Big Reveal - introduction to "The Beast" aka Camp Chef FTG900

[Alabama Smoke]

"I had to do the assembly last night in the garage, due to rain. You basically build the grill upside down, then flip it upright, and set the top on it. The top on this bad boy is 80 pounds or more - total weight is 160 pounds! It is very substantial. The wheels work very well - solid wheels at one end, and swivel casters at the other end. I was able to navigate a wet yard to get it from the garage to the pool area this evening".

jfmorris 160 pounds?? I would need a mule! What a great initial review! Terrific pictures and great write up. Dinner looks like it was fabulous too. Any left overs? Its breakfast time here in Birmingham, just a few miles south of you and I could eat the rest of that anytime, much less breakfast....

But seriously Jim, the best part of this entire thread is the happy look on both Yvonne's and your faces! So pleased to see ya'll enjoying life together! Stay safe, eat well and take care of the wonderful lady you have!

Tom

[jfmorris]

Thanks Tom! Yeah, thankfully the top was 80-ish, I thought twice, then did my best to get it up there without pulling anything in my back! It was mostly awkward due to size, but I was able to grab it by both ends and drop it in place. The thing rolls easily thankfully, even on semi-wet grass, otherwise it would have stayed in the garage!

There are most definitely leftovers - if Yvonne doesn't want it for lunch, I'll let you know!

[Greygoose]

Great to see everyone with smiles on !
Looks like you have a good grip on those spatulas

This is the next challenge, the infamous onion volcano !!!!

[jfmorris]

I know! I gotta do that. No vodka. I might have a little white rum that someone left here years ago, in a bottle in a cabinet. Wonder if that would work?

[Uncle Bob]

First things first, Yvonne looks terrific, especially considering the trying times she's endured recently...……...best pic you posted!

In the hot rod/car racing world we used to say; "There's no substitute for cubic inches.". I guess here it's btu's and square inches of surface, love it. The Sommerset IV, 4 burner stove that Kathryn, fzxdoc and I are so happy with is roughly the same size, though not quite as heavy. Those casters are one of the best features, our stoves don't have that, only wheels at one end. While it's not miserable to move, it's a bit unwieldy. I'm going to mount some soon to mend that. Just one of many nice features you have there. As for the cover, the CC one is very nice. I got the FTG900 cover for the stove because it was a couple inches bigger all dimensions which makes it easier to install/remove without looking like a balloon. It's not quite marine canvas grade, but it's close compared to most cooker covers. The only hitch I've experienced with it is the sun turns the medium tan color a weird greenish tan where exposed. Still would recommend it though.

You guys should have a grand time cooking on that baby, it sure looks impressive and the first cook proves it's worth. Enjoy!

[jfmorris]

Thanks - I am glad to hear the cover has held up well. Would you say it is pretty water proof?

After messing with this, if I had the Somerset IV (unfortunate that it was discontinued), I would definitely get the 3 burner griddle accessory from Camp Chef. I think it would be expansive enough to satisfy all your griddle cooking needs.

[Uncle Bob]

So far it's been very water resistant. I have it parked mostly under the roof, but the one end is exposed when we get a strong rain, by about a foot or so, and hasn't shown any signs of water intrusion.

[HawkerXP]

Very nice!

[smokin fool]

Your going to need a few standby propane tanks.
Looks great, I'm jealous.
Great to see Yvonne up and about.

[jfmorris]

I didn't think about it, but with 6 burners at 72,000 BTU's, this will suck the gas down faster than my other cookers! It can be converted to natural gas, but I don't think I would want to lose the portability of this cooker, so will likely keep it setup for propane.

[smokin fool]

10-4 I have 3 tanks just for my gasser
Even at that they're either all full or all empty....go figure.
Agree NG is great but your tied to the wall

[jfmorris]

smokin fool yeah, my NG hookup outside is on the outside of my fireplace, where I used to have gas logs, before switching back to real wood. That puts it at the end of the house, where the wood pile and trash cans are located. Not the most scenic or aromatically pleasant place to hang out and cook. I was thinking of doing a fixed outdoor kitchen a couple of years back, but have decided I like my outdoor cookers on wheels so I can move them around or rearrange as the whim hits me.

[klflowers]

Very nice Jim. Glad to see you pulled the trigger. Cooking on those things is a blast. Glad to see Yvonne up and about a little - she looks pretty durn good!

