So this Meadow Creek PR36....

TTNuge

TTNuge

New member
Are any of the accessories a must have?

Is it possible to do a whole hog or should a guy look to the PR42 or 60?

Is there anything the PR36 has that the bigger ones don't?

I really like the idea of being able to do a whole hog but I honestly think it would be a once a year thing at most, probably even less than that. I want the grill to sit on my deck and I think only the PR36 sits higher like a more traditional grill correct? Then I think of building a trailer and doing a little catering for friends and family where a larger one would be more useful.

I guess I've just got myself confused. Looks like my Big Steel Keg is gone and I need something to replace it. I thought about the Hasty Bake for a bit but I think I'm pretty set on the Meadow Creek. I just don't want to make the same mistake again, I want to buy something and be done. My main priority is high temp searing for the family. Steaks, burgers, 600+ degree stuff the MAK doesn't excel at. Anything low and slow the MAK just makes so easy I can't see using something else.

So Sterling, what should ya sell me?

Trent
 
Big Poppa

Big Poppa

Administrator
All of the pr series are just amazing...but understand they are very very old school...the antithisis of the MAK.....So.....

How big of a pig do you want to be able to do once a year...thats the size you should get.

I am going to have joe comment some from the bps team...he has been cooking on the pr36 at home and is in love...news flash my phone just went off and it was texts of Joes dinner tonight....Ill try to figure out how to get them off my phone into photobucket

Things to get:
2nd rack shelf
charcoal pan

If you decide on the 60 0r 42 the charcoall putt out on the bottom to reload is nice...


with the shelf you can do at least 16 butts
 
Big Poppa

Big Poppa

Administrator
OK Here are Joes Pics of Pork Chops on the Meadow Creek PR 36

Used one chimney of charcoal total and a handful of pecan pellets and smoked the chops at 275 until a 135 internal
IMG_0695-1.jpg


then moved them to the direct side and seared until 147
IMG_0694-1.jpg

IMG_0693.jpg

Here is the money shot!
IMG_0692-1.jpg
 
Big Poppa

Big Poppa

Administrator
NOte he used the charcoal tray and still was able to hold smoking temps and then had a perfect direct and indirect setup
 
5 Hole

5 Hole

New member
BP is right. All of the PR series are amazing. I'm starting to think that the PR 36 is one of the most versatile grills we sell. I've recently cooked 8 butts (fully loaded 1st rack) and had a solid 9 hr burn at 250 degrees. They came out absolutely amazing. Tonight I used it more like a grill and had costco pork chops. I used 1 full chimney and loaded the right third of the charcoal pan. I started cooking the chops off set to the left until it was time to sear. I opened the lid and got the coals raging in about 5 minutes. Seared about a 1 1/2 min each side. Finish temp 147. If I was catering or cooking a lot, I would probably get the PR 42. You can do some serious damage with that beast. But for the back yard guy, I think the 36 is the one. Thanks for posting the Pics BP!
 
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TTNuge

TTNuge

New member
Excellent info, thank you so much. I guess I just need to decide if I need the slide out charcoal pan or if I can get by without it.
 
5 Hole

5 Hole

New member
TTNuge said:
Excellent info, thank you so much. I guess I just need to decide if I need the slide out charcoal pan or if I can get by without it.
Click to expand...

Ya know, its not too bad reloading coal without a charcoal pan. I think I would spend the extra money on a second rack or even getting the cooker double insulated (I think you can get the 36 double, the 42 for sure) living in Minnesota and all. Our catering rig has a double insulated 42 and 60. You can cook for days on the double insulated PR series.
 
TTNuge

TTNuge

New member
So does the charcoal pan insert just sit inside the drip tray? Is it basically there so you don't get your drip tray all nasty from charcoal when going direct? It sounds like you can use the tray for water or whatever as well and then put the charcoal below it when you are wanting to use it more as an indirect smoker.
 
Big Poppa

Big Poppa

Administrator
no the charcoal pan is the drip tray....or the water pan or the charcoal pan It is not necessary for the low and slow because there is a tapers dprip pan there already....
 
TTNuge

TTNuge

New member
Big Poppa said:
no the charcoal pan is the drip tray....or the water pan or the charcoal pan It is not necessary for the low and slow because there is a tapers dprip pan there already....
Click to expand...

It's Sunday morning and I'm only half way through my first cup of coffee so forgive me for being slow. Just trying to understand what the "Charcoal Pan Insert +$60" is for if there is already a drip pan that can be used to hold charcoal. I'm sure it makes sense and I'll get my mind around it eventually.
 
Big Poppa

Big Poppa

Administrator
The drip pan does not hold charcoal it is a strange shaped heat diffuser between the grate and the charcoal....the charcoal pan sits on to of the diffuser below the grate...if you have charcoal under the diffuser you would only use the charcoal pan as a water smoker with apple juice or water or your liquid of choice. sowhen low and slow you have charoal..the diffuser tray and the grate...for low and slow with moisture you insert the charcoal pan with liquid in it....for searing you leave the diffuser where it is and place charcoal in the charcoal pan
 
TTNuge

TTNuge

New member
Thanks BP, that description along with my second cup of coffee helped! I just need to decide on the size now.
 
Big Poppa

Big Poppa

Administrator
If you go 60 you need to think in terms of the caterers delight trailers...trying to move the 60 by itself is a pain and the chicken cookers are stupid good....cd 108 is a good one......Petes firehouse bought a pr60 and I think that he loves it Nepas has the pr 36 pm those guys for their opinion.
 
TTNuge

TTNuge

New member
What it comes down is whether or not I will actually do any catering or if that's just a pipe dream. If I do it would start small, mainly just for friends and family but I don't know if that would be enough to make it worth my while or not. And when I really think about it, do I really want that hassle at all.....

I'm leaning heavily towards to PR36, if I did go bigger I would probably jump to the PR60 but that is a substantial jump and no long a cooker I would put on my deck. That CD108/120 is a sweet rig and would be ideal for the catering option. I would consider building something like that myself, maybe with an option to mount the MAK as well. I should probably start small and go up from there, I just hate buying twice.... or three times in some cases.
 
5 Hole

5 Hole

New member
I recently did a catering gig for about 80 people and the 36 handled it without a problem. It's not too big/bulky to be loaded in the back of a pick up if you need to take it off site.
 
TTNuge

TTNuge

New member
PR36 with the charcoal pan it is. Order being placed tomorrow. Vacation starts in less than two weeks, probably won't have it in time but we'll get by.
 
Big Poppa

Big Poppa

Administrator
Yeah All the grill companies other than mak and memphis have a pretty long lead time but we will see what we can do thanks!
 
TTNuge

TTNuge

New member
Big Poppa said:
Yeah All the grill companies other than mak and memphis have a pretty long lead time but we will see what we can do thanks!
Click to expand...

Thanks BP, order was just placed! We leave for vacation on the 25th so if it can arrive by the 24th then awesome, if not we'll survive. I put some notes to that affect in with the order just to see what can be done. Looking forward to it and can't wait!

(Perfect way to celebrate 200 posts on here too!)
 
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