Ninja Woodfire Grill

[fwafwow]

Anyone have and use one of these? If so, thoughts?

 

[fwafwow]

Wow. Crickets!

I was subtly reminded by Mrs. fwafwow about this item, so I bought one. For anyone interested (!), I can report back findings. Hot take - not for the backcountry, unless you run* a generator, as it's electric.


* interestingly, this is one instance in which the use of the verb "run" is accurate.

 

[vermeire]

My family got me one for my birthday last fall. I've used it about a dozen times. I read a lot of reviews after I got it and the only drawbacks that were noted were the size and lack of a smoke ring. It puts some good flavor into what you are smoking. The only "critical" advice I have is be aware of the size limitation when you are planning. It's not going to do large or multiple cuts. I've smoked a couple pork loins, a shoulder, sausages more than once, chili, and grilled frozen burgers. I had zero experience smoking before using the Woodfire. Some stuff I've done didn't come out real good and some have been great. The stuff that was lacking was on me and not the smoker. Overall I've enjoyed it.

 

[fwafwow]

My family got me one for my birthday last fall. I've used it about a dozen times. I read a lot of reviews after I got it and the only drawbacks that were noted were the size and lack of a smoke ring. It puts some good flavor into what you are smoking. The only "critical" advice I have is be aware of the size limitation when you are planning. It's not going to do large or multiple cuts. I've smoked a couple pork loins, a shoulder, sausages more than once, chili, and grilled frozen burgers. I had zero experience smoking before using the Woodfire. Some stuff I've done didn't come out real good and some have been great. The stuff that was lacking was on me and not the smoker. Overall I've enjoyed it.

Thanks for the feedback. I got the XL and may try my first beef brisket tomorrow (6lbs). I’ve used a smoker before, but it was an old school Brinkman’s, and there was lots of trial and error. This seems like it should be easier, but I expect to figure out some way to mess it up.

 

[Swamp Fox]

I was gonna ask you if you could *run* non-Ninja pellets or wood chips with this grill, but I looked it up and at least the one page I pulled up said, "Nope."

It's a neat concept for easy-peasy smoked flavor, though. Will be interested to see what people think of it.

 

[vermeire]

I was gonna ask you if you could *run* non-Ninja pellets or wood chips with this grill, but I looked it up and at least the one page I pulled up said, "Nope."

It's a neat concept for easy-peasy smoked flavor, though. Will be interested to see what people think of it.

The Ninja pellets are made for them by Bear Mountain BBQ if I remember correctly. I'm still using Ninja pellets that I got at the same time as the smoker. I did buy a bag of Cabela's branded pellets to try. I think the size of the pellets may be an issue. Some of the other brands I looked at were much larger in diameter. The basket that the pellets go in is pretty small. The Cabela's pellets are pretty close to the Ninja ones. A couple of the reviews I read did say they tried other brand pellets and didn't have any problems.

 

[fwafwow]

I was gonna ask you if you could *run* non-Ninja pellets or wood chips with this grill, but I looked it up and at least the one page I pulled up said, "Nope."

It's a neat concept for easy-peasy smoked flavor, though. Will be interested to see what people think of it.

I've already spent rabbit hole time on this issue - by avoiding one of the scope threads cool and found quite a few sources that say you can use any pellets. Ninja says otherwise, but I will test alternatives in the name of science.

 

[sndmn11]

Wow. Crickets!
. Hot take - not for the backcountry, unless you run* a generator, as it's electric.

How did you think it worked?

 

[fwafwow]

How did you think it worked?

I knew that before I bought it. I’m just letting people know so they aren’t drawn into my soon-to-be amazing multi-year thread and figure out at the end it won’t be good on a CO OTC DIY backpack hunt.

 

[Swamp Fox]

I've already spent rabbit hole time on this issue - by avoiding one of the scope threads cool and found quite a few sources that say you can use any pellets. Ninja says otherwise, but I will test alternatives in the name of science.

Yeah, they obviously want you to use their pellets and think they're special, but as @vermeire said, it's probably mostly a size and compatibility issue. I did catch where they said wood chips could be a fire hazard, but I support almost all scientific efforts .... and most outdoor fires ... LOL

 

[fwafwow]

The beef brisket is underway. First question that has arisen - several sources recommend cooking to an internal temp range of 200-210 F. But the thermometer is already registering 125 after only one hour. Hopefully the temp progression levels off, as the projected time for completion was ~8 hours.

 

[ShakeDown]

Incoming… The Stall.

 

[PNW bow hunter]

What temp is your grill cooking at? It must be fairly high to cook the brisket that fast.

I always cook mine to about 192 with the thermometer on the thick side of the brisket.

It also looks like you are cooking the leaner/thinner half of a brisket.

I think if you cook that to 210 you’ll be pretty disappointed.

