KBQ ~ has landed

[Taipan]

Greetings from warm breezes and swaying Palm trees.
I just managed to get the first KBQ imported into Thailand and I’ve been doing some initial burns. There are a few different variables in doing Q in the tropics. First is the electric system here is 220V and the only fresh meat is the standard grocery store stuff whose main objective is the lowest possible price. The higher quality stuff is all frozen. The types of wood available here are also very different. Kiln dried Hickory is available in Bangkok about 700 miles north of the resort island of Phuket I call home. So I have been test burning Tamarind, Lychee, Logan and Jambolan. I had to look up that last one myself, I’ve seen the fruit on numerous occasions that resemble black olives smashed on city sidewalks as this tree is fairly common in more urban areas. Jamloban Chicken, you read about it here first, the next great contribution to Asian cuisine. For a first burn I was pleasantly surprised. I’m keeping the lower poppet wide open the top closed just trying to establish the KBQ taste.

I have been scanning previous AR posts searching for tips and tricks. At the lowest temp setting averaging 225ish I’m doing chicken thighs in a little over 90 minutes and the meat is tender, juicy, and a nice pink smoky subtly that contrast nicely with the local boiled, grilled or fried chicken and the skin is edible and fairly crispy but not golden brown. I’m looking for ways to do that better. The Thais take a normal rack of ribs and saw them lengthwise into long strips of riblets. There is not much meat on these and their thickness varies greatly and I’m smoking these in between 90 minutes to a little over 2 hours, but they start drying out before you can get much of a bend test. Need some better ideas there. Pork belly is skin on period and 3 hours in it is so tender it melts in you mouth but the skin is chewy. I wrapped the belly in foil for an hour and I swear I made it tougher and it was better at 3 hours unwrapped. Any and all suggestions welcome.

Thats it for first post hope I bring a little different twist to the forum and you senior KBQ guys can pass on the secrets of this unique smoker. Thanks

Gary

[mrichie1229]

Welcome to the Pit Taipan! Good luck with your KBQ.

[58limited]

Welcome Taipan ! I added you to the KBQ roll call list: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...30#post1130230

For the pork belly you might need to sear the skin side over a hot fire or in a hot skillet to crisp it up. The ribs sound like flanken style ribs. I haven't cooked this style of ribs but other members here have so you might search "flanken ribs" for pointers.

[jlm5151]

I’ve had my eye on a KBQ for quite awhile now as I’ve been looking for a true stick burner to add to my collection. I currently have 2 Cookshack PG500’s and a a Cookshack Smokette, all of them purchased second hand a great price. I came across a lightly used KBQ and I’m close to pulling the trigger. Just need this group of enablers to push me over the edge! Anyone have any direct comparisons to the Cookshacks? I love the flavor profile of all of those smokers and they have their purposes, but have been wanting a bit more smoke for some of my longer cooks.

[ComfortablyNumb]

Not familiar with Cookshack, but you won't be disappointed with a KBQ.

[Spinaker]

I really have no comparison......but the KBQ really does not compare to any of my other smokers. The food is next level good. And it is really easy to control your smoke level.

You will love it. You already made you decision, this is me assuring you that you made the right choice.

[JCBBQ]

Hey Spinaker do you cook your briskets fat cap up in the KBQ?

[Spinaker]

I always go fat cap up, meat facing down. JCBBQ

[58limited]

jlm5151 I have seven grills and smokers, each one is great but some do a specific job better than others. The KBQ is my crown jewel, I wouldn't sell or trade it for anything. You can smoke anything in the KBQ although I tend to do briskets and large pork butts on my SnS Kamado - set it and walk away for hours. The KBQ is easy to use and it is easy to control the temperature and the smoke profile. The drawback is you have to be in close attendance: it needs wood every 20-30 minutes but my offsets need wood in a similar time frame (30-50 minutes) so no big deal for me.

You can use it as a cold smoker using a little pellet maze instead of the firebox on top. I've cold smoked cheese in the winter (way too hot in the summer here).

[ComfortablyNumb]

Just curious, how do you use a pellet maze?

[58limited]

Light one end, it makes a smokey slow moving fire (more like the coal on a cigar) that doesn't put out much heat. I place it on the bottom shelf of the KBQ and the cheese or fish or whatever on the upper shelves towards the top.

[jlm5151]

I appreciate all the feedback. I pulled the trigger and it will be here tomorrow. I’d like to find a stand for both this and my smokette to sit on. Does anyone think this is maybe too tall or foresee any other issues?

