# New RecTec Stampede Owner



## Chris Ahlheim (Feb 19, 2019)

Just got my new rt-590 last night. No cooks on it yet, but I did snap a few shots of the interior for those interested. When I was making my decision, I had a hard time finding pics of these things out in the wild so I figured I would share. During the seasoning process, it went from 36* to 400* in about 19 minutes which I thought was pretty damn decent. Will probably check in here periodically with updates.

Exterior






Fire box





Drip pan





Grates


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## old sarge (Feb 19, 2019)

A couple of months from now you can look back and see how you're unit looked when new.  There is no turning back!


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## Chris Ahlheim (Feb 19, 2019)

So today I added a folding front shelf since there are no manufacturer options.

I used the following folding brackets, which are sturdy, but suspec on their claims of stainless.

I also used this 36” oak stair tread.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/36-in-x...Red-Oak-Stair-Tread-8430R-036-0000L/202353497

It just so happened that the bottom hole for the bracket lined up 100% perfectly with the factory hole for the leg. I had to bore out the bracket hole to 3/8” in order to make it fit, but it was simple to do. One additional 1/4” hole in the fascia of the grill completed the metal works.





















Oh, and if anyone was interested, the Baker Stone pizza oven is a perfect fit!


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## Chris Ahlheim (Feb 19, 2019)

Thanks, Sarge. That finish ain’t long for this world, that’s for sure!


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## old sarge (Feb 19, 2019)

So what hunk of meat are you going to christen your new pellet grill with?  Gotta get the patina started!


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## Chris Ahlheim (Feb 19, 2019)

This is gonna sound lame, but the soonest I can get something on there is going to be Saturday or Sunday. That said, it’ll be a brisket for sure. Pictures forthcoming.


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## old sarge (Feb 19, 2019)

Brisket and Butts are what weekends are for.  During the week, weenies and burgers.


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## fivetricks (Feb 19, 2019)

^^^ and chicken wings :-)


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## old sarge (Feb 19, 2019)

That too.


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## retfr8flyr (Feb 19, 2019)

I'm curious about the pic of the firebox. Is that the heat difusser over the fire pot is is that the actual fire pot itself?


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## Chris Ahlheim (Feb 19, 2019)

retfr8flyr said:


> I'm curious about the pic of the firebox. Is that the heat difusser over the fire pot is is that the actual fire pot itself?


Sorry, you are correct. That is the heat diffuser over the top of the firebox. I will add that it is very heavy duty and the video of them drive a dump truck over it (well, at least one tire) are no bullshit!


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## Chris Ahlheim (Feb 20, 2019)

Well, the inaugural cook will be a meatloaf tonight. Not sure it’ll be worth pics, but I’ll take some for the hell of it.

Also decided to torch the wood and rub it down with some mineral oil.

Torched






First coat of mineral oil











And a better shot of the hinge


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## Chris Ahlheim (Feb 22, 2019)

7.5 lb flat. Smoke starts tomorrow night.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Feb 24, 2019)

13.5 hours in the pit. No crutch or injection, fat side up. Toothpick tender, pulled @ 194*.
Pre





Post


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Feb 24, 2019)

Damn man, that looks awesome!  Been lookin at the RT Stampede pretty hard... Thinkin of possibly pulling the trigger on one.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Feb 24, 2019)

WaterinHoleBrew said:


> Damn man, that looks awesome!  Been lookin at the RT Stampede pretty hard... Thinkin of possibly pulling the trigger on one.


I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I was torn between this and the Yoder 640. It took me a while to pull the trigger since I couldn’t physically see it in person. The Yoder is built like a freakin’ tank and I came close to picking one up, but the extra cost and, oddly enough, the extra weight were more than I wanted to deal with. I am glad I gambled on the Rec Tec.


