The Judge First Cook - Oklahoma Joe's Judge Charcoal Grill - Best Charcoal Grill EVER!

[@adammenken]

Recently got my Judge and looking forward to firing it up tomorrow. Enjoyed watching this! Cheers!

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Congratulations on your new Judge! Enjoy! Thanks for watching!

[@jessemiranda7814]

Thank for sharing your video’s keep them coming with this grill. I’m trying to decide on buying one like this.

[@TonyToneBBQ]

New video coming soon! I just need to edit and upload. Thanks for watching!

[@buddycarroll9641]

Love your videos Tony. I love the fact that you have a few refreshments while cooking. Don't we all? I am the Admin on Char-Griller Grand Champ XD. Glad to have you with us.

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Thanks Bud! Yes, Sir...a few refreshments, fire, smoke, food...does it get any better than that? LOL! I love the Char-Griller Grand Champ XD page. Thanks for creating it and I'm glad to be a member. Thanks for checking out my videos!

[@BabyDiego10599]

Excellent video! I like that you get right to the content without too much talk. I almost bought one of these a few years ago. I also like that you're not in favor of doing a bunch of mods to the grill. I did some mods to my Highland but only because I thought it was necessary but was happy to use it just like it was intended. Smoke on!

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Hey Vincent! Thank you so much for your comment! I really appreicate that you recoginzed that I got to the content without too much talk. I've been working on that. I don't like like videos with long intros and I'm not doing this to show off my ugly mug so all of my new videos are following the right-to-the-content format. Thanks for watching and smoke on!

[@edithlemus3972]

I love it, I really enjoyed watching the food getting cooked. Their is a difference, the way the charcoal fires up is mesmerizing. 💟 Definitely in my plans to buy one for myself!

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Yes, I love watching that fire. If you buy The Judge, I'm sure you will love it. Thanks for watching!

[@tyrus0872]

The more versatile your grill the more options you have. I like it and up to today I hadn't seen this particular grill, but for moi, I already have too many grills and have reached my quota. Great cook and demo of how it works, just surprised with all that food nobody was hanging off your shoulder. Have fun, enjoy the beast, the both of em. By the way, great cook

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Thank you Tyrus! Yeah, I've been loving the Judge. It's size and features just make it so easy to work with. It's nice to options. Thanks for watching and I appreciate your comment!

[@outlaw5065]

I love this video it is all go go go respect mate, slow down on the knife work at the end, presentation is awesome but that tablez where do start all looks amazing

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Yea, I could up my esthetics game for sure. Thanks for the comments!

[@Justcuz99]

Right on man! Who doesn't have a drink while grilling? That's part of the fun! That grill looks pretty nice. That front door is awesome. For the cherry wood, I recommend putting it under the floating charcoal rack for better smoke. If it'll fit anyways.

[@TonyToneBBQ]

That's what I'm talkin about! A good fire and nice drink makes for a great time cooking. I appreciate the comment and thanks for the tip!

[@paullarson2813]

I just got my Judge delivered today. This three part series really took a good, deep dive into the grill. Thanks for doing this!👍

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Paul! I'm excited for you! The Judge is freaking awesome and I'm sure you're gonna love cooking on it. Have fun! Thanks for watching and I appreciate your comment!

[@paullarson2813]

@@TonyToneBBQ I have had three weekends cooking on the judge and yes, it is freaking awesome! Nice jobs on the videos, when I get my channel going I hope I can have great content that helps people out like you!

[@TonyToneBBQ]

@@paullarson2813 I'm glad to hear that! Sounds good my friend. I look forward to seeing your videos!

[@PaulieDetmurds]

Enjoyed your excitement more than anything. A dog barking in the distance is a dog under some control at least. Good thing. One thing you must do with this grill is maintain it. Happy for you too! God Bless!

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Hahaha! Thank you Paulie! It's always a fun time cooking in the backyard. Thanks for watching!