[mrichie1229]

Congrats and welcome to the Pit! What are the sizes of each piece of equipment and do you plan to run them at the same?

[Timbo54]

You might want to wait and use your KBQ a couple of times. You don't want to have the firebox too high, but also want the chamber and door at a reasonable level. I'm 6' 2" and decided to keep mine on the ground enabling me to stoke the firebox easily.

[Spinaker]

KBQ Firebox action shot

[jeffdavidson]

I ordered this 24" x 36" platform truck figuring the 1.5" lip will keep the KBQ from sliding off either side + help prevent the front door hinge from binding on downward travel. Deck height is only 12" so only raises the top of the firebox by 12". I like this fixed style handle better than the wagon style handle which might get in the way or become a trip hazard after a beer or three!

https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/s...rethane-wheels

[Spinaker]

The feet on the KBQ do have holes so you can mount it to this cart. Just drill a few holes in the bottom of the cart and bolt that baby down.

[Sid P]

I like it!

[jeffdavidson]

Good to know! We’re moving in a couple of weeks so have not unboxed my KBQ yet.

[RayBecue]

Slightly off topic I know, but interested in my fellow KBQ lovers thoughts on this post. claim of KBQ quality smoke on a gravity fed since smoke has to pass through the fire???

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/grills-and-smokers/logs/karubecue-kbq/1413470-kbq-vs-char-griller-980-gravity

[Spinaker]

Laughable.........although, taste is HIGHLY subjective. That being said, two different types of fuels, different delivery system, Not actually cleaning the smoke through the fire. Plus you have to deal with quality issues with Char Griller.

[Taipan]

Checking in from mid-summer in the tropics. Been doing various cooks in my KBQ and hopefully mastering the Zen of fire management. Great machine in fact the when watching a video with a traditional tubular offset smoker about how to criss-cross 3-4 good sized slabs of wood my KBQ cook box is running 250F+ on a single piece of wood cut to 10” and about as thick as a Red Bull can every 20-30 minutes. Even in the heavily wooded tropics hardwood for smoking is expensive and a PIA to acquire so a smoker that burns less is a big plus.

I custom smoke ribs and what not for friends and was asked if I could smoke a Thor’s Hammer? A beef shank that has part of the bone “frenched” is all the rage in Europe, at least for those inclined to selfie their Q before eating. A Thor’s Hammer does look a bit indulgent when you plop one on a table. My first hammer weighed in at just over 2 kilos (4.5 lbs) arrived trimmed and tied and frozen solid. Question #1 can you salt frozen meat? I seasoned with Lawrys salt and some course black pepper. 3.5 hours later in a monsoon rain I wrapped in foil and gave it another hour and a half before the power went out. Let it rest in the smoker for 45 minutes and ate it. I’d give it a mid-7 out of 10 stars. Taste was good but the texture and mouth feel was not quite right. It could have used another hour of heat but bark was really showing sign of drying out. I have another 2 Hammers coming in frozen like a rock from Bangkok and hope to hear any tips and tricks from any fellow KBQer.

[lostclusters]

If I were you, in your location, I would look at alternate sources of power for your kbq to be used in case you loose your main source of electrical power. I have read that a kbq can run for hours on a motorcycle battery. I do not know how this is accomplished, but I do know it is possible. A small generator might not be a bad idea too.

[lostclusters]

I'd have to say no, frozen meat should not be dry brined. The salt would not be able to penetrate.

There is a thread currently running on SVQg Thor's Hammer beef shanks.

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/beef-steak-brisket-roasts-prime-rib-etc/1454411-need-recipe-for-thor-hammer-beef-shank

[AJR]

Did you wind up trying almond wood? How did it work? I just ordered a bunch of oak and my wood supplier threw in some almond for free, but it's not listed on the KBQ wood selection page here:

https://kbq.us/bbq-edu-blog/wood-selection/

[Spinaker]

I think you will find that most hardwood provide pretty much the same flavor. With the exception being Mesquite.