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Feb 27, 2019)

Chris Ahlheim said:


> I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I was torn between this and the Yoder 640. It took me a while to pull the trigger since I couldn’t physically see it in person. The Yoder is built like a freakin’ tank and I came close to picking one up, but the extra cost and, oddly enough, the extra weight were more than I wanted to deal with. I am glad I gambled on the Rec Tec.



Yea, the Yoder though nice is out of my budget at this time.  Lookin hard at the Stampede as well as the Camp Chef XXL vertical pellet smoker.  Decisions, decisions...  It'll likely be at least a few weeks before I pull the trigger on something.  If ya don't mind posting an update on your cooks for a few weeks... I'd be in debt to ya!


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## retfr8flyr (Feb 27, 2019)

You should also take a look at the Grilla Grills Silvenbac. It's a very nice grill at a good price.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Mar 2, 2019)

Grilled 5 bacon wrapped fillets last night on “ful” which is the highest setting. Took about 25 minutes to reach max temp which was 524* (ambient temp 38*). No real sear to speak on the fillets but it cooked well with great flavor. While the bacon did crisp up nicely, I think I will end up investing in some grill grates.


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Mar 3, 2019)

Chris Ahlheim said:


> Grilled 5 bacon wrapped fillets last night on “ful” which is the highest setting. Took about 25 minutes to reach max temp which was 524* (ambient temp 38*). No real sear to speak on the fillets but it cooked well with great flavor. While the bacon did crisp up nicely, I think I will end up investing in some grill grates.



Thanks for the update Chris, it's much appreciated.

Justin


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## retfr8flyr (Mar 3, 2019)

Grill Grates make a major difference in any pellet grill.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Mar 5, 2019)

Ok, next up was grilled fish. 3 Tilapia fillets, 1 Rockfish fillet, and 6 raw shrimp. Ambient temp @ 20*, grill set to 500. Took a bit longer to get to temp than anticipated, so I decided to throw the fish on at 400*... about 28 minutes from start-up. Cooked them for about 7 minutes on each side, and it was done. Shrimp was pink @ about 8 minutes. All-in-all, the cook was good, but I was a bit disappointed that it took as long as it did to even reach 400*. Also, the wifi on the grill was not cooperating tonight. On start up, my phone connected to the grill right away and was tracking the set temp and actual temp. Unfortunately it ended up losing connection after about 3 minutes. As far as changes, the grill WAS moved about 15 feet away from where I had been keeping it previously, but my phone did have full WiFi signal and the grill hadn’t been unplugged since its last use (I have it on a 40’ extension cord). Not sure what the issue was, but it was very easy to report a bug via the RecTec app. More to come.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Mar 27, 2019)

RecTec reached out to me (via email) the next day to help troubleshoot the WiFi issue but I never actually ended up getting back to them. Have run the grill a several times since then and haven’t had a recurrence of the issue.

Grilled chicken a few times since then with ambient temps in the mid-high 50’s and both times. Temps reached over 550* with the grill on FUL. Very happy with the results... great sear marks, great flavor. The one hiccup aside, I am still very happy with my purchase and the customer support from RecTec has been as advertised.

Smoking some ribs this weekend, fingers crossed.


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## SlowmotionQue (Mar 28, 2019)

Chris Ahlheim said:


> Just got my new rt-590 last night. No cooks on it yet, but I did snap a few shots of the interior for those interested. When I was making my decision, I had a hard time finding pics of these things out in the wild so I figured I would share. During the seasoning process, it went from 36* to 400* in about 19 minutes which I thought was pretty damn decent. Will probably check in here periodically with updates.
> 
> Exterior
> View attachment 388494
> ...



Congratulations on the extension of your warranty.

You bought it with a 2 year warranty.

Rec Tec has just announced that they are upping the warranty of the Stampede to 4 years, and that this includes Stampedes which are currently in owner's possession, or retroactively.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Mar 31, 2019)

Yeah, saw the announcement, very happy to see it. That, and the quick responses to my issue equal pretty good peace of mind to be sure.

