welcome, Tim,
there are lots of knowledgeable people on here.Some from the same town or near to you there in Melbourne.
I tell you this ReelBBQ you will get a really warm and friendly education here no doubt in my mind. This forum ahs taught me so much over the past Months. Welcome to you as I ahve been welcomed
Hi folks! David here from about 40 miles east of Atlanta. Been smoking for years now. Started indirect smoking on a gas grill to Webbers, to small offset and now reverse flow. I'm trying to step it up a bit and do some catering and searching for a location for a restaurant locally. I have officially left the rat race in Atlanta trying to make a go of it locally. I live on a beautiful piece of property that until now I have spent very little time on. The last two months has have helped me remember why I moved out here to begin with. I love the out doors.
Happy Smokin to everyone!
David (Highpockets)
Happy Smokin to everyone!
David (Highpockets)
Welcome to the forum David,
you will find a good bunch of people, and good advice as well
Dave / Rhino
you will find a good bunch of people, and good advice as well
Dave / Rhino
Welcome,David Kathy
Hello All! Jason here from Cedar Rapids, IA. I have been smoking for a little over a year now with a H2O Vertical Charcoal Smoker, and became fed up with dealing with charcoal and only being able to smoke when it was 80 degrees, no wind, and a perfectly sunny day. A friend convinced me to get a Smokette 008. Ordered it a few weeks ago from AmericasBestBBQ.com and hopefully should be arriving soon. (BTW, don't order from them if you are impatient like me).
Thanks Rhino and Kathy!!
David
David
Hi Jason,
You won't regret your purchase. And this is a great place too. kathyE
You won't regret your purchase. And this is a great place too. kathyE
Hi SmokinJ. Welcome to the Forum from another Iowan. Im in Victor... about 40 miles west of you. Maybe we'll run into each other some day.
Bob
Bob
SmokinJ,
Cadillac (Bob) is a nice guy,too.We met at a Florida barbecue competition.I also met Peggy and Jack and a couple of other great folks who compete and are on this Forum.
Cadillac (Bob) is a nice guy,too.We met at a Florida barbecue competition.I also met Peggy and Jack and a couple of other great folks who compete and are on this Forum.
The smokette was definitely a great purchase, I had the pleasure of tasting some great food (brisket, pulled pork, ribs) smoked in it before buying as witnessing the simplicity of using the smoker. This forum has been a great source for ideas, and just can't wait to try many of the recipes I have found here.
Hi, I'm Mike from Ft. Myers, FL. and I'm a frustrated smoker. My smokette hasn't arrived yet, so I can only pretend to know your pleasure. Have big plans once it arrives and will remain attentive to the forum. 
Welcome to the forum Mike. Your smoking dreams will all come true when your CS arrives. Make sure to tell us about your successes! Lots of god folk here to help you with your quetions too. 
Have fun & good luck!
Have fun & good luck!
Hi all, I'm John from Sacramento, CA. I am a shopping center developer. My company is LocalCenters so most people call me LC.
I've been smoking for about 10 years. I have an Okie Joe Offset Vertical, soon to be replaced with a Pitts and Spitts, and a Smokette for about 5 months.
I have to admit I love the traditional pit, especially for entertaining. It's unique in our part of the country so it's fun. It's more social than practical.
The CS is fantastic, and much easier to use but I think takes lots of practice. I still do better ribs and brisket on the offset, but the CS smokes and flavors beautifully. The ability to use different woods is a huge benefit too.
I've learned so much from this forum. I thought brining was for smoked fish, but Smokin'Okie led me to brining turkey and other meats. Huge improvement. Lots of great recipes and techniques. The CS was one of my best 'deals' ever!
LC
I've been smoking for about 10 years. I have an Okie Joe Offset Vertical, soon to be replaced with a Pitts and Spitts, and a Smokette for about 5 months.
I have to admit I love the traditional pit, especially for entertaining. It's unique in our part of the country so it's fun. It's more social than practical.
