"EZ.Rider" > wrote in message
t...
>
> "OC" <oystercracker@nowheredotcom> wrote in message
> ...
>
>> >> > > > 1) How much extra cooking time should I allow, considering I'm
>> >> > > > cooking two butts rather than one?
>> >> > > > 2) If I get nervous and start too early, is there a preferred
>> >> > > > method for keeping the bbq warm after I chop it, without
>> >> > > > overcooking it or drying it out?
>
> You have some real good advice here. My two cents, and your mileage may
> vary
> of course, but I've noticed that with my CharGriller it doesn't really
> matter how much meat I put on it, the cook times stay about the same,
> probably because the meat all goes on one level. With my GOSM, because
> it's
> a vertical smoker with 4 shelves, if I load it up full, it adds a
> couple-three hours to the cook.
>
> Here's a tip for your CharGriller. If you haven't made any modifications
> at
> all, give this a try. Take the fire grate in the main cooking chamber (NOT
> the firebox) and turn it upside down so it looks like an inverted U shape
> instead of a regular U shape. Adjust the hangers so it just covers the
> opening from the firebox. This will turn it into a baffle, sort of, and
> keep
> more of the smoke and heat down under the whole length of the unit, rather
> than having all the smoke and heat go from the firebox right to the top of
> the cooking chamber and out the stack. When you're all done and you want
> to
> burn off whatever grease collected, just turn it right-side up again, pour
> the coals from the firebox onto the grate, and let the grease burn off.
>
> And, as far as keeping it warm, in the past, I've sometimes gone ahead and
> pulled it a couple hours before my guests arrive, and put the pulled pork
> into a crock pot to keep it warm at a safe temperature. Sometimes I've put
> my own favorite bbq sauce on it (currently, Super Smokers
> Tennessee-style),
> and sometimes I'd just put a little bit of water in with it to keep it
> moist.
>
> Again, that's how I do it. YMMV and all that.
>
> EZ
>

Thanks, EZ. Considering its price, I've been pleased with the CharGriller.
I'm just a little nervous since I've never cooked more than one butt at a
time. I've done several mods to the cooker, including inverting the fire
grate. I was still occasionally getting some charring on that end,
particularly if a stick of wood flared up, so I added a baffle of sorts,
using the fire box mounting bolts. It was a simple mod, and I think
worthwhile in getting a little more even heat. I thought the biggest
difference came from extending the exhaust stack down almost to the cooking
surface, using a rolled up piece of aluminum sheet. A hose clamp at the
lower end keeps it in a snug roll. I've added a row of bricks in the bottom,
under the upside-down fire grate, but I'm not real sure they did much for
evening out the heat. I also added some legs to the fire grate in the fire
box. On long cooks, the accumulated ash seemed to interfere with getting
good air flow to the bottom of the lump. That one was trial-and-error. The
first legs were a little too long and a real disaster. Air flowed right
under the fire grate into the cooking chamber, and I couldn't get the sucker
up to temp. Shorter legs worked out nicely.

Thanks for the crock pot tip. I'd like to get it pulled and get me degreased
before company shows up. What happens if I stick a pan covered with foil in
the oven at about 180F? I usually don't take it off until about 195F, so a
180F oven shouldn't cook it any further, should it? I figure the outside
brown will probably lose its crunchiness, but that might have to be a
sacrifice for this round. Thoughts?

Thanks,
~OC~