As for the ribs, there was a bit of a change of plans. Decided to smoke a couple birds instead. 2.5 hours @250* and another 30 minutes @ 400* to crisp the skins up.







Turned out awesome!


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## old sarge (Mar 31, 2019)

That looks down right tasty. Good to know the RecTec is doing it's job. I have a spatch cocked chicken on the grill with rutabagas and carrots for supper.


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## bill in mn (Mar 31, 2019)

Chris the grill seems to work very well for you, Nice looking stuff. I just ordered a RT Stampede Friday 3-29-19 and now the wait . First pellet grill for me but I have done a lot of research on Rec Tec and they are like Yeti coolers they get customers to prophesize and spread the word. You can't buy that kind of advertising. The customer service is top notch .So nice to see your handy work and keep it up .Bill


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## Chris Ahlheim (Mar 31, 2019)

Congrats on the purchase, Bill! Yeah, its one of those things in a small community like this where information is at a premium, so owners evangelize for the products they believe in... or try to justify their purchase! Interested in hearing you thoughts once you get yours and get a few cooks under your belt. Out of curiosity, what sort of set up do you have now? I’m coming from a gas grill and a MES, and so far, this has been a good replacement for both. Though I do subscribe to Alton Browns thought process that a single task utensil has no place in the kitchen (or deck/patio).


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## bill in mn (Mar 31, 2019)

Alton Brown is a hoot. I have watched cooking shows for 30+ yrs and just like them. Right now my favorite is Americas Test Kitchen. I have a few smokers A UDS home built (Rocks ) and 40" Masterbuilt and little chief . Webber gas grill that is a POS everything is falling apart. I had a Webber gas grill for 18 yrs granted I replaced almost everything in it but I cook on it year round. This new one is so typical of these company's that have a good brand then do some stupid decisions to save pennies per unit and ruin them. Have a Webber kettle too, works great for turkeys. so The bride likes when I cook and is all for anything I want to do that. And I will report back when I get a few cooks done. Thanks Bill


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## SlowmotionQue (Mar 31, 2019)

bill in mn said:


> Chris the grill seems to work very well for you, Nice looking stuff. I just ordered a RT Stampede Friday 3-29-19 and now the wait . First pellet grill for me but I have done a lot of research on Rec Tec and they are like Yeti coolers they get customers to prophesize and spread the word. You can't buy that kind of advertising. The customer service is top notch .So nice to see your handy work and keep it up .Bill



We have been real happy with our Stampede.   Good luck with yours and congrats.


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## bill in mn (Apr 13, 2019)

Chris reporting back with a couple of cooks done. I really like the ease of this grill and the sky is the limit. I go to sleep thinking of what to cook next. Bill


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## fivetricks (Apr 13, 2019)

Your smoker... It's.. so clean. BLASPHEMER! ;-)

Looks good


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## bill in mn (Apr 13, 2019)

fivetricks said:


> Your smoker... It's.. so clean. BLASPHEMER! ;-)
> 
> Looks good


I know but it's only a week old and I'm doing everything to keep it clean. Tomorrow Wings right on the grates. Got to get on with life and get a little dirty.


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## bill in mn (Apr 13, 2019)




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## Chris Ahlheim (Apr 13, 2019)

Congrats on the cooks! So far so good over here!


4 racks on the grates from yesterday.











3-2-1 method proved a bit too much for the baby backs though. Bones pulled right out, but not necessarily in a good way. Maybe 3-1-1 next time? Also, used famous Dave’s rib rub... not a huge fan. Waaaaaaay too much onion.


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## jlud (Apr 14, 2019)

Did 3 racks of baby backs tonight on the Yoder with cherry.  Can’t taste any different from pellet but I picked up a Maple Bacon Bourbon Chipotle rub from cabelas, some kinders brown sugar, and the steakhouse seasoning that came with the Yoder pack because it’s been so good on steaks and burgers.

