Christmas Gifts Under $100

Every year I make some recommendations on Christmas/Chanukah gifts, but this year I'm keeping all my recommendations under $100. There's a recession on don't you know.

First up is one that barely scrapes under the limit; The Brinkmann 2 Burner Gas Grill. $99 at Home Depots everywhere.

Let me start out by saying that the fine folks at Home Depot sent me this grill way back in June to try out, so no I didn't buy it, but that does stop me from reviewing it fairly.

This grill is at the low end of the spectrum when it comes to gas grills. It's no frills and very small, but it works as advertised and I recommend it. This grill is perfect for a quick meal for a very small family or couple. It heats quickly and evenly and goes together in a snap.

One major design flaw, the grill can't be moved with the gas tank attached. Another flaw is that the middle grill section is not bolted to the legs and can be lifted off fairly easily even if you don't want to; mine came off when I tried to move it a couple of feet with the gas tank attached. There's no handle on the grill to facilitate moving it around. You should set it and forget it.

But, for the price you can't beat it. I may buy one for my parents. They already have a large Charbroil TEC Grill, but it's really too big for just two people. This little guy would suit them perfectly.

Bubba Keg Assembled.

Wow. That was fun. Putting the Bubba Keg together is pretty simple, once I downloaded the assembly instructions. Why aren't they included in the box? Also, I was missing two screws. Not a good sign of quality control boys.

It took about 20 minutes to assemble the beast; almost as long as it does to unpack it! Be warned though, this is a two man job. Putting the keg on the stand is almost impossible for you to do alone. It can be done, but it's not pretty. Trust me.

Here's a picture of the lid opened up. You can see the upper chrome cooking grate and the lower cast iron grate.

The interior of the Bubba Keg is finished in the same enameled steel as the Weber Kettles and Smokey Mountain cookers. This is a great choice as it never wears out and is very easy to clean.

The top grate pivots out to allow access to food on the lower grate. This is a nice feature. When I first saw this in a video I was concerned that the upper cooking grate would bend with any weight on it. I tested it using a brick and the grate remained steady and strong.

The top lid can be closed and secured and latched closed. The latch is a cheap plastic tab that I don't see lasting very long. Poor choice of materials here Bubba Keg.

The top lid also includes a nice easy to read thermometer. Unfortunately, you can't calibrate the thermometer, but it's a nice feature none the less. I've always wondered why the Big Green Egg and the Weber Smokey Mountain or Kettles don't include at thermometer. They should.

At the bottom of the Bubba Keg, there is a screened air vent. It's interesting that they have calibrated the vent opening with numbers from one to five which match the calibration system on the lid. I guess I'm not anal enough but this seems a bit of overkill to me. I don't think I'll be tracking by number how closed or open I keep the bottom vent. Unlike the Weber Smokey Mountain which has three, there is only one vent in the bottom of the Keg. I wonder if this will affect how evenly the fire burns and there's only one way to find out. The screen on the vent slides back to allow cleaning and ash removal.

And finally here's a picture of the top vents. This is made of cast iron and is an interesting choice. I'm a bit surprised as cast iron rusts easily and quickly if it is not seasoned properly. This is going to be a pain to maintain.

Putting this guy together was simple. The packaging efficient and overall the Bubba Keg seems to be a quality product. There's a couple of things I'd like to change. I'd like to be able to fold down the side tables. I'd like a place on the base to store the Bubba Keg multi tool as well as the trailer hitch and associated hardware.

This weekend comes the real test... Cooking!

Monday I'll have some pictures from my first cook on the Bubba Keg. I'm excited to use this beast. Stay tuned.

Bubba Keg Archeology

I still haven't had time to cook on this beast, and it calls to me constantly, but here's some pictures of un-boxing and assembling.

On the left, here it is as delivered. Looking at the box, it's not much smaller than an 18 1/2" Weber Smokey Mountain.

This is a big box, if you're picking one up from the store, I hope you have a van or a pickup truck. I can't imagine trying to get that into a car trunk or back seat!

The shipping label claimed that the box weighed 235 lbs, but from the packing list it's only 135 lbs. I wonder what the Bubba Keg people paid for shipping.

Let's see what it's like when it's opened up. The outer layer of cardboard has been removed. It's very Nicely packed. That's the base placed on top of the keg. Lots of Styrofoam and packing materials in this box. It's not very environmentally friendly.

Removing the base and it's surrounding packing materials I open the lid and find a box and more packing materials.

This box is heavy. Below the box I find the handles, the snap on tables, the cooking tool (more about that later) and the two cooking grates.

Carefully removing all of that, I find.... Another box! This one is much lighter than the first. I feel like I'm excavating King Tut's tomb here. Every layer produces something new and exciting.

