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Why Buy an AR?

flexfusion
flexfusion Posts: 245
in EggHead Forum
Thinking very seriously about getting an AR and would appreciate hearing some of the reasons why so many of y'all really say good things about the device.  I'm not at all happy with the plate setter set-up and even tried my neighbor's Kamado Joe's gizmo.  It looks like they (KJ) copied some of Ceramic's set-up ideas.  I look forward to your comments.  
Auburn, Alabama
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Comments

  • Dobie
    Dobie Posts: 3,458
    What are your goals and is budget an issue?
    Jacksonville FL
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  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,768
    It makes me a better cook. Two Larges & 2 AR's. They are on the Larges 90% of the time. 
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Just given a Mini to add to the herd. 

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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
    What specifically are you unhappy about? The PS work as advertised. The CGS products are definitely more versitile and can enhance your experience. That said, the PS works great for most things. 
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  • Biggreenpharmacist
    Biggreenpharmacist Posts: 4,343
    I want an AR but already have a spider and stone and PSWoo CI. I just dont know if i would really benefit from AR vs just buying extender. 

    (Sorry, not trying to hijack your thread). 

    Little Rock, AR

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  • flexfusion
    flexfusion Posts: 245
    I'm looking for efficiency......I think two hours a pound for butts and briskets is absurd.  I think the PS restricts too much air to the cooking surface.  This is just my opinion and I don't think of myself as a BGE expert.  I enjoy cooking on it, but I do think the AR arrangement could make cooking more efficient.  
    Auburn, Alabama
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  • Dobie
    Dobie Posts: 3,458
    The PS isnt stopping you from cooking faster. I use the PC in a Woo to cook chickens at 450 degrees. 
    Jacksonville FL
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,768
    As above- cook time vs temperature are independent of any contraptions within the BGE.  Now, higher in the dome may yield shorter cook times due to reflected heat.  The greatest return for me for accessories (PSWoo2 and extender here) is the increased cooking area.  Vertical is how you get there with a BGE but temp is temp (fire volume controlled) and no amount of hardware can change that.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 23,179
    flexfusion said:
    I'm looking for efficiency......I think two hours a pound for butts and briskets is absurd.  I think the PS restricts too much air to the cooking surface.  This is just my opinion and I don't think of myself as a BGE expert.  I enjoy cooking on it, but I do think the AR arrangement could make cooking more efficient.  
    raise the temp. It's free. 

    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 23,179
    A rig won't cook any faster. A cook at 225 with a PS is the same as a 225 cook with an AR.

    but you could do 6 butts at a time so if you are looking for efficiency in that way something like an AR will help. You can do 3 racks of spares, 6 racks of St. louis, 2 briskets, 6 butts. 100 wings etc if you have an AR but you aren't going to cook any faster if the temp is the same. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • westernbbq
    westernbbq Posts: 2,490
    flexfusion said:
    I'm looking for efficiency......I think two hours a pound for butts and briskets is absurd.  I think the PS restricts too much air to the cooking surface.  This is just my opinion and I don't think of myself as a BGE expert.  I enjoy cooking on it, but I do think the AR arrangement could make cooking more efficient.  
    The only efficiency gained from using an AR is that you will be able to cook more food at one time.  Be sure to get spider and stone.  But on my Large, i can do four 7# shoulders at one time.  Need AR + Rig extender.  two shoulders in basement, two in attic and 10.5 hours later there is pig perfection.   1.5 hrs per lb so thats 10.5 hrs .  i do use guru and set the dome in the  middle of grid temp to 210F.   


    other things i used AR for:   bake potatoes up top while roasting chix or turk breasts below;  twice baked taters up top while searing steaks below; three levels of baby back ribs; a whole bunch of corn on three levels; two (could do three) levels of smoked burgers; three levels of green chile roasting;  roasting 40 or so whole garlic bulbs; multiple levels of spatch chix; three levels of sausage; smoking three levels of salmon; three levels of brisket flats; and making two levels in trays of roasted veggies.    


    If you can swing it, get spider, stone, two slide guides, three  crossbars, two oval grids and the rig extender.    I am constantly discovering new applications/combinations/creative solutions to use the bge and all the flexibility that is added with the AR.    

    All of the above uses except steak searing  are done indirect fyi.  
    /
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  • westernbbq
    westernbbq Posts: 2,490
    here is the AR setup with rig extender.  Forgot to add the round topper grid for rig extender to above shopping list.     But six racks of baby backs thanks to the rig extender makes for optimal efficiency when using the BGE...m
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  • dougcrann
    dougcrann Posts: 1,129
    flexfusion said:
    I'm looking for efficiency......I think two hours a pound for butts and briskets is absurd.  I think the PS restricts too much air to the cooking surface.  This is just my opinion and I don't think of myself as a BGE expert.  I enjoy cooking on it, but I do think the AR arrangement could make cooking more efficient.  
    Crank it up. I am in the process of learning how to cook on a Reverse Flow.  Struggled with trying to keep the temperature down. One of the premier RF builders sent me a message advising me to let it run where it wants to run and adjust my cooking habits. My RF likes 325-350* on the dials...grate temperature is a bit above that. No foil spares are generally about 3.5 hours. Did a 6 pound butt...about 3 hours to pulling temperature....
    Tried a "turbo" butt on the Egg....only thing missing was the really crunchy bark....and the 10 hour long cook. 
    On another site I frequent lot of folks rave about the KISS brisket. Decent amount of trimming, S&P rub. 350*...cap down. Think at the 5 hours mark wrap in paper and go cap up. Folks are saying 14 pound briskets are taking 8 hours...total...rest included...and have the same results as "warming it til probe tender". 
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  • westernbbq
    westernbbq Posts: 2,490
    Amd here is the four shoulder setup.  I did trim about 2 inches at an angle off the top forward leading edge shoulder.  But 4 shoulders and these were 9 lbs each fit in Large with adjustable rig, and extender spider stome setup.    Awesome results too
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