Backyard BBQ for a dummy!

[NYC Mike]

Hi All,

As I posted here I am on the verge of having a backyard for the first time in my life and I want to own a BBQ.

I have eaten lots of BBQ, even been to friends homes who have BBQed, I even owned a habachi for fire escape BBQing until my landlord threatened to have me and it removed forcefully. But, when it comes to the real deal, i'm clueless.

Is there a book for dummies or a site to help me choose equitment etc? Recommend some?

I'd like to start out small, charcoal only, no lighter fluid if I can help it. Will want to do steaks, burgers, pork of all kind, dogs etc for a family of 5.

Thanks!

-Mike

[highchef]

I'd suggest a weber kettle. It's the perfect charcoal grill imo. ashpan, top and bottom vents and plenty of room. To start charcoal without fluid use a chimney...available literally anywhere, they even had them at albertson's this summer.

Try this (has directions for everything) and this for starters.

When you're ready for a cookbook, like him or not, Bobby Flay knows how to grill and has written more that one cookbook on the subject.

Have Fun!

btw, I grill a lot, if you get some cool recipes please share!

[lancastermike]

A basic kettle style grill and a big chimney starter are all you need to do lots of things. A good solid pair of tongs and a long handled metal spatula are nice as well.

And I think plain old Kingsford is fine. If you study this subject you will finds lots of talk about lump charcoal. It is wonderful stuff, but can be finicky.

[highchef]

A basic kettle style grill and a big chimney starter are all you need to do lots of things.  A good solid pair of tongs and a long handled metal spatula are nice as well.

And I think plain old Kingsford is fine.  If you study this subject you will finds lots of talk about lump charcoal. It is wonderful stuff, but can be finicky.

←

Great minds.....

[NYC Mike]

Sweet, thanks guys! Everything I need to get started!

[Jason Perlow]

I have eaten lots of BBQ, even been to friends homes who have BBQed, I even owned a habachi for fire escape BBQing until my landlord threatened to have me and it removed forcefully. But, when it comes to the real deal, i'm clueless.

Okay, but be aware that a Hibachi or a Weber grill is not "BBQ". It's OUTDOOR GRILLING. Which is one of my favorite things in the world to do, but lets call it what it is.

"BBQ" like you would get at a barbecue restaurant requires low temp and slow cooking over hardwood and fruit wood smoke. Totally different animal.

For books I reccomend The Big Book Of Outdoor Grilling and Entertaining. They did a few of the BBQ seminars/demos at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party and are very knowledgeable. The book covers traditional, low temperatrure 'Q and also outdoor grilling methods. Its over 500 pages long and has TONS of stuff.

Edited July 13, 2006 by Jason Perlow (log)

[carpetbagger, esq.]

there are a ton of online resources that you can check out. in addition to the ones listed above, check out raichlen's website and the bbq news forum.. from there, you can get plenty of help on equipment and techniques. if you're looking to pick up a book or two to have nearby at all times, raichlen's books (such as how to grill, the bbq bible and bbq usa) are all worthwhile additions. i've particularly found the bbq usa book to be incredibly valuable.

as for equipment, that will be dictated in large part by budget. if you're going at it on the cheap, you can't beat the small weber kettle and an ecb (el cheapo brinkmann) water smoker combo. while i have the small 18" weber, and it would be fine for burgers and hot dogs for a family of five, i would definitely recommend moving up to the 22" model for the extra real estate. the basic (silver line) one is fine, you don't need to move up to the higher end that has the ash pan. i just use a pie plate to collect the ash. no point in spending 50 bucks or so to move up to the gold line, imho. fyi, the silver one touch webers are roughly $65 for the 18" and $80 for the 22". if you go gold, then the 22 is about $130. the ecb water smoker is a simple vertical/keg style smoker with 2 racks and can hold about 50lbs worth of food. you can get them for about $50 at lowe's. the only mod that you absolutely need to do to it is add a real thermometer. charbroil makes a replacement thermometer that is $10. it's too small to fit in the brinkmann thermometer hole, so just drill a 1/4" hole in the lid and push it in. works fine. i have pics if you need them. the combo listed above would only set you back about $130 and allow you to grill or smoke just about anything. the ecb can also be used as a grill, if you wind up needing more space.