And what is in these boxes? One contains the wheels and the various hardware. The other? It's empty. Carefully emulating Howard Carter, I dutifully document my find but wonder, "Has this keg been violated by keg robbers earlier in the century?" I'm stumped.

All the various pieces of this bad boy are now scattered around my garage floor. I'm ready to begin. I open up the operation handbook and check out the schematic, read the cooking and operating instructions and glance over the instructions for attaching my Bubba Keg to my non-existent pickup truck and it dawns on me. There's no assembly instructions! I think I've solved the mystery of the empty box.

To the internet! More tomorrow.

Media Whore?

Back in the day, some of my friends used to lovingly refer to me as a "media whore." Back in the day when WhiteTrash BBQ was one of the few blogs about barbecue I used to get a fair amount of requests for interviews. Some I did, most I didn't.

This week feels like I'm young and new again. Everyone wants me!

Yesterday it was a live interview on The Meat Show with The folks from Iron Works BBQ and Fiorella's Jack Stack BBQ which was Shanghied by an appearance of The Backyard Chef.

Today it's an interview with Mike Pit over at The Gas Grill Review site. Check it out.

March Madness: Grill Power

Yes, that is a grill. A gas grill apparently. It's called the Motor Head and available for $399 from FABGrills.

According to their website....
• Unique Patented V-8 Engine Design
• High Temp Powder Coated Paint
• Chrome Plated Air Breather, Valve Covers,
Oil Pan & Control Panel
• Cast Iron 2-piece Enameled Coated
Grilling Surface
• Powder Coated Exhaust Headers
• Removable Oil Pan for Quick and
Easy Cleaning
• 55,000 BTU’s of cooking heat
Approx. 440 sq. Inches of grilling
space (20”w x 22”d)
• Chromed Air Cleaner Serves as the
Exhaust
• Dual Use Tool Box GasTank Cover
• Locking Front Wheels
• Built to Withstand Years of Service
• Multi-tier Warranty and Guarantee
• Custom Colors Available
• Griddle Cooking

It's cool to look at, but I wonder if it can cook. Lots of times these novelty grills are just that - novelties. If the folks over at FABGrills want to send me one, I'll put it through its paces and let you know.

March Madness continued tonight with a penne with mushroom and ricotta sauce. Good stuff.

And today's random barbecue link: The Galax Smokehouse.

BBQ Equipment - The Pit Builders

OK. I know I've posted this before, but that was over a year ago. Here's an updated list of the pit builders, smoker manufacturers, barbecue makers and grill builders, all in one handy dandy spot. I wish I could take credit for the creation of this list, but the credit goes to my friend Zilla over on the National Barbeque News Forums.

Below is a list that I have been compiling for a while now. The intention of this list is to provide basic contact information of custom pit builders, to anyone thinking of buying a heavy duty/handmade BBQ Pit, with a few exceptions. Feel free to suggest others not listed here. Thanks to all the guys that have sent new names to me.

Tips on using this list...

• For most of us buying a handmade BBQ pit is a big investment so take your time, do your homework and look at all of the products the different builders have to offer and what the various pits cost.
• Post questions here or on the National Barbeque News Forum about options (needed and wanted) to get some feedback from more experienced folks.
• Make a decision on a price limit.
• Consider which design makes the most sense for the way YOU will use the pit.
• Start with the builders closest to your home state to help save on shipping costs. Then study the products and prices, call and ask questions to determine which builder can give you what you want.
• Make a detailed specification list and send it to several builders for quotes. Get exact quotes in writing before any work starts.
• Don't let a builder talk you into or out of anything. You'er spending the money not them.
• If your not comfortable with a builder try another one.
  

40+ BBQ Pit Builders to look at while shopping for a new pit.

Acme Custom BBQ grills and pits
Friendswood, TX
http://www.acmewelding.com/BBQ.html

Austin National Smoker Company
Noblesville, IN
http://www.austinnationalsmokers.com
Pits made from New steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering
Specializing in rotisserie barbecue pit smokers

BBQ Pits by Klose
Houston, Texas
http://www.bbqpits.com

BBQ Pits and Smokers
Cedar Park, Texas
http://www.bbqpits.biz/index.html

Big Drum Smokers
Rocky Richmond
Naples, NC
http://groups.msn.com/BigDrumSmoker-BDS
New steel drum construction, various sizes

Big Jims Custom BBQ pits
http://www.bigjim.freeservers.com/smokers.html
Propane tank smokers

Carolina Grills
Piedmont, SC
Custom BBQ smokers and grills
http://www.carolinagrills.com

Carters Cookers
Gaston, SC
http://www.carterscookers.com
Steel tank cooker/smokers

Cattle King BBQ Pits
Family Owned & Operated
Fred L. Voigt
New Braunfels, Texas
http://www.angelfire.com/tx3/RigWelders/CK.html

Cookers and Grills
Watkinsville, GA
http://www.cookersandgrills.com
Reverse Flow, new propane tank construction
Backyard/Comp/Catering

