Backyard hack...trying to do a comp.....grill advice needed bad !!!!!!!!!

[DubfromGA]

Howdy folks.


I have an excuse to possibly justify buying a new grill.


My grilling experience ranges from gas 3-burners, to a decade on a Weber kettle, and the past six years using an Akorn and a KJ Big Joe.

Two buddies and I are cooking in the backyard division of a KCBS sponsored event soon in a couple months. It's the first time any of us have done anything like this.

One of my team's members has been working closely with a local pro the past year and he's coached him up pretty well.


We are competing in: pork ribs, chicken and pork.


Between the 3 of us we have 3 Kamado Joe Big Joe's and an Akorn that we can use.

I'm leary of using these because transporting them is a risk....in my mind at least. I'm not real fond of moving around these three 24" ceramic grills....getting them set-up.....and then having to get them returned to our collective homes.

On top of this, I'm currently on the mend with a compressed vertebrae that's been spasming like hell the last three weeks. The new meds have the spasms calmed down the last two days....and I have my fingers crossed that this and some PT will continue to improve.

The thought of moving those grills has me scared of re-aggravating this back.






Okay.....here is where I am on this:

I'd appreciate some suggestions on possible grills that would work for this event as well as be nice additions to our grilling arsenal for the times we want to cook for folks at work (around 30 people).

We'll have access to power strips at the competition.....and at work and off course at home.

A nice pellet grill is something that would work. I live fairly close to the Rec Tec headquarters and have seen these up close. Their largest grill would set me back about a grand, but would handle our needs along with the Akorn. It'd also give me a grill that I could use at home for unattended cooks while I'm at work or sleeping. Their customer service seems to be very strong....like what I've experienced with Kamado Joe, which has been beyond anything I've ever seen with any product I've ever owned. I live close enough to Rec Tec that I'd not have to do shipping and I could get my grill back to them very quickly for issues that may develop.



The second thing direction I've been looking towards is with the Weber WSM 22" smokers. They've always intrigued me but I have somehow never used one. That old Weber kettle I had was simply a workhorse that allowed me to do a lot.....used bricks for indirect and the vent controls worked well.

They'd cover our pork and ribs....an maybe even the chicken (we could do that on the Akorn).

A pair of these would set me back $800 but would get used as secondary smokers when my Big Joe was being used for other foods. I could very easily transport these to work on the times we have large cooks for our folks there.


What kind of burn times can I expect from the WSM 22" ?


How steady is is ?


How many slabs of ribs will lay flat on it ?


How many butts will she hold ?

How much temperature difference can I realistically expect between the two grate levels ?

Do I need to stick with charcoal briquettes or can I use the same lump I use on my kamado grills ?

What size wood do I need to use to supplement the coal.....chunks (preferred since I have some already) or do i need to stick to chips, smoking tubes or other ?



I'd love some insight and suggestions from folks who have used either of these and from the comp guys who probably see the backyard hacks like me show up with all sorts of stuff.



Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to throw out there all my considerations and hope for some experienced guidance.


Thank you !!!!

[Ron_L]

Unless you really want a Rectec, I'd go with the 22.5" WSM and the Akorn. Do the butts overnight on the WSM and time them to be done before the ribs go on. You can hold the butts in a cooler for a long time.

Then do the chicken on the Akorn.

If you really want a Rectec, then get one But don't forget about a backup power source. Competition power is notoriously unreliable.

You should have no problem getting two butts on the top rack of the WSM, and 3 or 4 racks of ribs once the butts are out of the way. I use chunks in my WSMs and I use hardwood briquettes, but lump works just fine.

[Cayman1]

Ron L pretty much hit it. You can get 8 hours burn from WSM with no problem, depending on weather. Wind is the real enemy. If there is wind, point the top vent into the direction of the wind. Seems wrong, but if it is downwind, it will suck the heat right out of the cooker. Learned this the hard way. Went through a load of charcoal in 4 hours at a wind competition.
If you go with the WSM, try to season it as much as you can before the contest. The more gunk you can build up inside, the better it cooks.
The WSM is very stable once seasoned well. Before then, they tend to run hotter. Make vent adjustments in small increments and never close top vent completely unless you are trying to kill the fire. Totally shut will give you bad smoke, and bad taste.
We use 4 WSM for competition, but could get by with fewer if we had to. Since we have them, we use them. It is all a matter of timing as Ron L said. Harry Soo did an entire KCBS competition on a mini, basically a homemade 14 1/2" wsm. Did all 4 meats.