if you want to move up, pricewise, most people get (and love) the weber smoky mountain (wsm) smoker. it's about $250 and is considered the best lower priced smoker out there. one nice benefit of the wsm is that it has a better ventilation , system than the ecb. you can mod the ecb to have more vents, but with the wsm, you are good to go. the wsm will also hold a temp longer. the ecb's can be kinda tempermental when it comes to fire control.

as for fuel, plain ol' kingsford works fine. while some people love lump, it can be tricky as it can run hot and not burn uniformly. definitely get a chimney. as for woods, places like wal mart and kroger will have wood chips and wood chunks - but probably will only carry hickory and mesquite. if you want pecan, peach or apple, you're going to have to go to a grill shop or find a farm that sells wood (or hit up lan4dawg).

a source you may want to check out is bbq galore. they have an alpharetta store. you can get your 22" weber, ecb (or wsm), a chimney, some wood and a raichlen book or two all in one stop. i've heard there's also room to negotiate at bbq galore, so you might be able to work down the price a bit based on the size of your purchase.

oh, one last thing...one event you might want to put on your calendar is the big pig jig in vienna. it's one of the more well known bbq events, and you can probably chat up someone and pick up a secret or two.

good luck with it all.

eta: i forgot to mention that there is also a rotisserie attachment available for the 22" weber.

Edited July 13, 2006 by carpetbagger, esq. (log)

[NYC Mike]

Thanks for all the great info! Especially that Big Pig Jig link!

I will be making a trip to that local store one of my first stops!

-Mike

[lancastermike]

I have eaten lots of BBQ, even been to friends homes who have BBQed, I even owned a habachi for fire escape BBQing until my landlord threatened to have me and it removed forcefully. But, when it comes to the real deal, i'm clueless.

Okay, but be aware that a Hibachi or a Weber grill is not "BBQ". It's OUTDOOR GRILLING. Which is one of my favorite things in the world to do, but lets call it what it is.

"BBQ" like you would get at a barbecue restaurant requires low temp and slow cooking over hardwood and fruit wood smoke. Totally different animal.

For books I reccomend The Big Book Of Outdoor Grilling and Entertaining. They did a few of the BBQ seminars/demos at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party and are very knowledgeable. The book covers traditional, low temperatrure 'Q and also outdoor grilling methods. Its over 500 pages long and has TONS of stuff.

←

I will run for cover when Susan reads this, Jason. She makes wonderful BBQ using her trusty Weber kettle. Some of us have tried to talk her into a WSM to no avail. You CAN do some smoking with a kettle, but it is a learned technique

[Jason Perlow]

I have eaten lots of BBQ, even been to friends homes who have BBQed, I even owned a habachi for fire escape BBQing until my landlord threatened to have me and it removed forcefully. But, when it comes to the real deal, i'm clueless.

Okay, but be aware that a Hibachi or a Weber grill is not "BBQ". It's OUTDOOR GRILLING. Which is one of my favorite things in the world to do, but lets call it what it is.

"BBQ" like you would get at a barbecue restaurant requires low temp and slow cooking over hardwood and fruit wood smoke. Totally different animal.

For books I reccomend The Big Book Of Outdoor Grilling and Entertaining. They did a few of the BBQ seminars/demos at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party and are very knowledgeable. The book covers traditional, low temperatrure 'Q and also outdoor grilling methods. Its over 500 pages long and has TONS of stuff.

←

I will run for cover when Susan reads this, Jason. She makes wonderful BBQ using her trusty Weber kettle. Some of us have tried to talk her into a WSM to no avail. You CAN do some smoking with a kettle, but it is a learned technique

←

Yes, you can, but that's not what the Kettle was designed for, obviously.

