Bull Buying Bull RT-700, does anyone recommend any "must have accessories" or just get the grill and start smoking?

[Sdyork]

Welcome to the forum. If you will be moving your Bull around some the competition cart would be nice to have. Also the front shelf is a must have for me.

Comp cart is the best ever!
Get it! Don’t think twice... you won’t t regret it!

 

[SmokeZilla]

My favorites are the Competition Cart. Its aesthetics make the pit look great and the added stability is comforting when dragging it to a cookoff or taking it across uneven pavement; the fold down shelf (if/when they restock), the small grill grates (the large is nice but 2 or 3 smalls allow for many different configurations on the fly); the cover, the sear kit grillgrates (ventilated) and griddlegrates (solid); RecTeq pellets to ensure proper seasoning and to understand any differences should you use a different brand in the future; and the optional family and friends to share the good times with.

 

[VASpartan]

I'll add another vote for the front shelf. It might as well be a standard feature in my opinion.

I also recommend the comp cart if you're going to move the grill at all. For example, in & out of a garage or shed. Some of us have seen the OEM swivel casters fail in less than a year. The current 50% offer with grill purchase is a no-brainer to me. Not to mention the cart should ship safer on a pallet with the grill than what UPS will do to it as a stand-alone package.

My other must-have suggestion is a good instant read thermometer. Thermapen Mk4 is tops and there are other good ones (Javelin Pro).

+1 on the thermapen. Don't smoke or grill without one.

 

[ghuns]

My favorite accessory for my Bull is my Weber kettle grill for searing.

 

[Grill_Goon]

My favorite accessory for my Bull is my Weber kettle grill for searing.

+1 for this

 

[cookingjnj]

+2
And my second favorite accessory is my stainless steel shelving unit on the deck. It is disguised as a Weber Genesis gasser that was used almost everyday for years and now very rarely gets used anymore. Mainly serves as shelves to hold things while I am using the RT or the Kettle.

 

[DenStinett]

Just ordered our's today, but I think we're in the Ballpark
The Rt-700
Front Shelf
Large Interior Shelf
4 - Cooking Mats (we LOVE Smoked Salmon)
And the Standard Cover
Figured, since we haven't moved the Stick Burner in 14 years, the Cart and Wide Stance Leg up-grade weren't a must

 

[charlesrshell]

Just ordered our's today, but I think we're in the Ballpark
The Rt-700
Front Shelf
Large Interior Shelf
4 - Cooking Mats (we LOVE Smoked Salmon)
And the Standard Cover
Figured, since we haven't moved the Stick Burner in 14 years, the Cart and Wide Stance Leg up-grade weren't a must

Congrats

 

[mooncusser2k]

Just ordered our's today, but I think we're in the Ballpark
The Rt-700
Front Shelf
Large Interior Shelf
4 - Cooking Mats (we LOVE Smoked Salmon)
And the Standard Cover
Figured, since we haven't moved the Stick Burner in 14 years, the Cart and Wide Stance Leg up-grade weren't a must

Congrats. Enjoy watching the shipment tracking info.

PS. Nowadays they all come as wide leg.

 

[DenStinett]

Thanks Guys .... we can't wait
Anyone wanna buy a nice Stick Burner ?

PS. Nowadays they all come as wide leg.

Very COOL !

 

[Beach Bum]

Just ordered our's today, but I think we're in the Ballpark
The Rt-700
Front Shelf
Large Interior Shelf
4 - Cooking Mats (we LOVE Smoked Salmon)
And the Standard Cover
Figured, since we haven't moved the Stick Burner in 14 years, the Cart and Wide Stance Leg up-grade weren't a must

With the 2nd shelf and 4 mats you are in business for tons of smoked salmon. We do lots of salmon on our Bull using the mats. It is the best I have ever done.

 

[nikolausp]

With the 2nd shelf and 4 mats you are in business for tons of smoked salmon. We do lots of salmon on our Bull using the mats. It is the best I have ever done.

Just curious, what's you're detailed process for smoked salmon on the RT-700? Also, pellet type?

 

[Beach Bum]

Just curious, what's you're detailed process for smoked salmon on the RT-700? Also, pellet type?

I like to use the thicker belly pieces and try to find a more oily variety like Ora King or Scottish. This helps to reduce the risk of drying out the finished product.

The night before smoking I brine in the fridge with a mixture of 6 cups water, 1.5 cups brown sugar and a half cup kosher salt. This will take care of 5 to 6 pounds of salmon. In the morning rinse and place on drying rack back in fridge for 6 to 8 hours.

I season lightly with a 3 to 1 mix of brown sugar and kosher salt. I add a small amount of paprika and pepper.

For the cook I go at 180 degrees and shoot for 125 to 130 internal. This takes about 3 to 3.5 hours. If the pieces are on the thin side I would not exceed 125. You can definitely go lower and be good. Too high is not good. I think the taste improves if you wait a day to eat it.

