Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About meReal name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan - near Clare (dead center of lower peninsula).
Occupation:
Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
NEW REVIEW: Max's Review Of The Weber SmokeFireâ„¢ Is Complete!
After more than a month of intensive testing and research, Max Good, the world’s only full time grill and smoker tester, has published his review and rating for the new Weber SmokeFire!
Wow. Unsurprisingly, a really thorough and balanced review. For me, I remain intrigued, but I'll be considering other pellet grills until they address some of the shortcomings.
Alas, I’ve re-added (Is that even a word?!?) the OG Grilla Alpha to the final list of contenders!
Also discovered the Blaz’n Grills but they are pretty pricey.
Cookers:
SnS 22” Kettle and rotisserie.
Weber Genesis SA-E-330 LP INDIGO with SS Grates, Weber Crafted frame kit, baking stone, griddle (2/3), all from Ace Hardware.
Everything Else:
SnS #3 with certificate. I was their first customer.
Sous Vide equipment.
SnS and Thermoworks iInstant read and leave-in thermometers.
Grill Grates.
Kingsford Blue Bag, Weber lighter cubes, Weber charcoal chimneys.
Rubs with salt: Meat Church Holy Cow, Meathead's Red Meat.
Rubs without salt: Home-mixed versions of previously sold SnS Grills Rocky's Rub and Not Just for Beef using their recipe.
Spices: Lots of 'em.
Great review Max! If I owned a pellet grill again, the brand specific pellets are a drawback for me. I enjoyed using other brands when I owned a Traeger. But to each their own I suppose.
I've used larger pellets (Cookin' Pellets) and regular/small pellets (Grilla/Lumberjack) in my Grilla, both work flawlessly...FWIW. Shame not all are universal with each maker.
If I was thinking about swapping out my pellet muncher (not right now) I don't think I could justify dealing with the rev 1 unit. The software problems sound a bit like the ones I initially experienced with my GMG, which were extremely frustrating. They eventually got those resolved and I'm happy. I'm confident Weber can get there too, but I don't want to live through it with them. I don't understand why manufacturers want their customers to be their bug testers, but Weber isn't alone in that regard.
One question I have for the group at large is are there any smokers out there with built in lights? If not, why not? Damn things are electric, you'd think it would be easy.
Equipment:
Weber Genesis
Weber Spirit Special Addition, with Griddle and Grillgrates (just got)
Thermoworks Smoke (2)
Thermoworks Thermapen (2)
Thermoworks IR (1)
Maverick IR (1)
Penzey's Spice rack with loads of spices
Hobbies:
Cooking, wine, guitar, golf, beach, board games, travel, herb gardening
Nice review. I do have one minor concern though with one of the photos:
See how the end on the drain chute door is above hopper ramp? I’m pretty sure it’s not supposed to be that way. I believe there’s a slot underneath that the tab slides into. Running it like this would greatly increase the risk of feeding issues giving pellets something to hang up on.
You are correct! However, this pic was taken at Weber headquarters when we were invited for a sneak preview. This unit was on display and I used it for our initial photos and video. I just went through the many photos I took during my testing procedure on my deck, and my Drain Chute Door slides under rather than over the door opening as you impressively spotted. Unfortunately, this was not the focus of any of my test pix, so I don't have a great shot of the proper assembly yet.
Last edited by Max Good; March 20, 2020, 01:52 PM.
As usual & as we can & should expect, a job well done Max. That dust up a few months ago was not warranted & took a bit of wind out of our sails. Recovery is a long time. Hair on fire, impatient ones are also gone for the most part. I for one did not appreciate what happened & it was uncalled for. As was evident, it took some time to do the job right. And MAX delivered. Sit back, relax & have one on us Max. Again, job well done!
> Weber Genesis EP-330
> Grilla Grills Original Grilla (OG) pellet smoker with Alpha/Connect
> Grilla Grills Pellet Pizza Oven
> Pit Barrel Cooker (gone to a new home)
> WeberQ 2000 (on "loan" to a relative (I'll never see it again))
> Old Smokey Electric (for chickens mostly - when it's too nasty out
to fiddle with a more capable cooker)
> Luhr Jensen Little Chief Electric - Top Loader circa 1990 (smoked fish & jerky)
> Thermoworks Smoke
> 3 Thermoworks Chef Alarms
> Thermoworks Thermapen One
> Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
> Thermoworks Thermopop
> Thermoworks IR-GUN-S
> Anova sous vide circulator
> Searzall torch
> BBQ Guru Rib Ring
> WÜSTHOF, Dalstrong, and Buck knives
> Paprika App on Mac and iOS
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