Great BBQ is it the machine or the mind

[Capozzoli]

Cappozoli, I wouldn't say that all food coming off of an el cheapo offset will be bad. I got some very nice ribs off of that el cheapo that I posted a pic of. What helped me was knowing about the hot spot. I had to shuffle slabs through the course of the cook so they would cook evenly, but the ribs came out nice. And the only mod I did was wrapping foil around the exhaust stack in the inside to bring the smoke level down to the grate.

Yeah you are right. If you saw my BBQ area you would see that I make do with very little.

I turned out some pretty good Q using a hot plate a pie tin and a cardboard box. (true story)

Just don't try making a brisket on the el-cheapo. At least not the one I have.

 

[Phrasty]

I was lazy... didn't read the entire post but I'll say this... "Equipment gives you an edge... but at the end of the day you either got it or you don't..."

 

[TIMMAY]

I turned out some pretty good Q using a hot plate a pie tin and a cardboard box. (true story)

Watch a little Alton Brown lately?:becky:

 

[Rubmybutt]

I was lazy... didn't read the entire post but I'll say this... "Equipment gives you an edge... but at the end of the day you either got it or you don't..."

After all said and done I agree, but Bugatti just came out with the Super Sport! 1200HP and 267MPH! I here Ford is not happy. :boxing:

 

[DevineSwine]

This is a really good post!!! all i have to say is that i use to cook ribs on a Weber 18.5. 3 slabs not trimmed and i worked my ass of to get 6 out 10 ribs. Now i have a uds with two racks cook 8 St.Louis style and barely look at um for 4.5 hrs and nail 9outta 10 ribs all day long.....Just sayin.

 

[DevineSwine]

After all said and done I agree, but Bugatti just came out with the Super Sport! 1200HP and 267MPH! I here Ford is not happy. :boxing:

Just wait till ya see the 2013 Pinto's

 

[Lake Dogs]

Cook. Tools help, but a lousy cook or one who doesnt know what to do and when to do it can take a great top-of-the-line smoker and produce far below-average results.

I RGC'd and only 0.02 points from GCing a competition a while back with nothing more than a small brinkmann stillwater and 2 weber 22's against all kinds of very nice and very expensive set-ups... Matter of fact, I think the DAL guy had probably $20,000 in his smokers on that trailer.

 

[landarc]

Hance, you should have bet pink slips with that guy :-D

 

[Lake Dogs]

Hindsight. It was very intimidating, frankly. However, I never gave up, and I worked my *** off. Even at the start I'd have bet money I'd be in the bottom 1/3rd. I learned paint, shine, $$$$$, size, etc. dont cook. Cooks cook.

 

[The_Kapn]

I have a bit of a different twist on the subject.
I think (know) that a stable, predictable cooker shortens the learning curve.
I first started on a Smokin Pit cheapo stick burner that belonged to my neighbor.
Spent most of my time, energy, and (my few) brain cells trying to put out quality smoke at reasonably stable temps. Never had any of those things left to work on the recipies and such for the meat.
Was getting nowhere.

Bought a Bandera and moded the heck out of it.
Now I was less concerned with the cooker and started working on my recipies and processes.

Then added a WSM and managing the pit took on less of a role and I could focus even more on the meat.

Then, moved to FEC and Traeger.
Quality went way up because I could get repeatable temps and smoke. My quality improved because I could focus on the meat, not the cooker.

If you have suffered through all of my words, the bottom line is that I can now go back to the Bandera or WSM and produce quality product.
Skills have even been used on friend's Langs and Jambo's.

Bottom line to me is--it is the cook, not the cooker.
But, ya gotta be able to cook to start with and then the smoker becomes a minor part of the equation.
You must know your cooker and be the master of it, no matter what it is.

FWIW.

TIM

 

[btcg]

Guys,

I want to relate this.

I was once a professional musician. When I got my first "good" guitar (a red Fender Mustang), it made a HUGE difference in my play.

