Looking for new thrills . . .

[Swamp Thing]

Hi all, new member here, and happy to be (4 days from now) joining the pellet smoker crowd with an RT 700 on the way. I've been smoking for about 20 years. I cut my teeth on a cheap Brinkman for a few years before moving to the quite amazing Primo Kamado for a long while, before abandoning that completely (and selling it to my neighbor, a win-win!), for a Karubeque for about the last 6 or 7 years. I've figured out how to make it an early day with a brisket and shoulder starting at 5am with the Karubeque rather than go overnight - and I really can't imagine any better BBQ - but I'm 54 now and maybe I might want to sleep in every once in a while! It will take an awful lot to get me to give up the Karubeque for chicken and probably ribs as well, but for longer cooks, I will certainly do it more often with an overnight option. I've recently been making some of the most consistent shoulders and briskets with sous vide + liquid smoke, and it can be excellent, better than most even, but it feels like cheating and after all, I cook for myself as much as for others! I'm not a pro or a high volume smoker save a few times a year, and the RT-700 beat out the more expensive (and uglier) options for that reason. It just looks like I'll have some FUN cooking on this thing!

I'm looking forward to the relaxation of doing a "real" smoke while getting a good night's sleep for once, but I'm also looking forward to eventually doing a cook-off between the undisputed champ (for me) - the Karubeque vs. the up-and-comer sous vide, and the equally convenient pellet grill. I already know which will be the most fun (since I'm finally over the whole poking embers and throwing on logs all night). The RT 700 already wins that category.

Learned a bunch already in the forum, glad to be joining! Thanks.

 

[missiledefense]

Welcome to the forum. I'm fairly new myself but there are many great people here and all are willing to help. I know you will enjoy your new RT 700.

 

[ifican]

Sous vide is great just know its not a singular thing like your grilling machines. Though you can cook things only in sous vide, there are many things that require a little smoke, hot cast iron or direct flame after coming out of it to be what you expect. Personally i love it for the easy of cooking a frozen steak to perfection right out of the freezer. If you dont have it get a vacuum sealer, even a cheap one. I did the ziplock thing for a couple years but sealer makes a world of difference for ease of use.

 

[Infantryman]

Welcome to the forum! There's a lot of fun to be had here with plenty of nice, positive helpful folks. I hear you about wanting to get some sleep alright, the Bull is fantastic for effortless, worry free overnight cooks. I to have had my fill of adding wood and or charcoal as needed for hours on end. That's one of the main reasons I bought mine and it works fantastic in that application. I don't like to rush my BBQ at all if I can help it. If it takes 12hrs or 18hrs it matters not with the BULL, probably the easiest piece of BBQ'ing equipment I've ever owned and I have more than a few. It's a great compliment to gas and or charcoal grills which do a better job for high end searing and getting that ever elusive direct flame crispy skin in my opinion. All in all you won't regret your purchase, the only regret I have is I didn't buy one sooner!

 

[Gotbbq]

Welcome to the forum. I remember the days where an overnight brisket meant a night without sleep, occasionally sleeping on a lawn char outside, tending the smoker (maybe some Jack Daniels, not sure). Thankfully, those days are behind me. I was a little uneasy about getting a pellet smoker, not sure of the smoke flavor and whole pellet thing, but heard a lot of good things about them I first bought a weber Smoke and Fire but they had some major difficulty and I returned it unopened. Then researched Rec Tec, a definite win. Great smoker, easy to use and very versatile. Low and slow all the way up to searing my sous vide cooks. You will love it. The forum has many good people and different ways to cook different things. Have fun! ??

 

[Mastertech59]

Once again welcome great folks here with plenty of cooking and grill modifications tips. I never did the stick smoker baby sitting it overnight night thing but did watch a couple of the people we used to go camping with do it and loved what came off it but was like this baby sitting is not for me. So after a little researching I ended up with a RT700 Bull, almost bought a GMG but the local dealer was clueless had nothing in stock and didn't know when he could get one with wifi. Your going to love you new Bull with it's temperature control, ease of use and after that trust relationship happens the sleep you'll be getting on those long overnight cooks.