These were just left on...no foil, no spritz, no sauce bath.  The Cabelas rub was the favorite.  Ribs left good bite marks bit some areas pulling off bone...inconsistent meat thickness.


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## bill in mn (Apr 14, 2019)

Here is a article about Rec Tec and how it got started . A short, fun read.

http://metrospirit.com/rec-tec-grills-heat-up/


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## SlowmotionQue (Apr 14, 2019)

bill in mn said:


> Here is a article about Rec Tec and how it got started . A short, fun read.
> 
> http://metrospirit.com/rec-tec-grills-heat-up/



Interesting article.


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## bill in mn (Apr 16, 2019)

First ribs one rack ( in three pieces ) baby backs and the other were St. Louis style . Ran 250 ° 3-3-1 and they were good but to done . The family got caught up in traffic so they were wrapped for 3 hrs. Baby backs won the S-L style had a lot of fat ( there suppose to) but both were very good. Bill


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## SlowmotionQue (Apr 16, 2019)

A total of 7hrs at 250 is likely going to be too long.

I'm sure that you know this, but that 3-2-1, 3-3-1, X-X-X etc stuff, is all a guide and has probably resulted in more over cooked ribs than anything else.

Perhaps the best eyeball test out ther for ribs is the bend test.

Grabbing one end of the rack with the tongs, holding them up and letting them bend.

When they start to crack at the bend and the closer you can get to a 90* angle without breaking the rack as you hold them in the tongs leaving them hanging, and you're close if not there.


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## bill in mn (Apr 16, 2019)

I thought I would start with what Rec tec had on their page about St. Louis style ribs. Never seen any cooked at 250° but thought they must know. I was looking for a nice pull not fall off. I planed on 6 hrs total but the traffic got them. So I thought better in foil than open at 250 °. They loved them and they were good but they don't know any better. Rubbed them with some Buffalo wings rub that my daughter got when she worked there and Dillo Dust from LaRue tactical when you buy a gun from Mark LaRue he sends a 4 oz . It's by far my favorite rub more sweet than salty. Just a fun day here got to 67° and that was welcome . Cheers Bill


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## Chris Ahlheim (Apr 16, 2019)

@ SloQ - Based on my most recent experience, I’d say you’re right on the money there.
Looks like I’ll be cookin by feel on my ribs and my briskets.
 @ Bill - Those rib look good, glad everyone was happy with em all things considered.


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## bill in mn (Apr 16, 2019)

Ya he is. I tried to pick them up, that's the 3 piece one :)


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## dubob (Apr 17, 2019)

I'm NOT an expert at this by anyone's gauge, but have done 1 baby back and 1 St Louis rack.  Both were done 3-2-1 with a wrap in the 2.  The baby back meat FELL off the bone and was superb.  The St Louis meat pulled off the bone with very little effort and was also superb.  The 3-2-1 seems to work just fine for me on either style of rack.  But two racks total in my life does not an expert make.


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## mess (Apr 20, 2019)

I just picked up a Stampede and I joined this forum on your post alone.   I had to say what a great looking wood shelf.  I am looking forward  to add it to my Stampede when it arrives.  Appreciate the photos and the links to parts!


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## Chris Ahlheim (Apr 20, 2019)

mess said:


> I just picked up a Stampede and I joined this forum on your post alone.   I had to say what a great looking wood shelf.  I am looking forward  to add it to my Stampede when it arrives.  Appreciate the photos and the links to parts!


Congrats on the new rig, happy to be of service!

A quick note on the brackets I used. The listing claimed stainless steel construction but painted black. Since I wanted them to match the legs of the grill and not stand out so much, this is the pair I chose. In reality, they most certainly are not stainless and the company confirmed this as well. I think they will hold up alright since I plan to cover it the vast majority of the time, but ultimately I’m a bit disappointed that they aren’t true stainless steel. There are lots of real stainless versions out there on amazon for the same price. If you don’t care about matching the legs of the grill, they may be a better choice for longevity.


