Granettalia Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Hey, Always had an interest in being able to cook properly and safely on bbq's but always got what I thought looked fun to buy but was often badly manufactured cheap supermarket that didnt last much more than 1/2 summers thinking it was an ok investment. With all this not working going on I have been watching too much youtube and online stuff and it convinced me that buying a good quality item which I can cook a piece of meat on every weekend where I can use my meat for a few days is the way I am going to live... So looking into smokers and knowing the space I have I have gone and ordered a ProQ frontier... which arrived extremely quick. Minor issue with one leg which I have already messaged them via their website but not expecting any response till after the bank holidays. It is however usable so I did light up a fire just to have a go and actually cooked some salmon fillets in it for my dinner... Tomorrow (if the weather holds) a chicken will be going in it. I am trying to decide if an electronic temperature controller is a worthwhile investment plus struggling to source good quality fuel/wood right now. Anyway I will keep you all updated on my future learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, Granettalia said: PS sorry I appear to have posted this in the wrong place and cant delete. Hi Granettalia & welcome to the forum....no problems with where you have posted. You'll love your ProQ I have the same model, check the ProQ section on the forum as it's has loads of info you may want to read up on using sand in stead of water in the pan... A temp controller is a handy thing to have but to start off I wouldn't bother for now. If you do your chicken today try doing it spachcock, it won't take as long and will cook evenly. Ice. Edited April 11, 2020 by Icefever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granettalia Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 2 hours ago, Icefever said: If you do your chicken today try doing it spachcock, it won't take as long and will cook evenly. Chicken Spatchcocked and fire is lit hoping for a late lunch chuck. I think I may see if I cant find a bag of sand in the coming week on one of my shopping trips. They often have stuff like that in places still open around here. I suppose half the fun of something like this is experimenting and learning. Basic electronic thermometer ordered off amazon to make life easier as I am not convinced my current effort is accurate enough (like even close to right)... Have prewarned my local butcher and he has told me to phone and preorder anything. One question I do have - I like to slow roast on the bone pork shoulder in the oven but all the things I see on youtube etc (mainly american obviously) they are boned. Is cooking something like pork or even lamb normally done off the bone in something like a smoker or is on the bone ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Hi Granettalia, once again, welcome to the Forum. I have moved this thread it to Roll Call for you. Looking forward to seeing the Chicken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 42 minutes ago, Granettalia said: is on the bone ok? Yes it is, I was told by an old chef that having the bone in helps to transfer the heat into the joint, much like using a skewer in a baked spud.... Let us know how your chuck turns out...any photo?? Ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granettalia Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 I was always taught having bone in helps flavour, moisture and even heat in a old fashioned roast... Plus the dog would enjoy it im sure. Chuck has just gone on I am just praying to the BBQ gods now that she turns out ok. Really think sand is the way forward looking at the various articles and the fact my pan is already low on water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 2 hours ago, Granettalia said: Really think sand is the way forward looking at the various articles and the fact my pan is already low on water. You've found that out yourself...😂..topping the water has to be done, while sand just sits there. If you do buy a bag of sand lay tin foil over the sand to catch any drips from the food, that keeps the sand clean. 👍. Ice. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoogl Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 Hi and On 4/11/2020 at 7:59 AM, Icefever said: A temp controller is a handy thing to have but to start off I wouldn't bother for now. I agree, i'm a believer in learning the ropes with a smoker without any mods/atc then once you learn how to adjust you may find you do not need or decide to still get one to make things easier/more consistent. either is fine. I think the only rule we can all agree on is lots of pics/vids and recipes to be shared. 😁 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granettalia Posted April 14, 2020 Author Share Posted April 14, 2020 So.... I am struggling to get a decent temp from my proq.... not sure if its the cheap briquettes I am having to use currently as thats all that is available or my technique but it smoked a chicken nicely which I finished in the oven to be safe. Its getting to about 80/90 on the top shelf but struggling to get higher... It could be having to use water as again sand is nowhere to be found right now in a shop anyway and everywhere online is expensive and slow delivery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 28 minutes ago, Granettalia said: It could be having to use water as again sand is nowhere to be found right now in a shop anyway and everywhere online is expensive and slow delivery. Try it with out water, will not harm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granettalia Posted April 14, 2020 Author Share Posted April 14, 2020 11 minutes ago, Smokin Monkey said: Try it with out water, will not harm! Yeh I am guessing the pan just works as a heat deflector then. I know it ran out of water on saturday so the temp jumped up. My cheap electronic thermometer off amazon that has Bluetooth arrive today so I am now able to leave it alone and do its thing without stressing as much. I think I will order some heat beads off t'internet as they do seem to be the briquettes of choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 11 hours ago, Granettalia said: Yeh I am guessing the pan just works as a heat deflector then. Spot on...sort of evens the temp out, but has you found out it does need a refill....