[@rayblaszczak8922]

Just finished the three part series on the Judge. Thanks for the great videos on it! I just picked up my Judge from Menards with the 11% rebate, sweet. They loaded it in my truck with a forklift and luckily I have a forklift at home to unload it from my truck. Would have been hard by myself, lol. It's heavy at 215lbs. With it being 12° here in Illinois now, probably won't use it for a while. But looking forward to it for sure! Going to try the 3,2,1 ribs method next time also. Thanks again

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Hey Ray! Congrats on your new Judge! Sounds like you got a smokin deal! I hope you don't have to wait till spring time to fire it up. There might be a nice day or two between now and then. I'm excited for you! I see lots of good times grilling in your near future. Thanks for watching and I appreciate your comment!

[@stormcat1264]

All I can say is my wife may not like me and you after this...lol. I just bought an joe stick burner. I like that judge. Thanks for sharing and happy Birthday 🎂

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Hahaha! My wife is always making remarks about the various cooking tools in our backyard. I keep telling her, they each have their purpose. Just make her lots of awesome food and I'm sure she'll get over it. Thanks and have fun!

[@mordrednz]

Just bought a Judge and can't wait to get really cooking on it! It's my first charcoal grill. your videos are great and help me a lot!

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Congratulations on your new Judge! I'm sure there's a lot of awesome barbeque in your future. Thanks for watching!

[@chrisyanez9420]

Good job joe I can’t wait to get grill thanks for sharing your thoughts

[@TonyToneBBQ]

You'll love it Chris! Thanks for your comment!

[@wesleyhughes363]

Enjoyed video. Happened across it as I was doing some research about this grill before deciding to buy or not. This video was helpful. One of the things that I would like to see on it is a handle opposite the wheels to b able to move around as needed. R u able to lift it up and move it (even short distance) without handle? Have u had any issue(s) with grease dripping under grill? Thanks.

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Thanks Wesley! You should check out the new video I just posted on the Judge. I love this rig! Regarding the handle... the side shelf is bolted to the body of the grill and strong enough to use it as a handle to move the grill around. As for dripping, not a drop. You'll see why in the new video. Thanks for watching!

[@Vinndikation]

Watching this video made me hungry. I have a TexasTrio. Have yet to smoke anything on it

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Mission accomplished! LOL! Thanks for your comment. I think it's time to fire up that side fire box of your Texas Trio. Smoke on!

[@Musicianized]

I live my Judge.. My brisket was amazing and every steak is mouthwatering with perfect sears.. chicken is good too!! Pork next!

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Yes! Love it! Have fun Ryan!

[@ryanrusso701]

Very helpful vids, Tony. Thank you🤙🏻

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Thank you Ryan! I appreciate your comment and thanks for watching!

[@xXhugotorresXx]

Great video. They should pay you because this video helped convince me to buy one and I'm sure it's done the same for many others. I was doing a turkey breast yesterday and I had a hard time keeping the temperature down, even with very little charcoal. I had the bottom intake just barely cracked maybe 1/8 of the way open, and the same for the top exhaust. Still couldn't keep it below 275 without having to take out a bunch of coals. I tried doing the snake method which I've done on my Weber kettle with a lot of success, but the coals would just light too quickly. I'm wondering if you have any tips on keeping the temps down. I see yours doesn't leak, mine leaks a lot of smoke around the lid and the exhaust, but I'm not sure if that's why I'm having a hard time.

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Hey Hugo! Thank you for the comment my friend! I might just reach out to Oklahoma Joe's to see if they'd be interested in sponsorship. They make great tools so I have no problem recommending. About that temp, if you've got a lot of air flow coming from under the lid, that could be a problem. I didn't add any smoker gasket to mine, but I did spray with peanut oil, which created a seal. Where do you have the fire grate positioned? Make sure it's all the way to the bottom to keep the temp lower. Having said that, 275 on the gauge is pretty good for this type of grill. I run 270 - 300 doing a reverse sear on steaks and tri tip. I just keep the charcoal on the right side and the meat on the left. The meat will slow cook until it's time to sear. Then raise the fire grate and move the meat directly over for the sear. I hope that helps! Thanks for watching!