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## SlowmotionQue (Apr 20, 2019)

mess said:


> I just picked up a Stampede and I joined this forum on your post alone.   I had to say what a great looking wood shelf.  I am looking forward  to add it to my Stampede when it arrives.  Appreciate the photos and the links to parts!



Congrats.   It would have been difficult to have made a better choice.


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## bill in mn (Apr 21, 2019)

Pulled pork for dinner.  Started an 8lbs. butt at 10:00 pm and 12 hrs. in it's at 170°and it's rising fast after a 3 hr. stall . We have to leave for church and I'm nervous it's going to hit 205° while were gone . I turned it to 200° and off we went . Get home and it dropped to 164° WTH., should have never quit the game plan. wrapped and bumped up the temp to 260° . 17.5 hrs. pulled let sit for 1 hr. and it was fantastic. Yellow mustard , salt, pepper and Dillow Dust rub. Chris I used your hardware link and idea, Until Rec-tec comes out with a shelf this will have to do. Hope everyone had a blessed Easter. Bill


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## Chris Ahlheim (Apr 21, 2019)

bill in mn said:


> View attachment 393829
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Damn, Bill... that butt is bark’n! Solid shelf you got there too.


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## ross77 (Apr 22, 2019)

Not sure if this has been posted but RecTec doubled the warranty for the Stampede to 4 years. It’s for all current and future owners.


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## retfr8flyr (Apr 22, 2019)

dubob said:


> I'm NOT an expert at this by anyone's gauge, but have done 1 baby back and 1 St Louis rack.  Both were done 3-2-1 with a wrap in the 2.  The baby back meat FELL off the bone and was superb.  The St Louis meat pulled off the bone with very little effort and was also superb.  The 3-2-1 seems to work just fine for me on either style of rack.  But two racks total in my life does not an expert make.



Bob, next time you do BB's try a 4-1-1 cook. I have found leaving them for 4 hrs and then only wrapping for an hour, they come out great with lots of bark and almost fotb. I  prefer my ribs to have just a little tug to them, when taking a bite. Fotb is a little over cooked for me but everyone's taste varies. Give them a try this way and see what you think.


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## SlowmotionQue (Apr 22, 2019)

retfr8flyr said:


> Bob, next time you do BB's try a 4-1-1 cook. I have found leaving them for 4 hrs and then only wrapping for an hour, they come out great with lots of bark and almost fotb. I  prefer my ribs to have just a little tug to them, when taking a bite. Fotb is a little over cooked for me but everyone's taste varies. Give them a try this way and see what you think.



That's pretty much the way that I do mine and my results are similar to what you are describing for your own


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## sandyut (Apr 24, 2019)

I have down all my ribs 3-2-1 with great success.  4-1-1 sounds like a nice variation.  may need some st Louise ribs this weekend!  hankering for the ribs.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Jun 21, 2019)

Quick update. I went ahead and added the grill grates from Rectec. Solved the only shortcoming that I’ve been able to find, which is the searing and grill marks. Don’t get me wrong, it would leave some grill marks when it was on FUL, but they would be fairly weak.

Real estate in the grill with the grill grates.





1lb Skirt steak.


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## sauce2taste (Jun 28, 2019)

That shelf is awesome.  Def. get the grill grates.  You'll be happy


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## Chris Ahlheim (Sep 17, 2019)

Rib Round 2.

Three racks, two foiled, one naked.
The foiled racks were cooked for 2.5-1.5-1. The naked rack was smoked for 6 hours @ 225°.
All turned out great, the naked rack was obviously easier and didn’t dry out too much. May just do that from now on.






Bottom rack is naked, top rack is foiled.






Top rack foiled, bottom rack naked. Both cut easily without falling apart.


