Let's Talk BBQ
Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Charcoal Grills => Topic started by: 70monte on April 08, 2016, 08:56:50 PM
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I was at our local Outdoor Home store today and got to see the PK grill for the first time. I've read a lot of good things about it in the past few months and after going back and forth with myself for about 45 minutes, I broke weak and bought it.
I have about 15 various other grills and smokers so I did not need this one but I guess I just couldn't resist buying it. Hopefully it will live up to the reviews I've seen given it's cost.
Wayne
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... I did not need this one ...
Sez who? Of course you did!
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Enjoy it!
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A great buy. This grill will last you a lifetime.
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Congrats! Enjoy :) :)
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... I did not need this one ...
Sez who? Of course you did!
I agree with the Turtle! And if this PK Grill found it's way to your house with you driving...you needed it!
And luckily for you you're getting a fine grill. I love mine and maybe wouldn't have any others if I bought a PK first!
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That is one great grill you picked up :)that dates back to the early 1950's but was out production for about 20 or so years.
My Dad had one that his brother dragged back from Texas in the early 50's before the Company was sold and my brother is still grilling on it but he had to build a new stand. Now that to me is longevity.
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Thanks everyone. I have ordered the cookmore and littlemore grids to add a little more grilling surface when needed. Are there any specific tips or other things I should know about this grill when using it? Any mods that you think are worthwhile? Thanks again.
Wayne
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Wayne the good news is this....... It's going to still be working long after your gone!
Learn to love it it will last forever!
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Thanks everyone. I have ordered the cookmore and littlemore grids to add a little more grilling surface when needed. Are there any specific tips or other things I should know about this grill when using it? Any mods that you think are worthwhile? Thanks again.
Wayne
You will find that it will use less charcoal. Do a single layer of briqs. The PK is a very good chicken cooker. I grill chicken thighs all the time. The PK is vented so there is not enough air flow to support a flame. When you are done cooking, the vents will put out the coals and they can be re-used for cooks where you do not need the full heat potential of briqs....brats and dogs come to mind............
Lump can be used but watch little lit pcs falling out the bottom vents..............
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Thanks everyone. I have ordered the cookmore and littlemore grids to add a little more grilling surface when needed. Are there any specific tips or other things I should know about this grill when using it? Any mods that you think are worthwhile? Thanks again.
Wayne
The PK is a very good chicken cooker. I grill chicken thighs all the time.
Another good chicken cooker for us that are on a quest to find the best chicken cooker. Maybe we need a survey.
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I also have a PBC and so far it's been the best chicken cooker I've used. I will be curious to see how the PK grill compares.
Does anyone use the grill grates made for the PK Grill? Since this grill is supposed to really cut down on flare ups, I didn't know if getting the grill grates for this grill would be necessary.
Wayne
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From the cooks that come off this grill I think you made a wise choice whether you needed it or not!!! Don
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Wayne the good news is this....... It's going to still be working long after your gone!
Learn to love it it will last forever!
Now he has to do over his will
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Wayne the good news is this....... It's going to still be working long after your gone!
Learn to love it it will last forever!
Now he has to do over his will
Ha Ha that is a good one. ;D
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Wayne the good news is this....... It's going to still be working long after your gone!
Learn to love it it will last forever!
Now he has to do over his will
Ha Ha that is a good one. ;D
I would be a good godfather
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Well, I broke the PK grill in tonight with some burgers. They came out okay but were still a little pink inside. I filled my small weber chimney with briquettes and lit it with a weber starter cube and waited until the top briquettes were just starting to turn white before I dumped them on the charcoal grate. The small weber chimney holds about 35-40 briquettes depending if you heap them.
I had all four vents opened all of the way. I cooked the burgers for 7 minutes on each side. The outside was plenty done so I don't know if going a little longer per side would have been good or not. I did stick a thermometer in the vent over the fire and the temp was only about 345 so it probably could have stood to be a little hotter but I'm sure the temps were a lot hotter at grate level.
I will have to do some more cooking to get an idea how this thing cooks.
Wayne
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Hmmmm, I use the small chimney starter when I use my PK. I do wait a little longer in the winter for the grate and the grill itself to heat up. I use frozen patties about 1/4 lb. Were yours homemade? Maybe on the thick side??
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One thing you might want to consider. The PK's cast aluminum body retains heat very well, conversely it hangs onto cold if outside temps are low. It takes awhile on these days to get the grill body heated up! When it's cold out preheat your grill an extra 15 minutes or so.
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These were 1/4 lb patties not frozen from Walmart that were not very thick. I probably should have let the grill heat up longer as suggested since the outside temp was only about 60 degrees and it was very windy. I did notice that the outside of the lid was not very hot so that may have been my problem.
Even though my vents are pretty loose, even when totally shut, it didn't take long for the coals to go out with everything shut up. That never happens with my Weber Kettles.
