Who Cooks on a ProQ Frontier? UPDATE: I did. Read Inside.

T00lman · Posted: Jun 24 2008 Post subject:

but that my only china made product (xcept for my tv dishwasher laptop vcr dvd stereo phone clocks 1/2 of my gmc van etc etc ) Rolling Eyes

is anything made inthe U.S.A any more just kidding put it sure is getting hard to buy U.S.A made products .
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Bryce Crane · Posted: Jun 24 2008 Post subject:

is this the excel? thought they could run for hours and hours on a load of charcoal...
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lantern · Posted: Jun 24 2008 Post subject:

Bryce Crane · Posted: Jun 24 2008 Post subject:

Gotcha.

Thought so.

thanks
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rjmontana · Newbie Joined: 23 Nov 2006 Posts: 99

For What its worth... I have been cooking on a Frontier for a couple of months now (not heavy duty cooking, maybe 6-8 time so far) and have been mostly satisfied with the results. Took a couple of cooks to get the temp control down and get better burn times but have been consistent now for the last few cooks. Seem to be averaging right around 7 hours off a basket of briquettes. I am burning walmart brand or royal oak or a combination if I have partial bags. I do a minion light for the basket and usually burn 2-3 chunks of Smokinlicious double fillet with each run of coal. I am using sand in my water pan (approx 1/3-1/2 full with foil cover) and can hold 220*-240* quite well. I did overnighters on butts the last 2 cooks and would start the butts in an approx. 230* cooker around 9-10pm and usually get up at 4-5am to check and its still running 225*-235*. Can't tell you what has happened overnight but don't really care as the butts are comming along well and turn out great. My biggest complaints to date are:
#1) size!! I am trimming ends on spares and cutting to St.Louis style but still is a pain to do 3-4 racks per grate. I will hopefully be remedying this issue by upgrading to an Excel model when I see some good feedback on these units.
#2) the Frontier handles don't handle the weight of food or water pan well when the unit is hot and has been burning for a while. Haven't had any breakage or anything, cooker metal and handle metal just gets soft and handles bend upward when seperating sections for fuel changes or to spritz meat down. Especially if seperating everything above fire level. I know this is a lot of weight to lift (if butts on both racks and sand in pan) but I like to keep all together to retain heat til restoke is done.
These are just my observations and simple drawbacks I see with this unit. There are many pluses to be considered as well, far more than negatives. The only failure I have had so far is one cooking grate had a couple crossmembers seperate from the outside ring and Ian and Smokinlicious were right on top of it and promptly sent me a new grate no questions asked. All buckles and such have worked fine since my assembly and all pieces fit together well and easily since first being removed from packaging. I was quite pleasanty suprised actually at how tight it ran considering all the sections comming together. There is some smoke loss from joints but it is minimal and has no effect on cooking quality or temp control. I am satisfied with my unit thus far and hope to upgrade to the Excel once some feedback is available..Thanks for listening, RJ in Montana..

kgough · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 14 Location: Wellsville, NY

I had a similar experience to rprata this month.
But I immediately called the distributer; Smokinlicious, and they gave me a replacement plus some complimentary goodies for my effort. I have nothing but good things to say about Smokinlicious. Their wood chunks are great too.

I got a two level ProQ Frontier.
The unit had a huge chip in the finish out of the lower bowl right out of the box.
Then, as I assembled it, just about every screw in the lower bowl caused another paint chip. I don't think I was tightening too much.
Maybe the finish was applied incorrectly. I was ready to live with it, until I found that the buckles on the lid were misaligned. It would not connect to any of the other sections

Luckily I am less than an hour's drive from Smokinlicious. The replacement is much better, and I have done a seasoning, and two long cooking sessions that went pretty well.

I used "Gourmet Lump Charcoal" and boiling water in the pan. I could only get about 2.5 hours of burn before the temp. dropped and I had to stir the coals. I like how the ashes fall through the charcoal basket grate when I stir, But I expected longer burns. Maybe I will try sand in the water pan next time.

I also decided Minion Method is out with this cooker. I can't get the temp up with the one vent unless half the coals are already burning.