Am pretty well-off now, but never seemed to have enough until I was in my 30's to afford a nice acoustic guitar. Had a friend who bought a nice Guild, and when I played it, I found that I could do things on it that I could not do on my Yamaha acoustic.

I happened into this music store In Canton, MI that was going out of business, and they had the very same model Guild my buddy had bought, but it was a floor model, meaning it had been played by everyone who came into the store.

BUT: it was half-priced. So I grabbed it.

My son is playing it these days (I gave it to him), but it was some of the best money I ever spent.

My Backwood's Chubby was a deja-vu moment as to the Guild: the wife's quote:

"Your food was great, but nothing like this."

The truth? Better equipment, better result.

Oh, these day, the best axe in the house is my Martin Veteran's model (search if you'd like to see the pics). I posted pics of it once. It's a dream.

BUT: if I couldn't already play, it might be useless.

Don't know if this helps, or no.

 

[Callahan-que]

You've got to have the right technique to use the tool. So I'd have to say it's definately the cook.

 

[buccaneer]

Guys,

I want to relate this.

I was once a professional musician. When I got my first "good" guitar (a red Fender Mustang), it made a HUGE difference in my play.

Am pretty well-off now, but never seemed to have enough until I was in my 30's to afford a nice acoustic guitar. Had a friend who bought a nice Guild, and when I played it, I found that I could do things on it that I could not do on my Yamaha acoustic.

I happened into this music store In Canton, MI that was going out of business, and they had the very same model Guild my buddy had bought, but it was a floor model, meaning it had been played by everyone who came into the store.

BUT: it was half-priced. So I grabbed it.

My son is playing it these days (I gave it to him), but it was some of the best money I ever spent.

My Backwood's Chubby was a deja-vu moment as to the Guild: the wife's quote:

"Your food was great, but nothing like this."

The truth? Better equipment, better result.

Oh, these day, the best axe in the house is my Martin Veteran's model (search if you'd like to see the pics). I posted pics of it once. It's a dream.

BUT: if I couldn't already play, it might be useless.

Don't know if this helps, or no.

From the musical point my take on it is this.
If you have developed the skills then it is a given that you will do better with improved equipment.
If you gave ...Mark Knopfler a low end guitar would he play like cr@p or would he bang out great tunes?
What we are asked is; if you gave a stradivarius to say....me...and I can't play, or even to someone without developed kills...are you saying that with the Strad we will make acceptable music?
Coz, brothers, I WILL make your ears bleed.:laugh::laugh:

 

[Capozzoli]

Watch a little Alton Brown lately?:becky:

I do love Alton Brown but it was long before his show the last time I did ribs in a box. My Uncle actually taught me that trick. In the box for a few hours then finish on the grill. Works like a charm.

Alton does salmon, I think. i'm surprised he only did the hot smoked fish. With two card board boxes and a length of flexible dryer exhaust tube you can cold smoke salmon. Works well in the winter time. Or did he do that too, cant remember.

Ill agree its the cook, but a good cook with good gear stands a good chance of doing better then a good cook with crappy gear. I cant get around that.

 

[btcg]

From the musical point my take on it is this.
If you have developed the skills then it is a given that you will do better with improved equipment.
If you gave ...Mark Knopfler a low end guitar would he play like cr@p or would he bang out great tunes?
What we are asked is; if you gave a stradivarius to say....me...and I can't play, or even to someone without developed kills...are you saying that with the Strad we will make acceptable music?
Coz, brothers, I WILL make your ears bleed.:laugh::laugh:

We have Washburn acoustic that I keep as an extra for when someone comes by and wants to jam. It cost about $700.00, and people who play it love it. But next to the Guild and my Martin, it's a spank-plank.

I pick it up once in a while, and when I play Neil Young's "On the Way Home" (4-Way Street style), the fast upper chord progression (G,D,C,D[standard]) sometimes isn't as pronounced and clean as I like. Never an issue on the Guild or martin, though.

