Post your "Rookie Mistake Lists"

[Craig]

3 weeks ago I was doing another round of the marmalade siriracha wings, .....yeah totally forgot to put the drip pan underneath the wings, didn't realize this until I figured out why my one touch system was glued open. The next day when i spent an hour or so prying the blades loose and cleaning the shitty gooey mess out of the bowl. Almost bent the one touch lever working the blades loose. Lesson learned on that one!

Craig

[1buckie]

Yep, some of those glaze type things just plain turn to epoxy when heated, then cooled....come to think of it, I've had to fire up charcoal a few times just to get the gunk to ease up & come loose..........

[Grillingtome]

Years ago with a challenge from my wife to switch places, she would grill and I would prep inside I took the shields out of my gas girl so it would flare up from the chickens.

I looked outside and she was in a scrape with flames everywhere!

No so funny today and definitely a rookie mistake!

[addicted-to-smoke]

I'm still making my rookie mistakes and so this thread is entertaining.

Some of mine are related to planning and timing. Those mistakes are boring but important.

I can tell you I no longer squirt or pour water on to cool a flare up unless I want ashes deposited on the food. Then again, I don't expect to be doing a lot of high, direct heating of animal fat going forward, which IMO is its own type of mistake.

I can tell you I won't be using any more lump charcoal before getting a proper mat under the grill. I have a few expensive, scarred deck boards as reminders.

Carry on!

[bob hope]

TOOOOOO Much Smoke! that was my first real big screw up(of many). I had used a whole bag of chips on some pork steaks, Wow the smoke was so bad we couldn't eat the food!! Now i dont even use chips just chunks and only a couple.

[bryanw21157]

Mesquite with chicken.  Worst food I have ever made.    Blechhhh!

[One Touch Platinum]

Buying the wrong kind of grill! I wanted a Weber kettle but let my wife talk me out of it. Instead I bought a Char-griller horizontal grill/smoker.  It got me started on my path but I had way to many issues controlling the temp that ruined several cooks I was doing. Once I got my Weber I started getting the results I was looking for consistently. The kettle is also easier to upkeep during and after cooks too which is a HUGE plus for me.

[Craig]

Mesquite with chicken.  Worst food I have ever made.    Blechhhh!

Is it just me or was mesquite really big (popular) back in the day? I remember as a kid my Dad and others using mesquite or hickory, didn't hear much about apple, cherry, or other woods being used.. or was that the extent of my little world at the time? 

[LightningBoldtz]

I am a big fan of mesquite, not sure I ever had it with chicken.

My biggest mistake, adding K matchlight for more coal in the fire.  My food tasted like petroleum. 

I also used a full chimney of matchlight, the flame out of that thing was about 8 feet high.

[One Touch Platinum]

I lit some matchlight in a chimney as well....I had the same results you had. That was the first time I used a chimney.....when I lit regular charcoal the next time I thought maybe I did something wrong.....no flamethrower effect, maybe the charcoal is bad....DUh!

[sunsanvil]

This is some time ago now back in my propane days.  Back then all we were doing were the proverbial burgers, sausages, and steaks.   Wanted to try ribs.  Got a lovely rack all coated in sauce, put the burners on low, and walked away thinking, with tragic incorrectness, that that constituted "low and slow".

No more than 30 minutes later I went to check on them....and there, literally, was nothing there. The meat was completely burned away and even the few blackened bones which remained were in danger of disintegrating....

On a more practical level, rookie mistakes made with the kettle: too much coal...all coals in the middle....trying to cook pretty much anything directly over the coals.

[1buckie]

  sunsanvil, take a look at these cookups from Cookingmama....she's got 'coal in the middle' down to a science.....

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/food-pr0n/pork-steaks/

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/food-pr0n/game-day-goodies/

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/food-pr0n/flat-irons-ala-coal-saver/


There are others....her's & other folks.....I don't remember exactly whom........

PS: Nice low 'n' slow story.....been there....

[sunsanvil]

When I said "coals in the center", I meant to say "coals over the entire aperture with no indirect areas anywhere".

[MartyG]

And I thought you were going to sew it on one of those Speedos you guys wear down there. 

You need to wear it for the official portrait in front of GGG. When is the grand opening?

[1buckie]

  MARTY.......................