Ken

Bryce Crane · Posted: Jun 25 2008 Post subject:

Appreciate the update RJ. Sounds like its working out for ya.

I am also looking at getting an Excel. Seems like that would remedy the size problem. Also, I think they are a heavier gauge steel than the Frontier...not certain, though. So, that may help with the overnight cooks, although anything over 8 hours is good for me.

Good luck
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Doc1680 · Posted: Jun 25 2008 Post subject:

roastntoast · Newbie Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 98

I had the same temp problems. I put in an extra vent in the bottom . ( made it a little lower) and no more problems with getting the temps up. I get about 8 hours on a load of Lump .

Jules
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rjmontana · Newbie Joined: 23 Nov 2006 Posts: 99

roastntoast, what did you use for a vent? I had considered this as well to even out the burn area but wasn't sure if a vent component could be purchased? Did you install the same type of 3-hole vent system or did you just do a single hole? what did you use to cut/drill the bottom bowl without loosing too much of the paint/pwdr coat? Thanks for you input, RJ in Montana

Bryce Crane · Posted: Jun 26 2008 Post subject:

Could just drill a hole in the bottom at about 8 o' clock. Then touch up with paint.
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kgough · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 14 Location: Wellsville, NY

OK, but I'm not sure why I have to wait 'till 8 o'clock. Rolling Eyes

Sorry, couldn't resist such a perfect setup.

I plan to look for one of those stepped drill bits when I get to a big hardware store. The local ones don't carry them.

Ken

kgough · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 14 Location: Wellsville, NY

Do you get lots of meat smoke when you use sand in the pan?
I don't like that as much as the clean taste of hardwood smoke.

Ken

reptileink · Posted: Jun 26 2008 Post subject:

*looks over at his new ProBBQ sitting in it's box*

Sad

I just got mine delivered yesterday, and now I am nervous to crack it open based on what I am reading, which is what actually got me to buy it(reading great things)

Has anyone really had the 40 degree difference?

I got the Frontier with extra stacker.

I am upgrading from the CharBroil American Gourmet, so I am assuming this smoker will be much better. Any word if you can fit the WSM charcoal ring in the Frontier? I don't plan on doing overnights, but I do have a 30+ person cookout coming up in a few weeks that I need to do about 10 racks of ribs for.

Doc1680 · Posted: Jun 26 2008 Post subject:

roxy · Posted: Jun 26 2008 Post subject:

I have been cooking a lot to say the least on a couple ProBBQ's and I love the cookers. I am thinking that your units must be damaged some how if they do not fit together perfectly as I have had no troubles with mine. I get over 9 hours of burn time consistently using water in the pan.

Let Ian take care of you and see if he can help to make your ProBBQ experience better.. He's a solid guy and I trust him to stand behind his product.
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roxy · Posted: Jun 26 2008 Post subject:

kgough · Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 14 Location: Wellsville, NY

My sections were all perfectly round, and fit together snugly.
There was just a light wisp of smoke from the top section door, which is fine, because that's where I route my thermometer wire.

reptileink · Posted: Jun 26 2008 Post subject:

so, I can fit about 12 racks of ribs in this thing with rib racks, correct??

Thinking baby back

rjmontana · Newbie Joined: 23 Nov 2006 Posts: 99

Kgough, I did just that with the broken rack I wound up with. A couple of the cross members seperated from the outside ring and Ian and Smokinlicious sent me a new one (thanks again guys). I took the faulty one and tried it in the bowl with the fire basket on top of it and it did raise things 1"-1 1/2" whch gave a bit more room in the bottom of the bowl for ash build up and got the basket up above the vent level a bit for better air distribution but the drawback was that I couldn't mound up as much briquette in the basket before it hit the bottom of the water pan. I didn't like this either so it went immediately back to the basket just sitting down in the bowl where it suspended. No, it will not sit on any screws as the instructions say. Mine seems to sit about right at vent level. The two lower holes of the 3 vent holes are just below or even with the basket bottom and the top hole is even with the sidewall of the basket. Seems to work Ok but I tend to move unburned coals from back to front now and then to keep the temp up as the hot spot is directly in front of the vent.