[Dave the Cook]

If you want to do both smoking and grilling, it's worth checking this out. If you run down to the Kroger where you lost your kids, there's a good chance you'll find one (the grill, not one of the kids), fully assembled, for $100. It's a tiny bit less sturdy than a Weber, but it's more versatile (unless you're snowangel), and has some nice touches like height adjustment, cast-iron grates, a huge cooking surface, and the ability to hot-smoke and grill at the the same time.

[Toliver]

With as much BBQ'ing that goes on around here, I'm surprised there hasn't been an eGCI class on the basics of Q'in' and/or grilling (aside from col klink's meat smoking class).

[snowangel]

Ahem. Time the Kettle Queen chimed in. My Weber Kettle One-Touch (22" version) is 25 years old and going strong. I can grill, and I can smoke on this thing, like a pro, and have taught many other's to do so. This piece of equipment is almost indestructable -- it has spent 25 winters sitting on a Minnesota patio or deck. We have replaced the wood handles (I think they now have plastic handles) and we did need to replace the damper inside this summer ($9.95; the wood for the handles was "inventory" in the garage as were the screws).

I use a chimney and Kingsford. I can get the temp inside this baby down to about 160 degrees and can go very high. Oh, and I did break down, once I started smoking meat and got a hinged grate, which made it much, much easier to add charcoal and wood.

Should you be interested in smoking meat, please check out these topics:

Smoking Meat at Home (there is an accompanying Q & A).

Smokin' Brisket

Ribs -- Baby Back and Spare

And my personal favorite -- Behold My Butt. This one will make you run -- not walk -- to get a Weber Kettle and a big ass bone-in butt.

Just go and buy a Kettle! (Weber really should pay me!)

[Jason Perlow]

No offense Susan, but I don't reccomend that mere mortals use a Weber kettle to make 'Q with unless they have a great deal of experience learning how to maintain smoking temperatures on the thing (220-240 degrees F).

Yes, Weber kettles are awesome to grill with. Yes, you can smoke on them - IF you know what the hell you are doing. Be it as it may, there are a lot easier rigs to smoke on, the Smokey Mountain being one of them.

[Daddy-A]

Just go and buy a Kettle!  (Weber really should pay me!)

←

You mean they don't?

No offense Susan, but I don't reccomend that mere mortals use a Weber kettle to make 'Q with unless they have a great deal of experience learning how to maintain smoking temperatures on the thing (220-240 degrees F).

That was my first thought too Jason. Granted, I'm a self-confessed Bullet-head so I may be as biased to the WSM as Susan is to her kettle. Bottom line ... for idiot-proof smoking (and I oughta know), the WSM is the way to go. In a pinch, you can also use it for regular grilling.

A.

[Marlene]

I agree. For a novice smoker, the WSM is pretty foolproof. (yes Susan, we know you love your kettle!). I love my WSM too.

[snowangel]

Before I get off my high horse, I will say that either the unit to which Dave linked or the Kettle are the most versatile choices out there. Do not consider gas. Please.

And, as to the learning curve on the Weber, the first thing I ever smoked was a butt right after Klink's course appeared here. I had no trouble keeping the temp down. And, I have just coached three Weber Kettle virgins through very successful inaugural smoking butt experiences via phone (for two of them) and via PM, so it's not that hard.

[Jason Perlow]

Giving a Weber Kettle to a beginner to learn how to smoke 'Q is like giving an 1925 pump-action La Pavoni to an ameteur learning how to pull espresso shots. Or learning to drive stick shift for the first time on a 1978 Porsche 911. It's doable, but not reccomended.

