The Grill and BBQ thread

#4,551
#4,551
JCHateSteve said:
This seems to be a new product. I can't find anything that speaks to it's construction. So we'll have to leave that be for now.

From what I can gather, Grilla is peddling a Traeger clone. Traeger is pretty much the godfather of pellet grills. They were the only game in town for a minute. But, others have passed them up. RecTec, Green Mountain and MAK seem to be the best pellet grills going at the moment.

It's hard to speak to construction without any trusted reviews, and I can't find any. But, the temp controller on the Grilla seems primative. Based on that alone, I would pass. If you have the money, buy a trusted brand.

If you don't have the cash for a pellet cooker...

The Weber Smokey Mountain, Pit Barrel Cooker, or a good ole fashion Weber kettle grill will make fantastic Q.

If you want something that is "set and forget", go with the Pit Barrel. If you need the best pure smoker, it's the Smokey Mountain. If you need a grill and smoker, nothing is more versatile than a Weber 22 inch kettle (the one with the ash pot on the bottom).

YMMV
Click to expand...

I have a Silverbac. Much better built than the Traeger - heavier gauge steel, better wheels, heavier grates, etc. Better warranty, too. Price includes tax and delivery. I chose the Grilla despite finishing runner-up last year in the Traeger Meat Madness contest and winning a $575 Traeger gift card. To get a comparable Traeger, I would have needed to use the gift card AND kicked in another $700, by the time I included tax and shipping. Yes, the Grilla does not have a PID controller, but it does a great job. My temp swings are about +/- 20 degrees.

There's also a question of customer service. Quick story: I was at a comp in February. The fire went out in the Silverbac, and I couldn't get it relit. It was late on Friday night, and I was desperate. I called the Grilla support line and, of course, got the voice mail. I left a message pleading for help. I emailed them as well. Thirty minutes later, the Director of Engineering called me and stepped me through a workaround to get it working. He called back the next morning to make sure it was still working. He called back again Monday morning to let me know they were sending a new igniter, in case it acted up in the future, which it hasn't. I thought that was pretty impressive.

For the record, I have a WSM, a Weber Kettle, a Pitts and Spitts stick burner, and use a Pitmaker trailer outfitted with their Vault at competitions and for large cooks. Entry level Traegers are crap. Their high-end stuff and Rec Tec are nice. However, you could do a LOT worse than the Silverbac.

Just my $.02,
BOJ
 
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#4,552
#4,552
Big Orange Jeff said:
I have a Silverbac. Much better built than the Traeger - heavier gauge steel, better wheels, heavier grates, etc. Better warranty, too. Price includes tax and delivery. I chose the Grilla despite finishing runner-up last year in the Traeger Meat Madness contest and winning a $575 Traeger gift card. To get a comparable Traeger, I would have needed to use the gift card AND kicked in another $700, by the time I included tax and shipping. Yes, the Grilla does not have a PID controller, but it does a great job. My temp swings are about +/- 20 degrees.

There's also a question of customer service. Quick story: I was at a comp in February. The fire went out in the Silverbac, and I couldn't get it relit. It was late on Friday night, and I was desperate. I called the Grilla support line and, of course, got the voice mail. I left a message pleading for help. I emailed them as well. Thirty minutes later, the Director of Engineering called me and stepped me through a workaround to get it working. He called back the next morning to make sure it was still working. He called back again Monday morning to let me know they were sending a new igniter, in case it acted up in the future, which it hasn't. I thought that was pretty impressive.

For the record, I have a WSM, a Weber Kettle, a Pitts and Spitts stick burner, and use a Pitmaker trailer outfitted with their Vault at competitions and for large cooks. Entry level Traegers are crap. Their high-end stuff and Rec Tec are nice. However, you could do a LOT worse than the Silverbac.

Just my $.02,
BOJ
Click to expand...

Good to know they're well built. The RecTecs in that price range have a better controller but the Grilla is much bigger capacity wise. I'll add it to the list when I start looking. I'd love to have a MAK but man they are expensive. Do you have an opinion on the Green Mountain Daniel Boone or Davey Crockett? They have good reviews and the price point is nice.
 
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#4,556
#4,556
JCHateSteve said:
Good to know they're well built. The RecTecs in that price range have a better controller but the Grilla is much bigger capacity wise. I'll add it to the list when I start looking. I'd love to have a MAK but man they are expensive. Do you have an opinion on the Green Mountain Daniel Boone or Davey Crockett? They have good reviews and the price point is nice.
Click to expand...

I've never used a Green Mountain, but I've seen them in stores. Three metal seems thin, which means you'll burn more fuel. Price point is great, though.

The best built pellet I've seen is the Yoder. A friend has one, and I'm VERY impressed. Pricey, but they are no compromise. Check them out.
 
#4,557
#4,557
Big Orange Jeff said:
I've never used a Green Mountain, but I've seen them in stores. Three metal seems thin, which means you'll burn more fuel. Price point is great, though.

The best built pellet I've seen is the Yoder. A friend has one, and I'm VERY impressed. Pricey, but they are no compromise. Check them out.
Click to expand...

I'm familiar with their offset smokers. They are quality for sure. Their pellet grills seem just as high quality based on the eye test. A little rich for my blood though.
 
#4,558
#4,558
Pruitt Will Do It said:
View attachment 163091

I'm going to grill some T-bones tomorrow
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Man I would love to get one that looked like that.... seems to me I don't see much in the way of T-bones around here. Got me thinking about ordering from Snake River. That would be a good pre-game feast for the first game coming up!
 
