KBQ Superbowl
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Got a little KBQ in during Saturdays calm before Sunday’s storm 55* Saturday.
Now getting much needed snow expecting 12â€.Comment
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A little KBQ throwback. Blues Hog Pork Ribs. The flavor, texture and color on ribs out of the KBQ is amazing.
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KBQers,
Looking to go mobile with my KBQ. Does anyone have any recommendations for a proper generator that can handle the load for a 4-5 hour cook?
Very Respectfully,Comment
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If you go back some there is talk of battery usage. I'll bet any small genny ought to work. I am sure that the maker (Bill Karu) said he ran his on a motorcycle battery.Last edited by lostclusters; April 5, 2018, 08:10 PM.
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Hello kbq masters haha especially Ernest with those beautiful pictures of meat. I am going to buy a new smoker its either going to be the KBQ or Yoder ys 480 or yoder ys 640 pellet smoker or rect tec or anything else you guys recommend pellet wise. Right now i have a PBC, Weber smokey mountain 18 inch and a smoke house . i have 2 chords of split oak already and a commercial log splitter. But anyway what do you think i should go for and will produce better flavor and results?? I have read this whole 89 page thread 3 times and already and hooked haha amazing pictures from you all. I never owned a pellet smoker but that KBQ looks so amazing. Anyone have a Yoder pellet smoker or something better that can compare to the KBQ?Comment
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I haven't owned a pellet smoker either, but the reports are obviously good. I do own the KBQ, and it's my favorite in the stable these days. Main negative things you need to consider are: fireproofing because the embers will fly out unless you put a chain cover of some kind on the vents, don't run it on a flammable surface, you need electricity, and you need to like hanging out with the fire - which is not so bad!
Flavor and texture and capacity and ease of use are outstanding!
If you get one, consider getting Kindling Cracker to make those nice small splits it likes.Comment
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(This is in response to King Kielbasa above... it's longer than a Comment would allow)
Back in 2005 when I was in Omaha and competing for a few years in lots of KCBS contests I got tired of staying up all night tending my Good One stick burner while the rest of my team members passed out after partying hard Friday night. (Our team name is Smoke & Swill) That, and I was observing fellow competitors with pellet cookers "setting it and forgetting it" as they got a couple hours of shut-eye. So, I pulled the trigger on a Cookshack Fast Eddy 100 for about $4000.
Great decision. We'd start the meats on the stick burner to give them a blast of intense wood flavor for a couple of hours, then put in the Ed to continue and finish. We never won a Grand Championship, but did get lots of ribbon calls, and took some Firsts in ribs and pork, beating a few of the celebrities you see on the BBQ shows.
I still use that machine regularly. Can't speak for all pellet cookers, but the smoke flavor profile is definitely more mild, regardless of what flavor or brand of pellets I use. (Many people prefer that.)
I don't have the huge Good One stick burner now that I'm in Arizona and not competing (I will again at some point), but when I need more smoke, I'll use my XL Big Green Egg, or the large Weber Smokey Mountain.
As I always said, pellet cooking is really ethical barbecue cheating because of the low maintenance factor.
I still have the same controller that it came with 13 years ago. The thing is a beast. A great cooker.
With that said, as a fellow barbecue geek I just had my KBQ delivered yesterday. I've got friends who collect cars and have boats--this is a cheaper passion and provides value to more people. (How's that for rationalization?) I'm posting the results of my first cook below.
This thread is amazing with the pics and info shared, thank you all. Looking forward to learning more about this awesome piece of barbecue technology, and contributing too!
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Got the KBQ yesterday. The hardest part of assembly was getting it out of the packaging... man, wrapped up like a mummy
Had to do a test fire before a cook today. Everything worked great. Was impressed with the aroma of the smoke... not the intense smell one normally gets... and I was using mesquite.
On to the maiden cook today. Did one rack of spare ribs, some beef shorties, a brisket point, and didn't want to do an entire pork shoulder, so found some meaty bone-in country ribs.
Used a combo of mesquite, apple, and pecan (although I understand it doesn't coal well, but I love the flavor). Although I always wrap ribs with butter, honey, brown sugar and rub, and spritz during the cook, I decided to go naked (the ribs, not me) for this test. They were done in 3.75 hours, along with the beef ribs (internal 195). I wrapped in pink butcher paper and let rest in the cooler.
Final result of those: I probably left the ribs on too long. Most people would love them, and they were pull-off-the-bone done, but for my discerning evaluation, not as moist as I want. I might try the naked total cook again, but I probably will continue to wrap. (I did have a large foil pan in the bottom with water for moisture, and to catch the grease.)
The beef ribs came out excellent.