My Weber 22.5 kettle makes a wonderful brisket. But if I seasoned and cooked it the same on my Backwoods and placed the finished food side by side, you'd taste a little difference: the food the Backwood's produces tastes better. Maybe only 10 to 15% better, but noticable.

So, I think the answer is: better smoker, better results, even if not dramatically better.

OH: you'll know when you're getting better on the fiddle when you're done practicing, and they complain that you've stopped ("Why did you stop playing? I was enjoying that").

 

[Rubmybutt]

We have Washburn acoustic that I keep as an extra for when someone comes by and wants to jam. It cost about $700.00, and people who play it love it. But next to the Guild and my Martin, it's a spank-plank.

I pick it up once in a while, and when I play Neil Young's "On the Way Home" (4-Way Street style), the fast upper chord progression (G,D,C,D[standard]) sometimes isn't as pronounced and clean as I like. Never an issue on the Guild or martin, though.

My Weber 22.5 kettle makes a wonderful brisket. But if I seasoned and cooked it the same on my Backwoods and placed the finished food side by side, you'd taste a little difference: the food the Backwood's produces tastes better. Maybe only 10 to 15% better, but noticable.

So, I think the answer is: better smoker, better results, even if not dramatically better.

OH: you'll know when you're getting better on the fiddle when you're done practicing, and they complain that you've stopped ("Why did you stop playing? I was enjoying that").

DITTO:

This is where I am at also, I started on a spank plank:becky: (never heard it said that way before hehe) I had this NB offset thats got more air holes in it than my brothers roof and I cooked with oak wood, the whole cook and who am I to kid it tasted like crap. Then I moved up to a Cookshack electric, first thing, less wood, better taste. Now with my new Backwoods holy moly there's just no compairison. The food just taste better, granted I have learned volumes of great info here and that will never change.

Bottom line, if you feed the cooker well, well your going to have good food but a better cooker will always help you along! :thumb:

 

[JD McGee]

No brainer...you need a person or someone with a "mind" to operate the "machine"...therefore...

 

[landarc]

Then again, I was at a comp and this guy rolls up, pulls a Chargriller COS out of the box, is assembling it, cooks the best ribs I have ever had, his brisket was terrific as well. The tool sucked, it leaked smoke from everywhere, and he cooked some outstanding street-style BBQ that I loved. Amongst the best non-competition style ribs I have ever had.

 

[buccaneer]

We have Washburn acoustic that I keep as an extra for when someone comes by and wants to jam. It cost about $700.00, and people who play it love it. But next to the Guild and my Martin, it's a spank-plank.

I pick it up once in a while, and when I play Neil Young's "On the Way Home" (4-Way Street style), the fast upper chord progression (G,D,C,D[standard]) sometimes isn't as pronounced and clean as I like. Never an issue on the Guild or martin, though.

My Weber 22.5 kettle makes a wonderful brisket. But if I seasoned and cooked it the same on my Backwoods and placed the finished food side by side, you'd taste a little difference: the food the Backwood's produces tastes better. Maybe only 10 to 15% better, but noticable.

So, I think the answer is: better smoker, better results, even if not dramatically better.

OH: you'll know when you're getting better on the fiddle when you're done practicing, and they complain that you've stopped ("Why did you stop playing? I was enjoying that").

I still think you are not addressing the point brother, in your example YOU are cooking on the improved equipment.= no point addressed.It's a given.:nono:
On the guitars, we all know you just want to talk about the amazing guitars you have!:laugh:
and we can't blame you.:icon_bugeyed

 

[Lake Dogs]

I'm fairly certain that 99.99999% of people would prefer to hear Eric Clapton play a $200 Fender than me playing whatever the worlds finest guitar is. I promise.

Surely Eric will play and sound much better on awesome equipment, but it IS the player, not the instrument. It's the cook, not the cooking equipment. Awesome equipment in the hands of a goofus (ala. me with a guitar) will surely result in crap.