[@xXhugotorresXx]

@@TonyToneBBQ Thanks for the advice! I'll keep that in mind next time I'm using it.

[@TonyToneBBQ]

​@@xXhugotorresXxyou're welcome! Good look and let me know how it goes

[@jensharee]

Great video!! That family of yours, not so loud. 😉 Us Italians just make the room more fun. Can you explain why you set the cherry wood on the left and then moved it?

[@TonyToneBBQ]

That's a great question! I wanted to burn the cherry wood for heat and to add flavor to the food. I placed it to the left of the burning coals so that it would get really hot, but not catch fire until I wanted it to. If it's hot, it catches fire faster and burns cleaner. Check out this video on smoke quality for more info. Thanks for your comment and question! kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3zQkmCbo9NoeaM

[@Jimmy-xo3ld]

so disappointing the judge is not available in Canada. its exactly what I'm looking for.

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Hey Jimmy! Yeah, I heard that they're not available in Canada. That stinks! Is it possible you could pick one up in the US and drive it across the border?

[@BigLewBBQ]

Man oh Man! The first cook on this OKJ Judge Grill?! You made it look as if you were quite experienced with it. You may have edited out all rookie mistakes, but it doesn’t appear you made many of them if you did. That grill looks like a great offering from OKJ. How many levels does the charcoal rack have? Also how far away in inches or cm, is the charcoal rack from the grate at each level?

[@TonyToneBBQ]

What's up Big Lew?! Thanks for watching and I appreciate your comment. Yes, I was proud of that cook, being the first time using the Judge. I've been grilling and smoking my whole life and the Judge is such a good tool, it was just easy. I believe there are 6 levels from 2-inches to 10-inches but I'll check in a couple of days and get back to you. Thanks again!

[@BigLewBBQ]

@@TonyToneBBQ Thank you. I know that three inches is ideal for searing steaks. Eight inches is ideal for greasy foods like 80/20 burgers or chicken with out flare ups. Ten to twelve inches creates a smoking effect like in a drum or bullet smoker. Weber kettles are set at 5 inches, too far for steaks and yakatori, but too close for burgers and chicken that’s why there are flare ups with foods like chicken and burgers. There are many aftermarket product such as S-N-S, Vortex, other baskets, Grill Stone, etc, to slow a kettle down for smoking and roasting, or speed it up for steak searing. If that Judge can get coals as close as three inches and as far away as ten, with steps in between it is a very versatile grill with no need for aftermarket accessories.

[@randypoe560]

gentlemen Jack my friend smooooth

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Ooooooh, hell yes my friend. Gentlemen Jack is a good one.

[@rev9fan1]

I have a big issue with buying grills from big box stores, i have a CharGriller 50/50 and its all rusted out and junk after 4 or 5 years. Something tells me if i buy this one ill be in the same situation, but i dont know. I dont mind paying for true quality, like im contemplating buying a 3k dollar smoker, but i dont see very many charcoal grills in that range. One thing i do like about this grill is the door to put more coal in, i have having to remove my grates in my CharGriller to add charcoal.

[@TonyToneBBQ]

I hear you my friend! I've had some really cheap junk rust out pretty quickly in the past. I have two Char-Griller Offset smokers and the Oklahoma Joe's Judge. They're all holding up really well against rusting. I've found that a lot of rust issues can be mitigated by some simple maintenance. Most importantly, removing all ash after each cook. I usually wait until the next day, but I completely empty the ash pans and I even use a vacuum or a brush to get rid of all of the ash from the side fire boxes in the offset smokers. The judge is really easy to maintenance because of the big ash pan the slides out from the bottom. I just use a putty knife to scrape it clean and slide it back in. I also wiped down the exterior surfaces with peanut oil, usually during the cook and I keep a good cover on them. That's all that I do and no rust issues.

