Frequently Asked Questions

Purchasing Points to Consider:

1. Do not go out and book parties or catering events, until you have received your pit.
2. Do not throw a big bbq party during your first cook on your new pit. It won't be a good party.
3. Completion times can and do change. These are handmade BBQ pits, and do take time to build. Unforeseen completion delays do happen. Material shortages, backorders, sick days, and change orders are some of the things that can delay a schedule.
4. Just because we're a company, doesn't mean that we have 100 employees. We have eight.
5. Our goal is to make your purchase a happy one, but there are some things, as mentioned above, that we cannot control.
6. The initial deposit that we receive from you goes to material cost. We will not start on your pit until we have that amount, up front. Those are the rules, and we will not change them.
7. All orders stay in, and are produced in, the order that they were received.

What are my payment options?
All pits must be paid for, in full, prior to leaving our factory. We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, and Discover payments. As always, we will work with you to find a payment arrangement that will work for you. If you would like to make monthly payments, you may come and pick up your pit after it is paid off, or we’ll make delivery arrangements at that time.
**Effective February 1, 2005**
Orders paid for, in full, at the time of order, will receive a 5% discount. Discount not valid for competition, and concession trailers.

Do I always have to be next to a power outlet to power my pit?
Because our pits are rotisseries, you do need to have a power supply. This is a situation that is easy to overcome. A generator, deep cycle marine battery and an AC/DC power converter are all ways to power your pit.

How long does it take to receive my pit after I place my order?
From the date that we receive your payment, it normally will take three to four weeks to manufacture your pit. Because we are a custom fabrication shop, an exact delivery date can not be given at time of order. Please plan accordingly.

What are your pits made from, or do you use previously used parts?
All materials going into the manufacturing of our pits are brand new materials.

How do I make arrangements to pickup or have my pit delivered?
Just call the factory and we’ll make sure to have your pit available when you get into town to pick it up. If you choose to have your pit delivered, we will be more than happy to work to get you the best rates available. Always remember that if we have multiple pits being delivered to your area, we may be able to save you a considerable amount on your delivery charges. All delivery charges are to be paid prior to shipping.

Do I have to register my pit with my Bureau of Motor Vehicles?
Always check with your local licensing agency. Some states require you to register and some don’t.

Can I use water in the pit?
Yes, on all the standard models that we produce, you can add water, fruit juices, cut-up onions, or garlic and spices to the bottom of the cooking chamber. All of these liquids will help create humidity in the pit. Also, the onions and garlic, if you choose to use them, will give off a nice aroma that helps add flavor to the product that you are cooking. When you're done cooking, just flush the liquids away with the drain located on the bottom of the pit.

How do I clean my pit?
I only thoroughly clean my pit about once every four months (this is cooking on it about once a week). After every cook, I take a long-handled pizza oven brush (available at your local restaurant supply store) and brush off the racks. When it's time to give the pit a good cleaning, I use a commercial grill degreaser, and power wash out the pit. Remember that every time you use a degreaser, you are removing the resin that has built up. This resin protects the inside of the cooking chamber from rust, so it might be necessary, at this point, to re-season the pit. Do not get the degreaser on the outside of the pit, it will remove paint.

What kind of wood can I use?
Any fruit-bearing hardwood is suitable for cooking. Apple, Hickory, Mesquite, Oak, Maple, and Cherry are just a few that come to mind. Try grapevines; or add some herbs to the fire for a smoke that’s a little different in aroma. I prefer to use wood that has been seasoned for at least six months, but is not older than eighteen months. I always try to get pieces of wood that have little bark on them. In some cases, bark can add a bitter taste to the food that you’re cooking.

What is the first thing I should do with my pit?
After you have taken receipt of your pit from the shipper and found it to be in good working order, the first thing you need to do is cure it. In order to do this, you will need to spray or wipe down the inside of the cooking chamber and the cook racks with vegetable oil. Start a small fire and bring the pit up to a temperature of 250 degrees. At this time, place a log onto the fire which has been soaked in water for about 20-30 minutes. This is about the only time in operating your pit that “the more smoke, the better” is applicable. Allow the pit to smoke heavily for about four hours in order to build up sufficient resin. After you have cured the pit, you are ready to cook.

What do you mean, “the smaller the fire, the better”?
Just because you have joined the ranks of those who have purchased a large pit, doesn't mean that you need a large fire to operate it. Our smokers are very efficient when it come to fuel consumption. Fire management is the key to good, quality barbecue. Start small, and work your way up to a larger fire, if the situation calls for it.

Large, roaring fires can, and do, exceed 2000 degrees+ in temperature. The paint that we use is a commercial 1200 degree high temp paint that is used on wood stoves. It can, and will, burn off, if the fire becomes too hot. To help preserve the paint on the firebox, start with a minimum of charcoal or wood, and work your way up. You'll be surprised by how little fuel you need to get up to cooking temperature.

What if some paint has burned off of the firebox?
This will happen! Hopefully, only after numerous times of using your pit, but paint is never guaranteed. If this happens, take a wire brush and remove as much of the rust as possible to clean the area that you are about to repaint. Most hardware stores will carry a high temp black paint that is made for outdoor grills. This is suitable for repainting the area that has burned off. Take a rag and wipe down the area that you have brushed and repainted.

Can you send me some paint that you use?
I purchase the paint that we use in 5 gallon containers from the manufacturer. Paint is classified as a hazardous material, and to ship it, in the quantity that you would need to repaint a firebox, would be extremely expensive. If you do want me to ship some paint to you, I will, but the cost of the paint and freight charges are to be paid before I ship the paint.

Since this is a rotisserie, is the thermometer at the top of the pit correct?
No, the thermometer tends to be about 25 degrees off the actual cooking temperature. If the thermometer reads 225 degrees, you're actually cooking at 200 degrees. I find this to be the case with the majority of the pits that I build. Here is the secret: get to know your pit; have fun; and cook on it often. Every pit has its own personality.

Is this a “set it and forget it” pit?
No, I honestly believe that if you do not have an active part in maintaining a fire; mopping the meat that is on your pit; and checking on the pit every now and then during the cooking process, it shouldn't be called barbecue. You also need to check the pit every few hours to see that the center of gravity has not shifted on the racks. What do I mean by this? Once you have loaded the pit with raw product, and the racks are level, this can change once the product starts to cook. As the fat renders from the product and runs off, the weight on the rack can shift, causing the racks to become unbalanced. Slightly moving the meat back to the center will correct this problem. I promise you there is a difference between good, old-fashioned barbecue that uses wood and charcoal, and some of the other pits that are available.

I see that you have only one air intake on your smokers. Is there a reason
for that?
Yes, the more air intakes that a pit has, no matter where they're placed,
greatly increases the chance for the smoker to leak. When I mean leak, I mean you cannot control the amount of oxygen that is feeding the fire in the firebox,
or shut it off. The result is that you cannot control the temperature of the
cooking chamber and you increase your fuel consumption dramatically. Remember, as a rule, one air intake.