BBQ Temperature Control

What did I learn in Kennesaw? I learned that I was still having heat control problems and "not enough space on the smoker" problems. I was using My Traeger Texas model BBQ075 and a Char-Broil Silver with a BBQ Guru and a 22.5" Weber kettle grill. Now... I have always said you can cook some pretty good BBQ on just about anything including a kettle grill, but doing it in a competition seems to be a different story. Those small smokers like the Char-Broil Silver and the Weber kettle grill are charcoal driven and they need almost constant attention. Good BBQ is all about keeping your smoker at the right temperature for the right amount of time and knowing when your meat is done correctly. If you can't easily keep a steady temperature in your smoker, your BBQ is not going to be the best it can be. If you are just smoking a few racks of spareribs in your back yard, these smokers are just fine. But at a competition when you are doing two (or more) things at once, you need something else.

That's why I went out and purchased a Cookshack Fast Eddy FEC100. This is the smoker that many of the best BBQ teams win competitions with. It's a vertical, insulated pellet smoker with lots of space. It keeps a very consistent temperature and recovers from opening the door within 5 minutes. We cooked the best brisket ever last weekend at the IBCA BBQ contest (Pigging Out for Habitat) in Springfield, GA and took 3rd place in brisket. Having all that space on the FEC100 allowed me to cook my chicken on the Traeger and we placed 4th in that category. I thought this was going to be a small contest with not a whole lot of competition, but I was surprised to find a lot of good teams there even though there were only 13 entries. Even Buster Davis was there from the Smokin AJ's BBQ team. His web site is www.smokinajs.com. If you need any catering done in the Augusta, GA area, give him a shout! Buster bought "Competition BBQ Secrets" a couple of years ago and had this to say about it...

"Just wanted to let you know what I bought your book a couple of weeks ago
and we did a competition on November 9/10. We placed 4th in Wings, 2nd in
shoulder/bb, and 3rd in From the Water Category. We used your book to the
letter. Word for word, step by step... I understand and thanks for the reply email
too… I forgot to mentioned the most important award too… After it was all said and
done, and the judges tallied up everyone's score, I walked away with GRAND CHAMPION.
I hope to have them uploaded to my site this evening. Not to mention the fact that I walked
away with a 1200.00 Bubba Grill as the reward. Sorry for not mentioning that."  
                  Thanks.. Buster

It was a tough little competition to say the least, and tropical storm Fay didn't help out any either - I had to get ready on Friday in a pouring down rain and high winds. The IBCA rules were a little different and that threw us for a loop, but I hope to do better next weekend at the KCBS contest at Boone Hall, SC. I'll be better prepared for that. I'm now set up for consistent temperatures... I'll do my butts, brisket, and ribs on the spacious FEC100. And I'll do my chicken on the Traeger since I like to cook chicken at a higher temperature for the first 30 minutes to tenderize the skin. I then lower the temperature for a low and slow finish. I need a separate smoker to do this. To read about my technique, visit www.bbqsuccess.com/rubbery-chicken-skin .

Did I mention I am also a dealer for the Cookshack FEC100? You can go here for all the specifications and pricing on this fantastic smoker... www.bbq-book.biz. And don't forget, the #1 indispensable tool for great BBQ is the Maverick ET-73 dual probe remote thermometer. You simply can't do it right without a few of these. How else are you going to know what temperature you are cooking at? And I'm talking about the temperature where the meat is - not in the lid of your smoker. And how are you going to know when your meat is done without knowing the internal temperature of the meat? Get one or two ET-73's at www.bbq-book.biz. And don't forget "Competition BBQ Secrets". You can get that in our BBQ store too!

Happy Labor Day... be sure to have a BBQ this weekend!

