LCLC BBQ Thread (1 Viewer)

[BBQ BOY]

I don't use briquettes to smoke, only to grill. I use lump on a daily basis and it hold the coals, which is where your heat comes from. Briquettes need to be replenished too much and don't retain the coal qualities needed. "manufacture uniformity" is also relative to lump.
When smoking, a few extra dollars is diminished when hours and money are spent in the whole process of bbq'ing.

 

[collk22]

I don't use briquettes to smoke, only to grill. I use lump on a daily basis and it hold the coals, which is where your heat comes from. Briquettes need to be replenished too much and don't retain the coal qualities needed. "manufacture uniformity" is also relative to lump.
When smoking, a few extra dollars is diminished when hours and money are spent in the whole process of bbq'ing.

I don't doubt that lump > briquettes on the scale with which you make you cook. I guess what I'm suggesting is that any utility gained by using lump, perceived or real, is negligible to me. As I said, when talking BBQ the one thing we'll agree on is that we don't agree on much!

 

[TailsWCU]

This is awesome guys. Pretty sure this thread should have been created a long time ago.

 

[dbenke]

lowes is having their sale again now...2 bags for 10 bucks.
we always stock up for Scouts.
i dont do any smoking, all my outdoor cooking is on a gas grill.

 

[CharlestonG8R]

Maybe we could have pulled pork at next month's meeting.

 

[Beau Diddly]

i dont do any smoking, all my outdoor cooking is on a gas grill.

Heresy

 

[CharlestonG8R]

Just curious, does anyone have a good recipe for vinegar barbecue? @elkaholic has one of the best sauces I've tried. My attempt to duplicate his sauce was close. If we ever do have a pulled-pork-supplemented HAMOM, I'll bring some.

 

[TailsWCU]

Just curious, does anyone have a good recipe for vinegar barbecue? @elkaholic has one of the best sauces I've tried. My attempt to duplicate his sauce was close. If we ever do have a pulled-pork-supplemented HAMOM, I'll bring some.

I will bring some as well.

 

[dbenke]

my Grandfather had the best vinegar based. It's just vinegar, white and black pepper. I think you have too boil the viinegar first.
I can get the recipe from my mom, and she may have some made.

 

[TailsWCU]

Sauce Exchange?

 

[Brock]

I usually use lump...that picture was one time wife thought she found good deal and brought home Kingsford. There was a review on all the lump and briquette charcoal and Royal Oak (Brazilian and USA only) rated near the top in everything....it is easy to find at Walmart and have never had an issue with it. I prefer it to the briquettes though size is not as consistent to be honest. The thing I do not like about briquettes is they produce much more ash than lump...which at the end of a 10-15 hour cook can start filling up the tray and the air channels. I just dont like dealing with it to be honest.

I am 90% lump guy...and usually Royal Oak but only the bags done in Brazil or USA...not the others.

 

[Brock]

i prefer a more basic approach...after making my own rubs for a year I found a commercial I liked and had what I was striving to do and cheaper than I can get it. I am now a big fan of Simply Marvelous Sweet and Spicy Rub....I buy a 5# bag and use it on everything including chicken wings....the exception is beef brisket that I use a different rub on. I put it on good and thick...on pork shoulders I usually rub mustard first and then cover with rub and let sit while smoker heats up. Instead of mopping I typically set up spray bottle with 50/50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and Makers Mark bourbon. On ribs...when I wrap...will use some squeeze clover honey and squeeze butter...then a good spray of my mixture...then seal them shut. Final hour I unwrap and let them crust up good again as they get very moist in wraps...pouring the juices back over the meats and letting it steam in smoker off the heat diverter.

I then will put out some Bessingers Carolina Gold sauce and some Sweet Baby Rays Chipoltle Honey...... majority of time nobody gets sauce.

Even on my pulled pork I usually dont sauce it...but let them do it themselves. I was also making a sauce for a bit but with the bulk I would need to buy it to make it economical....another thing that I figured a commercial sauce was likely a better choice.

 

[CharlestonG8R]

I am 90% lump guy...and usually Royal Oak but only the bags done in Brazil or USA...not the others.

After our conversation, I'd steered clear of Royal Oak because I thought that was what you had the bad experience with. BGE was really expensive and you could get Cowboy or Royal Oak at WalMart for like 1/2 the price (I think better than half price). I like your ash removal setup - that's a definite advantage over the BGE because once I start my smoke, I'm committed. Forget about ash removal - it's hard enough to just add charcoal! Fortunately, ever since I bought this XL, I haven't had to add charcoal. I can smoke low and slow for 12+ hours and have some left over.

The BGE brand charcoal works best for me. It produces very little ash and burns slow and clean. It's expensive, but there's a place on John's Island that sells it cheaper than everyone else... I'm thinking like $25/bag? Not sure, I always stock up when I'm out that way.

i prefer a more basic approach...after making my own rubs for a year I found a commercial I liked and had what I was striving to do and cheaper than I can get it. ....another thing that I figured a commercial sauce was likely a better choice.

