Help/Advice needed for a Cobb Oven please

[adriatikfan]

I have now tried - and failed twice - to roast a chicken in a recently purchased Cobb Oven. On both occasions, the briquettes had lost sufficient heat after a couple of hours such that the chicken just wouldn't get finished off.

Unless I can up my skill level with this soon, I am not going to be popular with my significant other and the rest of my immediate family. (my wife and children think that this is another wasteful purchase) :violent-smiley-031:

So, any advice would be very welcome - particularly on any successful, simple, non-chicken recipes.

Advice on getting the briquettes lit properly in the first place would also be helpful.

Everything I've read - and also Youtube videos watched - really look straightforward - and not just the semi-official marketing ones, but I need to prove that my purchase has been a sound one - soon!

Any help/advice/guidance will be much appreciated. TIA

Best Wishes
David

 

[spressomon]

Haven't used a Cobb...but have used plenty other charcoal BBQs. A charcoal chimney type starter is unequaled; gets all the charcoal up to grey quickly and evenly and without lighter fluid. It might be me but it sure seems all the popular brands of charcoal burn faster than they did a couple decades ago. Could be my memory though :wings:.

For longer cooking periods especially with the Cobb as I've heard they do cook a bit on the slow side (which is great for chicken BTW) you're going to have to add coals 1/2 way into the cooking process. Be sure to use as good a quality of charcoal as you can find...the good stuff typically doesn't have the fillers found in the cheapie stuff. And buy it where the turn-over is high/quick. Charcoal absorbs moisture from the air...and even though it might appear dry its moisture content, possibly due to old inventory or humid storage, might be robbing you of some BTUs also.

 

[GCL4x4]

we're talking about this cobb right?

Sorry Bro,I don't think that will ever roast a chicken using those standard brickets. that design was optimized using their brickets.

here's a screen from their own video and site

try a dutch oven, shovel, and red hot rocks