[@rev9fan1]

@TonyTone BBQ so pretty much seasoning it all the time I guess? That's a good idea, never thought of that. How's the fire box or rack holding up, I know some BBQs the metal fatigues and bends down from the heat.

[@TonyToneBBQ]

@@rev9fan1 yup. Fire great is holding up very well. No bending or warping, still totally solid. I'll make sure and do a video soon where I show how it's held up over the last couple years. It's still totally solid!

[@KixxFCCoach]

So how long did it take to start throwing up mixing your raw chicken tongs with your finished food? 😮

[@TonyToneBBQ]

I guess you didn't notice the multiple pairs of tongs. Thanks for watching!

[@renefloor5348]

Can you grill as well with the OJ Highlander or is that more a smoker? I am looking for a good size (drum) grill.

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Thanks for the question! The Highlander is primarily a smoker. You can grill on the Highlander, but in my opinion the Judge is better suited for grilling because of the adjustable height cooking grate and the fire access door. The one advantage the Highlander does have is a larger cooking area. If you're also into smoking and you have to choose just one, I'm probably recommend the Highlander because it's much better at smoking than the Judge but if you're only grilling, the Judge wins. I hope that helps!

[@renefloor5348]

@@TonyToneBBQ thanks. Here is the UK unfortunately they dont sell the Judge, but I look for a solid heavy charcoal grill, ideally a size for parties etc. I feel my Weber Kettle is too small and my gas Weber Genesis is top easy 🤣 They sell here the Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow from Costcos good size caston iron grill, the only one comes close…

[@TonyToneBBQ]

@@renefloor5348 ah yes. What about a Weber Kettle? Maybe a couple of them if you need to cook for several people. There's a lot of great accessories for the Kettle that make them really great outdoor cooking tools. That Highlander would also be grate for large cooks.

[@harmoniefaerielove]

@TonyToneBBQ .After researching for the past 3 weeks ( My Weber kettle is now an OAP 😅 & needs replacing desperately ) you randomly popped up this morning. God must have heard my frustrated mutterings 🙏. I Watched all 4 parts & then your brisket one too. Like ( Rene ) said ,we cannot get this BBQ in the UK . I didn't want to buy an offset & a grill ( cost ) .After seeing how you use this & the results that you got . I have been convinced that the Masterbuilt Smoke hollow is the way to go for me. it is a very close match & affordable for a good similar quality BBQ that will last if treated correctly. Both your video's & The comment by ( Rene ) having similar thoughts made me think I was on the right track. Oddly, the Masterbuilt is one of the first one's I considered but I couldn't find any decent content about it until you popped up today & I got the reassurance I needed. Not the same piece of kit but as close as I am likely to get over here . Thank you both for your discussion it really helped me a great deal & I will be making my order with Costco for the Smoke Hollow tomorrow. You have a new subscriber & I will be checking in for tips & ideas. You explain evetything in such an easy to follow & understandable way... Many blessings ...

[@TonyToneBBQ]

@@harmoniefaerielove I love hearing this! I'm really glad that my video and this conversation has helped out. I hope all goes well with your purchase and if you can spare a few minutes in the future, I'd really like to hear how things progress. Thank you for sharing and God bless!

[@markallen4001]

New sub here 😁.when you smoke,does it “leak”? Also,being on the larger size,is it easy to grill for just two people? I currently have a char griller (22 yrs) about 30” x 18”. Thanks. What is Masada?

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Hey Mark! Thank you for subscribing and thanks for the questions! As far as leaking smoke is concerned, very little. The Judge is actually sealed up very well. And yes, you can definitely grill for one or two on the Judge. I do it all the time! I shot a video a couple weeks ago to show how the Judge is holding up after a couple years. I cooked chicken leg quarters and a tomahawk steak, just haven't had time to edit and upload yet. Super busy time of year for my day job. Hope to have it up soon. Carne Asada, it's a Mexican marinated steak. Super delicious! Thanks for watching!

