Anyone had problems with a weak LCD Screen on your FEC? I spoke with Bill and he advised me to turn the pot that controls the brightness but it was already at its highest point from the factory. I cannot see the screen anymore to set times and temps making it useless till I can find a replacement LCD or as Bill advised replace the board for $1700.00+. Anyone know the part number of the LCD? I am sure it is a $2.00 part if I can find the number. Thanks for any assistance you can give.Read More...

Hi All, I've a "new to me" FEC100 coming and the wheels have rotted off. The casters still look fine so, I'd just need the wheels and (maybe) the bolt that goes through them. Has anybody replaced their and have a part number they could share (other than the complete cookshack caster)? Thanks Patrick PS: The forum format has changed since I was last on and now appears really clunky. Is there a setting I messed up? What happened?Read More...

Do I have a problem? Smoker is outside in Texas heat, but if I go to adjust, the setting that I put it on displays (225). My probe temp has actually gone down 5 degrees after 12 hours of smoking a 9 lb brisket. Any advice?Read More...

Hey, we've talked before in these forums about what everyone's favorite store-bought Q sauce is. But what about meat spices? What widely available store-bought meat spice do you like to sprinkle on your pork or brisket or steak before eating? I'm not talking about a rub unless you also like to sprinkle the rub on the sliced meat after it's cooked. I've read that lots of people like to use Montreal steak seasoning on their smoked meats. Is that a crowd favorite? I've heard others mention that...Read More...

Has anyone tried to use a griddle on the grill side of the PG500 or 1000? If so what did you use and how did it work?Read More...

I smoked an 11.2 lb Prime packer yesterday and the results were very perplexing. See smoking methodology / details below. 11.2 lb Prime beef packer 3 oz (2 small chunks) hickory wood Total smoke time of 11 hours 40 minutes at 225F... details below Inserted into un-preheated smoker with fat side down at 225F at 11:30pm (was a bit too large for so I folded tip of the flat underneath) Inserted two temp probes into the thickest part of the flat about two inches apart from one-another, and a...Read More...

Don't we get asked this all the time? So, let's do some research here and try to help everyone out. Now that this forum will keep the answers. There's no time limt, just post your results if you want. Post your response with these questions & answers: *What did you cook? (brisket,pork,ribs -- be specific *How much did it weight to start with? *What temp did you cook it? *How long did you cook it? *How much did it weight when finished? *How would you rate your results 1 - 10 (10 is best...Read More...

Up until now, all my ventures with smoking have been day events: cook, and sell off what you have. Now, I'm getting ready to start up a brick and mortar, and have a couple questions: Although I would absolutely prefer to serve daily prepared fresh out of the smoker, we all know that's pretty difficult. So, for back up, how do you re therm frozen product? Sous vide? Any other methods working for you out there? B&M will have around 40 seats plus take out. Have an SM260 and an FEC120. Menu...Read More...

My PZ400 pizza ovens door weights needed attention. The door weights are made to counterweight the pizza door for opening and closing, but also to stop the door from over opening and stressing out the two hinges. If the weights do not bottom out on the inside of the door frame soon enough when you open the door, the door will over open and than put the hinges in a bind stressing them out. The weights and brackets were way off, so I shortened them up and set the proper angles. Than I re tig...Read More...

I just bought a PZ400. I am finally getting ready to do some pizzas. Just was wondering if anyone else has tried cooking anything else with it and had success!Read More...

Tune in tonight for the new season, 8PM Central time on Destination America and watch David from Butcher BBQ hopefully take down the competition.Read More...

Hi, I was wondering about the name and model number of the auger motor for the fec300?Read More...

Greetings All, I've owned an FEC-100 before, moved on and sold that for two Gateway Drum smokers, sold one (kept the other), and just got a new PG500! I was pretty impressed with my first cook but was curious on your thoughts with the drastic temp swings. Long story short, the swings may not matter too much, as I said above... I was pretty impressed with the final product. I intentionally didn't wrap in an effort to get more smoke and a firm bark... I achieved both! I used Cookshack hickory...Read More...

