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Pellet Grills and Smokers


Teamdirtyleg

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After cooking a few briskets on my recteq, I think beef ribs are the perfect hunk of beef for it.  The point is a pain in the ass to get done on the recteq and it's never an issue on a traditional smoker because it's facing the fire box.  That wouldn't be a problem with beef ribs.  Also, one of my temp probes has gone bad.  It was kind of working, but I couldn't figure out why the last brisket I did was taking so long to get done.  Finally on a whim I plugged in a thermoworks probe and found out the brisket was 15 or 20 degrees further along than the recteq probe was reading.

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My recteq 1070 has been great so far (had it about a year).  Clean it after every 3 or 4 smokes, etc.  It is built in to an island under a covered patio (not exposed to rain).

Fast forward to the night before Easter.  Turned it on to start smoking a brisket for Easter lunch.  It wouldn't light.

After looking into things, the auger was stuck in sawdust concrete.  We'd had some powerwashing done earlier in the week to clear the pollen from everything and in the process, apparently enough liquid had gotten into the hopper to cause everything to solidify.  Removed the motor, the screws holding the bushing in place and tried to remove the auger per the instructions but had no luck.  Got a welding rod, put it in the drill, bent the tip (just the tip) and pushed it through the shaft of the auger where the motor normally inserted.  After some cajoling it started to break up the "concrete" and made it all the way through to the firepit.  Still couldn't remove the auger though.  Poured some boiling water into the hopper that eventually permeated the "concrete".

 IMG_3357.thumb.jpg.0fcd3604e99af290ce1f28c04f24dc85.jpg

Drilled a few more times with the welding rod and walla

IMG_3356.thumb.jpg.74fc33fa9182c1dce24bbcac6fbe0dd0.jpg

 

Gave the thing a thorough colonoscopy, shop vac'd it, dried thoroughly and then reassembled.  Turned it on, the motor started working but auger wouldn't move.  Called support, they determined that the ball bearings in the motor weren't working so they shipped me a new one.  I installed it over this last weekend and now everything is as good as new.

Moral of the story, I'm an idiot and didn't think about moisture getting into it during the powerwashing. Don't be an idiot.  Recteq customer support was great.

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, kevwun said:

Also, one of my temp probes has gone bad.  It was kind of working, but I couldn't figure out why the last brisket I did was taking so long to get done.  Finally on a whim I plugged in a thermoworks probe and found out the brisket was 15 or 20 degrees further along than the recteq probe was reading.

Good rule for anyone using any temp probe, check the accuracy in boiling water every few months.

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50 minutes ago, orange dream said:

My recteq 1070 has been great so far (had it about a year).  Clean it after every 3 or 4 smokes, etc.  It is built in to an island under a covered patio (not exposed to rain).

Fast forward to the night before Easter.  Turned it on to start smoking a brisket for Easter lunch.  It wouldn't light.

After looking into things, the auger was stuck in sawdust concrete.  We'd had some powerwashing done earlier in the week to clear the pollen from everything and in the process, apparently enough liquid had gotten into the hopper to cause everything to solidify.  Removed the motor, the screws holding the bushing in place and tried to remove the auger per the instructions but had no luck.  Got a welding rod, put it in the drill, bent the tip (just the tip) and pushed it through the shaft of the auger where the motor normally inserted.  After some cajoling it started to break up the "concrete" and made it all the way through to the firepit.  Still couldn't remove the auger though.  Poured some boiling water into the hopper that eventually permeated the "concrete".

 IMG_3357.thumb.jpg.0fcd3604e99af290ce1f28c04f24dc85.jpg

Drilled a few more times with the welding rod and walla

IMG_3356.thumb.jpg.74fc33fa9182c1dce24bbcac6fbe0dd0.jpg

 

Gave the thing a thorough colonoscopy, shop vac'd it, dried thoroughly and then reassembled.  Turned it on, the motor started working but auger wouldn't move.  Called support, they determined that the ball bearings in the motor weren't working so they shipped me a new one.  I installed it over this last weekend and now everything is as good as new.