D Wiley BBQ Pits
Buda, Texas
http://myjobisthepits.com
New propane tanks

Davis Smokers and Grills
Glennville, GA
http://www.davissmokersandgrills.homestead.com

Diamond Plate Products
Ballinger, Texas
http://diamondplateproducts.com
Makes full Custom BBQ pits from new steel tanks
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Detroit Grill King
Detroit, MI
http://www.detroitgrillking.com

Gator Pits of Texas
Houston, Texas
http://gatorpit.net
Makes full custom BBQ pits from steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering
Pit accessories
Excellent customer service

Grillnsmoke bbq smokers
Laredo, Texas
http://www.grillnsmoke.com/Page_1.php
Custom smokers

Holstein Manufacturing
Holstein, Iowa
http://www.holsteinmfg.com
Very large range of grills and smokers

Horizon Smokers
Perry, OK
http://www.hightide.com/horizon2/products.html

Jedmaster Cookers
McCalla, Al
http://www.jedmaster.com

JR Enterprises
Dewitt, Arkansas
http://www.jrenterprises.com

KCK BBQ Smokers
Kansas City, KS
http://www.kck.com

L&R Custom BBQ Pits
Stephenville, TX
http://www.lrbbqpits.com

Lang Smoker Cookers
Nahunta, GA
http://www.pigroast.com
Pits made from new propane tanks
Backyard/Competition/Catering

LONE STAR Custom Pits & Grills, Inc
Humble, Texas
www.lonestarcustompits.com
Custom BBQ Pits

Lone Star Welding
Richmond, TX
http://www.lswelding.net/index.html
Custom BBQ pits with some interesting art add ons

Long Horn BBQ pits
Uvalde, Texas
Available at Factory Direct BBQ Pits and Smokers Cedar Park, Texas
http://www.bbqpits.biz/index.html

Lyfe Tyme - BBQ Pits
Uvalde, Texas
http://www.lyfetyme.com
Manufactured pits with some customizing available
Pits made from New steel pipe including uprights
Makes full custom mobile pits

Meadow Creek Welding
New Holland, PA
http://www.meadowcreekbbq.com/Welcome.html

Olalla Smokers $ Grills of Olalla
Chuck Senn
4345 SE Burley-Olalla Rd.
Olalla, WA. 98359
Phone: 253/ 857-4420

Old Country BBQ Pits
Laredo ,Texas
http://www.bbquepits.com
Mass Produced old style BBQ pits

Peoria Custom Cookers
Peoria, Illinois
http://www.peoriacustomcookers.com
Backyard and mobile pits. Rolled plate construction.

Pits by Jambo
Jamie Geer Phone 817-572-7631 home, cell 817-822-1689
Hand made one at a time with incredible attention to detail. These are the pits used with great success by Johnny Trig of the Smoking Triggers, Uncle Earnie and Jamie and his Buckwheat Express team.

Pits by JJ
Houston, Texas
http://www.pitsbyjj.com
Makes full custom BBQ pits from steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Pitts and Spitts
Houston, Texas
http://pittsandspitts.com
Pits made from New steel plate and stainless steel
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Quality Grills
Detroit, MI
http://www.qualitygrills.com
Huge custom mobile pits

Real Grill
West Palm Beach, Florida
http://www.realgrill.com
New propane tank smoker/grills

Southern Yankee Bar-B-Q
Anderson, IN
http://www.sybbq.com
Makes full custom BBQ pits from steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

SWS Superior Welding Service - Southwest Smoker
North Little Rock, AR
http://www.southwestsmoker.com
Pits made from New steel pipe and plate
Backyard/Competition/Catering

Tejas Smokers
Houston, Texas
http://www.tejassmokers.com
Well engineered production backyard smokers and grills
New 1/4" steel plate construction
Great selection of outdoor cooking gear and accessories for your smoker
Great customer service

The Good One- Goodwin Enterprises
Burns, KS
http://www.thegood-one.com

TMP BBQ Pits
Midland, Texas
http://www.gotmp.com/bbqpits.htm

Tucker Cookers
Memphis, Tennessee
http://www.tuckercooker.com
Very nice mobile smoker/grills

Western Rebel BBQ Pits
Chino Hills, California
For more information call 909-994-5826
Out of this World BBQ Products
Distrbutor for Western Rebel BBQ pits
http://www.outofthisworldbbq.com/index.html

Cabinet style smokers

Backwoods Smokers
http://www.backwoods-smoker.com

Jacks Old South Cookers
Birmingham, AL
http://brittsbarbecue.com/html/jack_s_old_south_cookers.html

Spicewine Iron Works
http://www.spicewineironworks.com
Columbia, MO

Stumps Smokers
Perry, GA
http://www.stumpssmokers.com

~Zilla~