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## bill in mn (Sep 17, 2019)

Thanks for the review Chris. I have a bunch of ribs I'm doing for this weekend. I've had such good luck with 3-2-1 with foil I have never tried no foil. Might just have to try but I have been bragging up my ribs and with company coming makes me nervous to change plans . What kind were they ? I have been doing baby backs lately. Cheers Bill


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## sandyut (Sep 17, 2019)

The last batch of BBs i did no wrap and they were great.  wife gave them the "best yet" ruling.  see link here.


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## Lightngsvt (Sep 29, 2019)

This place is dangerous, LOL!  All you Rec Tec owners converted me, ordered my Stampede last night!  

On topic, the way I've been doing my ribs in either the BGE or electric was for BB 3-1-1, and for St Louis 3-2-1 and have had very good luck.


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## sandyut (Sep 30, 2019)

Lightngsvt said:


> This place is dangerous, LOL! All you Rec Tec owners converted me, ordered my Stampede last night!


  CONGRATS!  post some cooks after you get it fired up!




Lightngsvt said:


> On topic, the way I've been doing my ribs in either the BGE or electric was for BB 3-1-1, and for St Louis 3-2-1 and have had very good luck.


I was the same - till i went no wrap.  Give a no wrap cook a rip and see what you think.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Oct 2, 2019)

sandyut said:


> CONGRATS!  post some cooks after you get it fired up!
> 
> 
> 
> I was the same - till i went no wrap.  Give a no wrap cook a rip and see what you think.



Agreed. Though I might do one more cook with one of each and make sure I get the same results. Probably unnecessary, but what the hell, why not.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Nov 23, 2019)

Decided to put some of our meal for friendsgiving on the Rec Tec. We have about 20 adults and 15 kids coming so I have a ton of meat to prepare... It only made sense to split some in the oven and some on the Rec Tec. Initially I set it to 225° and put 6 turkey legs on @ 1pm. About an hour later, put the 20lb bird on and bumped the temp to 325°.












The legs were ready around 3:10 and look/smell/taste awesome!






Full bird came off at 4:30 with an internal temp of 165° in the breast and 174° In the thigh.











As for the other food, there is a 7lb breast and an 8lb glazed ham roasting in the oven. We will see what everyone likes the most.


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## sandyut (Nov 23, 2019)

I bet they like your turkey the most!  Looks great!


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## Winterrider (Nov 23, 2019)

It all looks delicious  Chris. Nice job...


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## Smokin' in AZ (Nov 24, 2019)

Agreed, looks great...Nice job.

LIKE!

John


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## Chris Ahlheim (Aug 17, 2021)

Long time since my last post. Still loving my Recteq. So much so that I decided to buy the Bullseye since they are in stock and 5% off right now (code: *3SSN-Z9JP*)! Wifey won’t be thrilled, but it was on sale so she can’t complain too much.

Also, I decided it probably needs a workstation so I picked up the Heat Beacon side table. Found it by accident when searching for Weber kettle accessories since most fit the B380 anyway. Turns out they make one for it, or at least market the Weber version for the Recteq.

Ordered everything today, will post pics when it all comes in…  because everyone likes pictures.


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## lunatics (Aug 18, 2021)

These RecTecs look so nice. Do you guys use them for grilling as well or just smoking? What's the max temp they get up to?

I am kicking myself for buying a new MES 30 to replace my old one instead of just looking into sucking it up and spending the extra money on a better investment and potentially replace my grill as well. Now I'm stuck with a $300 cheap POS and would have to invest more to do anything else again and these are a bit pricier than the other brands but looks so much more solid and reliable. Hopefully I can win the lottery and invest in something like this.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Aug 18, 2021)

lunatics said:


> These RecTecs look so nice. Do you guys use them for grilling as well or just smoking? What's the max temp they get up to?
> 
> I am kicking myself for buying a new MES 30 to replace my old one instead of just looking into sucking it up and spending the extra money on a better investment and potentially replace my grill as well. Now I'm stuck with a $300 cheap POS and would have to invest more to do anything else again and these are a bit pricier than the other brands but looks so much more solid and reliable. Hopefully I can win the lottery and invest in something like this.