Yeah, I remember multiple conversations with Michael regarding making vs. buying your rub. I went to a website and picked out the highest rated rub recipe for pork butt. It was excellent! Unfortunately, it was also ridiculously expensive to make... I have a huge jar of it, but when that's gone, I'll start looking for pre-made rubs again.

my Grandfather had the best vinegar based. It's just vinegar, white and black pepper. I think you have too boil the viinegar first. I can get the recipe from my mom, and she may have some made.

I really didn't care for vinegar based sauce before moving to South Carolina, but I think my taste buds have changed a bit. I preferred stout beers, now I like IPA's. I hated grits - now I normally order them as a side. Not sure what this place has done to me, but if I ever move, it's going to hurt more than when I left Florida or California... Anyhow, I'd love to try your grandfather's sauce! I'm really liking the idea of a family friendly barbecue - the only problem is that we couldn't eat until late because my smokes take freakin' all day long! And I hate the thought of reheating fresh barbecue...

 

[Trollhole]

Brined, injected and rubbed yesterday.

Brisket

And a couple shoulders. Wish they still had the bones in them but it was what Costco had. Lucky to get anything this late before the holiday.

 

[Trollhole]

Cooking on an unfamiliar cooker so I'm bringing my own smoke pellets and one of these. They really are amazing. Will smoke for a good 8 hrs.

As far as lump or briquettes. I'm a lump guy. And even then it gets thoroughly heated before it goes into the cooker. I usually use Cowboy because just about everyone has it. Not the best. BGE lump or Kingsford lump are the best in my opinion. Hard to find both of those though.

Briquettes especially have borax and starch that are used to hold them together. I'm not a fan of borax in anything. Kingsford is the main culprit. Starter fluid is a huge no no.

I'm a Hickory fan. I'll use it if I can get it seasoned 4-8 months. Otherwise I'll use the pellets. I'm a big fan of these http://www.amazon.com/CookinPellets...8&qid=1432318816&sr=8-3&keywords=wood+pellets

Just have an all around good smoke.

I'm a BBQ snob. Only place in the upstate that gets my approval is the Smokin Pig in Pendleton/Clemson. Hands down best in the area.

 

[BBQ BOY]

Going to smoke some pork belly this weekend along with some brisket and ribs possibly.

 

[dbenke]

Jeremy, you'll just have to get up really early.
I'll bring the sauce.

 

[Brock]

After our conversation, I'd steered clear of Royal Oak because I thought that was what you had the bad experience with. BGE was really expensive and you could get Cowboy or Royal Oak at WalMart for like 1/2 the price (I think better than half price). I like your ash removal setup - that's a definite advantage over the BGE because once I start my smoke, I'm committed. Forget about ash removal - it's hard enough to just add charcoal! Fortunately, ever since I bought this XL, I haven't had to add charcoal. I can smoke low and slow for 12+ hours and have some left over.

It was COWBOY that I found with a lot of trash wood and crap that wreaked havoc on me and had a plastic smell too so not sure if some plastic got mixed in bag as well.


The Royal Oak is EXCELLENT hardwood lump as long as you ONLY use the USA or Brazilian. There are also some bagged in one or two other Central American countries...but USA first, then Brazilian if that is not available. Home Depot and Walmart have Royal Oak and sometimes you can get the big 20# bag --6 bag deals. We got this last time...a lot of lump! http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag11.htm

I like vinegar based bbq okay but this is SC not eastern NC so mustard or plain is the real deal here. LOL Got to learn your bbq regions....vinegar (Lexington style) in easter NC and some in northeast SC (Horry, Williamsburg Counties).....then west and Upstate will get more ketchup based sauce...with mustard based from Midlands through Lowcountry. Georgia more ketchup based usually....but still light sauce..not heavy. I like it all but prefer plain smoke with just rub and my cider vinegar/MakersMark spritz...then Mustard....then a chipotle-honey and then vinegar. I like KC style with heavy ketchup sauce the least to be honest.

It is all good though..... and wont turn any of it down with a cold beer and good friends.


One warning. Once you start smoking your own pork and/or beef .............you become a bbq snob and dislike going to chain restraunts to eat and seek out dives or hole in the walls or other local legends while others hit the big chains. LOL



Here is some info on Lump Charcoal

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm

 

[Teddy]

Cowboy is made from leftover hardwood flooring scraps. Seriously it is. All we use is B&B lump from Academy Sports and fresh pecan logs. Also, all I make is vinegar BBQ sauce; Jeremy, I think we talked about this.

I cook/cater for other people almost monthly and every time I get more business from people in the future. We all talked about this at GSMTR. But, I'd love to do it full time. I just can't see how to make much money at it. A few hundred bucks on the side every month is one thing, but full time? I don't know how you guys make it work.

 

[Brock]

yep...cowboy and stubbs is marketed by same company but cowboy is definitely trash!!!!


Royal Oak (USA) is one of the highest overall ratings for ash, heat, lighting, etc..over and over again. Cant beat it I dont think. Compare it to your favorite and look at the numbers.