Well, it is salmon time again! My local Costco has fresh Copper River Sockeye in seasonal stock - best salmon I know of for smoking. I just did about 5.5.lbs (3 sides) using Mr. T's brine from this forum, in my SM066. I used 2 1/4 oz of alder wood (traditional in the Pacific Northwest for salmon) at 200 F for about 1 1/2 hours until an IT in the thickest piece of about 145. Fabulous! I usually do about 30 lbs per summer as long as stock lasts (switching to regular sockeye after the Copper...Read More...

New unit used twice today powered on to a bunch of what looks like error codes but couldn't find a list to see what it could be. I guessed the auger was stuck so emptied the pellets but didn't see anything so completely removed the auger from the bottom and turned it back on to the same error. Appreciate any ideas what to try next.Read More...

I bought one of the Costco Prime Briskets. It's 20 Lb. trimmed. Should I still allow 1.5 hours / pound cooking time?Read More...

I thought I would share with you my custom pizza cart I made for my PZ400 pizza oven. The top alone weighs 150 lbs and is 3/8 inch thick 304 stainless. I had it water jetted out and had them water jet two push pull handles to be able to roll it easy! The cart weighs near 300, and I drilled 4 holes in the top to bolt the unit down. I did away with the legs that came with the machine, and used stainless washers to bring it down a bit. As well I wanted it bolted to the top so it couldn't slide!Read More...

Just thought I would share that I found a char-broil cover that works perfectly for the PG500. I have the front shelf on mine... It is the 3-4 burner option if the link doesn't take you right to that one. Have been using it for over a year and it is holding up great so far... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0194I458G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1Read More...

I've been thinking about getting a band saw for cutting meat. I wouldn't use it a lot. I process about 3 to 6 deer per season and if I had a band saw I would cut the occasional shoulder and hindquarter into bone in steaks. I've seen the Buffalo Tools product on the internet and it seems to be the only one in its price range. http://www.bargainoutfitters.com/cb/cb.asp?a=81438 I'm not interested in buying a new proffesional model which will costs thousands. Anyone with experience with the...Read More...

Did three racks st louis ribs and two chickens halved today for my first time in the CS66. Chicken was 3 hrs at 225 ribs 4 at 225. Everything was good but not great. Ribs better than chicken. If I can get more smoke on the ribs next time they may be really great. Chicken a bit drier than i like. Ribs were dry rubbed and chicken was kind of a wet rub of spices with tequila and honey, i was hoping the alcohol and a bit of baking powder would help keep the chicken from being rubbery. Chicken...Read More...

Of course price is an issue, as with anything. I was trying to decide between the Smokette Original Model SM009-2 Electric Smoker or the Smokette Elite Model SM025 Electric Smoker . The 14 X 14 size on the original would be a problem. because I cook a lot of ribs and don't like to cut the rack. Any tips about buying one of these would be welcome. Any incite would be great. ThanksRead More...

I have one of the original Ameriques and my meat thermometer unit has gone bad. Does anyone have an extra they want to sell? I looked on the accessories page and they only have the new style thermometer plug. I would need the whole new assembly with the new thermometer. I know they used to sell it but I don’t see it anymore. Does anyone have any recommendations where I can get either an old assembly or the new assembly with the thermometer? Just for clarification the plug that my thermometer...Read More...

How do y'all do a deep clean on your FEPG? I have a horror story from my first attempt at it and since then I have been pretty gun shy... I'm talking about desooting and degreasing the inside of the cooking chamber. Thanks in advance!Read More...

Ingredients 12 lasagna noodles 3 cups vegetables like broccoli, carrots, zucchini cooked, chopped and cooled 10 0z frozen spinach defrosted and squeezed 4 cups cooked chicken 2 cups cottage cheese 2 eggs 4 cups mozzarella 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 small onion diced 2 cloves garlic pressed 1/3 cup butter 1/4 cup flour 2 cups milk 2 cups chicken broth 4 oz cream cheese 1 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano Steps Step 1 To make the Alfredo sauce, melt butter, add onion and...Read More...

Since there isn't much clearance between the two shelves on an SM025, I was thinking of just using the bottom shelf only and standing the four butts on edge, keeping them balanced and separated with wood skewers. My thought is having them all on the same shelf would help them cook more uniform, plus the smoke might circulate better. Any issue with that strategy? ThanksRead More...