It will be a little bit of a learning curve with this grill but I will let it heat up longer on my next cook. Thanks for the input.
Wayne
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Get a good instant read thermometer to check for the doneness you like
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Get a good instant read thermometer to check for the doneness you like
I agree with Pappy! With an instant-read there's no guessing, assuring you and your guests a healthy meal.
Wayne if it was 60F when you grill there would be no need to heat up the grill an "extra" 15 - 20 minutes. I used my grill thru the Winter, and when temps were in the 20's I found that after 20 minutes the lid was just starting to warm up. Upon opening it up, the lid was full of condensation.
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The thick aluminum does take a while to heat up in the winter...I think it is 1/4" thick. I put a foil tray on the bottom shelve if I use lump. Sometimes the little pcs can fall out of the bottom vents.....just a heads up...........
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Wayne, there's not many secrets to mastering this grill other than using it and tinkering to see what works best for YOU!
But one thing I can tell you that made life a little easier. I picked up 2 - 8 1/2" X 13" cake pans. I got them at a garage sale or pilfered them from Mrs Hikerman's old stock, depends who you talk to! ::) Anyway one got drilled out with a 1/4" bit for airflow, the other gets foiled and is a drip pan. After a cook 90% of the ash stays in pan, and can easily be dumped. The other gets it's foil wadded up, refoiled and we're ready to cook again. It also cuts down on any ash falling out bottom vents.
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I do have a thermapen so I have that covered but to be honest, I never even thought to use it. I will next time.
I have been looking around for a charcoal basket to use in the PK but have not found anything yet. I do have a bunch of the new style Weber charcoal baskets and two sets of the old wire Weber charcoal baskets so I was thinking of trying one of those. I may just do the cake pan think that Hikerman suggested.
I used regular kingsford for the cook but that is what I mainly use all of the time.
Thanks for the input and ideas.
Wayne
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I do have a thermapen so I have that covered but to be honest, I never even thought to use it. I will next time.
I have been looking around for a charcoal basket to use in the PK but have not found anything yet. I do have a bunch of the new style Weber charcoal baskets and two sets of the old wire Weber charcoal baskets so I was thinking of trying one of those. I may just do the cake pan think that Hikerman suggested.
I used regular kingsford for the cook but that is what I mainly use all of the time.
Thanks for the input and ideas.
Wayne
I would really struggle to cook great food without my Thermapen, which is red, and is the fastest
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I do have a thermapen so I have that covered but to be honest, I never even thought to use it. I will next time.
I have been looking around for a charcoal basket to use in the PK but have not found anything yet. I do have a bunch of the new style Weber charcoal baskets and two sets of the old wire Weber charcoal baskets so I was thinking of trying one of those. I may just do the cake pan think that Hikerman suggested.
I used regular kingsford for the cook but that is what I mainly use all of the time.
Thanks for the input and ideas.
Wayne
I would really struggle to cook great food without my Thermapen, which is red, and is the fastest
I know Pappy's wisdom is right on 'cause I have a red 'pen too and it is fassssst! :D
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I do have a thermapen so I have that covered but to be honest, I never even thought to use it. I will next time.
I have been looking around for a charcoal basket to use in the PK but have not found anything yet. I do have a bunch of the new style Weber charcoal baskets and two sets of the old wire Weber charcoal baskets so I was thinking of trying one of those. I may just do the cake pan think that Hikerman suggested.
I used regular kingsford for the cook but that is what I mainly use all of the time.
Thanks for the input and ideas.
Wayne
I would really struggle to cook great food without my Thermapen, which is red, and is the fastest
I know Pappy's wisdom is right on 'cause I have a red 'pen too and it is fassssst! :D
Mine is Orange and I thought that was the fastest color. LOL.
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I did my second cook tonight, cooking some thin boneless pork chops. They turned out good but I almost got a couple of them a little too crispy.
Wayne
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When I do thin poke chops, I usually use the leftover Kingsford from the previous cook. They are past their heat curve and are good for thin chops or brats and dogs....
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IMO the PK is a master at indirect cooking. I generally sear my meat over the hot side then move it over on the cool side, atop the little more grid. Both bottom vents open and cool side top vent open. Use your thermopen! You"ll get there!
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I've been using my Weber gas grill quite a lot lately and so I'm just basing how long per side I usually leave the chops on it instead of taking into account that the coals were probably a lot hotter than my gas grill usually gets. I have not really cooked anything like chops or Burgers on charcoal since last summer so I have to get used to using charcoal again.
The chops were pretty thin and is why I didn't try and use the themopen on them.
I'm going to be cooking burgers again tonight so I will use the thermopen on them.
Wayne
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I bought the grill grates for the PK so I will be trying them out in the near future. Any advice for a first time user of these things?
Wayne