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#4,561
#4,561
ninerplaya57 said:
Yea, I use a thermapen and cook to temperature. The butt is super juicy when it comes off the smoker. It’s just after it’s pulled it gets dry.
Click to expand...
Well, I am able to not cook using direct heat. I use a flat surface that forces the heat to the sides of the grill/smoker and then up. I cook to an internal temp of arond 195 then wrap for 15 to 30 minutes. I only use sauce for the last hour which is when I increase the temp from 225-250 to 300-325. I dont let the internal temp get higher than 200.
Things are different if you are using direct heat. Several people take their butt off at 180, double wrap in hd foil and put in a cooler for 1 hour or more. That allows it to finish cooking. That meat is super moist, andmany people prefer it that way. I don't as I think it is somewhat greasy, but still tasty.
I will be cooking a very small one today. I'll try to post some pictures.
What kind of grill are you cooking on?
 
#4,562
#4,562
Go aeiou said:
Well, I am able to not cook using direct heat. I use a flat surface that forces the heat to the sides of the grill/smoker and then up. I cook to an internal temp of arond 195 then wrap for 15 to 30 minutes. I only use sauce for the last hour which is when I increase the temp from 225-250 to 300-325. I dont let the internal temp get higher than 200.
Things are different if you are using direct heat. Several people take their butt off at 180, double wrap in hd foil and put in a cooler for 1 hour or more. That allows it to finish cooking. That meat is super moist, andmany people prefer it that way. I don't as I think it is somewhat greasy, but still tasty.
I will be cooking a very small one today, 1-1.5 lbs. Just for me.
Click to expand...
 
#4,563
#4,563
Go aeiou said:
Well, I am able to not cook using direct heat. I use a flat surface that forces the heat to the sides of the grill/smoker and then up. I cook to an internal temp of arond 195 then wrap for 15 to 30 minutes. I only use sauce for the last hour which is when I increase the temp from 225-250 to 300-325. I dont let the internal temp get higher than 200.
Things are different if you are using direct heat. Several people take their butt off at 180, double wrap in hd foil and put in a cooler for 1 hour or more. That allows it to finish cooking. That meat is super moist, andmany people prefer it that way. I don't as I think it is somewhat greasy, but still tasty.
I will be cooking a very small one today. I'll try to post some pictures.
What kind of grill are you cooking on?
Click to expand...
Rec Tec. I don’t sauce mine. I like keeping the sauce separate because bot everyone likes sauce. I don’t wrap either while it’s cooking either. I only wrap after it’s hit an IT of around 195-200 and I pull it off wrap it and put it in a cooler to let it rest. Then I pull it after it rests for atleast an hour.
 
#4,564
#4,564
ninerplaya57 said:
Rec Tec. I don’t sauce mine. I like keeping the sauce separate because bot everyone likes sauce. I don’t wrap either while it’s cooking either. I only wrap after it’s hit an IT of around 195-200 and I pull it off wrap it and put it in a cooler to let it rest. Then I pull it after it rests for atleast an hour.
Click to expand...

Maybe pulling it off at 185-190 would work better for you? It continues to cook after you pull it off. The temp actually rising for a few minutes after being wrapped in foil. When I pull mine off at 195 (usually 192-193) the interior is usually practically boiling, but when it sets for a while it is ready to eat. Not juicy, not dry but it is how I want it.. LOL Goldilocks. the guys who cook to only 180 are firefighters, and they tend to know how to cook. Just not my taste.
I have also had a thermometer that got wacky, but that was a cheap one from the grocery store. You can test yours by dipping it into a small pot of boiling water to see if it registers 212
I don't wrap anything before I pull it off. I have tried wrapping ribs (3-2-1), but that is similar to boiling in water to me, and I think you lose flavor and texture.
The butt in the smoker is only about 4"x4"x5" and 1.5 lbs. The grate on the smoker has a 10" diameter. That is what happens when you are married to a women that does't eat meat. I use the foil lined catch pan to catch grease and divert direct heat. The first picture is after 3 hours at around 240, but as high as 260.
 

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#4,565
#4,565
Go aeiou said:
Maybe pulling it off at 185-190 would work better for you? It continues to cook after you pull it off. The temp actually rising for a few minutes after being wrapped in foil. When I pull mine off at 195 (usually 192-193) the interior is usually practically boiling, but when it sets for a while it is ready to eat. Not juicy, not dry but it is how I want it.. LOL Goldilocks. the guys who cook to only 180 are firefighters, and they tend to know how to cook. Just not my taste.
I have also had a thermometer that got wacky, but that was a cheap one from the grocery store. You can test yours by dipping it into a small pot of boiling water to see if it registers 212
I don't wrap anything before I pull it off. I have tried wrapping ribs (3-2-1), but that is similar to boiling in water to me, and I think you lose flavor and texture.
The butt in the smoker is only about 4"x4"x5" and 1.5 lbs. The grate on the smoker has a 10" diameter. That is what happens when you are married to a women that does't eat meat. I use the foil lined catch pan to catch grease and divert direct heat. The first picture is after 3 hours at around 240, but as high as 260.
Click to expand...
Looks awesome!
 
#4,573
#4,573
Smoked mac and cheese on the rec tec mini and smoked ribs on my bigger rec tec. I absolutely love the Rec Tec and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a pellet smoker.

E7F8B98F-FDBC-49E2-9FC8-95E620137D05.jpegBB99BC29-4946-4E7C-9749-9D2AA67C7411.jpeg72CF20A1-1DDE-404B-BCCD-8CE95A83F02C.jpeg
 
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