[jfmorris]

Well, if I was going to pull the trigger it would probably be something cheaper and smaller, and I was resigned to just getting through the summer using upside down grill grates on the gasser, but some great friends stepped in to do something to cheer Yvonne and me up during this time of need in our lives. Hibachi style food is Yvonne's favorite, and I think this will get her eating even when she doesn't feel good, so its a true blessing.

[smokenoob]

Hey wait, didn’t it come with one of those Japanese hibachi chef hats??? Didn’t see it on your head in that pic
go look in the box

[Huskee]

How cool! We all should be so blessed to have friends like yours.

[jfmorris]

Indeed! We feel VERY blessed at the moment. The Lord sent some very special people into our lives, to do something that lifted us up when we were feeling down.

Like I said to klflowers above, with this style cooking being one of Yvonne's favorites, this may help get her to eat as she goes through chemo for the next 6 months. I just gotta work on other veggies on that thing now...

[Skip]

Jim that if one fine looking griddle. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with it. (MCS...I don't need a griddle, I don't need a griddle, I don't need a griddle...)

[jfmorris]

Did saying that and tapping your heels together 3 times cure the MCS? If not... you NEED a griddle!

[klflowers]

Yes you do. Yes you do. Yes you do lol. Glad to be of help...

[Mr. Bones]

Denial is not jus a river in Egypt, Skip...

Ya need a griddle...

[Troutman]

That was an amazing write-up and cook all rolled into one JF. Bravo !!!!

(My only question is, have you learned to tap out a tune with those spatulas yet ??!!)

[jfmorris]

Haha - I'll have to work on that some!

[Hulagn1971]

Jim that thing is GLORIOUS! Y'all look very happy which is nice to see. If you are looking for a high temp oil that is pretty much flavorless, give grapeseed oil a try. It has a high smoking point and is very light. Also, if you ever want a different set of tools try the ones by Cuisinart. I bought the set and love it. They are very robust, not flimsy at all. Picked mine up at WalMart. You can find them here https://bit.ly/2YB7ijt
Enjoy that griddle!

[jfmorris]

Thanks Troutman, I'll reach for avocado when I am on the fancy oil aisle of the store....

[Hulagn1971]

Troutman is correct about the higher smoke point. Grapeseed is at 485 degrees while avocado is at 520 degrees. With that being said, not sure you'd be cooking anything past 485 degrees on the flat top plus avocado oil is twice the cost or more per ounce than grapeseed.

[jfmorris]

Troutman you will be happy to know I picked up a bottle of avocado oil today...

[LA Pork Butt]

It was good to see Yvonne smiling while she watched you cook. I am glad you are enjoying your cooker, but do you know how easy it is to stir MCS? I have not done any griddle cooking, but it sure is tempting. Of course with 4 different cookers I am not sure where I would put it. Enjoy.

[jfmorris]

It was good - she usually does NOT come out to watch me cook, at all! Although lately we've eaten a lot at a long wooden table out there that is currently flipped upside down for me to stain and waterproof the legs and bottom.

This is so big, that at the end yard where my other cookers are, where I have a 6' wide strip of concrete down the end of the house to the gate, it will get crowded for sure. This is much wider with the tables up than the Genesis 4 burner even.

[Andrrr]

Awesome! You're making this really hard to not buy one.
Adding in here that my wife is the one who doesn't think we need one. So I showed her your pictures and she says "oh my gosh that looks SOOO GOOD". So Jim please keep the pictures coming and helping my cause!

[ofelles]

Andrrr Shame, shame! Trying to recruit someone to help in your evil ways!..............of course, that is what we do here so never mind, sorry.

[jfmorris]

I will try and keep the pics coming! More stir fry tonight, different protein (chicken) and veggie mix (dicing up some sweet red/orange/yellow peppers that need eating). Maybe do home-fry style potatoes instead of rice too, we will see what Yvonne feels like at 5pm when I knock off work and go into the house.

[Mr. Bones]

jfmorris Do what needs to be done at yalls end, Brother!!!!
We'll be happy with pics, later after.

[Jim White]

Seeing the smiles on the two of you made my day. I'm so glad I was eating my lunch as I read this, because my computer screen would have been in danger as I tried to get at that glorious food. Seems almost unfair for a first cook to go so well, but you guys have been through so much lately it's nice to see things going in the right direction.

Looking forward to the full review (I don't need a griddle...I don't need a griddle) and many more fun cook pictures.

[jfmorris]

You need a griddle.... even if it is just something on top of your existing grill, or a table top model!

[hoovarmin]

Glorious!