Author Topic: Grease fog - I've just about had it  (Read 12639 times)

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Offline Bart57266

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Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #-1 on: August 27, 2015, 10:17:08 PM »
Well, I'm about 24 hours away from putting my PBC on Craigslist and moving on, because I just can't get the PBC to produce the flavor we (my family) all expect. Here's the problem:

When I grill chicken in a Weber kettle grill over Kingsford briquettes, we love it. It has a distinctive grilled flavor.

When I smoke chicken in a traditional bullet smoker with Kingsford briquettes and a handful of wood chips, plus a water pan between the coals and meat, we love it, as well. It has an awesome smoked flavor.

When I hang chicken in the PBC over Kingsford briquettes, however, with or without wood chips added, everyone at the table is a little disgusted by the grease smoke flavor. It's like I've ruined dinner, and I partially agree.

I've cooked chicken low and slow in the PBC (4hrs), hot and fast (2hrs 10 min) by cracking the lid periodically to heat up the coals, plus cooked some various times between those. Every single cook, whether it's two chickens cut in half, or 8 leg quarters like I did tonight, the high volume of dripping juices creates rolling grease fog pretty much constantly throughout the entire cook. And the sound... It's like I'm grilling burgers; Lots of dripping and sizzling going on.

As you can tell, I'm extremely frustrated with this. Either I'm doing something wrong, and it's creating all of this grease fog flavor, or that's just the way the PBC is. So here's what I need to know: Do you all get a different flavor from PBC-cooked meats than you get from smokers, or do you pretty much get what most people consider to be traditional smoked BBQ flavor?

I really need to know if I'm doing something wrong, or if this is just the way the PBC cooks. If the latter is the case, I probably need to stop fighting it, sell out and move on.

Your input will be sincerely appreciated.
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Offline GusRobin

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« on: August 27, 2015, 10:42:17 PM »
Why don't you call the PBC folks. I hear they have excellent customer service.
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Offline Bart57266

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2015, 10:55:51 PM »
They do, and I've talked with them about troubleshooting temps, length of charcoal burn, etc. I just wondered what all of you get from your PBCs, compared to traditional smokers.
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Offline teesquare

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2015, 10:58:12 PM »

"As you can tell, I'm extremely frustrated with this. Either I'm doing something wrong, and it's creating all of this grease fog flavor, or that's just the way the PBC is. So here's what I need to know: Do you all get a different flavor from PBC-cooked meats than you get from smokers, or do you pretty much get what most people consider to be traditional smoked BBQ flavor?"


I have a Weber Kettle, - and, frankly...I can't tell the difference in flavor profile. Both use the same charcoal...It is different from chicken cooked in a pellet grill or gas grill. A distinctive charcoal asked flavor that we love.
Perhaps - if you tried hanging the chicken off center form where you have your charcoal - so that the charcoal is not directly under the chicken? As well - I trim all of the fat that typically is attached at the base of the breast/chest cavity - and I cut off the tail ( which is all fat).
Have you told us how you are prepping your chicken? Are you adding any oil/butter to the chicken before you hang it - or during the cook? Do you baste the chicken during the cook?
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Offline Bart57266

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2015, 11:23:31 PM »
No difference in flavor profile? Wow. I'm getting totally different flavor.

I'm not trimming fat, which could make a big difference. All I do is rinse it, dry it, sprinkle on some rub, and hang. No oil or butter is added, no marinading beforehand.

Hanging it off-center may work, but the juices still end up down by the coals. Won't they vaporize anyway?
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Offline DWard51

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2015, 12:05:38 AM »
Could it be creosote from the chicken fat dripping on the coals and flaming up?  Just a thought, but I've never used a PBC so no real experience here. That "grease fog" flavor usually is from non-thin blue smoke which often has creosote and other undesirable flavor compounds in it.

Offline Bart57266

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2015, 07:25:23 AM »
That's exactly what it's from, because the only difference between a PBC and a bullet smoker (besides venting and internal shape) is that bullet smokers have water pans. That's where all of the juices go, rather than onto the coals to vaporize and create smoke.

Don't get me wrong, everybody; I'm not knocking the PBC. I just need to know if the flavor I'm getting is what I'm supposed to be getting. If it is, then maybe the PBC isn't for me. If it isn't, then I'm doing something wrong.

Either way, something has to change.
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Offline muebe

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2015, 08:47:03 AM »
IMHO your not cooking the chicken hot enough. 2 hours and 10 minutes sounds too long to me.

The PBC should be cooking chicken hot and fast. I usually finish chicken in mine in like 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Try getting a hotter fire started.
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Offline Jaxon

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2015, 09:31:33 AM »
I agree that your fire must not be hot enough.  It seldom takes me longer than 75 min. (that's an hour and 15 minutes, Dee) when I'm grillin'...it seems to take 2 1/2 hours when smokin' at 250*. 

I have been using the BBQ Dragon  --  http://www.bbqdragon.com  --  too get my charcoal going.  It works!!!  I use it when starting the fire in my offset smoker as well as firing up a chimney full of coals.

Gotta get the fire hot...

just sayin'...
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Offline Bart57266

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2015, 10:05:21 AM »
I thought I was right on track with my fastest cook of 2hrs 10min, because the PBC video states a cook time of 2hrs.
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Offline smokeasaurus

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2015, 12:10:24 PM »
I used a UDS type smoker for years and the flavor profile is the same as the "Grease Fog" that you have in the PBC. I can definitely pick up on that flavor. It is different from other smokers. Most people love it. I know of some (family members) that don't.

This smoker might simply be not for you.......It will be gobbled up quickly when it hits Craigslist  :)
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Offline Bart57266

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2015, 12:25:07 PM »
And if that's the case (that it isn't for me), at least I'll know it wasn't because of some unknown mistake I was making. I still don't fault the Pit Barrel. It's a great product and I really wanted it to be my only "smoker" so our rusting bullet and offset models could be eliminated.

Still open to suggestions...
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Offline TMB

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2015, 12:50:42 PM »
IMHO your not cooking the chicken hot enough. 2 hours and 10 minutes sounds too long to me.

The PBC should be cooking chicken hot and fast. I usually finish chicken in mine in like 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Try getting a hotter fire started.
I think Muebe hit the nail on the head.   Muebe is very, very good at trouble shooting issues.
 
 I'd try his suggestion first before selling your PBC

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Offline smokeasaurus

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2015, 03:32:29 PM »
There is a certain flavor when drippings and seasonings drop and hit the coals below vs drippings and seasonings hitting a water pan (WSM) below. I know of some members on other forums getting rid of their drums..family rebellion so to speak....... Just sayin.......
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Offline Bart57266

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Re: Grease fog - I've just about had it
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2015, 03:58:40 PM »
You're right, Smoke. It's a totally different cooking process, regardless of how similar they may appear.

PBC chicken is even vastly different than grilled chicken in a Weber kettle (in my experience). They're the same chicken, over the same charcoal, cooked with lids in place and thick grease smoke rolling out, etc. It must be due to the different distances from the coals. PBC and drum chicken, hung up high toward the lid, is more "in the fog" than grilled chicken, and therefore picks up more of the fog's flavor.
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