[Skip]

Search out the snake method for a weber kettle. May be easier on your back. you can do two butts or ribs on the grill as long as you turn your grate as the snake moves around the edge. The chicken can be done the same.

[landarc]

If money is not an issue, two 22" WSM's will do what you need and then some. Along with your Akorn, you would be set for a long time. Properly set up, a WSM will burn for many hours easily. Plus, since they are modular, can be reloaded with more fuel easily.

[DubfromGA]

I gotta tell ya gents......a pair of 22" WSM's and some Coleman lanterns is starting to sound the way to go.....for several reasons.

One of the guys is loving his new Big Joe so much that he may bring it anyway. It's what the pro has been coaching him on so I know can understand his confidence level being high.

I'd rather leave mine put and let the younger bucks move his Big Red Beast.

Originally Posted by Ron_L

Unless you really want a Rectec, I'd go with the 22.5" WSM and the Akorn. Do the butts overnight on the WSM and time them to be done before the ribs go on. You can hold the butts in a cooler for a long time.

Then do the chicken on the Akorn.

If you really want a Rectec, then get one But don't forget about a backup power source. Competition power is notoriously unreliable.

You should have no problem getting two butts on the top rack of the WSM, and 3 or 4 racks of ribs once the butts are out of the way. I use chunks in my WSMs and I use hardwood briquettes, but lump works just fine.

Thank you !!!!!


I'd love a Rec Tec for home use on the overnight packers and butts. It would be super for that stuff......especially since I really love to do them slow. It'd be kind of overkill though as I can do this fairly easily on my existing kamados.....especially if I added a pit fan-pit controller at some point.

The power supply at the comp is a big fear. They are planning on having bands playing and stuff. I'm sure they'll be solid on power for their amps and lighting......but the verdict is out on what we'll have even though we've been promised power access.

I don't currently own a generator, nor to my two buddies.


The WSM would sure be handy and highly portable for this comp cook....as well as cooks at work and when I road trip a few hours to visit family. I'd love to be able to take some grills there and cook with for them.



Good point about holding the butts at hot temps. We'd planned on foiling it up well and wrapping in a wool blanket my buddy uses and stuffing them in a Yetti cooler that's sized just perfect for 4 butts.

Heck, that old blanket he always uses probably has enough seasoning in it to impart another layer of flavors.

Originally Posted by Cayman1

Ron L pretty much hit it. You can get 8 hours burn from WSM with no problem, depending on weather. Wind is the real enemy. If there is wind, point the top vent into the direction of the wind. Seems wrong, but if it is downwind, it will suck the heat right out of the cooker. Learned this the hard way. Went through a load of charcoal in 4 hours at a wind competition.
If you go with the WSM, try to season it as much as you can before the contest. The more gunk you can build up inside, the better it cooks.
The WSM is very stable once seasoned well. Before then, they tend to run hotter. Make vent adjustments in small increments and never close top vent completely unless you are trying to kill the fire. Totally shut will give you bad smoke, and bad taste.
We use 4 WSM for competition, but could get by with fewer if we had to. Since we have them, we use them. It is all a matter of timing as Ron L said. Harry Soo did an entire KCBS competition on a mini, basically a homemade 14 1/2" wsm. Did all 4 meats.

Thank you !!!!!

I never gave the wind a moment's thought. That is a huge thing to consider, it sounds like.

I'll definitely keep the lid rotated into the wind. Thanks.


I wonder if I could bend a small piece of sheet metal and use it as a wind deflector held on by magnets.....put it right over the top vent ?????


I was poking around on Amazon and saw gasket materials & gasket kits being sold specifically for the WSM cookers. I'm limited on time to get much gunk buildup in them.....would the gaskets be advisable ??

Originally Posted by Skip

Search out the snake method for a weber kettle. May be easier on your back. you can do two butts or ribs on the grill as long as you turn your grate as the snake moves around the edge. The chicken can be done the same.

Cool trick. Thank you. Sadly my old trusty Weber kettle got me through college and on into the bachelor years. My bride said that thing had to go once we married. I think she worried that as long as it stayed, so would the kegs of beers and the usual suspects. That grill was the backbone to many a good evening.