Bill Anderson
Chatham Artillery BBQ

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Barbecue Recipes - Competition BBQ Secrets book. Learn how to slow smoke meats right... mouth watering ribs, chicken, butts, and brisket.
Barbecue Food - Everything you ever wanted to know about barbecuing.
Barbecue Restaurant - All about barbecue restaurants and why the barbecue you cook yourself in your own back yard may be better than your local barbecue restaurant.
Atlanta Barbecue Catering - The best barbecue does not come from BBQ restaurants. It comes from BBQ competition teams. Call Pit Bulls Up in Smoke for your catering needs.
BBQ Recipes - Why slow smoked BBQ is better than grilled BBQ and how you can easily switch.
Barbeque Recipes - What ingredients go into great barbeque recipes. You would be surprised!
BBQ Smoker - What kind of BBQ smoker is best suited to your needs and budget?
Barbeque Smoker - Learn all about the Lang Model 60 traditional offset barbeque smoker.
Cooking Barbecue - Cooking chart for slow smoked meats.
Barbeque Grill - All about the Traeger Lil' Tex pellet smoker.
BBQ Grill - How to set up your Weber kettle BBQ grill for slow smoked success.
Char-Broil Silver - Review of the Char-Broil Silver BBQ smoker for $159 at Home Depot.
BBQ Sauce - a description of all the Regional BBQ Sauce Variations.
Barbecue Sauces - Different types of barbecue sauces and the top 3 winners in each category in NBBQA BBQ sauce contest.
Barbecue Ribs - The 3-1-1 method to slow smoke barbecue ribs.
BBQ Rib Types - What is the difference between spareribs, baby back ribs, loin ribs, and St Louis Style ribs?
Smoked Barbeque - How does altitude affect barbeque cooking temperatures?
Barbecue Forum - Should you use barbecue forums to learn how to cook competition quality brisket, ribs, chicken, & butts?
Smoked Turkey - How to smoke a turkey.
American Royal BBQ - 2007 results for the biggest BBQ contest in the world.
Cooking Barbecue - All about collagen, protein fibers, and fat.
Barbecue Wood - All about the different barbecue woods, how to use them, and the flavors that they impart.
Barbecue Smoker - A review of the Southern Yankee Barbecue Smokers.
Fast Eddy Smokers - Cookshack's FEC100 and some history about Fast Eddy Maurin.
Barbecue Sauces - Ole Ray's Barbecue Sauces.
Smoked Ham - How to smoke (reheat) a ham on your BBQ smoker.
BBQ Ribs Example Project - How to adjust BBQ ribs cooking in cooler temperatures.
BBQ Baked Beans - two great BBQ baked beans recipes and the Bush's Perfect Pair contest.
The BBQ Guru - a great blower device that digitally controls your pit temperature.
Cookshack FEC100 - The Cookshack Fast Eddy FEC100 and the importance of pit temperature control.
Boone Hall BBQ Contest - results of the 2008 Boone Hall BBQ Contest.
Smoked Brisket - Here are the rusults of several of my brisket practice runs.
Douglas, GA results - BBQ contest results & Smoked Turkey & Smoked Ham reminders.
Roasted Pig - Videos of roasted pig Filipino style on a bamboo spit - also called Lechon Baboy.
Grind Your Own Spices - Kick your rubs up a notch by grinding your own spices.
Pulled Pork - How to pull a Boston Butt the right way!
BBQ Bark - How to create great BBQ bark.
Wagyu Beef - Report on the 2009 Barnesville, GA BBQ contest and also a newsletter on Wagyu Beef.
Barbecue Turn In Boxes - a sneak peek at our "secret" turn in boxes.
Barbecue Ribs - Know when your ribs are done to perfection.
Barbecue Timeline - All about a barbecue contest timeline and why it is so important - also our Greenwood, SC pics.
Weber BBQ - If you are looking to buy a weber BBQ then you need to visit this site. The 22" Weber Smokey Mountain is great!
Stumps Smokers - BBQ Friends - Wiley's Championship BBQ, Stumps Smokers, Kennesaw Grand Championship, etc.
BBQ Smokers - A great source for BBQ smokers.
BBQ Judge Survey - Results from our BBQ judge survey, report on American Royal trip, and Myron Mixon's BBQ school.
Jack Daniels BBQ Contest - Pictures from the Jack Daniels BBQ Contest & Degaque BBQ Contest 2009.
Weight Loss Shakes - If any of you need to lose weight fast, check out these delicious weight loss shakes.
Barbecue Videos - detailed videos of how we won 4 Grand Championships in 2009 - BarbecueCoach.com
Barbecue Judging - Suggestions on how to improve barbecue judging.
Learning Barbecue - Learn how to barbecue the right way.
BBQ Gremlins - How to prepare for those pesky BBQ gremlins.
BBQ Contest Scores - Why it is important to evaluate your BBQ contest score sheets - also Tryon, NC video.
Daytona BBQ Contest - Review of the Smoke on the Water Florida State BBQ Championship.
Lang 60 Barbecue Smoker - Overview of the Lang 60 Barbecue Pit Smoker.
Dillard, GA Bluegrass & Barbecue Festival review
BBQ Glazes and results from Amelia Island, FL and Kennesw, GA pictures.
BBQ Logos & Banners - Thes two guys can get your BBQ logos designed and printed fast.
Lake Oconee BBQ & Blues Festival review.
BBQ Smokers - a more comprehensive overview of different BBQ smoker types.
When is chicken done? - A review on how to know when your chicken, ribs, pork butts, and brisket is done.
Smoked Meatloaf - A video on how to smoke a meatlof.
Roasted Pig on a Spit - This is the best whole hog I have ever tasted - Cajun style.
Boss Hog Cookoff - Waynesboro, GA video
Future Legends of BBQ - A great Kids Q BBQ contest.
Berkshire Pork - My search for better pork.
BBQ Injector - A neat BBQ injector and videos from Dillard, GA and Tryon, NC.
Buying Pork - Tips from an insider on how to buy better pork.
Barbecued Oysters - not cold smoked or grilled.
Barbecue Contest Survey - A very informative survey on the future of BBQ Contests.
Barbecue Sausage - Learn the secrets to hot smoked fresh barbecue sausage (not cured or cold smoked).
Easy BBQ Ribs - How to cook easy BBQ ribs without foiling.

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