Moral of the story, I'm an idiot and didn't think about moisture getting into it during the powerwashing. Don't be an idiot.  Recteq customer support was great.

 

 

 

 

Don't forget kids...always lube your balls.

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  • 2 weeks later...
3 hours ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

Any feedback on the Camp Chef XXL Vertical?  Mixed reviews but I like the amount of cooking space and smaller porch footprint.  

https://www.campchef.com/cc-vertical-pellet-grills-xxl-pro/xxl-pro-wifi-vertical-smoker/CC-PGSBXXL.html

It’s badass. Temp distribution isn’t great all the way though so make sure you get that figured out. That smoke box really puts legit smoke flavor. May need to put a chunk every 45 mins or so. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I realized I didn't have any pics because I put them all on snapchat, but I recently tried smoking a couple of chuck roasts I had leftover from a 1/4 cow I split with my brother, on my Pit Boss.

Basically, I treated them like brisket until the wrap.  Then I set them in a roasting pan with some beef broth and wrapped the entire pan.  In one pan, we tossed in a jar of pepperoncinis and their juice along with dry Italian dressing herbs.  I accidentally punctured the traditional pan when I was adjusting the probe, so I ended up leaving it wrapped in foil.

Both roasts turned out really well, and shredded up excellently.  It had a lot of brisket's flavor profile, but wasn't identical.  It was about a 7 hour smoke, and I really thought given how much cheaper chuck roasts are and how high quality of a product it ended up being, that it was a great brisket substitute when you don't feel like investing the time and money but still want a product that's 90% as good.

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39 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I realized I didn't have any pics because I put them all on snapchat, but I recently tried smoking a couple of chuck roasts I had leftover from a 1/4 cow I split with my brother, on my Pit Boss.

Basically, I treated them like brisket until the wrap.  Then I set them in a roasting pan with some beef broth and wrapped the entire pan.  In one pan, we tossed in a jar of pepperoncinis and their juice along with dry Italian dressing herbs.  I accidentally punctured the traditional pan when I was adjusting the probe, so I ended up leaving it wrapped in foil.

Both roasts turned out really well, and shredded up excellently.  It had a lot of brisket's flavor profile, but wasn't identical.  It was about a 7 hour smoke, and I really thought given how much cheaper chuck roasts are and how high quality of a product it ended up being, that it was a great brisket substitute when you don't feel like investing the time and money but still want a product that's 90% as good.

I do something similar except I cut an onion into about 3/8" rounds and put on the bottom of the steam pan and add Hatch chiles.  Barely cover the onions with beef broth and put the roast in and wrap tightly with aluminum foil to braise.  After the cook, I strain the solids out of the liquid in the pan and put it in a container in the fridge.  Remove the fat after it solidifies on the top and you've got a damn good au jus or gravy base.

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9 minutes ago, baboso said:

I do something similar except I cut an onion into about 3/8" rounds and put on the bottom of the steam pan and add Hatch chiles.  Barely cover the onions with beef broth and put the roast in and wrap tightly with aluminum foil to braise.  After the cook, I strain the solids out of the liquid in the pan and put it in a container in the fridge.  Remove the fat after it solidifies on the top and you've got a damn good au jus or gravy base.

That's what I did with the drippings from the Italian style one.  I just shredded it up, poured the juice back on top of it, and then would reheat it altogether.

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3 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I realized I didn't have any pics because I put them all on snapchat, but I recently tried smoking a couple of chuck roasts I had leftover from a 1/4 cow I split with my brother, on my Pit Boss.

Basically, I treated them like brisket until the wrap.  Then I set them in a roasting pan with some beef broth and wrapped the entire pan.  In one pan, we tossed in a jar of pepperoncinis and their juice along with dry Italian dressing herbs.  I accidentally punctured the traditional pan when I was adjusting the probe, so I ended up leaving it wrapped in foil.