😉...as @Smokin Monkey said try without the pan, it's a learning curve. 11 hours ago, Granettalia said: I think I will order some heat beads off t'internet as they do seem to be the briquettes of choice. Don't rush into buying heat beads just yet, the ProQ is new to you, your getting to know it, they all have their funny ways at times. If you change too many things, water, no water, sand, no sand, charcoal one cook, briquettes another, you won't know at what point why you had the perfect cook. What was it that give you the perfect rack of ribs?? where as if you change one item at a time and record it in a note book then you have something to work back on. I started with bog standard charcoal, went through most bbq fuels on the market, briquettes, heat beads, coco blocks, then finished up back where I started with charcoal, but I do buy resturant quilty. 👍. Ice. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotv Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 (edited) Hi Granettalia Couple of things that may or may not be relevant with your new ProQ from my experiences, almost any new smoker takes a few cooks to settle it down, seal the joints, doors etc with a mixture of heat/grease/soot/smoke/moisture known as seasoning where heat can escape, till a sufficient amount has built up inside and can help with heat retention I always found the ProQ pretty good at holding 225F on a windless warm day, but if the outside temp was cool or especially windy then the temps could become cooler than 225F, if you have a sheltered spot that can help maintain a steady temp in those sort of conditions. I used to use builders sand but things aren't so easy to find at the moment but some Argos stores have 15KG of play sand for £5 that you can pick up instore if you have a local one with stock? as a good alternative for now. As Ice as said give 4-5 cooks each with sand and water to compare, make notes on weather, any noticeable, temp fluctuations, fuel used, waterpan contents etc to give you an idea what works best for you. The positioning of vents can be very important and although once you find a good position for 225F for them and keep to it, you may need to change them if the weather is very different to a calm and sunny day. You'll get there and a method soon enough. Edited April 15, 2020 by sotv 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 On 4/11/2020 at 11:04 AM, Granettalia said: I was always taught having bone in helps flavour, moisture and even heat in a old fashioned roast... Plus the dog would enjoy it im sure. Chuck has just gone on I am just praying to the BBQ gods now that she turns out ok. Really think sand is the way forward looking at the various articles and the fact my pan is already low on water. Yes, it is primarily for flavour that the bone is left in while cooking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 13 hours ago, Granettalia said: Yeh I am guessing the pan just works as a heat deflector then. I know it ran out of water on saturday so the temp jumped up. My cheap electronic thermometer off amazon that has Bluetooth arrive today so I am now able to leave it alone and do its thing without stressing as much. I think I will order some heat beads off t'internet as they do seem to be the briquettes of choice. Heat Beads will give you a longer smoke than a lot of BBQ briquettes - but I agree with @Icefever - Use the briquettes that you have to learn on as spatchcock chicken is a quick cook. A couple of tips to try to get the temperature up and stable Use the Minion method for your charcoal. Below is a photo of it in a ProQ. As you are having a little difficulty getting the temperature up make the centre well of lit briquettes larger - but beware that the temperature may quickly overshoot. The mix of wood chunk and pellets is just to show that you can use either - just choose one type Place the smoker in a sheltered place. A cool breeze will quickly cool the smoker Open both the bottom AND THE TOP vents fully. The temperature is reliant on the flow of air through the smoker. Without the top vents even partially closed the air flow will be restricted and the temperature will not rise - or may even drop. Some people think that by closing down the top vent it will keep more heat in - but it actually has the opposite effect. Once you have got the temperature control mastered then you can then start to use the top vents to fine tune. As has been said above, Do not use water in the bowl. Water is fine but it also absorbs energy as the water evaporates and turns to steam. If you want to use water in the bowl, limit it to low-and-slow cooks where you are trying to maintain a temperature of ~110-120 C. Sand is best as it absorbs the heat spikes and smooths the heat troughs. If you cannot find play pit sand then you can used well washed sharp sand. Alternatively you can use the empty bowl - lining it with foil is usually a good idea to help with cleaning afterwards. Monitor the temperature regularly and when it gets to about 3/4 of target temperature begin to close down the bottom vents. Keep the top vents open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 (edited) Weber briquettes easy to get 18 hours out of my wsm on that using minion method like in the picture above When using water the level of water (in the foil lined bowl) makes a difference, half a bowl higher temp than a full bowl, not sure what the equation is. The weber smoking books explain what to do in each recipe. I find it ok to to top up fromthe kettle so there is not too much a dip in temps. I have in the past had the sparge kettle (read tea urn) with tube like i do in home brew I can feed water in to the bowl real easy through a tube when I need to at 90 to 95 degress Edited April 15, 2020 by Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granettalia Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share Posted April 15, 2020 Thank you for your feedback everyone. It is all a learning curve so I will get there eventually. Not buying expensive meat to put on it until I am feeling more confident 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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