 

[fwafwow]

What temp is your grill cooking at? It must be fairly high to cook the brisket that fast.

I always cook mine to about 192 with the thermometer on the thick side of the brisket.

It also looks like you are cooking the leaner/thinner half of a brisket.

I think if you cook that to 210 you’ll be pretty disappointed.

Thank you.

The grill is set to 225 and I set the thermometer to 205, as the recipes I found online suggested a range between 200-210. I will lower the target temp. As for the half of the brisket, I am a complete rookie, so this is the entire "brisket" that Mrs. fwafwow brought home, and I put the brisket on following one recipe and only later realized (from another recipe) that I should have put it on with the fat cap up. Lesson learned. Too late to flip it?

I'm at 2:45 in cook time and the current temp is 173, so maybe this is part of "the stall" @ShakeDown mentioned. (I looked that up and got some immediate comfort - a term I had never heard before.)

 

[fwafwow]

I lost track of time (in a rabbit hole) and found the temp at 200. I figured I may have inserted the probe incorrectly, so I tested other locations with another thermometer. 194-200+ depending on location, but pretty consistent in the center. Wrapped and now in the cooler for an hour.

Biggest surprise so far is how quick it took - under 5 hours.

 

[fwafwow]

Thanks everyone. It turned out pretty well, at least for my first use. I wish I had been paying more attention to the temp as per @Michael Rankin - I thought I had more time with the stall, but it didn't last long. It was tender but not uniform (possibly the quality of the meat - or user error). According to Mrs. fwafwow it tasted great (I can't taste), "but I think you cooked it too long." Now I also know the difference between the flat and the point, and that I only had the former.

Of course, one of my take-aways was that I "need" a better serrated carving knife. Any suggestions, on the knife and my next cut of meat to try?

 

[PNW bow hunter]

A whole brisket will typically be in the 15-19 pound range

I always smoke a whole one,
And it smokes for 14-18 hours with hickory on my tregar at180-225

I’ll find my super secret brisket rub recipe and pm you

I get requests for pretty much every big event throughout the year to make a brisket.

I’ve even had some people from the south tell me it was good!!! They were shocked a white guy from Oregon could make a good smoked brisket

 

[fwafwow]

A whole brisket will typically be in the 15-19 pound range

I always smoke a whole one,
And it smokes for 14-18 hours with hickory on my tregar at180-225

I’ll find my super secret brisket rub recipe and pm you

I get requests for pretty much every big event throughout the year to make a brisket.

I’ve even had some people from the south tell me it was good!!! They were shocked a white guy from Oregon could make a good smoked brisket

Thanks! I am not sure that an entire brisket would fit on my new mini-grill, but I'm looking forward already to the next protein. Starting out with the brisket may have been the wrong choice, as I understand that it can be one of the toughest to master. Which means I will spend an inordinate amount of time on doing so. But unlike "normal" RS addictionshobbies, this will probably keep me on the good side of Mrs. fwafwow. Please do send me that secret rub recipe!

 

[SWOHTR]

Do a pork shoulder (“butt”) next. They’re easy and cheap.

Buy your meat from Costco. The butts they sell there look like one giant piece of meat but it’s actually two, so you can cook one or both at the same time. They also sell “full packer briskets.” My guess is you got the flat from a grocery store.

Cook to fork tender and done, not time or necessarily temperature. Look up the brisket bend (“flop”) test. Traeger is notorious for perpetuating the “cook it for XX hrs and it’s done” myth.

Do not fear the stall.

www.amazingribs.com is a great resource, and buy his book! $30.

And always remember: the meat waits on the people, the people don’t wait on the meat. (Aka start your bbq sooner than later)

 

[backcountry_hunter]

FWIW it looks like you didn't trim your brisket flat down at all,, so if you were shooting for 205 in the point you probably roasted out the flat a little? edit: nevermind it looks like you bought the flat only, no point. Not uncommon to find them seperated out but if you can find a whole packer brisket you'll probably be happier in the future. You essentially bought the less desireable part of a brisket.

I would get an aftermarket temp probe. Generally the one's built into pellet poopers aren't as accurate as a good aftermarket.

Pellet grills always cook hotter than the temps you set them to because of the "forced air" nature of the fan so even though you set it for 225 it may have been closer to 250 or 275 with it constantly blowing indirect (but close to direct being so close to the source) heat onto your protein. Just something to keep in mind.

best brisket rubs are usually salt, pepper and maybe a little garlic. 2:1 coarse pepper/coarse sea salt.....

Like SWOHTR said, There's no great template for brisket because they can very so much but "usually" I'll smoke until i hit 160-175 internally in the point and then wrap in butcher paper, I'm almost exclusively pulling it at 203ish. Ive found if you go much beyond 205 it starts turning into shredded beef, doesn't matter if it's on my pellet pooper or offset.... but looks/feel trump what my read outs are everytime.