I'm thinking about modifying one of my FE100s with pneumatic casters. Since the base of the casters will be larger than the originals on the FE, I'd have to fabricate a plate to bolt to the the bottom of the FE with additonal holes drilled on the outside to match the larger base of the casters. My question is what size caster to go with? I know the larger the caster the easier it would be to move, but would 8" make enough difference in mobility to make it worth while? Would 10" or 12" make...Read More...

Anyone familiar with the Louisiana Grills model Pellet Cookers? http://www.kck.com/louisiana_grills/ I have a Model 50 and have been thinking about adding a pellet cooker. Traeger is not well made in my opinion and The FE is a bit out of my price range. The excellent feature of the Louisiana Grills line seems to be totally seperate smoke control from the main temperature/cooking control. There is a dealer in my area....they seem to be well made but I would love to here if someone has cooked...Read More...

Momma wants burgers for Mothers Day on my PG500. Would love your thoughts!Read More...

I have had several instances lately with my FEC 100 not letting temp ramp up during a cook. My last cook I started with ribs in smoker and set temp to 235* and everything was going along fine. After a couple of hours I then tried to increase temp up to 275* as I wanted to put some chicken in it also. I increased the temp setting up to 275*, but after 1 hour the temp still only registered about 240*. I had not yet put the additional chicken load in it, so no reason for it not to have come up...Read More...

Looks like I'm going to be laid off in July 2009. My wife has told me to follow my passion and finally open a BBQ Joint / Premium Spice Shop. I want to focus on takeout but still have maybe 10 - 12 Tables. The spice part will require 800 - 900 SF of space. That part aside, I have no idea how to figure out what to budget for a kitchen. I do think I will be using one of the larger Cookshack units. If any of you have started a BBQ joint similar in size to what I am thinking, can you share what...Read More...

Hello agian, lynnae here, I'm still around You all are great for advice so I thought you could help me with this one. I was just given(meaning: for FREE!!) a slightly used New Brunfels offset smoker grill. The guy who gave it to me had a hard time using it....he had problems with controlling the heat...too hot on one side too cold on the other.....he really just wanted a grill that he could throw some steaks on that he didn't have to pay attention to. I think he got it for a gift and really...Read More...

Well Delivery day came – on time and in good condition. The hardest part of it was removing the protective plastic which coated the stainless steel. Put the side and front shelves on easily. Poured in 20 pounds of the included pellets, prime the firepot with a small fist-full of pellets and in 13 minutes, I was up to 400 degrees. Ran it for about an hour and shut it down for a couple of hours. Restarted and cooked 5 rib eyes. Grill was very easy to use. I love the different zones. I was...Read More...

We have Brisket 101, Pork Ribs 101, and Pork Butt 101 back on the website. Click here . Turkey 101 and Brining 101 will follow shortly. We apologize for the broken links.Read More...

Folks. My PG 500 will arrive tomorrow. Quick question, what do you do with flare-ups? I know I've had quite a few with propane and charcoal grills. Please advise. Thanks.Read More...

Has anyone smoked a freshly made corned beef? I don"t want a pastami. I want a smoked corned beef.Read More...

Anyone ever do pizza on the PG 500? I could probably find a dough recipe and figure out toppings, but I don't know what kind of pizza stone to get (if any) and what temp to use. Please advise.Read More...

For years I used our good kitchen knives for fixing outdoor food, outdoors. Not a good event should a knife fall to the ground or loose an edge slicing into a steak on the grill and encountering a grill grate. But a good set of knives is important. And they need not be expensive. Old Hickory to the rescue. Made in America. Very good quality. Bought a set a couple of years back and really like them. From prep to serving, this kit covers it all. A good set at a very reasonable price. Keeping...Read More...

Received my new FEC100 on Wednesday from Cookshack. Last night attempted to run it a few hours. Loaded pellets Powered up Set time/temp Hit start , fan kicked on, but that’s all Auger and igniter did not engage Thoughts/suggestions? I left customer service a voice message but pebbly will not bear from then until Monday. Thanks. JeffRead More...