For pellets I like the Lumberjack Competition blend. I sometimes wonder if there is a lot of difference between the various options they sell. I've tried many of them and never been disappointed.

Here are pictures from a few days ago. This was Alaskan King.

 

[nikolausp]

I like to use the thicker belly pieces and try to find a more oily variety like Ora King or Scottish. This helps to reduce the risk of drying out the finished product.

The night before smoking I brine in the fridge with a mixture of 6 cups water, 1.5 cups brown sugar and a half cup kosher salt. This will take care of 5 to 6 pounds of salmon. In the morning rinse and place on drying rack back in fridge for 6 to 8 hours.

I season lightly with a 3 to 1 mix of brown sugar and kosher salt. I add a small amount of paprika and pepper.

For the cook I go at 180 degrees and shoot for 125 to 130 internal. This takes about 3 to 3.5 hours. If the pieces are on the thin side I would not exceed 125. You can definitely go lower and be good. Too high is not good. I think the taste improves if you wait a day to eat it.

For pellets I like the Lumberjack Competition blend. I sometimes wonder if there is a lot of difference between the various options they sell. I've tried many of them and never been disappointed.

Here are pictures from a few days ago. This was Alaskan King.

That looks good, thanks for the write up! Have you tried it without doing the brine, and compared the two methods (Brine vs No-Brine) ?

 

[Beach Bum]

I have not, but sounds like a good test idea. It would be easy to keep some unbrined and compare on same cook.

We do cook unbrined on cedar blanks on our Weber gasser. That works quite well.

 

[hallsofmontezuma]

Front shelf - Probably the single most-used accessory I have.
Sear Kit - This is actually the GrillGrate product, and is a close #2 for most-used.
Large interior shelf - TBH this should have been included. I'm not sure if any competitors don't have this built-in. It's necessary if you ever want to grill more than can otherwise fit, but it's a pain because the legs take up valuable grilling space, which wouldn't be the case if it were built-in. That they make you buy this separately is probably my biggest criticism of RT.
Mesh cooking mat - Super handy to have. Amazon has some alternatives to check out as well.
Grill pad - great product to product your deck. Amazon has some alternatives.
Instant thermometer - I see RT now sells an instant read thermometer. I'd skip it and buy the Thermapen or one of its quality competitors.
Probe thermometer - When cooking a lot, you may need more than the two built-in probes, or you may just want something more reliable (RT's app is decent but not 100% reliable). I have the Thermaworks Smoke thermometer, but if I were to buy one today it would be the Thermaworks Signals, which wasn't out at the time.
Grill cleaning tool - I've gone through so many, but this CHARGON tool is by far the best. Throw away your wire brushes if you have any.

---Not recommended----
Small interior shelf - I don't find this one very useful. It only adds a little more grilling room, and like with the large, the legs take up grilling space, so it adds even less than you think.
I wish I'd never bought it.
Cover - I went back and forth on this, and ultimately never bought one. To be fair, my grill is in a covered screen porch, so it's only minimally exposed to rain/snow. A coating of yellow pollen in the spring is the worst thing that happens to it.

 

[brian66]

Front shelf - Probably the single most-used accessory I have.
Sear Kit - This is actually the GrillGrate product, and is a close #2 for most-used.
Large interior shelf - TBH this should have been included. I'm not sure if any competitors don't have this built-in. It's necessary if you ever want to grill more than can otherwise fit, but it's a pain because the legs take up valuable grilling space, which wouldn't be the case if it were built-in. That they make you buy this separately is probably my biggest criticism of RT.
Mesh cooking mat - Super handy to have. Amazon has some alternatives to check out as well.
Grill pad - great product to product your deck. Amazon has some alternatives.
Instant thermometer - I see RT now sells an instant read thermometer. I'd skip it and buy the Thermapen or one of its quality competitors.
Probe thermometer - When cooking a lot, you may need more than the two built-in probes, or you may just want something more reliable (RT's app is decent but not 100% reliable). I have the Thermaworks Smoke thermometer, but if I were to buy one today it would be the Thermaworks Signals, which wasn't out at the time.
Grill cleaning tool - I've gone through so many, but this CHARGON tool is by far the best. Throw away your wire brushes if you have any.

---Not recommended----
Small interior shelf - I don't find this one very useful. It only adds a little more grilling room, and like with the large, the legs take up grilling space, so it adds even less than you think.
I wish I'd never bought it.
Cover - I went back and forth on this, and ultimately never bought one. To be fair, my grill is in a covered screen porch, so it's only minimally exposed to rain/snow. A coating of yellow pollen in the spring is the worst thing that happens to it.

Thermaworks Smoke is the best smoker thermometer in the market.

 

[hallsofmontezuma]

Thermaworks Smoke is the best smoker thermometer in the market.

Any reason why you prefer that over the Signals?