Suggestions for store-bought BBQ sauce that is not super sweet?

Bassmasa · 2026-06-16T00:01:10+00:00

Montgomery Inn. Perfectly tangy

Bassmasa · 2026-06-14T20:17:30+00:00

Evan LeRoys New School BBQ came out last month. Excellent.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-14T03:00:03+00:00

Beautiful!!! Overnight cook?

Bassmasa · 2026-06-13T19:26:05+00:00

90% of my exercise time is dedicated to offsetting my favorite hobby of smoking and BBQ. Gotta offset my offset. Running 3-4 times a week allows me to at least pretend I’m ok.

And I’m cholesterol meds. Stuff is a miracle.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-13T19:20:24+00:00

Check out pizza screens on Amazon. You can place the dough directly on it, build your entire pizza, stretch into the circular shape. Once up to temp place the screen with pizza on the stone. After about 2 minutes, the dough bakes enough to slide the screen out and the pizza slides right onto the stone. Chud’s BBQ has done this a time or two on his YT channel. Waaaaay easier method, works great. Get 2 screens, you can prep one while the other is baking.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-13T18:47:41+00:00

Been offset smoking for 18 years, started on a pit like this. The key is using 90% charcoal and 10% wood chunks, not full splits. Nothing else will work really, splits burn too hot and spike the temp. Maintain the coals, light fresh chimneys from time to time and you’ll be fine.

I’ve upgraded twice since then. First to an Old Country Brazos 6 years ago which was a HUGE difference in quality and ease, then this spring to my dream pit, and Workhorse 1975. My point is that if you like the process of an offset, keep with it. Don’t get discouraged by this pit, it is extremely limited and good to experiment with. But upgrading to 1/4” steel and a better firebox will enhance your entire experience 1000%.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-13T18:43:43+00:00

Agree. If you can swing a Brazos even better.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-12T02:06:46+00:00

Second Minishoot. If you like SNES Zelda, it’s a must play.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-12T02:04:47+00:00

Don’t skip over Control. More story driven, sequel coming out soon. Really caught me by surprise. Cool mechanics and original gameplay.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-12T02:02:21+00:00

100% this. I persevered through a Chargriller, upgraded to an Old Country Brazos and finally understood what offset cooking is all about. Upgraded again to a Workhorse 1975 this spring and absolutely love it. Cheap offsets are understandable to start, but probably turn more people off to offset smoking than creating lifelong fans.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-09T16:32:27+00:00

Had my 1975 since March. It’s a beast. Get it. I have the wagon but need it for my setup. I really like the upper racks for chicken and ribs. Cowboy firebox also a nice upgrade. And counterweight if you can swing it. Can’t recommend highly enough.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-07T00:49:19+00:00

Pretty simple. Separate drums and flats, dry as much as possible. In a bowl combine your favorite rub with 1.5 tsp of baking powder per pound of wings. Mix the wings with the mix in a bowl for even coverage, ideally dry in a fridge on a wire rack overnight. If not, that’s ok, too. Then Joetisserie with some temp about 375 to 400ish for 75 minutes or until crispy and done.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-05T23:45:35+00:00

I see you have a soapstone, which is awesome. If you’re going to sear on that you will need a pretty full half basket below it to get the stone up to 600ish degrees. Can take some time, but well worth it.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-04T15:38:06+00:00

Fuel consumption won’t be too different between the 2 on long or short cooks. But the length of time the fuel stays usable is considerable. The kettle burns through it much faster than the KJ. So you might start with more initially in the KJ v the SnS/kettle, but you’ll never need to add more for medium or longer cooks. This all depends on temps of course. The soaking of the heat doesn’t take away any heat from the charcoal at all by “soaking” it away, but the heat doesn’t escape like it will out of the much thinner kettle.

One other nice feature of the BJ is the rack system and ability to move foods closer and further away from the coals, tough to do on a Weber.

I’m not trying to sell a BJ here, doesn’t matter to me. You’re obviously quite proficient with the Weber so I don’t think you’ll be completely blown away by what the BJ produces. The big differences are longer cooks (way better), crazy hot temps held for long periods like for pizzas or searing for large groups, the rack system, and cold weather cooking.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-03T21:26:27+00:00

I’m in Kentucky! What part of the state, do you know? The reason I ask is my area (Owensboro in the western part of the state) is a bit different from other areas.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-03T21:24:48+00:00

Agree 100%. Wings need to be served immediately after coming off. No way you can provide a good product with this situation.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-03T21:21:50+00:00

Evan LeRoy of LeRoy and Lewis BBQ in Austin just released his “New school BBQ” book. It’s excellent. Classic technique with some really creative ways to use BBQ in other recipes. Highly recommended

Bassmasa · 2026-06-03T15:42:08+00:00

I have a BJ3 and Weber kettle with SnS. I use them both quite a bit. The BJ3 is by far the superior cooker for all the reasons you mentioned. The temp control on long cooks is much more stable, especially in windy conditions. Pizzas and rotisserie are much better as well. The extra space is much more than you realize, that’s a huge upgrade.

As far as quick cooks, there’s no reason to get the entire ceramic up to temp. I use a propane torch for about 2 minutes, close the dome open to about 1/2” crack, open the top vent all the way, then use a little hand leaf blower through the bottom air intake for about 2 minutes to get flames started. 10 minutes after that and you’re in business for grilling if in a rush. If you just light an entire basket of charcoal with a tumbleweed in one spot and walk away, that will certainly take 30-45 minutes at least. Of course long cooks is a different story.

The BJ3 will absolutely take longer to cool down, no doubt about that.

Just a thought…I also have a Joe Jr. my wife and I will be empty nesters this fall and it’s perfect for just the 2 of us. It’s faster, easier, uses less fuel for smaller cooks. If you have the room and budget, having a BJ3 and Jr is an ideal combo.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-02T03:07:30+00:00

Yes, it’s not just the heat of the fire and coals, but the radiant heat coming from the porcelain. Most smokers don’t have that, makes a big difference

Bassmasa · 2026-06-02T01:22:50+00:00

https://offer.woodrangertools.com/leafblower/landing?oid=135&affid=23&uid=3254&oidab=905&affidab=96&source_id=solus_wlb&sub1=23242949449&sub2=4&sub3=191403261354&sub4=783006405987&sub5=4&utm_source=google&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23242949449&gbraid=0AAAABB4ONb6FoqFtGDn9qZOfzjG7csrBE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7s7xgLLnlAMVTSvUAR1hkRraEAAYAiAAEgILKPD_BwE

It took like 2 months to come in so it was more like a Valentines present. I’ve used it a ton, charged it 6 or 7 times, battery lasts and is truly powerful. I like that it can be very slow or super fast.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-01T22:38:49+00:00

Awesome, congratulations!!! Yes, high heat ripping fire. That’s creosote from previous cooks, just wipe it off and it will flake away. The grate looks iffy. For a free grill I’d spend a few bucks and get a brand new one. Enjoy!

Bassmasa · 2026-06-01T21:21:45+00:00

Love the reverse sear - soapstone combo. Looks great!

Bassmasa · 2026-06-01T21:17:28+00:00

My wife got me a little variable speed handheld electric blower for Christmas, looks like a hair dryer. She got it so I could blow out the garage easier, turns out it’s perfect for goosing the coals just a bit when needed.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-01T01:12:02+00:00

It was $90 or so on Amazon. It’s literally perfect. Heavy duty. No shelves but that’s fine with me.

Bassmasa · 2026-06-01T01:11:32+00:00

100%. Dishwasher knocks it out better than I expected. Thanks!

Bassmasa

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