 

[Blues1]

Welcome to the Bull Ring!

 

[Uncle Bob]

Welcome aboard. Well, if you can run a KBQ then you are a well seasoned outdoor cook. As you've probably anticipated you'll be making some compromises on smoke profile on the finished product, though your liquid smoke notation shows you're flexible. As always, the question of "how much smoke flavor is enough?" is nebulous because it's a personal thing with no standardized measure. There are many discussions on this site about ways to add more smoke flavor (perceived or real) so you may be doing some experimenting. But then, with your experience that's not likely a new thing. Enjoy the ride.

 

[Swamp Thing]

Thanks guys for such a great reception! I only ever did an overnight on the KBQ once, and that was enough for me! I figured out a way to wake up at 4 or 5 or later instead for my brisket, and figured out that you can smoke 4 or 5 lb butts a lot faster an they still come out great! I love to cook chicken on the KBQ with the "dirty smoke" for a couple hours, it really can lay on the smoke!

That is one thing I learned from the forum already, that the RT700 leaves the smoke on the light side, they claim by design. I also bought a smoke tube, any opinions on how well it works in the RT for adding flavor?

I have become a sous vide convert I must admit. I do finish in the oven to get a bit of bark, I tried on my grill with wood chips but I couldn't distinguish any difference, too late to add smoke I guess. Sous vide is definitely a compromise with smoke and bark, but it is ridiculously easy with a vacuum chamber, which as much as a smoker has changed the way I cook and store food.

Unfortunately, the deal is I have to get rid of the gas grill I use mainly for searing my sous vide outdoors to avoid a house-wide smoke bomb from the kitchen stove. It's getting quite long in the tooth and space is limited (at least according to my wife. I do have a stand alone 100,000 btu burner I use for wok cooking, so that will keep me happy I hope.

Anyway, it's arriving Monday, so I'm looking forward to breaking it in! Skol!

 

[Mastertech59]

Thanks guys for such a great reception! I only ever did an overnight on the KBQ once, and that was enough for me! I figured out a way to wake up at 4 or 5 or later instead for my brisket, and figured out that you can smoke 4 or 5 lb butts a lot faster an they still come out great! I love to cook chicken on the KBQ with the "dirty smoke" for a couple hours, it really can lay on the smoke!

That is one thing I learned from the forum already, that the RT700 leaves the smoke on the light side, they claim by design. I also bought a smoke tube, any opinions on how well it works in the RT for adding flavor?

I have become a sous vide convert I must admit. I do finish in the oven to get a bit of bark, I tried on my grill with wood chips but I couldn't distinguish any difference, too late to add smoke I guess. Sous vide is definitely a compromise with smoke and bark, but it is ridiculously easy with a vacuum chamber, which as much as a smoker has changed the way I cook and store food.

Unfortunately, the deal is I have to get rid of the gas grill I use mainly for searing my sous vide outdoors to avoid a house-wide smoke bomb from the kitchen stove. It's getting quite long in the tooth and space is limited (at least according to my wife. I do have a stand alone 100,000 btu burner I use for wok cooking, so that will keep me happy I hope.

Anyway, it's arriving Monday, so I'm looking forward to breaking it in! Skol!

If your looking to sell the gas grill just price so high that no one will make a offer or buy it and maybe the wife will tell you to just keep it. The nice thing about a gas grill, propane or natural gas as long as you have fuel you have a way to cook, the pellet grills require electricity to function.

 

[Gotbbq]

If your looking to sell the gas grill just price so high that no one will make a offer or buy it and maybe the wife will tell you to just keep it. The nice thing about a gas grill, propane or natural gas as long as you have fuel you have a way to cook, the pellet grills require electricity to function.

Have you tried a searzall for your sous vide sear? ??