The pork and brisket required more time. As luck would have it, a huge wind storm hit here in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area. I have the KBQ on a paver area of my patio, with about a 15 foot buffer of rock landscaping before the fence that borders a desert wash, and a block wall on the other side. However, it's still the desert. I was worried as hell that I would burn down the neighborhood with the winds, so I spent more time outside watching the flame than I would otherwise.
Probably due to the winds... I went through wood faster in the afternoon than in the first few hours of the cook.
Finally the meats were done to temp (195-200). Wrapped and put in cooler for a couple of hours. Both came out tender and tasty.
One observation: I didn't get much of a smoke flavor on any of the meats. Very mild at best. I had the "dirty" smoke poppet all the way open. What is the secret to getting a stronger smoke profile?
I plan on getting some hickory, but I thought that with predominantly mesquite I would have had more smoke flavor.
Looking forward to learning from you all, and turning out some awesome product with this special machine! Smoke on brothers!
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Did you have the fire box lid on? Lid should be on. I usually only open the top poppet an 1/8" after wood coals, bottom open all the way all the time. This gives me a very good smoke profile. Careful with the poppets, if not clamped in position they move when wood is added or when the fire box is jostled.Last edited by lostclusters; April 12, 2018, 11:53 PM.
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Please Note...
Below are my own personal opinions, which most everyone has... right?
So Guys and Gals, feel free to take or leave them, but please don't beat me up because I have desired to express them here.
Thanks in advance.
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Now that I have posted this exculpatory statement above...
ArtSob I didn't see a cooking chamber temperature mentioned in your post.
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I personally believe that generally:
A) Hotter chamber temps = faster cooks = less time for smoke to build bark = lighter flavor profiles.
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B) Wind is a tough one too my friend, and can whisk away heat and smoke for sure in my KBQ experience.
This means more wood and less smoke on the meat.
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On the other hand...
C) Colder weather does seem to create darker bark and smokier flavor because the draw fan stays on longer.
This has been somewhat proven on very cold (for Phoenix) nights that keep the draw fan calling for smoke/heat.
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D) The KBQ easily produces clean, light smoke profiles. That is what it was originally made for and it does this very well.
The really heavy smoke flavor which is easy to produce in offset smokers generally means creosote is present, which tastes sort of good but can be REALLY smoky too.
This rich smoke flavor profile however, for many individuals can cause gastrointestinal distresses later on, after the meal is done.
Some of my customers and I know of this problem first hand, and have discussed it in detail. Trust me on this one.
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A bit of creosote "poisoning" or over indulgence in dark smoked product for example can produce the following symptoms...
1) Long after the meal is enjoyed, the smoke flavor comes back up (Smoky belches) to remind you that you ate smoked meat.
2) Heartburn can also let you know there is something there that has created excess stomach acid. (I believe Creosote)
3) As time passes by, the lower GI Tract gets with the program and decides to get rid of the internal problem.
(If you know what I mean)
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So, the KBQ's dirty smoke profile was added by Bill Karau in more recent KBQ's and is created by the over-the-fire poppet.
On most all smokes, I use it, adding darker smoke judiciously with close attention as to just how much "dirty" smoke I am introducing.
I HAVE also ran the top poppet wide open for a very long smoke and the meat was very smoky in flavor and the bark very dark.
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Fact is... Aaron Franklin produces a "darkish" color of bark on his brisket in about 9 hours.
That CANNOT be done in that period of time (in my opinion) with only light blue smoke, which in our KBQ smoker's case, would be bottom poppet, small molecule, light blue, highly desirable smoke.
Bottom line is that during a long smoke I do like some dirty smoke in the mix, just as long as it is not too much.
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So with all that stuff, I gotta say...
Smoke On!
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Thanks for the detailed reply, BBQ_Bill. I was running 230-250 before the wind picked up... pretty much where I set it. Both poppets half open. Once the wind picked up, things got out of sync... I cranked the dial, went through wood more quickly, and struggled to keep temps over 200. Even though we usually get a bit more breeze up the mountain here than in Phoenix, this was an aberration .... a good test on the maiden voyage. Bark was excellent on both the brisket and pork btw.
Like any pit, one learns with experience. This one has rocket science and patents behind it, so we don’t need to rely on the trial and error method as much. Might have to fire "The K " (my name for it) up again tomorrow!Comment
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BBQ Bill That's country ribs (sliced shoulder) from Sam's club. Hit em with salt, pepper and chipotle powder. Smoke at 225 - 250.
I like these better than smoking a whole shoulder. Takes me about 2 - 3 hours for pulled or chopped pork.Comment
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Time to eat....
I go medieval times style
Wife prefers more dignified style...
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That is an awesome smoke ring. What is your procedure? Water pan, put meat in freezer before cooking, spritzing, ... -
lostclusters freezer to smoker will give you a pronounced smoke ring.
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I never tire of seeing your results. Keep em coming.Comment
said.
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