Update: Backwoods Pro Jr

If you're a frequent visitor to GrillandBarrel.com, you know that I was cooking on a Backwoods Fatboy before and have since upgraded to a Backwoods Pro Jr.  I certainly notice a few differences, and an inquiry from one of my brethren over at BBQ-Brethren.com prompted to spend a little time documenting some of them.  So in no particular order, here are a few noticable differences.

Fuel Consumption:  It stands to reason that the bigger cooker will need more fuel, but I didn't expect the difference to be quite as big as it is.  On the Fatboy, I would use a half a bag of Kingsford briquettes for a 5-6 hr rib cook.  The Pro Jr took a whole bag, and then some.

Water Consumption:  Just like fuel, the Pro Jr uses more water than the Fatboy.  Again, my first cook was ribs and I expected a full water pan would last through the duration of a 5-6 cook.  Not so, at about the 5 hr mark, I was out of water.

Temperature control:  I noticed that I had a harder time getting the cooker to 250 (the temperature that I usually cook at).  The Pro Jr seemed to want to settle in at 225 and I eventually made peace with leaving it there instead of trying to get it to 250.  I also ran the bottom vent a little wider than I typically would have on the Fatboy, but frankly that could have had as much to do with the weather conditions as anything.

This is a big ol' cooker and I'm looking forward to firing it up this weekend and working on competition butts & brisket.  I'll keep you posted on any new observations.  In the meantime, here are a few more shots of the Pro Jr.

Braddog with the Fatboy on the left and the Pro Jr on the right 5 cooking racks on the Pro Jr with better clearance than the Fatboy

Auto water on the Pro Jr.

Cheers,

Braddog

Comments

[Chris]

Learning a new cooker is weird, huh? Even when Alexis got her Egg last year, I have learned hers heats up and cooks a little different than mine, and they are the same cooker!

[Braddog]

I know what you mean. I do some demos for the local Big Green Egg dealer & several friends & family have gotten one since I began evangelizing about them. So I've cooked on a handful of BGE's. They all cook just a little differently.

You know what they say; it's the pitmaster, not the pit!

Cheers,
Braddog