pjtexas1
somebody shut me the fark up.
I have to say this is an awesome thread! It could have gone very negative but we have this instead. :thumb:
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i see two classes of brethren- those who like the process, and those who just like the food.
Im in the latter group- plus with young kids there is just not enough time to enjoy the process.
3rd group: those who prefer stick burning but need the convenience of charcoal when time doesn't permit.
4th group: those who just like to cook on anything.
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6th group - no pellet poopers with a love for sous vide5th group - same as 4th except No Pellet Poopers or Sous vide.........
clean burning wood taste is a very mild flavor, just like charcoal so no advantage to the wood burner,
I guarantee you I could pass the "Pepsi challenge" between a brisket cooked using a clean wood fire and one using a charcoal fueled smoker 100% of the time. I get the convenience factor - I still use and love my Primo XL with some quality lump, and I've cooked on and owned most of the popular charcoal fueled smokers out there, but the two produce noticeably different products. That doesn't mean one or the other is bad, but IMO they're definitely not the same.
There are times when running a stick burner is not feasible for me, but it's usually related to the start up and shut down (cooling off time) required as opposed to the level of effort in feeding logs for the cook itself. Stepping outside every 30 to 40 minutes to plop a new log on the fire is hardly time consuming and aside from having to physically leave the house for something (which I wouldn't do with any style of cooker running a live fire anyway) it's hardly more work, especially when the end result is taken into consideration.
One of the best things cooking on a stick burner did for me was to break me from the "the entire cook must run at ___ degrees or else it'll be a major fail" mentality...now I generally operate on a 50* +/- window and aim to keep it at a particular median temperature some of the time. I used to be so anal about keeping a cooker at some particular temperature otherwise some catastrophic undesirable end result would occur. But, it never did, I just turned out some really awesome barbecue if I'm somewhere aroundish 265-330*.
But most importantly, figure out what works for you and your lifestyle and keep on barbecuing - that's what matters :thumb:
Kinda funny how things kinda do a turnabout. I had started out with an old modded Brinkmann S&P. I learned how to use it and mastered the curve, but then marriage and kids came along and allnighters with the stick burner were a no go. Bought a WSM, built several UDS's. I have given them all away. I now stick to my Kettles, BUT now that the kids are older and I can get all the damn pecan I want.........I want to go back to a stick burner. The flavor profile is much different. I miss that flavor. I use the PBC to get my fix, but still want to burn stick again.
Bob
But most importantly, figure out what works for you and your lifestyle and keep on barbecuing - that's what matters :thumb:
Ban!!!!!!!!
Kinda funny how things kinda do a turnabout. I had started out with an old modded Brinkmann S&P. I learned how to use it and mastered the curve, but then marriage and kids came along and allnighters with the stick burner were a no go. Bought a WSM, built several UDS's. I have given them all away. I now stick to my Kettles, BUT now that the kids are older and I can get all the damn pecan I want.........I want to go back to a stick burner. The flavor profile is much different. I miss that flavor. I use the PBC to get my fix, but still want to burn stick again.
Bob
as for just plopping a stick on every 30 mins- disagree there. significantly more time consuming that you suggest- plop the wood on, open the vents, check that the wood has caught, let it come up to temp, start adjusting the vents, then eventually its at a good state then I can go back in and resume what ever me and the family were doing
We just did it this week. Chuckies with and without wood.I guarantee you I could pass the "Pepsi challenge" between a brisket cooked using a clean wood fire and one using a charcoal fueled smoker 100% of the time. I get the convenience factor - I still use and love my Primo XL with some quality lump, and I've cooked on and owned most of the popular charcoal fueled smokers out there, but the two produce noticeably different products. That doesn't mean one or the other is bad, but IMO they're definitely not the same.
There are times when running a stick burner is not feasible for me, but it's usually related to the start up and shut down (cooling off time) required as opposed to the level of effort in feeding logs for the cook itself. Stepping outside every 30 to 40 minutes to plop a new log on the fire is hardly time consuming and aside from having to physically leave the house for something (which I wouldn't do with any style of cooker running a live fire anyway) it's hardly more work, especially when the end result is taken into consideration.
One of the best things cooking on a stick burner did for me was to break me from the "the entire cook must run at ___ degrees or else it'll be a major fail" mentality...now I generally operate on a 50* +/- window and aim to keep it at a particular median temperature some of the time. I used to be so anal about keeping a cooker at some particular temperature otherwise some catastrophic undesirable end result would occur. But, it never did, I just turned out some really awesome barbecue if I'm somewhere aroundish 265-330*.
But most importantly, figure out what works for you and your lifestyle and keep on barbecuing - that's what matters :thumb:
Generally speaking, I agree with most of everyone's points of view on this thread but this particular observation may only hold true with offsets that aren't designed as well as they could be. I always preheat my splits by placing them to the side of the fire. This is easier to do when you have a large firebox. Once it's preheated and its time to add to the fire, I can plop it on the coal bed and walk away. There is no need to adjust vents, make sure the wood catches (because it always does), and the temp hardly fluctuates at all because 1/4" plate holds the heat so well. It takes a concentrated effort to move my temps up or down once they are stabile. The only thing I have to watch out for is waiting too long to add another split because the temps will hold for a while even after the fire is almost out.