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Powderdigit
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2017 12:33 pm

Good to be part of the Forum

Post by Powderdigit »

Hi All,

It's good to be part of this forum.

I'm in Melbourne and I am sure my wife, two daughters, extended family and friends will enjoy our food more as I learn tips and tricks from you fine folk.

At present, I enjoy using a Weber kettle. I prefer to cook over wood rather than beads. I will be adding to another BBQ to my arsenal soon; probably gas for ease and speed - I'm just not sure which one yet. Further, I may yet just add another wood burning option. :)

Anyway - thanks for having me.

Cheers
Powderdigit
Davo
Forum Administrator
Posts: 5330
Joined: Sun Jun 15, 2008 2:44 am
Location: Albury NSW on the mighty Murray River

Re: Good to be part of the Forum

Post by Davo »

Hi & Welcome Powderdigit,

If you like the wood taste better, have a look at wood pellet BBQs, they are great.

They will heat up as quick as a gasser, they will smoke, roast, grill and anything in between.

They are not cheap but easily loaded with would pellets, turn on the power (thats only for the electric controller and auger to feed the pellets) set the temp and away you go....you can place a big hunk of brisket at 9pm at night, go to bed and it'll still be churning away when you get up....but the smell is out of this world.
I had an earlier Traeger woodpellet smoker a few years back...kicking myself having had to sell it.

The wood pellets are basically dried hardwood sawdust fully compacted into pellets....so they are a natural fuel source.

I'm going to get another one someday....that's for sure!!

Also good that you own a Weber Kettle...they rock!! They are more popular now than they were in the 70's and 80's and a great learning tool for live fire cooking.

Cheers

Davo
Moderator/ Admin

Weber Q320
Weber Performer Kettle
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Powderdigit
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2017 12:33 pm

Re: Good to be part of the Forum

Post by Powderdigit »

Cheers Davo. I'll take another look at pellet grills. When I looked a while back - I was definitely attracted to their flexibility and gas-like speed but for some reason that I still struggle with - I didn't like the idea of pellets and being limited to that fuel source. I'm not sure why! Probably because it's different and I felt like I would be somehow restricted ... I know, silly - all in my head. I remember thinking at the time they weren't cheap either - so perhaps I'd just get the Weber for ease of use and flexibility.

In the end - I am trying to get one BBQ for all options and that will always involve compromise; perhaps better to get the tool for a specific job. It seems that many people who like to BBQ have multiple options and cook on the option that best fits the meal they are preparing.

I am also listening to some of my mates and family -"C'mon a sausage is a sausage - $4-5k for a BBQ really!" It's a fair point but that said, I'll often pull a pice of meat off the Weber kettle and say something like "Tell me you've eaten anything that good...imagine what you'll eat when I have .... " All good fun and laughs :D
Powderdigit
Davo
Forum Administrator
Posts: 5330
Joined: Sun Jun 15, 2008 2:44 am
Location: Albury NSW on the mighty Murray River

Re: Good to be part of the Forum

Post by Davo »

I'm not sure why you'd think you'd be restricted using a pellet cooker, ok you'd use pellets rather than gas or charcoal, but if you bought a gas BBQ, you'd be restricted to using gas.
Irrespective of what you use, it's still a heat source only that charcoal and/or wood will give you that extra flavour in your cooking whereas gas doesn't give you any flavour unless you add a smoking device to it.
I only mentioned the pellet cookers because you said you liked cooking with wood.....and besides a wood type pitt, the pelletts are the next best thing.

If you entertain alot, I suggest you buy the best you can afford and don't go cheap, it's an investment as any part of your furniture inside or outside and if well looked after will last you a very long time...look how long that other gas bbq lasted....I class that was a good buy at the time.

I like Weber Products because they are designed and built well, they last a long time, they have the best back-up of any BBQ product in Australia and the best service. Beg , steal or borrow....Buy a Weber Gas BBQ , the price shock will leave once you use it a few times. :P
Moderator/ Admin

Weber Q320
Weber Performer Kettle
Weber WSM 18.5
Bronson
Posts: 71
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 11:17 am

Re: Good to be part of the Forum

Post by Bronson »

Hi powderdigit and welcome,

I was just reading some of your posts and you may have confused a few of us, I think you are actually cooking with charcaol ? You say you are cooking with wood which I took you as a stick burner ie collect timber bits and light under grill or hotplate. There are also smokers that many use that again use natural timber the provide the heat. But I'm pretty sure your cooking with lump charcoal.
Is this the case ?
Powderdigit
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Sep 10, 2017 12:33 pm

Re: Good to be part of the Forum

Post by Powderdigit »

Hi Davo and Bronson,

Thank you! I really appreciate your responses - even more so that you have remained respectful even though I am a goose! Cheers for not bagging me!

@Bronson - my goose effort 1 - I am absolutely using lump charcoal - which I called wood. Doh! ... but now I understand the difference. Sorry for the confusion and I am already learning, so thank you. To clarify, I am loving the flavour I get when I cook with lump charcoal in my Weber kettle and in a separate post I indicated which lump charcoal I was using. Perhaps another silly question - Does different lump charcoal impart different taste - or only smoke from different species of natural wood?

@Davo - my goose effort 2 - your point is exactly right - I am not 'restricted' in using pellets; poor description by this little duck. I guess I was more trying to describe that pellet grills are new to me and I am still getting my head around it. Yes, I am restricted by the heat source of choice and your suggestion of a pellet grill as an option for me was spot on ... and I will look at Pellet grills again.

Your quote below is spot on too...
Davo wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2017 9:59 am Irrespective of what you use, it's still a heat source only that charcoal and/or wood will give you that extra flavour in your cooking whereas gas doesn't give you any flavour unless you add a smoking device to it.
...and I am wondering whether the inbuilt smoking device in say the Weber Summit will ever get close to cooking with Charcoal and/or wood. There's also that added benefit in that I have natural gas and therefore I am always on - I can't run out of charcoal, pellets, gas bottle etc...

I get your point about the price shock and that it will dissipate and you get what you pat for ...totally.

So, after a long day at work - I raise a glass to you both for taking the time to respond. Very helpful.
Powderdigit
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