Honestly, I use it way more for grilling than I do for smoking, probably by a margin of 15:1. That said, it does both very well. Max temps are around 660+ at the grates based on my infrared thermometer.  The only image I had on hand shows 610*.
Funny thing, the way I justified the 590 in the first place was to get rid of my Weber Kettle, my MES, and my gas grill. Turns out I ended up buying the Recteq and a Sous Vide machine (Annova). Now I am adding the Bullseye. I think it may be an illness.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Aug 21, 2021)

The Bullseye came in yesterday evening, as did the Heat Beacon side table and the Hunsaker Smokers 22” griddle plate. Overall impression is a little bit of a let down if I am honest. I had hoped the build quality would be on par with the Stampede, but is not nearly as good. That‘s not to say the build quality is poor or anything, but the materials are noticeably lighter weight than I expected. Not bad, but not impressive either. The fit and finish of the lid to the body are only ok. 
The other disappointment is that it took some minor damage during shipping, a few decent scratches on the lid, and a nice dent in the underside of the hopper. More impressions to follow once I get it broken in.
















Some light damage.











Pics of the Heat Beacon side table.
















Pics of the Hunsaker griddle.











Full assembled and ready for seasoning.


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## Ishi (Aug 22, 2021)

Chris Ahlheim said:


> The Bullseye came in yesterday evening, as did the Heat Beacon side table and the Hunsaker Smokers 22” griddle plate. Overall impression is a little bit of a let down if I am honest. I had hoped the build quality would be on par with the Stampede, but is not nearly as good. That‘s not to say the build quality is poor or anything, but the materials are noticeably lighter weight than I expected. Not bad, but not impressive either. The fit and finish of the lid to the body are only ok.
> The other disappointment is that it took some minor damage during shipping, a few decent scratches on the lid, and a nice dent in the underside of the hopper. More impressions to follow once I get it broken in.
> View attachment 508414
> 
> ...


Question how hot will yours go? I had a 590 for three years and it never got over 425 on a good day.
Rectec CS always made it out like it was my fault. I finally had enough and sold it and bought  a 640 Yoder. 600 degrees is a piece of cake now.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Aug 22, 2021)

Ishi said:


> Question how hot will yours go? I had a 590 for three years and it never got over 425 on a good day.
> Rectec CS always made it out like it was my fault. I finally had enough and sold it and bought  a 640 Yoder. 600 degrees is a piece of cake now.


That sucks to hear about your Recteq experience. Sounds like you got a lemon… plain and simple. The one time I have had to contact customer service I had nothing but an excellent expierence, or at least as good as you can have talking to someone about an issue with a product. 
My brother in law has the Yoder 640 and that thing is an absolute animal. Honestly, I was originally going to go with that, but the sheer weight of the thing made me a little leery of keeping it on my deck.

Both companies make great products.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Aug 23, 2021)

Since we were cooking for a small crowd, I decided to ease into the first cook. Smoked bacon wrapped pickles and peppers with sun dried tomato cream cheese were the starters. Main dish was a couple of smoked chickens and a gaggle of thighs... didnt want to experiment in front of guests and screw things up. Oh yeah, and a block of maple bourbon smoked cream cheese.

Aside from the slight disappointment with the material heft and lid fitment, the Bullseye works really well. It heats up quick, holds stable temps, and uses a minimal amount of pellets. Have not cranked it up to RIOT mode yet so max temps are still TBD.

Some more pics for reference.


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## Chris Ahlheim (Aug 23, 2021)

Ok, so I have seen posts where people say that they get to 850+ in riot mode in 15 min. I decided to take the Recteq riot challenge and see what it can do in short order. After 15 min in riot, the Bullseye reached 731°, sounded like a blast furnace and looked like a jet engine in afterburner.










This thing can really bring the heat!


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