Both roasts turned out really well, and shredded up excellently.  It had a lot of brisket's flavor profile, but wasn't identical.  It was about a 7 hour smoke, and I really thought given how much cheaper chuck roasts are and how high quality of a product it ended up being, that it was a great brisket substitute when you don't feel like investing the time and money but still want a product that's 90% as good.

This is my go to for shredded beef sammiches and tacos.  I cook essentially the same way you mentioned.  The only difference is in the pan with the broth, I add diced hatch chilis and a rough cut onion.  Cooks in half the time of a brisket for a fraction of the price.

image.png.55f84127329571739a082cb8254ae1b5.pngimage.png.c8282cb7c3d37b6220ce6f7c65185950.png

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I’m definitely doing the onions and Hatches (come Hatch season).

IMO you could kinda go wild with add ons you want to flavor with.  I’ll like try this method with pork shoulders too.

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13 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I’m definitely doing the onions and Hatches (come Hatch season).

IMO you could kinda go wild with add ons you want to flavor with.  I’ll like try this method with pork shoulders too.

Pork shoulders and chuckies are my two favorites.  I'll still do a brisket, but it has to be a special occasion or on demand for a neighbor, etc.  They take too long to cook and they're too damn expensive when most people want to church the meat up anyway and make tacos and fancy sliders.  Seriously, look at this beautiful beech right here - bark was perfect

image.png.594a294cd9256cd744357eeb4e156c76.png

 

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Don't sleep on pork-belly burnt ends either.  Just cube it up, toss them in rub, and get after it.  Smoke for a few hours, then cover and slop them up.  If you want to go super-simple:  butter, brown sugar, and sweet baby rays.  Meat candy.  

image.png.53e18fef1ebd5113ae4716f51e51ab6d.png

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On 5/24/2024 at 2:02 PM, BabaYaga said:

Don't sleep on pork-belly burnt ends either.  Just cube it up, toss them in rub, and get after it.  Smoke for a few hours, then cover and slop them up.  If you want to go super-simple:  butter, brown sugar, and sweet baby rays.  Meat candy.  

image.png.53e18fef1ebd5113ae4716f51e51ab6d.png

I actually like to smoke whole bellies and shred them into pulled pork. 

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I saw a "new" way to do a brisket on a pellet grill. The tik toker pretty much explained that the way you always see people suggest how to do briskets are always on conventional wood smokers where the heat is off-set. Pellet grills the heat is coming from the bottom. Anyway, it is pretty much the same but when you get to 190 temp internal, wrap the brisket in butcher paper and then foil, throw it in the oven on "keep warm" (mine is at 150 degrees) for 12-18 hours. The last brisket I did smoked for 18 hours total. I started it at 200 degrees and when the brisket reached 165 internal, I turned the heat up to 250. Again, once it reached 190 I wrapped and put in the oven until lunch on Memorial Day. 

This is the third time I have done it this way and it is great every time. 

image.thumb.jpeg.e526be5ee221fe8d76b81e34b475a6e3.jpeg

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23 hours ago, Dignan said:

I saw a "new" way to do a brisket on a pellet grill. The tik toker pretty much explained that the way you always see people suggest how to do briskets are always on conventional wood smokers where the heat is off-set. Pellet grills the heat is coming from the bottom. Anyway, it is pretty much the same but when you get to 190 temp internal, wrap the brisket in butcher paper and then foil, throw it in the oven on "keep warm" (mine is at 150 degrees) for 12-18 hours. The last brisket I did smoked for 18 hours total. I started it at 200 degrees and when the brisket reached 165 internal, I turned the heat up to 250. Again, once it reached 190 I wrapped and put in the oven until lunch on Memorial Day. 

This is the third time I have done it this way and it is great every time. 

image.thumb.jpeg.e526be5ee221fe8d76b81e34b475a6e3.jpeg

the long rest is a game changer. everyone using a pellet smoker should absolutely be doing this, makes a tremendous difference

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