What was your biggest BBQ "light bulb" moment?

[Clawbear57]

My first cook was a pork shoulder. Knew nothing about smoking or grilling. I happen to be on line and saw a smoker and ordered it. Well after watching yt ( of course on mentioned stall). Well I guess you know what happen. The cook figured would be 6 or 8 hrs took 15. Live and learn.

[hoovarmin]

Haha I wish I had a nickel for every time I'd seen posted something to the effect of "Help, my pork shoulder won't rise in temperature!" From someone new to the scene.

[das85]

First this thread is fantastic. Bravo Huskee for getting it going...have really been enjoying reading this.

I've had many light-bulb moments, many inspired by content here (eg science of salt as other have mentioned). But I think single biggest was when my father-in-law bought me my first (electric) smoker as a birthday present - I was an enthusiastic gas griller but had never thought of owning a smoker before! He had never smoked himself, so I was on my own to learn how...that led me to AR and opened up a whole new world. Learning to smoke larger cuts completely changed the way I think about cooking.

[ecowper]

Funny, I ended up on AR because I needed to figure out how to cook ribs. That was 15 odd years ago, I guess. I had cooked ribs a lot, but never well. And my new wife (at the time) was telling me about how her ex-husband could cook ribs better than a restaurant …..

[Steve R.]

Nothing like a little motivation ecowper. 😄

[ecowper]

My single biggest lightbulb moment for BBQ/Grilling is that it is a managed process just like indoor cooking. And if you want to turn out good food outside, you have to manage the process. How you prep food, the fire, the smoke, time, temp, all of it. You have to manage the process and you have to do it with consistency.

[Jfrosty27]

This. 👆👆
No more just firing up the gas or charcoal grill and throwing the meat on until it "looks" done.

[luvthemstillers]

That real charcoal flavor was not what I remember from growing up. When I was a kid, we always attended church picnics, where the "old guys" (probably my age now ) would use a generous amount of lighter fluid to get things going. Those fires never burned clean and there was always an aftertaste. Now in my own backyard, I've rediscovered charcoal and the wonderful flavors of wood smoke. It's a night and day difference.

[Bkhuna]

Yup.

[Bumby]

Simplify the smoking process and spend the spare time enjoying the day.

[Waiting for the Worms]

For food, it was cooking to temp. It changed everything from meat to bread for me.

For cookers, it was to stop chasing temps. I quit obsessing over temp swings, and running 5 degrees over or under what I thought the temp should be. Once I learned to let the cooker settle in to where it wants to run somewhere close to what I have in mind, and adjust timing from there, life got a whole lot easier.

Resting meat dovetails into there as well. Now that I know I can hold a large chunk of meat for hours, and not only doesn't it hurt anything, but actually helps, I don't have to sweat a stall that runs an hour longer than planned for. The meat is scheduled to be done hours before serving anyway, so a longer cook time is a non-issue. All of that was before I went the pooper route, and then jumped up to a premium pooper, It just doesn't get any easier than that.

[Finster]

Definitely 2 zone fires for grilling, and using a temp gauge/ thermometer.

[RichieB]

I'll repeat. After reading the book, not soaking chips, using chunks, indirect cooking, digital thermometer, and the difference in the types of charcoal fuels. Finally, the science of it all.

[jfmorris]

For me, I would say getting a good instant/quick read thermometer from Thermoworks around 2011 made a huge change in my outdoor cooking game. And I initially bought the thermometer for beer brewing, but it upped my BBQ and grilling games tremendously over the old analog dial probe thermometer that I was using before that. With a decent digital thermometer, I now KNEW when my butts were 195F or whatever temp I was pulling them at back then, and knew when the chicken reached 160F and was done. No more dried out chicken or pork loins!

Of course, in 2011, they may have still been saying to take pork to 165. I'm not sure. There is a meat doneness temp chart printed on the control knob side table of my old 2002 Genesis Silver A, and it for sure says 165F for "done" on beef and pork, and maybe 185F for poultry!

But yes - a quality instant read thermometer was the turning point for me. Love my Thermapen!

[Alan Brice]

Always used a gasser. Thought I was way ahead of the game, setting it up to plug into the house. Bought my first smoker, cpl three yrs ago. (Electric) 40 hrs for my first briskie. Knew nothing of the stall, the crutch or using a beer cooler for hot meat. Loved everything about the process. Joined AR n this crew has blown my mind. I stopped twitter, FB and instantelegram.
I don’t tik a lock. But I couldn’t wait to post my sunrise/sunsets! Got my comeuppance there!
Now there is nothing more rewarding that reading posts and looking at others meat on these hallowed pages. Ty AR n everyone that makes this site happen. Locked in and broke the knob off.

[wag]

Thermapen a big change recently and the salt thing.

Before internal temp (Thermapen) use to check if done by twisting the bone -- if loose can feel like can pull it out -- it was done -- a good done indication that worked for many many years. Must say think I was a good cook and the Thermapen made me a great cook.

But back in the day (early 70s) think I was about 15 yrs old. My dad only BBQed on holidays (about 4 Xs a year) and it was always chicken (all parts of the chicken including the back). Well on one 4th of 7 BBQ he asked me if wanted to turn the chicken so gave it a try. It as hot and smokey and the tongs were 2 forks tied together with rubber bands. He kept fussing me I'm taking too long letting all the heat out. Finally got em all turned and told me to take a break and cool off. Then gave me my first beer ever a Schlitz from a galvanize bucket with beer / ice and with newspaper over it. I was hooked on BBQ ever since.

Schlitz beer ----> spell check couldn't help with spelling had to Google it.

[SheilaAnn]

SVQ
Stall
flavors imparted by different woods
not soaking wood chunks

i know I have said it 1000 times… I was in a dark place for a while. Both AR and Mr. Bones brought me around. I have learned so much here. I went from one cooker to 3 that are in regular rotation. I have yet to post about my resurrected gasser (stay tuned).

most importantly, the inspiration I get from y’all! Thank you!

but I digress!

[gboss]

glad you're doing better!

[Steve R.]

1. A smoker is basically an outdoor oven that produces smoke.
2. Brisket isn't nearly as difficult as it's made out to be.

[Lock Stock and Barrel]

Buying Meatheads book and reading all the ig...nant things I have done over the years was a true flash in the brain. Do not know how I ever got by without his great instructions and science regarding various cuts of meat. Went from a pretty good BBQ man to, If I don't mind saying so myself, to a really good grill meister.

Best money I ever spent next to a few dollars I have spent on my wife of 43 years!

[Bkhuna]

Sometimes simpler is better.

The 11 herbs and spices my be wonderful for The Colonel, and can be delicious, but sometimes SPG is all that's needed to let the flavor of the meat shine.