Edited July 13, 2006 by Jason Perlow (log)

[Stu-i-moto]

I have a charcoal weber kettle with LP starter, which has served me just fine for many years. I have successfully made "slow & low" BBQ ribs, brisket and pork shoulder on it. The good thing is that you can cook with less fuel, but you are going to be limited to less than half the surface area (because your fire will be on the other side). If it's weber, you should also add a drip pan filled with water so your meat doesn't dry out -

I also have a BBQ pit with an offset firebox. This is the "official" competition-style BBQ. Be aware that these are designed specifically for slow & low cooking, so you will have a tough time getting the temp up very high (beyond 350 degrees - you BBQ at 225-250 degrees). You will also use a lot more fuel than a weber. but the results will be more reliably good.

weber's "The Art of the Grill" is the only BBQ-specific cookbook I use. it's great - and every recipe has a picture, which I like.

[lancastermike]

Ahem.  Time the Kettle Queen chimed in.  My Weber Kettle One-Touch (22" version) is 25 years old and going strong.  I can grill, and I can smoke on this thing, like a pro, and have taught many other's to do so.  This piece of equipment is almost indestructable -- it has spent 25 winters sitting on a Minnesota patio or deck.  We have replaced the wood handles (I think they now have plastic handles) and we did need to replace the damper inside this summer ($9.95; the wood for the handles was "inventory" in the garage as were the screws).

I use a chimney and Kingsford.  I can get the temp inside this baby down to about 160 degrees and can go very high.  Oh, and I did break down, once I started smoking meat and got a hinged grate, which made it much, much easier to add charcoal and wood.

Should you be interested in smoking meat, please check out these topics:

Smoking Meat at Home (there is an accompanying Q & A).

Smokin' Brisket

Ribs -- Baby Back and Spare

And my personal favorite -- Behold My Butt.  This one will make you run -- not walk -- to get a Weber Kettle and a big ass bone-in butt.

Just go and buy a Kettle!  (Weber really should pay me!)

←

I tried to warn them, Susan

Edited July 13, 2006 by lancastermike (log)

[Behemoth]

Before I get off my high horse, I will say that either the unit to which Dave linked or the Kettle are the most versatile choices out there.  Do not consider gas.  Please.

And, as to the learning curve on the Weber, the first thing I ever smoked was a butt right after Klink's course appeared here.  I had no trouble keeping the temp down.  And, I have just coached three Weber Kettle virgins through very successful inaugural smoking butt experiences via phone (for two of them) and via PM, so it's not that hard.

←

I learned to BBQ ribs on a Weber kettle. For basic instructions I used Steve Reichul's (sp?) book, in which the recipes almost seems to have the weber grill in mind. Ronnie Suburban's suggestion of using a cork to hold the thermometer in place was really genius.

Edited July 14, 2006 by Behemoth (log)

[NYC Mike]

With as much BBQ'ing that goes on around here, I'm surprised there hasn't been an eGCI class on the basics of Q'in' and/or grilling (aside from col klink's meat smoking class).

←

That was my first thought too!!!

[Luckylies]

Buy a wsm. If you live in manhattan, I'll come over, help you set it up, and...eat all your meat. Deal?

No, really, if you're thinking of smoking (which you should be) you can pm me for city smoking advice or to come over and check out my rigs ( )

[Daddy-A]

Giving a Weber Kettle to a beginner to learn how to smoke 'Q is like giving an 1925 pump-action La Pavoni to an ameteur learning how to pull espresso shots. Or learning to drive stick shift for the first time on a 1978 Porsche 911. It's doable, but not reccomended.

←

I'd be willing to try either!

A.

[msphoebe]

I found this demo video on Weber's website, to be extremely helpful. http://www.weber.com/bbq/pub/grill/accesso...er/default.aspx

I have used a Weber kettle grill for nearly 30 years, and consider it a first-rate piece of equipment. It's all in the technique.

Now, if you want to enter competitions, or if you want to smoke meat for 24 hours at a time, you should consider other types of equipment. But for backyard smoking/grilling, you can't go wrong with the Weber kettle grill.