[Below Zero Smoker]

I finally got the green light to use the B&D loppers! I have been wanting to play with the KBQ, and today was the day. I cut some birch into usable pieces and assembled the materials to get it started. I placed some bark, then some of the smaller sticks and lit it off. It took off right away and I added some fatter pieces to build the coal base. Once the coals were established, I placed a couple of the largest pieces and discovered what wasting wood looked like! I thought about it as I watched the flames dance out of the firebox. I took some of the larger pieces and split them in half and placed them onto the coal bed. Flames still came out of the firebox, so I split the halves in half. Once they were placed, I thought I found what I was looking for. I was able to place two side by side and adjust the space between them to keep the flames in the firebox. I had set the temperature control to maintain the temperature between 245 and 270 F. The ambient temperature was 39 F. I was able to turn the sticks to keep them burning evenly and break them down into the coal bed before adding two more sticks to keep the flames alive. I managed to keep that up for two hours until I let the coal bed dissipate. I thought the process was similar to my 1000 gallon smoker, except I only added two new pieces of wood instead of three. The process is very similar, in that once the coal bed is established, one merely adds the proper size piece(s) to maintain the live flames and consistent temperature. The difference lies in the fan operation that pulls the air through the coals and into the firebox. In the 1000 gallon smoker, the air is pulled through the firebox into the cook chamber by natural means: the size of the door into the firebox is larger than the size of the entrance into the cook chamber which is larger than the smoke stack. The air is allowed to enter the firebox, which is heated from about 550 degrees F to about 700 degrees and then flows into the cook chamber where it flows around the meat at the desired temp for the meats to be smoked before being drawn into the collector and out through the stack. The size of the pieces of wood are different also, the 1000 gallon requiring much larger pieces to keep that huge cook chamber at the proper temperature. I did not measure the temperature of the KBQ firebox, or the moisture content of the wood, but it was well seasoned. Probably drier than 20 percent, but okay for the first burn. The temp at the top of the cook box was 245-270 ish during the cycling of the fan drawing air and smoke into the cook box. It was a delight to finally get that KBQ fired up! I believe the smoke flavor will be much better than the pellet smoker that was given to me, although I will have to wait until the actual result of the first few cook events to compare with my 1000 gallon offset smoker! By the selected working temperature, you could determine that brisket will be the first meat in the KBQ. Can't wait to peruse the prime brisket. Two... maybe three?

[Below Zero Smoker]

It was a dark and stormy night... and that is an understatement! 60+ mph winds, rain, snow, more wind, 2 not so prime briskets, a still shiny KBQ and a box of wood to fit. And a moose! A folding camp chair that was done in by me (I am sorry), a wool blanket, and last but not least, yet another beginning to a learning curve to challenge the desire for tasty brisket! I started in between two storm systems at 8PM by getting the fire going. Set the thermostat for just about 232° F. (low of 245 and high range of 272° F. Placed the two briskets on shelves, no water in the pan to catch drippings. That was a good start, and I settled down with a can of beer, near my box of wood to feed the fire. Cut to 5AM. Difficult to see, fire is producing a glow in the bottom of the firebox. Briskets are already temping at 175°, so I wrap in pink butcher paper and rotate them in the smoke chamber. By this time, the winds were blasting away, and the flames were coming out from the sides of the firebox, and the glow was growing more intense. So I decided at 6AM to move the party inside and finish in the oven. I turned the oven on and headed back into the maelstrom to retrieve the briskets. I heated up the cooler with boiling water for a cambro, and waited for the Meater probes to sound off at 195°. I placed the briskets in the cambro surrounded with towels and closed the lid. I took a nap and waited. The rest lasted until the temp dropped below 145° when I unwrapped, cut them into smaller pieces and fit into into gallon sized bags. I cut some samples, and was not surprised to note the bottom side was hard and the moisture was not what I would have hoped it to be. I refrigerated the briskets and contemplated the results. I was surprised at the amount of wood used was very small. The briskets reached wrapping temp after stall sooner than I anticipated. I was glad I checked the temps when I did, because I didn't think they would be above stall Temps so soon! I think the coals were pushed by the wind below the fire, resulting in the glow. At one point, the coals were not sufficient enough to ignite the wood, so I had to start the fire again. The local hardwood in Alaska is birch. I had trimmed the briskets a couple of days earlier and placed salt and pepper over the surface. I had to stop at that point when I remembered I had not made fuel to fit the size of the firebox. I wrapped the briskets in plastic wrap and placed them on aluminum foil before placing into the refrigerator, which may account for the dry texture. Then the weather forecast was not conducive to outdoor activities, so it was not until Saturday night I decided to give it a go. The weather turned horrendous, but I was committed, and I needed some brisket! It was quite the adventure!

[JCBBQ]

58limited 😂😂😂

[Donw]

For some reason the opening music theme from “Northern Exposure” started playing in my mind.🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxoA1CNPK6U

[Carolyn]

"I started in between two storm systems..."
That made me laugh. I saw a parody weather report for Louisiana that had two low pressure systems on the map. The weatherman pointed between the two and said, "You have from here to here to cut your grass."

So I guess you had from "here to here" to start your brisket on a "dark and stormy night."