1st cook on the Fleetwood 26

[Travis]

Tonight we did the maiden voyage on my gifted Fleetwood. Thanks again MadMax.

I decided to burn lump in tonight because trying to clean all the kbb ash out of it was not fun. This is my first cooker with the 3 daisy wheels and it is definitely not as easy as the the newer one touch system, so I'll be burning lump for now. This is the setup for tonight's cook





I was shooting for a low to medium heat and was trying addicted to smokes suggestion of just using the bottom vents and leaving the top open, so I had all 3 bottom vents about 1/2 closed. I tweeked them once during the cook and she ran about 325 for the 2 hour cook... Perfectly

Here's the meat and taters. I seasoned the pork with steak seasoning and rubbed the taters with oil and salted them for a crisp skin.





Put them on with a chunk of Apple. Look at the freaking room!!

Pulled the potatoes off when they were done. Pork was still cooking, so I put on the broccoli over direct low medium heat as well as 2 thin strips of bacon cut in half.



Here's my ingredients for my twice bake potato. I'm sure a lot of you already do these, but here's mine for the new guys.



I cut the top third off and using a spoon, fruit baller or in my case a measuring spoon scoop out the middle, leaving an edge so it doesn't fall apart.





Put in your ingredients and mix them up with a fork or whatever's handy. I just go by site and then season to taste before I fill the spud back in. (That's my favorite part).



Fill in the spud, heaping, and top with more sharp cheddar and a pinch more of pepper. Then back on the grill. Your basically just melting the cheese and warming it all for 5-10 minutes. No real guidelines.



Look at the freaking room!! I was thinking the whole time of all the other stuff I could put on this Fleetwood.



The steak was probing very easy at this point. I didn't get an internal because I knew it was done. I was just letting it go.

Broccoli's done, twice baked done, pork steak move over direct for just a quick sear, then pulled off together.

All in all it was about 1 1/2-2 hour cook at a low to medium heat for the duration.

I'm not good at plated pics though because we have small kids and enough damn dishes all the time, so these are served "Dad style".







I am amazed at the room of the Fleetwood and how well she cooks. For a 40+ year old grill, she standing tall!

Thanks fella's!




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[Jon]

That's a great plate. Love that old kettle.

[MrHoss]

I take baskets apart to get parts to protect the bowl from direct heat too. 26er's are a hoot. Do enjoy dude.

[Travis]

I take baskets apart to get parts to protect the bowl from direct heat too. 26er's are a hoot. Do enjoy dude.

I had read that in a thread here when guys were talking about the slow and sear and using different options. Hell, may have been you, Hoss! I had a couple used up ones hanging around so here we are! They work though, right!


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[myron]

that looks delicious!

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[Bbqmiller]

Nice looking meal! I have never done twice baked potatoes but i will definitely be doing these soon. It is great seeing these old cookers breathing fire again.

[haeffb]

Good looking meal there, and great photos.

[MacEggs]

Impressive cook-up , and plate-up!  Great restore, too.

I like the method of only cutting about a third off of the tater.
I have always cut them in half.  Will have to try what you did.  Looks better. 

[crowderjd]

That looks awesome!  Congrats on that beautiful grill, I love my fleetwood as well.  I may have missed it, but where did you find grates?  I know you had been looking for them.

[Travis]

That looks awesome!  Congrats on that beautiful grill, I love my fleetwood as well.  I may have missed it, but where did you find grates?  I know you had been looking for them.

It had the grill grate, but was missing the charcoal grate. I talked with Weber c/s and we found that the 22" wsm charcoal grate would fit. The newer 26r grate wouldn't work. I didn't even get into the grill grate. I don't know if they would work or not, but they're $80.

How you diggin that pretty imperial blue? Imperial, right? Man, that cooker is beautiful!


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[WNC]

Nic ecook Travis!

Every time I see that Fleetwood I'm impressed with how you brought it back to life!

Great looking cook and grill!