Egger cooking on an oil drum BBQ

atgcpaul · May 2015

I have a large BGE and have many pork rib and roasts under my belt. I volunteered to help at a large church function where we'll be serving 300+ people. The church has a large oil drum type BBQ. Last year I helped chopped the meat and there was too much bark on--burnt--and I think it was underseasoned--one reason why I want to help.

Anyway, are these oil drum BBQs mostly set it and forget it like the BGE or do you have to constantly feed it lump?

I spit roasted a whole hog almost 4 years ago and I was up all night feeding it briquets (yes, I know). It turned out great but was a lot of work.

Is BBQing in an oil drum somewhere between cooking on a BGE and an open spit roast? Lastly, meat is meat so if I do my roasts at 275-300 on the BGE, should I aim for the same on the drum? I'm assuming since these aren't insulated like the BGE, it'll need more attention.

Thanks,
Paul

mahenryak · May 2015

Are you talking vertical drum or horizontal? How is it vented? I'm not the one to give you advice on these but maybe some more details can serve as a bump. @SGH or @Cazzy may have some experience. And others, of course.

Jstroke · May 2015

I own an ugly drum but i need to know more about how it is set up. Vertical or horizontal. If vertical then yes the same temp. If horizontal then may god be with you. Vertical and set well they will go the distance. Mine will take a bag of lump and go 18 hours.

atgcpaul · May 2015

This is a link to the what the smoker looks like without the trailer or box on the side (I guess I can't post inline yet). I don't remember where the vent is. I guess with a setup like this, you put all the meat on one side and the coals on the other and just continually feed it?

http://s1134.photobucket.com/user/ICON69/media/rear2.jpg.html

ryantt · May 2015

@atgcpaul this is an offset smoker and is a different animal. You're going to want to put a water pan in close to the opening from the firebox. Temps are going to very across the cooking surface so things are going to need to be rotated or they will finish at different times. The temp can very by as much as 50 degrees from side to side. Also Cooking at 275 is fine but your going to need to feed the fire. Best of luck, make sure to keep water pan full and check the fire every hour. I'm envious, I've never gotten to feed 300 people before. Best of luck and make sure to post picks of the cook.

mahenryak · May 2015

atgcpaul said:

... without the trailer or box on the side ...

I took this to mean that there is no box (offset), but I could be wrong.

ryantt · May 2015

mahenryak said:

atgcpaul said:

... without the trailer or box on the side ...

I took this to mean that there is no box (offset), but I could be wrong.

I missed the no box part. Good luck then this will be a monster to work on. the only thing I could think of is to build a small fire on one side put heat deflector in and see how the temp is accord the cooking surface.

mahenryak · May 2015

I might be tempted to cook the low and slow stuff ahead of time and just use this to warm these items back up--if needed. Then maybe cook some dogs and burgers at the time of the function. Just a thought.

Jstroke · May 2015

I'm sorry I thought you were talking about something different. I agree^^^^^^ I would do low and slow ahead of time. Unless you set up indirect. Its just a giant weber kettle. You will probably fight temps the whole way through. If this is just a function then I would keep it simple. Pulled pork and burgers thighs and dogs beans slaw. If people are paying to eat and have an expectation of good Q.. Then use this as a warmer reheater and come up with a different plan.

tarheelmatt · May 2015

Not even close to an Egg man....

This is an old school method of cooking where you have to shovel coals from a burn barrel under your meat at intervals of 15-30 mins apart to keep the heat to around 250°-300°. Not near as efficient as an Egg, but a lot of fun none the less.

For this type cooking you would start out likely with the fat/skin side down then flip half way through as your actually cooking directly instead more indirectly. Egg's you don't need to flip as the heat source is more of a convection type air flow and is indirectly heated.

Long story short, if folks know what they're doing you can achieve an excellent product from this type of cooker just as good as an Egg. Actually, the smoke profile is a lot better on this type cooking as you're cooking over oak and hickory coals that you're shoveling.

This is the type cooking still being done in my area that many flock to and enjoy.

tarheelmatt · May 2015

This is the cooker that I have access to and cook on from time to time.

