KBQ - The "Maiden Voyage"

[JGrana]

Great idea as well. My extension cord is getting stressed. I ordered one of these and the Quick Pins your mentioned. I will use them on my next cook.

[Rfuilrez]

I made a couple door hinge pins for my KBQ at work today. It’s just a piece of 1/4 stainless rod with 2 snap ring grooves in it to go on either side of the door. (Don’t mind the dirty KBQ lol)







Originally I made the stick out 1/8”, but it was too much. I knew it might be. I cut it down to about 1/16” and it fits nice now. Slightly bending the door, not enough to cause permanent deformation though, and it pops in and out. I’ll probably remake them out of larger stock to eliminate the outside snap ring and just put a shoulder on it. Also, it fits a little wobbly in the door holes. May or may not be a good thing. Gonna use it as is for a few cooks and cleanings and see what I think.

[Timcee]

BBQ_Bill These look great.. Been traveling and right now in cold Norway but I think I'll just get them from you when I get home..bc I looked around before leaving and the ones I got weren't good at all..

[JGrana]

Good idea using quick pins. Let us know how they work!!!

[BBQ_Bill]

Eureka moment for me...
Continually using small kindling, chips and small chunks for a cook will quickly OVERFILL your ash box below the coal grate.
Basically...
The more smaller pieces you use, the FASTER the ash box below fills up.
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Longer, larger diameter pieces make the best coal bed as they will provide higher heat due to holding their structure better and longer as they turn to coals and block the grate holes better as they collapse.
When they finally go through the holes, more time has passed and your long smokes will not fill the ash box up.
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Remember, ashes can only get so high in the ash box below the grate, and then they start being sucked thru the bottom poppet into the cook chamber and getting on the meat.

[BBQ_Bill]

1/4" Histrix And... Okay Timcee I will order two more.

[Histrix]

What's the diameter of the pins?

[BBQ_Bill]

Sweet Ricardo! Bill K. and I discussed that very thing... that the smoke going thru the "Rat" holes in the coal tray is not being as cleaned up. True statement, the thick hot coals "super" burn the smoke for a light smoke profile that has a flavor that keeps them "begging" for more! One customer of mine buys a whole brisket at a time. He calls it "Meat Crack" saying "I gotta have it!"

[Ricardo]

If you see the holes, not so clean smoke will also enter the cooking chamber. I learned my lesson and I try my best to ensure no rat holes 🕳 during my cooks.
That alone elevated my KBQ experience to ambrosia territory.
Cheers,
Ricardo

[EdF]

Well, at that point you might want to start thinking about the BBQ Bill franchise! Seriously - you set the standards. Shouldn't be too high a franchisee fee?

[BBQ_Bill]

Ah... gotcha my friend
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Once I get to 8, I am SURE my wife will be screaming... EXCESSIVE! LOL
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That is until I allow her to keep the money from the rentals. Ha ha!

[lostclusters]

I did not mean to insinuate 3 KBQs were excessive. I realize you cater to some degree or other. I was just making sure I was following your posts correctly. If I could I would have two, heck ya!

[BBQ_Bill]

Problems keeping your KBQ temperature at max?
KBQ has advised me that to operate at maximum temperature, the holes in the coal grate in the firebox MUST be covered with a good layer of hot coals.
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For a chicken cook, several reputable sources recommend a high temperature cook to give a crispy outside and a moist inside to that yard bird.
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If your coal grate has "rat holes" as Bill K. calls them, you will not develop the high temperatures you need for chicken.
If you can see open holes in your coal grate, you need to tamp the top of the wood to move hot coals down and cover those open holes.
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Yes, the inverted flames as they are drawn downward by the draft fan look really cool going thru those holes, right?
The problem is, without the hot glowing coals covering those holes, the cold air from the openings in the sides is actually being sucked in.
So while watching those cool flames, your flame "show" IS cooling things down below!
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The bottom line for all of us KBQ folks to remember is...
Hot coals are like a heating blanket, and that thick hot bed of coals will "trump" simple yellow flames that look cool going down "Rat Holes" in your grate.
THAT scenario equals a COLDER KBQ.
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Bill K. also shared another sweet "morsel" of KBQ knowledge...
When it comes to heating your KBQ's cook box and HOLDING it at good temperatures, thin kindling and small pieces turn into smaller ash that will NOT make a good bed, as they simply fall right thru the holes in the coal grate.
You will need heavier pieces to produce larger coals that will block these holes.
THIS is why Bill K. tells us to use longer, larger diameter wood. The coals from this size best block the holes in the coal tray, maintaining that thick heat producing bed of coals.
NOW I fully understand why chips will not work well.
(Duh! The light bulb FINALLY comes on)

[BBQ_Bill]

One funny thought just popped into my head... RENTING these KBQ C-60s out if I ever decide to stop selling meats! LOL!

[BBQ_Bill]

Yes lostclusters
Consider a fellow starting his maiden voyage into a public venture such as catering BBQ or supplying cooked meats to a growing number of stationary break trucks...
(Like the ones sitting in city parking lots)
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It sort of makes more sense to buy more C60 units than to buy one Friedrich KBQ-400 or an Oyler smoker when cooking for customers in a production type situation.
There are few disadvantages with many advantages.
Like...
Cooking different meats at different temperatures, all at the same time.
And timing or staging the starts of those cooks so they can meet schedules.
Also, cooking with different woods like apple wood for pork while cooking with Oak for beef ribs.
Plus using more KBQ C-60 smokers, or less according to demand.
A sudden catering order of good size with several different meats required would be a "tall order" with only one large smoker, right?
There are many other benefits to single units versus one big smoker like slowly increasing your cooking power as your customer base and finances grow.
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The big one for someone slowly starting up a business is price...
1 each KBQ-400 @ $23,000 versus 8 each KBQ C-60 units @ around $12,000.
Both will cook the same volume of meat.
To me, it all makes good sense to a backyard BBQ person cooking occasionally for family, that is slowly moving into a growing customer situation.
That is BBQ Bill in a nutshell my friend.