AZ Barbeque.com
Smokers, Grills, Pitts & More => Pro Q's => Topic started by: Thom Emery on September 30, 2010, 06:47:00 am
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Either Frontier or the XL?
I am traveling light in 2011
got one the other day just wanting to compare notes
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I use one at home and my wife uses it to cook our comp chicken. More finicky than a WSM I think but all in all a great cooker.
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I use an Excel20 and really like it. I don't have any problems with holding temps. The charcoal doesn't last quite as long as the smaller WSM, but I get a good 6 hours on one basket of charcoal.
Having stackers that can be put on and taken off is really handy.
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http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93194
Lively conversation at the link above
I am going to do Ribs Saturday on the XL
Oregon vs Stanford just needs Ribs to make it a fine day
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We use 4 or 5 when we compete. If using the water pan you may have a hard time getting too temp. but if not, just don't over light your fire basket and she will run all night and hold her temp.
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We use 4 or 5 when we compete. If using the water pan you may have a hard time getting too temp. but if not, just don't over light your fire basket and she will run all night and hold her temp.
What amount do you use to light your ProQ? About a 3rd of a chimney?
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I use about a half chimney.
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That would be about 10 briquets yes
Many sizes of chimneys out there
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1/2 a weber chimney...when I light mine off tomorrow, I'll count them. ;) But 10 or so sounds about right.
Usual temp difference...Lid/1st Rack/2nd Rack....
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4329577218_91c485c7cd.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kidcurry73/4329577218/)
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I use one at home and my wife uses it to cook our comp chicken. More finicky than a WSM I think but all in all a great cooker.
Ditto on the "finicky" part... WSM holds much better temps in the long run. Watch door hardware closely, things tend to fall off...
Quiggs
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I have one, haven't used it much since I got the Lang. I have used all three stackers at once on one occasion. It's possible, and it works.
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Three stackers wow that is a bunch of butts ;)
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I use an excel and a frontier and love them both.
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all right then
What do you normally cook on the Frontier and what would you cook on the XL?
any difference? or just a size of the meats decision?
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Three stackers wow that is a bunch of butts ;)
Thom, I used all three in the the QN4U class. I cooked the long meats on two, coolered them, then kicked up the heat, added the third stacker, cooked the chicken on the bottom with ribs on top. Basically the four meats on one Pro Q Excel. The temperature differential between the bottom and the top was just right. It worked.
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Thom,
How did the ribs turn out in your first use of the Excel? What are your thoughts / comments about it?
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AZ John
Do you use a Guru system?
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Thom,
How did the ribs turn out in your first use of the Excel? What are your thoughts / comments about it?
I am working on fire management with the XL
Building a extended burn charcoal basket is our next step
We are doing Carne Asada for my birthday today
Got a XL and a Frontier coming
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Thom,
How did the ribs turn out in your first use of the Excel? What are your thoughts / comments about it?
Personally, we think the Pro Q Excel 20 is a rib cooking machine. We use 2 stackers and cook 4-6 slabs on the top rack, nothing on the bottom rack.
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Crash you use Blue Bag always?
Do you just use the stock charcoal basket?
A Guru system?
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Crash you use Blue Bag always?
Do you just use the stock charcoal basket?
A Guru system?
Yes
Yes
Stoker
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all right then
What do you normally cook on the Frontier and what would you cook on the XL?
any difference? or just a size of the meats decision?
You can cook anything you want (size permitting) on either. But if I was only buying one it would be the excel, purely because it's bugger.
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AZ John
Do you use a Guru system?
No Guru/Stoker. Lump charcoal, minion method, stock Pro Q. It holds temp really well with only one vent barely cracked, the other two closed when it gets to temp. Sometimes I wish I used that instead of my Lang so I could get some sleep!
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AZJohnnyC,
That is my experience, also.
Thom, you have been over at the British BBQ Society forum. Did you see where a lot of them use a large clay saucer (one that would go under a planter) instead of water in the water pan? I haven't tried that yet, but those folks swear by it.
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I will check that site Thanks
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Just go to their forum and do a search for clay saucer or terracotta saucer.
Out of curiosity, does anyone here use a clay saucer, or anything other than water in their ProQ? Recently I have used sand in the water pan, about 1/3 full. But I have had some temperature spikes with that, so added just a little water to the pan also (I cover the sand with foil).
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We foil the pan and start cooking. No water, no liquid, no river rocks...nothing but a foiled, empty pan.
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I have a Pro Q Excel and a Frontier coming
Should be in this weekend
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I use a ProQ had a hard time with temps last cook though.
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Any idea why it was difficult to manage?
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Like Crash, I too use no water or anything in the water pan.
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Pan in place but no water
2 stackers
Blue Bag with topping of mesquite lump
1st place ribs last weekend (miracles do happen)
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Looking forward to cooking on this unit
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Pan in place but no water
2 stackers
Blue Bag with topping of mesquite lump
1st place ribs last weekend (miracles do happen)
You guys had a hell of run there.
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thanks,let's hope it turns into a run over the next 3 events.
by the way Thom, we don't have a stoker or guru for our ProQs. However, I only cook flats and smaller butts. the cookers hold temp fine for me up to around 8-9 hours.
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Thanks Marty
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Any idea why it was difficult to manage?
Probably too many lit coals
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Yea that would cause a runaway
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Got that Pro Q dialed in yet Thom? I love mine now that I got past that point.
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I have been catering out of the FECs of late
Hoping to get a weekend with nothing to do but cook
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"Hoping to get a weekend with nothing to do but cook"
That would be nice. Good luck with it!
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"Hoping to get a weekend with nothing to do but cook"
That would be nice. Good luck with it!
Indeed :)