KBQ ~ has landed

[smokinfatties]

Finally got around to cooking the 21lb SRF wagyu brisket.

This thing was a beast! For scale, that is a full size catering dish. Rubbed her down with some BBBR after trimming and threw it in the KBQ. Generally I follow Harry Soo's technique for anyone that has taken his class, but this time I decided to skip the injection and let the meat shine! The brisket was wet aged 45 days (in addition to the 28 day aging that SRF does).

Man does this cooker cook fast! I put it on at 4am thinking that it needed to be on early to finish up in time to eat at 6pm... nope! It was probe tender by 2pm... 10 hours! Everything turned out excellent. Didn't get any pictures after slicing, but it sure was good! Lots of my guests said it was the best brisket they'd had in their life!

[Ernest]

That brisket hot KBQed!!

[smokinfatties]

Spinaker dude you were spot on with the timing. this thing goes!!

[slvance]

That looks awesome. I bet it was good and can't wait to try a brisket in the KBQ....

[JGrana]

KBQ Grate Rev 2. Added some rope clamps - fits well:

[Spinaker]

Great idea. And its easy on easy off. Problem solved!! Mods are fun, aren't they?

[EdF]

Certainly easier than bending those ends would have been!

[Spinaker]

hahaha, True story. EdF

[JGrana]

Last Minute Chicken

Interesting experience late yesterday. As a new owner of a KBQ I was telling my wife how easy and quick it is to get started and easy to get temps - from low and slow 200's to roast a bit around 300F.

I had just finished modifying my sear grill accessory and was showing my wife. She was impressed.

Around 6PM, I came upstairs from my home office and noticed 2 chicken breasts on a plate, just lightly salted (dry brined as we would say ;-). We talked a bit then I asked how are we having those chicken breasts. She said "oh, probably coat em in crumbs and throw in the oven for a while".

Well, I said, "Hey, I can get the KBQ fired up and that chicken on in 30 mins. Give it an hour low and slow and smokey and boost the temp to 300 to finish".

She said... "Go for it"

So, clock is going, I have 2 1/2 hours from start to finish and there is a gentle intermittent rain outside.

Felt like being on the TV show Chopped ;-). Anyway, got the lumps into the Weber starter, put it over my propane grill sear burner and had great coals in 15 mins. Dumped into the KBQ, put in some local harvested hickory and apple wood. Another 20 mins and had some good coals going.

Put some Meathead Memphis Dust on the chickens and loaded them in - set temps to 240-250F and both clean and dirty smoke.

After an hour (it's now 7:45 PM), I boosted the KBQ to 300-310F and closed the dirty smoke damper. Lots of apple wood at this point. Man this thing goes to upper temps quick - like a few precious minutes!!!

Wow, at 8:30 - checked the chickens - done!!!! Took em off and did a quick sear over the firebox.

The chicken was great - perfect sweet, gentle smoke flavor, moist and even had a smoke ring in parts. No BBQ sauce, just chicken off the smoker.

In 2 1/2 hours, start to finish. Needless to say my wife is impressed.

Here are some pics. Sorry none of the chicken on the plates. It was getting late and the smell/taste was too good to put down for a photo....

Light rain, great coal bed, starting well:


Done in 2 1/2 hours:




And a quick sear on my moded KBQ Sear Grate:

[DSiewert]

I've been starting my kbq with oak kindling, 3 Weber fire starter cubes, and a propane torch to get things started. Saves time and no briquette ash.

[DWCowles]

Beautiful!

[smokinfatties]

Nicely done!

[Spinaker]

Looks great! I love that grate!! It matches the Stainless of the KBQ. Plus a brand new KBQ is a thing of beauty. I wish I could go back to the perfectly clean firebox!! My smoke box still looks like new but the firebox is discolored from the repeated heavenly flames. Chicken in the KBQ is outstanding.

[EdF]

Well, the firebox earned it in the line of duty!

[GrillGrate Brad]

There are a lot of better choices for a grate to set on top of the KBQ firebox.

Here's what can happen when GrillGrates get too hot:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n223183[/ATTACH]

We call that a thermal event! Usually only see with Kamados or wood fired grills. Contact the office- we'll get you grilling grate again! 877-380-2527 or infoATgrillgrate.com

[Histrix]

Thanks for the offer but that wasn't my kamado/grate.

Just posted that as a warning to others.

[slvance]

KBQ arrives today! Having a crew over for some games on Saturday and doing a couple of racks and 2 butts. I've read the KBQ cooks faster - such as 2.5 - 3.5 hours for ribs. Can somebody give me some clue/guess on an 8.5 lb butt. Seems like I have read somewhere it could be as little as 8 hours. Just looking for a best guess start time.

[EdF]

Congrats on your new arrival slvance !

[slvance]

EdF - premature grillejactulation.... the Ring video doorbell is broken (did not know) - so instead of a grill I got a no show notice... oh well.... tomorrow....

[Koy Schoppe]

Congrats! Welcome to the KBQ Klub!

[slvance]

Histrix 270 was your dial temp right? So it was probably something more like 230 at the grate? That is what it seems like I have read.... and thanks for your help!

[Histrix]

slvance I don't recall what the temp dial on the control box was set at. In my experience the degree markings have very little relationship to what the actual temp in the cook box is.

​​​​​​​I stick a remote read thermometer probe in the hole for that purpose on the control box so I can read the exhaust gas temp and then adjust the dial accordingly. The exhaust gas temp for the vast majority of the cook time would range from about 255° to 280° during the fan on/off cycle - that's why I just said 270°-ish.

[slvance]

OK - one last question (until I think of another). My first cook on this and doing both Butts and Ribs. Looking for recommendations on the smoke setting. Fully clean? Partial dirty? I have no clue at all... thanks

[badf00d]

slvance - for your first cook I'd go with clean=open and dirty=closed, to cut down on the number of variables you're working with. I think it was Spinaker that mentioned you can pull in cold air through the dirty port if you don't have the cover on the firebox. This is just one more thing to have to manage on your first couple of cooks, so I'd skip it. Even if you only ever used clean, the bark will still be great. I got amazing bark on a brisket with just clean.

Get your fire legs under you, and then it will be easy to start playing with some variables like clean/dirty.

[slvance]

The new addition to the family....

[EdF]

Nice view: from the patio and to it!

[EdF]

Pulled the trigger.

[tbob4]

Good job! It took me four months to get permission from my wife to buy my new smoker. Did you have to go through the same process?

[EdF]

I canceled the order for now. We are planning to move in the spring, so it seemed more appropriate to wait and have one fewer of big things to move. My wife had already approved getting it, but not now. I had just told her I wanted it, and she was ok with it, except for the timing.

[JGrana]

Welcome to the KBQ Club! So, begs the question - what will be the first smoke?

[EdF]

I'll think about it during the winter! ;-)