KBQ to Chubby assembly line

[SmokeRN]

Hey gang. I've gotten really proficient with charcoal and chunks between a WSM, a chubby 3400, and a performer. I want a stick burner, and I'm sitting on the fence between a lone star offset and a KBQ. Anyone ever run a brisket on a KBQ for a while and then transfer to another smoker. Thinking I could smoke a brisket for a while on the KBQ and then transfer to my backwoods, then go to bed. Anyone have experience with that work flow? How was the end product?

[HawkerXP]

I run brisket on the PBC, once out of the stall I transfer to my indoor cooker. No need for smoke or fuss at that time. Works the same for all cookers I'm a guessing.

[SmokeRN]

I agree in that BTUs are BTUs. I wonder he w long I need to run it in the KBQ before I get good enough smoke flavor to switch over (regardless of stall), but that may not be an answerable question.

[Dr. Pepper]

Others here ( Spinaker Ernest ComfortablyNumb etc.) have much more experience than me.....but, that never stopped me before, so: I smoke until the stall, then wrap in butcher paper and put in the oven. The time depends all on the size and shape of the meat. For a typical Costo pork shoulder, bone-in, that might be 6-8 hours, depending on how hot I run it. For ribs, I usually leave them in the entire time, about 3-4 hours, but could easily move them inside after 2-3 hrs.

[jfmorris]

I guess my experience is that it all depends on how much you like bark on your butts/brisket/etc. Bark formation on my offset is certainly different than in my charcoal cookers. I never wrap for the most part, and am always pleased with the results. I feel that bark forms through the entire cook for me, as I’ve been 5-6 hours in, and know the bark at 10-12 hours was much darker.

What I see folks say as conventional wisdom is that you take up most smoke flavor the first few hours of the cook. So I suppose you can tend the offset or KBQ for 3-4 hours, then move to one of the charcoal and wood chunk cookers. However, I’m gonna buck the trend and say that wrapping in foil and moving to the oven after just a few hours is not going to result in the same product, unless you wrap at that point already. Example - only thing I ever wrap is brisket, and only once it is above 170F. Which takes 10-12 hours usually to get to at low and slow temps. That could then be moved to the oven or anywhere else.

Due to the work involved and constant tending of the fire, I only ever use my offset for ribs these days, as I can handle 5 hours of tending the fire, but not 12 to 18. I enjoy sleeping more than I do staying up with the smoker or being tied to it all day. Because of that I smoke more on the kettle and kamado these days, with the big guy only getting fired up if capacity is needed.

[SmokeRN]

Very helpful- thank you!

[Huskee]

I have smoked briskets and butts on my stick burner up to the point of wrapping, which for me is ~180 or so, just past the stall, and then moved it to the pellet cooker once wrapped. I like doing that since after it's wrapped it just needs a hot box. A time or two I smoked them only 3 or 4 hrs then moved 'em to the pellet cooker unwrapped to finish cooking, turned out very well. If you transfer from stickburner to charcoal, I suspect your results will be even better than mine since charcoal is more flavorful (in my opinion) than pellets.

[glitchy]

I think you can move it anywhere that would really continue cooking it at any time. However personally, charcoal would be my last choice. I think charcoal has it's 'own' flavor, so I wouldn't want to alter the flavor of all the work I just put into slinging logs for hours, so I'd either go oven or pellet grill at 275. You'd probably want to experiment with multiple post KBQ options to see which gave you the finished product you liked the best.

[TripleB]

This response is about sitting on the fence between the Lone Star and KBQ. I have a Jambo offset and a KBQ. The Jambo is a great smoker, but I like the KBQ better:

1. The foot print of the KBQ is 1/4 of that of the Jambo.
2. KBQ is portable, the 500+ lb Jambo is basically not.
3. The KBQ has a larger capacity than you’d think.
4. The KBQ has a temperature controller. The swing is about 30 d which is manageable. So ribs I smoke between 230-260 d.
5. The firebox on the KBQ is on top and you can easily manage the fire by watching it. You don’t have to watch the thermometer or smoke stack to manage the fire or open the firebox door. Just keep a good bed of coals. When the fire dies down, toss on another split.

With all that said, the Lone Star would still be an awesome smoker if you went with it.

[Dadof3Illinois]

Like others have stated it really depends on how much smoke flavor you want. I've had success leaving a brisket in the smoker for 4 hours then wrapping and putting it in the oven to finish. But even better is like others have said and leave it in until it hits the stall and the bark has set. I typically wrap so I'm not as worried about the bark being set like a rock....I'm fine with it being a little soft.

[Spinaker]

I have not done it this way. If I was going to, I would smoke until I have the color I like on the brisket, then wrap that baby up an throw it in the oven.

When you wake up your house smells like a slice of American heaven. There is nothing like that KBQ smoke, so anytime on the KBQ is a good thing. You can certainly pull this off with just the KBQ and the oven.

As far as being on the fence between the KBQ and LSG. I have wanted a LSG for years now. However, i just can't justify it because I have a KBQ. I can do everything I need with the KBQ and more. It is portable, make unreal BBQ, has great capacity and it is a blast to run. All of that being said, I still WANT a LSG and I will get one at some point.

It will be an extra novelty, that is it. I do not need it, but it will be great when I can "justify" adding it. I think when I go with the LSG, I might go trailer mounted so I can bring it places just like I do to the KBQ.

[Troutman]

I'm in your camp. I like to look at color and overall bark formation. Once it goes from that sort of mahogany to an almost black color and has a leather like touch to it that's all I need realistically. The rest is getting the interior tender without turning it into pot roast. Pellet or oven would be ideal in that case wrapped in butcher paper.

[Dr. Pepper]

Great contributions from y’all! Thanks for sharing your experience and perspectives.

[SmokeRN]

These are really helpful insights. This might seem like a silly question, but does the KBQ ever feel like...cheating?

[frigate]

There are two things that greatly upped my BBQ game. This site and my KBQ. That said there are a lot of people on this site that have forgotten more about BBQ than I know.

[SmokeRN]

Good enough! Thanks guys!