[@sneakyblackdog]

Nice job

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Thank you!

[@compicomedy]

Ribs look good, can't wait to fire mines up here in the Northeast. What were you drinking? Looked refreshing

[@TonyToneBBQ]

It's about that time, Felix! Fire that puppy up! That was Crown Royal on the rocks and I'll tell ya... sure goes down nicely while working the grill. Cheers brother!

[@robertmueller3076]

How long did you cook the ribs for. Enjoying your video's Thanks a lot

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Hey Robert! Thanks for watching and thanks for the question! I believe I ended up cooking those ribs about 4 hours. I normally go for 5 to 6 at a lower average temp, but these turned out great. Thanks for watching!

[@darlanelson7271]

Whoa!

[@TonyToneBBQ]

LOL! Thanks for watching Darla!

[@airselectricalcontractors842]

great vid mate - was the flavour better than weber ????

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Thank you! I'd have to say that the flavor of everything I cook on The Judge is better than what I've cooked on kettle grills, and I attribute this to two factors. First, the size and shape of The Judge make it easier to position the food for best cooking. Second, the door that provides access to the fire grate, which makes it super easy to use natural wood that provides the best flavor. Having said that, I've cooked some amazing bbq on Weber Kettles so I'm not knocking the Weber Kettle at, it's a great tool, but I do prefer The Judge. Thanks for watching and thanks for your question!

[@kiji1465]

So my question is this, a year later do you still enjoy this grill? Also, is clean up ( maintaining the grates) a pain?

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Great question and thanks for asking! Yes, I do still love the Judge. I actually use it more often than I do my offset smoker. It's great for quick cooks and I make a mean reverse seared tri-tip on the Judge on a regular basis. Clean up a super easy. I'll have to do a video on that soon. I think some folks do more than they need to on cast iron grates. All I do is give him a good scrub and get them nice and hot before cooking on them again. If they're looking a little dry, I'll spray with little peanut oil, but that's about it. Hope that helps!

[@kiji1465]

@@TonyToneBBQ Thank you so much

[@TonyToneBBQ]

@@kiji1465 you're welcome!

[@babakbozorgnia9174]

PK grill or the judge?

[@TonyToneBBQ]

I much prefer the Judge. Thanks for the question!

[@smokefire_southern_eats]

Does the grill have to be seasoned?

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Hi Phillip! Yes, the Judge does need to be seasoned. I did a video on how to season it, and I'll leave a link below if you're interested in seeing it. Thanks for watching! kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3zEfJKAZ9KWkKs

[@masterstudioproductions3629]

what state do you live in?

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Great question! Not sure I want to give that up yet... Wouldn't be to hard to find me, just following your nose. Hahaha!

[@PANG_671]

Is your grates upside down?

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Ah, that's a grate question! LOL! The deal is... either side up is okay. It's really just personal preference. I prefer the flat side up because the grease drips down to the point and you get cleaner little flare ups from below. It's also a lot easier to clean the grates with the flat side up. I leave the grates dirty after a cook, then give them a quick scrape with the blade right before the next cook. It's totally up to you. I recommend trying both and seeing what you like better. Thanks for watching and thanks for the question!

[@PANG_671]

@@TonyToneBBQ yea I can see it’ll be easier to clean just wanted to no because it was the first time I saw that. Grill looks awesome I have the offset and was looking for a grill I never new Oklahoma joe made this big one never seen it at Home Depot

[@TonyToneBBQ]

@@PANG_671 yeah, I had to order it from HomeDepot.com I checked everywhere to find one locally, but seems like it's only online. You'll love it my friend!

[@tonypalmiere734]

Do you happen to be from California ?

[@TonyToneBBQ]

Ha! Not sure if that's something I'd want to admit if I was. Feel free to shoot me an email though. [e-mail] Thanks for watching!