On 21-Dec-2007, Denny Wheeler > wrote:

> On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:32:04 -0800 (PST), Louis Cohen
> > wrote:
>
> Generally all-round good reply, but...
>
> >All BBQ is cooked at 220 - 250* until tender; plan on 1 - 1 1/2 hrs
> >per lb, but every pig/cow is different.
>
> Well...
> Big Jim Whitten has often stated that he does his Q at about 350--and
> he's known to be one of the best (and a pro). IIRC, Brick says his
> pit likes to run at about 275--and nobody's complained yet about his
> Q.
>
> *Most* cook in the 225-250 range, but by no means all do. And almost
> every pitmaster has temperature spikes of as much as 100 degrees, at
> least some of the time.
>
> What I'd say to Janet about temperature (and I've seen this advice
> given by several knowledgeable afb folks) is--get to know your pit;
> run it at the temp *it* wants to run at.
>
> "Every single religion that has a monotheistic god
> winds up persecuting someone else."
> -Philip Pullman
> --
> -denny-

What Denny said and then I'll add to it. My pit does in fact cruise
along nicely at 270°F give or take a few. What Denny said about
spikes is very true, but I have fairly well subdued that tendency in
my pit. Trying to run my pit cooler or hotter becomes work. I can
build a smaller fire and mess with it every 30 mins to an hour. Or
I can open the draft a bit and chase the temperature all over the
map. I didn't choose 270°, my pit did. Once I conceded the point,
life became a great deal easier. I run it that way because I'm lazy,
and I get good results anyway. Some fairly outspoken folks have
sampled my 'Q' and noted that "it would do". Given who they are,
that's about the highest compliment I could expect.

I've eaten Big Jim's 'Q' a few times. He's cooked outdoors so
many times with such a variety of equipment, that he makes it
look more like a rehearsal then a serious effort. There's always
some other serious 'Q' people around when Jim throws out an
invite, so extra hands that don't need over the shoulder guidance
are readily available. Given that BJ cooks with gas as a
preference, I guess he could run about any temperature that
he wants. I'd also guess that he runs with what works. That's
just the way it is.

And that's why folks, when you ask how long will it take?
or what temperature should I cook at? You're going to
get answers spread all over the map. It's not because
people are guessing. It's because they answer in terms of
what works and is convenient for them.

Bottom line; learn your equipment. Start with temp
control and don't mess with other stuff until you know
how you can make your cooker run the way you want
it to or until you can help it run the way it wants to. Only
then are you ready to mess with rubs and brines and all
that other stuff.

That's my 2¢.
--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)