Weber Kettle Club Forums

Cooking & Food Talk => Charcoal Grilling & BBQ => Topic started by: Travis on March 04, 2017, 01:11:39 PM

Title: First experience for catering
Post by: Travis on March 04, 2017, 01:11:39 PM
Today was the day of the wine party at my bride's work. What it ended up being was a wine club appreciation deal. So club members could come and receive a free meal and some drinks for being a member.
There ended up being around 400 people. Brats, hotdogs and skewered veggies were on the menu.
So, this was the first time I ever ran a big stick burner. I brought along my Fleetwood and a 22" for searing. Would have been awesome to have a ranch or another 26" for that part, but we made it work just fine. Next time, I might have to ask @BobBq next time to borrow his.
Anyways, what a fun experience! I loved running that stick burner. I was going back and forth between searing off food, getting it on the smoker and then into the beer bath. Once you get these big offsets hot, they stay hot. So easy to run. Much easier than the big box store offsets.
It was a nice feeling as folks were coming up saying how good it smelled and how good the food was. It was a good day.
This place would have been right up your alley @Cellar2ful. It was beautiful and I saw this bottle opener and thought of you. It probably weighed 10 lbs.
I didn't get a ton of pictures, but I did snap a few. Nothing big, but a great experience and opportunity. This is something my bride and I want to get into for ourselves someday.


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How cool is this bottle opener, Jim. Sucker is heavy!

Have a good one fella's!!


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Title: First experience for catering
Post by: kemmons on March 04, 2017, 01:34:26 PM
Badass Travis!  Whatwinery is that? I head out Augusta way a couple times of year.  Thank god they al have breweries now [emoji482][emoji481]


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: Travis on March 04, 2017, 01:41:07 PM
@kemmons  That's Graftonwinery. They have their own brew house too. It was their beer (stout) that we simmered the brats in. Come over and check it out sometime. I'll buy ya a beer!


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: HoosierKettle on March 04, 2017, 02:22:42 PM
Fantastic bro. Looks like it was awesome.  Was that the first time you used that big offset?  Hats off to you and your bride. [emoji106]


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: Travis on March 04, 2017, 02:34:55 PM
@Hoosierkettle Thanks man. Yes, that was my first cook on that offset. They are very easy to maintain once they get hot.


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: kemmons on March 04, 2017, 02:39:13 PM

@kemmons  That's Graftonwinery. They have their own brew house too. It was their beer (stout) that we simmered the brats in. Come over and check it out sometime. I'll buy ya a beer!


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That sounds like a plan!  I've actually been thinking about an STL meetup.  Think it would be a good time. 


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: kettlebb on March 04, 2017, 02:52:03 PM
@Travis looks like everyone had a great time and ate really well. Thanks for sharing. You did an awesome job!


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: Travis on March 04, 2017, 02:54:40 PM
@kettlebb Thanks brother. I appreciate it. I think the best part was that my bride and I got to do this together. We really worked well together.


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: greenweb on March 04, 2017, 03:08:27 PM
Looks like a success!  A beautiful day in a  tranquil setting. Great job! to both of you. It looks like everyone enjoyed the day. Mission accomplished.  :)
Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: Travis on March 04, 2017, 03:11:21 PM
Thanks @greenweb ! It was a great day


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: haeffb on March 04, 2017, 03:38:36 PM
Looks like a great time! Way to go, @Travis.
Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: Travis on March 04, 2017, 03:55:27 PM
Looks like a great time! Way to go, @Travis.
Thanks Brian!


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: varekai on March 04, 2017, 08:53:39 PM
Looks like the 2 of you had a great time and it looks like the weather was good, GREAT JOB  @Travis
Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: Cellar2ful on March 04, 2017, 09:04:55 PM

Props to you @Travis. Takes guts to take on cooking for 400 people and if that's not enough, throw in the fact you cooked on a unfamiliar grill.  Glad it all turned out Ok. Looked like a bunch of happy folks. You were fortunate the weather Gods were smiling on you.

I have used one of those wine openers before.  They are powerful enough to rip the cork right though the foil wrap.  Makes life easier if one is opening a lot of wine (cases) for weddings or like your event.  I use an Osso at home as older wine corks have a tendency to break using a corkscrew.
Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: Jon on March 05, 2017, 12:07:27 AM
Travis, it is very gratifying to see a grillfella power through a 400 person cook. That takes a whole lot of staying on point while everyone else is partying. Good job.
Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: captjoe06 on March 05, 2017, 01:26:54 AM
Yes. What everyone else has said. Did you sleep fine the night before? I'd have been a bundle of nerves. When you came to the point where you knew you had a system for keeping it under control must have been a good relief.  Great job and hopefully your plan to get into it with your wife works out for you!

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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: Darko on March 05, 2017, 02:55:21 AM
 Great job Travis, Looks like you nailed it!


BTW, I have one of those openers at home, they work great.
Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: Mr.CPHo on March 05, 2017, 04:22:14 AM
Awesome job, Travis. 


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: guitarfish on March 05, 2017, 04:53:32 AM
Way to go Travis, great teamwork!
Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: Travis on March 05, 2017, 07:12:20 AM
Thanks guys!


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: WNC on March 05, 2017, 08:41:32 AM
Nice job dude!
Takes some balls to cook for that many people on an unfamiliar grill, looks like you guys crushed it though !


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: hawgheaven on March 05, 2017, 10:14:03 AM
Travis, great job bro!! Most I have catered for is 175 for a wedding... 400? Wow! Good on ya' for doing that!

There's nothing like cooking on a stick burner... my Klose is a dream, butt wants to be fed often... gotta stay after the fire.
Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: AZ Monsoon on March 05, 2017, 01:41:25 PM
Awesome! I wouldn't have any idea how to run a stick burner other than load it up with wood and let er rip
Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: blksabbath on March 06, 2017, 04:18:25 AM
Very cool.  I haven't been out to grafton for a long time.  I might need to take my wife on a field trip.


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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: firedude5015 on March 06, 2017, 12:58:49 PM
Great job Travis...and good on ya for bringing the kettles along. Brave move to cook that much on a "strange" grill, but like you said, a well built stick burner will almost run itself...kind of like a WSM.
Glad all went well Brother!

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Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: pbe gummi bear on March 09, 2017, 04:00:20 PM
Good job, @Travis. I love the fire in the first pic. Maybe next time you can convince them to purchase you an RK as "compensation" :D
Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: hawgheaven on March 10, 2017, 02:20:55 AM
Once again, great job Travis! I cater a lot, usually much smaller groups. Dang, 400 people! You did an amazing job sir!
Title: Re: First experience for catering
Post by: Travis on March 10, 2017, 04:27:44 AM
Thanks again guys. It was a fun project. Really didn't know how much work was involved with it, especially when it came down to the last hour and youre trying to get everything off, in warmers and serve. That offset was so much fun to run. Like I said, once hot, it stays hot. I see the difference between heavy metal pits vs. thin. Really wasn't a huge cookout like you real caterers are used to, just beer brats, dogs, and veggie kabobs. But it was a great experience and opportunity. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. And if they would fork out the dough for an rk, I'd probably creme myself a little to be able to cook on both [emoji41]
Thanks again, guys


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