Karubecue (KBQ) experience & review

jjdbike

Hey everyone,
I had been in the market for a new dedicated smoker. Really wanted a stick burner but the foot print was too big, good ones were too heavy, and finally, the learning curve intimidated me. 
Couple peeps here, especially Cent - Tex recommended looking into KBQ. After some research & was sold. I was lucky enough to find a used one on a BBQ forum site. Only done two cooks so far. I did three fat prime chucks, treated them like brisket. They were very good. I just finished a cook yesterday w/ two 8 - 9 lb Duroc pork butts. I followed a Myron Mixon recipe. Again, very good. I'm trying not to overstate this, but when I say very good, I mean a whole other level of smoke quality, depth of flavor, and bark. The bark that thing creates it impressive. I can not wait to cook my first brisket on it.
Thanks Can - Tex & friends!

JohnInCarolina

So glad you got one and are enjoying it! I highly recommend trying ribs on it and turkey breast or chicken.  It all comes out awesome.

jjdbike

JohnInCarolina said:

So glad you got one and are enjoying it! I highly recommend trying ribs on it and turkey breast or chicken.  It all comes out awesome.

Thanks John!
Looking forward to doing a brisket, but it’s a lot of $ & food. Gotta try some chicken. Thanks for the tips!
JD

JohnInCarolina

jjdbike said:

JohnInCarolina said:

So glad you got one and are enjoying it! I highly recommend trying ribs on it and turkey breast or chicken.  It all comes out awesome.

Thanks John!
Looking forward to doing a brisket, but it’s a lot of $ & food. Gotta try some chicken. Thanks for the tips!
JD

I have smoked one brisket in mine so far.  One observation: it requires quite a bit less time than the Egg.  Things tend to cook pretty fast in there. I bet you saw that with your pork butts.  

So it’s a long cook that uses plenty of wood but you can probably manage it by getting up early, rather than pulling an all-nighter. And it comes out great.

jjdbike

JohnInCarolina said:

jjdbike said:

JohnInCarolina said:

So glad you got one and are enjoying it! I highly recommend trying ribs on it and turkey breast or chicken.  It all comes out awesome.

Thanks John!
Looking forward to doing a brisket, but it’s a lot of $ & food. Gotta try some chicken. Thanks for the tips!
JD

I have smoked one brisket in mine so far.  One observation: it requires quite a bit less time than the Egg.  Things tend to cook pretty fast in there. I bet you saw that with your pork butts.  

So it’s a long cook that uses plenty of wood but you can probably manage it by getting up early, rather than pulling an all-nighter. And it comes out great.

Yes I have noticed it cooks more quickly than BGE. I attribute that tp how much air it circulates, similar to a convection oven,
I was also surprised at how much wood it burns through. 
Finally, even though it cooks w/ clean smoke from under firebox, & produces small hot fire, I've noticed something. Keeping the flames roaring, and adding wood very frequently, e.g. every 15 - 20 mins a couple pieces at a time produces a cleaner smoke than loading up the box and letting it burn down to coals, and repeating every 30 - 35 mins. 
Respectfully,
JD

The Cen-Tex Smoker

It is an amazing chicken and rib rig. Might be my favorite cooks on the kbq. I find I cook on my egg 90% of the time due to being empty nesters these days. Now that we are settled in at the ranch and have a (several) lifetime supply of oak wood on the ground, I hope to get it back in the rotation again. I always break it out when we have a group to cook for. Glad you are enjoying it. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

jjdbike said:

Hey everyone,
I had been in the market for a new dedicated smoker. Really wanted a stick burner but the foot print was too big, good ones were too heavy, and finally, the learning curve intimidated me. 
Couple peeps here, especially Cent - Tex recommended looking into KBQ. After some research & was sold. I was lucky enough to find a used one on a BBQ forum site. Only done two cooks so far. I did three fat prime chucks, treated them like brisket. They were very good. I just finished a cook yesterday w/ two 8 - 9 lb Duroc pork butts. I followed a Myron Mixon recipe. Again, very good. I'm trying not to overstate this, but when I say very good, I mean a whole other level of smoke quality, depth of flavor, and bark. The bark that thing creates it impressive. I can not wait to cook my first brisket on it.
Thanks Can - Tex & friends!

That all looks great. have fun with your new toy. Everyone I know who has one loves it

loco_engr

the end justifies the means . . . nice looking cook

Money_Hillbilly

@jjdbike Congratulations on finding a KBQ.  You will be very with the results, especially ribs.  I have won several competitions cooking ribs on it.  Like you said it is a totally different taste.  Enjoy!!

6baluts

- That is great looking cook on the KBQ.
- The KBQ is the only cooker that I passed along to and relative that I regret and miss. But on the bright side my BIL is stuck with my sister...
- I hope you get many years of satisfaction out of it.

sancho65

I really enjoy mine!🇺🇸