Hey guys. I need some help picking out a sausage stuffer . Ihave a LEM grinder that I have been using but its a mess and a pain in the ass. Ideally my budget is less than $200.00. Would love to hear your opinion . Thank you all!Read More...

i have a 9 lb flat, very thick layer of fat,if i cut off some fat and cook fat side down and put cut fat on top, think it will help the drying problemRead More...

I want to purchase a Pro 500 but would like to see one first. There are no dealers in my areas (CA and ID) and wanted to know if anyone near Escalon, CA (95320) or Rexburg, ID (83440) has one and would consider letting me come by and take a look. You can call me at 209-204-5200. Thanks.Read More...

I just bought 2 pork bellies on sale. The price was right, and I got to sort through 2 bins. I like my bacon on the lean side. I have done bacon before, but it turned out way to sweet. There was enough maple syrup that I had to microwave it to keep the sugar from burning. I am looking for a good old fashion brine recipe. Not to sweet, not to salty, with a little pepper. What woods are you all using when you smoke them? Any help would be greatly appriceated.Read More...

Hi Guys— Two of the “other companies” sell a small portable fan that sits over the top vent hole. This is to move air when making jerky. I’m a bit curious as to the effectiveness of this method. CS does not have a device like 5his. That surprises me a bit. Has anybody any experience with these small jerky fans? I have tried the door open/close thing. I’m looking at different ideas to minimize moisture...ThanksRead More...

Question on using rib racks with my FEC100. I cooked 18 racks of ribs yesterday and for the first time tried rib racks that I've had for quite a while but had not tried yet. Set smoker to 260 and cooked for a long time without ever getting them as tender as I would have liked, over 8 hours. Anybody with experience using rib racks have any ideas? Is it because they are so tightly packed in there? Thanks in advance.Read More...

I just made a wing recipe I really like with some smoke flavor and crispy skin. The technique is from Cook's Illustrated. In their version everything is done in the oven but I am doing 30 minutes in a Cookshack before moving to oven. I am also using Cookshack Spicy Chicken rub and I preferred them without any sauce. The recipe is behind a paywall unfortunately ( https://www.cookscountry.com/r..._search_experience_1 ), but I believe the recipe is also in the Cook's Illustrated "Meat Book"...Read More...

looking for any ideas and pictures of a patio grilling and smoking setup that you might have constructed. There will be a Green egg bbq, sink and a smokette smoker. Thanks for any pictures of customizing your outside cooking.Read More...

One. The purpose of vacuum packaging machine In order to prevent products in transportation and storage, due to moisture deterioration. The product is defective due to deterioration. The product is placed in the packaging bag (vacuum bag) with vacuum packaging, and the air inside the bag is exhausted to make the product in a completely oxygen-free state, which can prevent moisture, dust, rust and oxidation and make the product easy to preserve and not deteriorate. Two. Vacuum packaging...Read More...

Ok guys. Fixing to mount up a FEC300 into a 22ft concession/competition trailer and will be serving lunch and dinner 2 to 3 days a week plus a crap ton of festivals. All of my area are surrounding counties and a short interstate or smooth 2 lane road 12-15 miles away at max. Im assuming that running the rotisserie is out of the question but with it off can the smoker continue to run while traveling? It would be a situation that we open at say 11 am so for a brisket we would need to start at...Read More...

This is not an attempt to reduce cost. I exported my CS to Costa Rica for my restaurant. I did my best effort to research import regulations for wood, and found no restrictions. But my load of 600 lbs of wood was impounded by customs under the guise that the wood needed to be "heat treated". My choices were to spend 6 months appealing the ruling or make a hefty donation to his kids "educational fund". Guess what I did? Time for 2nd load. I am told that "wood pellets" are not subject to...Read More...

Does anyone own or has owned a PG500 AND a MAK 2 star? These are the 2 grills that I am looking at purchasing and I'd really like to be able to get a good side-by-side comparison of the 2. From my research, I feel that the PG500 will be a better griller, but that the MAK will be a better smoker. I'd like to do a bit of both and for the most part, I'd be cooking for just my family (5). Also, I've seen several posts on here about the PG500 blowing a lot of ash. Is this common? I know the "this...Read More...