Was cooking for a fundraiser at a church this night. No special rates on cremation this day, so the jokes have already been said.

Buddy has an insert to use gas on this too. I was cooking 275 12oz Ribeyes for this function.

For Q, there's a door on each side where you shovel coals through.

Made some damn good Q from this cooker.

Image: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b8YRgRrNZKA/Uxulnh0xXXI/AAAAAAAACfQ/xYnAw_gP-WQ/w685-h514-no/FB_IMG_13943207646303338.jpg

fruitguy · May 2015

looks like you killed it

atgcpaul · May 2015

It's a free event but that doesn't mean I don't care how it turns out. When I helped chop a couple years ago, the head cook finished off the shoulders in the big church ovens--mostly to make easier to remove the bark. He has a good handle on how many shoulders he'll have to buy and it's a potluck so there will be other food there. How many 10lb shoulders can you fit in a LBGE? I made my own grill riser for when I do ribs and shoulders but there's probably just 4" between the grids.

tarheelmatt · May 2015

atgcpaul said:

It's a free event but that doesn't mean I don't care how it turns out. When I helped chop a couple years ago, the head cook finished off the shoulders in the big church ovens--mostly to make easier to remove the bark. He has a good handle on how many shoulders he'll have to buy and it's a potluck so there will be other food there. How many 10lb shoulders can you fit in a LBGE? I made my own grill riser for when I do ribs and shoulders but there's probably just 4" between the grids.

Assume you're referring to butts, not the whole shoulder?

For butts, you can get 4 butts on a large, but with multiple levels only.

Do you flip the shoulders half way through so they don't get burnt?

I need to know the process more so than someone wanting to lug a BGE (that isn't made for something like this cook). Just because you have a BGE isn't going to save the world. These types of cookers are very capable of producing great BBQ, however it all depends on who's behind it. Same with the BGE. Egg can only do so much.

tarheelmatt · May 2015

fruitguy said:

looks like you killed it

Good one, but already heard that one too....

Backyard Mike · May 2015

Are you going to be the head cook?

The thing with a cooker like that is you got to know it pretty well to get good Q out of it. No doubt it can make kick ass Q, but they can be more high maintenance than an English sports car.

I I would try to do a few practice cooks (just a couple of butts) to get to know its particularities. You could pull the practice butts (if they come out edible) and freeze then defrost and reheat for the event.

The (former?) head cook might have been on to something with the ovens. Build a fire on one side, smoke the butts indirect on the other side til the bark looks good, then wrap and finish in the ovens. Then use it as a big grill to do links, dogs, burgers, etc

Good luck

atgcpaul · May 2015

No, I'm not the head cook, just happy to assist any way I can--and yes, maybe meddle some, too, to get a little more flavor into these events. I wasn't going to bring the Egg, just cook ahead of time and have them ready to be warmed up later. We always get a good turnout at these things but not enough help doing the prep so want to alleviate the stress of "will it finish cooking in time" or "did I cook the bejeesus out of it"?

I've got to ask the cook what other food he's got planned. He mentioned starting it up at 10pm and lunch is at noon. I think that's too tight to get these processed and then something else onto the grill.

SmokeyPitt · May 2015

I haven't cooked on a cooker like this before, but if you have room it would make sense to me to set up indirect zones as you suggested earlier. If the exhaust is on one side, I would think you would start the fire on the opposite side so the heat pulls through. If the exhaust is in the middle, I think you may want to put a pile of coals on each side and an indirect zone in the middle.

I think it would be helpful if you get a chance to grab a pic of the cooker before the event.

Jeepster47 · May 2015

tarheelmatt said:

fruitguy said:

looks like you killed it

Good one, but already heard that one too....

@tarheelmatt ... wow, looks like they lined up early for your cook.

tarheelmatt · May 2015

Jeepster47 said:

tarheelmatt said:

fruitguy said:

looks like you killed it

Good one, but already heard that one too....

@tarheelmatt ... wow, looks like they lined up early for your cook.

Dying to get there....

Egger cooking on an oil drum BBQ

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