefer them than Lumberjacks. IMHO
CookinPellets > BBQers Delight > Lumberjacks > Bear Mountain > Camp Chef

4ever3 03-02-2020 09:04 PM

Cookinpellets?

Never heard of them, I’m off to the gurgle...

rwalters 03-02-2020 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4ever3 (Post 4278972)
Cookinpellets?

Never heard of them, I’m off to the gurgle...



If you go with Cookin’ Pellets order a mini bulk order direct from Cookin’ Pellets website. Shipped direct to your door and although they are not the cheapest pellet, the bulk order provides much better pricing than anywhere else, including Amazon. BUT, check out the reviews on Amazon and you’ll get an idea of the love people have for CP.

noeldavid 03-02-2020 09:22 PM

To buy either CookinPellets or Lumberjacks search your local Craigslist, Offerup or Facebook Marketplace for deals from pellet grill owners who buy ib bulk pallets of pellets to save money. In the DFW area I can get 0.50 cents per pound Lumberjacks ( $20 for 1 40 pound bag) and 0.63 cents per pound of CookinPellets (5 bags of 40 pounds for $25 each.

rwalters 03-02-2020 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjtexas1 (Post 4278878)
And I already knitted my pair of Mak undies. [emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


Pics or we won’t believe you... [emoji13]

LordRiffenstein 03-03-2020 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baychilla (Post 4278821)
Green Mountain, Traeger or HomComfort. Not much.

I've used Green Mountain pellets in my Yoder and really enjoy them.

JJJBBQ 03-03-2020 08:15 AM

Had a question about searing on the Mak. Asked this question on the pellet smoker thread. Someone had mentioned just using Grill Grates over the fire pot instead of the Flame Zone for searing. Anyone else have experience with this? Seems like a much more cost effective strategy. Any drawbacks to this approach? Smaller grill zone depending on size of the Grill Grates?

JJJBBQ 03-03-2020 08:17 AM

Whoops. Brent answered my question. Sorry about the duplicate question.

rwalters 03-03-2020 12:35 PM

Just spoke with Caleb from MAK Grills. At this point we have 9 Brethren that have joined the MAK family :) If anyone else is sitting on the fence, ya might want to give Caleb a call before this opportunity disappears. No pressure whatsoever as this really is a significant investment. That said, this is also a rare opportunity if you are at all in the market for a premium pellet grill.

4ever3 03-03-2020 01:34 PM

I’m going to give him a break till he closes the bbqb deal then I’m gonna start buggin’ him about a MiniMAK .

rwalters 03-03-2020 01:49 PM

MAK Group Buy
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by 4ever3 (Post 4279166)
I’m going to give him a break till he closes the bbqb deal then I’m gonna start buggin’ him about a MiniMAK .



Been there done that... lol.

“Great progress has been made and it’s coming along nicely.”

“Won’t be much longer.”

MAK Grills is known to stay tight lipped til the unveiling of a new product. I really think they enjoy the torture aspect of it. Kinda messed up, eh?!?! [emoji37]

Best I can tell, the wait is “almost” over... but I’ve been saying that for what seems like 3 years... [emoji849]


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