Originally Posted by landarc

If money is not an issue, two 22" WSM's will do what you need and then some. Along with your Akorn, you would be set for a long time. Properly set up, a WSM will burn for many hours easily. Plus, since they are modular, can be reloaded with more fuel easily.

Thanks !!!!!!



That was definitely a question I had. I was't sure about the ability to add fuel late in a cook. I assume I'd want to use the Weber chimney to get the new coals burning well and add them down the chute ???






Or would you advise just going with fresh coals ?



Another strategy I had was if my buddy did bring his Big Joe and we had the Akorn and a WSM in use....I could set up the second WSM and get it stable at 225 at some point 5-6 hours into the butt cook and transfer them over to the "new" WSM if needed to finish them.

I'm thinking the pro has been working with him on 225 temps so things will take longer, I'm afraid. Gonna be a long night.

The "old" WSM can then be set-up all over again with a fresh payload of coal & wood for the ribs.

Looks like we are going to cook a pile of food and turn in the best of the best. We'll be feeding whoever shows up, of course and putting the rest on ice to enjoy later.

[5string]

Here's the deal Dub, all of the above is great advice from well seasoned pros. The WSM is a great cooker, heck, Harry Soo does all 4 comp meats on an 18.5
But...
You know you will be hooked, so call the guys at CustomPits over near Athens and use that money for a down payment on an A-1 comp cooker.
But seriously, the WSM will do the job just fine.

[DubfromGA]

Originally Posted by 5string

Here's the deal Dub, all of the above is great advice from well seasoned pros. The WSM is a great cooker, heck, Harry Soo does all 4 comp meats on an 18.5
But...
You know you will be hooked, so call the guys at CustomPits over near Athens and use that money for a down payment on an A-1 comp cooker.
But seriously, the WSM will do the job just fine.

I know I'm gonna get there and we'll be looking at our little spread and look around and see all the pro's gear and the fever will start.



I'm liking the looks of these >>>>>>>>>> http://www.custompits.com/product/a1...tition-smoker/



Oh, Lawd....here we go down the rabbit hole..........

[Ron_L]

Since this will be your first comp, I'd spend as little as possible. You may not like competition cooking.

[landarc]

We used a charcoal starter to preheat the charcoal, it makes a tiny difference. I agree with Ronelle, don't go nuts until you've tried a comp or two.

WSM's do not need gaskets or any other material added. They operate just fine right out of the box, perhaps a little better once they are seasoned.

[egorham]

If you go with the WSM I would get a temp controller as well. Auber Instruments, Guru and Stoker are all good choices. I use the Auber with a DIY adapter similar tot he Rocks adapter and I love it, it is a great choice for less money. The bonus with getting a temp controller is that you could get a second adapter to run the Akorn on long cooks.

For backup power you can use an inverter. I keep one in the tool box that can run off the car battery in a pinch but you can get the Duracell, I think is is the Powerpack, which will run a temp controller all weekend. This is what Harry Soo and a lot of other competitors use.

[Skip]

I would suggest against a temp controller for a WSM. Yes they work but no need. The unit runs clean and consistent for 8 hours on the 22.5 and 10-12 on the 18.5. As long as you are under 10 MPH sustained wind and your outside temp is above 20F you'll be fine and have money for other toys. They come to temp in about 30 minutes. Good luck.

[Cayman1]

Use an empty can for the top vent if you want to block wind with it. Use a can opener and put some holes around the sides of the can near the top. It will fit around the top vent. You will need one of the larger cans to fit around the vent damper. Looks funky, but it works.

[DubfromGA]

Originally Posted by Skip

I would suggest against a temp controller for a WSM. Yes they work but no need. The unit runs clean and consistent for 8 hours on the 22.5 and 10-12 on the 18.5. As long as you are under 10 MPH sustained wind and your outside temp is above 20F you'll be fine and have money for other toys. They come to temp in about 30 minutes. Good luck.

Interesting.


You are saying there is a longer run time for the WSM 18.5" ???


If we were doing brisket that would be pretty important.

We don't have to for this upcoming event, however, I'd love the chance to cook a brisket for my parents and sister's family when we visit them. Something to consider....thanks.

[Cayman1]

You are going to be fighting the new WSM to keep it at 225. My suggestion is to find out where it likes to run and cook at that temp. Your timing will change but you won't be fighting the temp the entire time. Butts and brisket can rest in a cooler for several hours so getting done early won't hurt. In fact, early is better than struggling to get meat done for turn in.