Today's Cook: 26 Maiden Voyage.

[G$]

The purpose of todays cooking was two fold:

1) Clean the charcoal grate on the 26 through some high heat.
2) play around just a bit with it's fire control.

I loaded a chimney with some Kingsford (for cost), some lump (because I needed some extra heat) and some pecan shell briq (because I need to get rid of it).  Here it is almost ready to dump.



Notice the stubborn lid gunk and some at the top of the bowl.  This was a strangely tough kettle to clean.

I am playing around with some configurations.  Here is how I started out:


It quickly settled at 500 according to the top thermometer.  I think tha ttherm reads just slightly high.


While I was burning off the grate, I used my "indirect inverted grate" method to cook some cheesy bread and pizza:



It was good!    More updates to come.....

[G$]

After the pizza, I brushed the 26er's grate, and oiled it, and pronounced it clean.   I then dialed down the vents and waited for the tempt to drop to 300.

Next up, a couple fatties:



These need about 30 more minutes, but who doesn't love meat stalagmites?

[Thin Blue Smoke]

Oh, that looks fun. A tasty way to break in a kettle. Were you just using the WSM ring to bank the coals against? 

[G$]

Appropriate breaks and hydration performed.  I hope you can see the frost on the bottle in this picture.  The minifridge to  freezer compartment to consumption  process was working efficiently today:

[G$]

After the fatties were done, I let the coals burn a bit more, and then consolidated them to prepare the large snake for the evening cook. 

To answer your question TBS, yes, the ring was used to bank coals against initially, and then to help build the snake you see below.  It JUST sits below the cooking grate.




Perfect Temp for cooking some whole chickens.  And this is a good shot to examine the handle condition when I stopped tweaking it for fear of permanent damage:

[jcnaz]

She is beautiful. I must have one.

[Chasing_smoke]

That's a good workout for the new 26 G$! Can't wait to see the chicken pics. Looks like plenty of room to play with on that grill.


 "my kettle is more powerful it will do almost anything."

[G$]

Next was the sunset. I can not take credit for that.

[G$]

Things got busy.  Hard to see, but that is two whole chickens on the left.  A bag of grilled carrots.  5 Zuchinni. and 12 Garlic Bread slices.  It fits with room to spare.



Over cooked the chicken just a little bit.   Was still a  successful day.  I just might do it again.

[Aawa]

Man you put that kettle through the paces!

Great looking pictures

[MacEggs]

I agree .. great pics!  Man, that thing can do a motherload, eh?!? 

[Craig]

I want a 26"er down the road for sure. So much stuff you can fit on those. Awesome looking meals!

[G$]

Had some more testing today.  I am making smoked chile, so the first step was to season a couple chuck roasts:




Here they are right before my "first flip":



I am using the stoker probes to measure some temperatures today.  The first shot is of course the dome thermometer.  The second is a probe at grate level very near the meat and away from the burn spot in the charcoal snake.  The two have been tracking about 90 degrees Fahrenheit different when used in this manner.  Not a 'problem", but I thing I need to know.

[G$]

Here is the chuck, after cubing.



I took it off "early", about 170 internal, so it could chop it and finish it in the chile.  Here is the chile.

[G$]

Ribs are sauced with about an hour to go to set the sauce.   Beans are on.    Almost done for the weekend!