The CS is fantastic, and much easier to use but I think takes lots of practice. I still do better ribs and brisket on the offset, but the CS smokes and flavors beautifully. The ability to use different woods is a huge benefit too.
I've learned so much from this forum. I thought brining was for smoked fish, but Smokin'Okie led me to brining turkey and other meats. Huge improvement. Lots of great recipes and techniques. The CS was one of my best 'deals' ever!
LC
Good to see the new people jump in and tell us who 'ya are.
Always great to put a story behind a name.
Glad the brining helped LC. I hear a lot of those stories and they're great to hear.
Smokin'
Always great to put a story behind a name.
Glad the brining helped LC. I hear a lot of those stories and they're great to hear.
Smokin'
You must of ordered it from the same place I did. Good news is I left the company a message the other day and they actually called me back today. Bad news, I won't get a practice run in before Christmas as expected delivery date is 12/23. Time to change the plans for Christmas dinner.quote:Originally posted by FL Crackers:
[qb] My smokette hasn't arrived yet, so I can only pretend to know your pleasure. Have big plans once it arrives and will remain attentive to the forum.
Just checked this morning -- it's in the system and scheduled for delivery on Dec 13. Can hardly wait.quote:Originally posted by SmokinJ:
[qb]You must of ordered it from the same place I did. Good news is I left the company a message the other day and they actually called me back today. Bad news, I won't get a practice run in before Christmas as expected delivery date is 12/23. Time to change the plans for Christmas dinner.quote:Originally posted by FL Crackers:
[qb] My smokette hasn't arrived yet, so I can only pretend to know your pleasure. Have big plans once it arrives and will remain attentive to the forum.
Hey Crakers,
Our team will be in Felda on Dec 31 and Jan 1 competing in a KCBS sanctioned BBQ contest. Please stop on over and say hi. You will have a great time.
Here is a link to the site with the information on the contest:
http://www.gatorhammock.com/PigRoast.asp
Our team will be in Felda on Dec 31 and Jan 1 competing in a KCBS sanctioned BBQ contest. Please stop on over and say hi. You will have a great time.
Here is a link to the site with the information on the contest:
http://www.gatorhammock.com/PigRoast.asp
Hello everyone,
my name is Sal. I've been lurking here for approximately 2 weeks now. Lots of great information here. I just got a CS 008 last weekend from a buddy of mine who thought I would make better use of it than he since I'm always grilling/smoking/BBQ'ing something. I've have been Grilling/BBQ'ing since I was 12-13 years old. Always had to be around the Fire & aroma of Grilled/BBQ'ed foods. All the family functions I was the one who grilled/BBQ'ed all the meats. This was great experience. In College, The Frat Bros asked if anyone had experience with BBQ'ing/grilling & I was the only Fool to raise my hand & well you can guess how I spent a good portion of my College time. It was fun however & now I associate BBQ/Grillin'/Smokin'with such fun great memories that will last a lifetime! After college I went on to smokin' on ECB, BGE, New Braunfels Offset & then ultimately on a Pitts & Spitts offset Smoker. The Results On the P&S's was awesome albeit labor intensive & time Consuming. Today I'm smoking a 12 lbs. Brisket to test out the CS. (I wouldn't even think about that in the P&S's with the cold weather today. Just to many variables to play with.) I'm very pleased with this new method of smoker so far! It's 40 degree's & raining steady & the CS is chuggin' along just great & the smell is wonderful. Now, some of my buddies would accuse me of preparing Lazy-Q but I see it as minimizing the variables to get a consistantly great product. I my just use this CS as a go to cooker in my stable of cookers!
Thanks a bunch for all the great info, photos & ideas.
Sal
my name is Sal. I've been lurking here for approximately 2 weeks now. Lots of great information here. I just got a CS 008 last weekend from a buddy of mine who thought I would make better use of it than he since I'm always grilling/smoking/BBQ'ing something. I've have been Grilling/BBQ'ing since I was 12-13 years old. Always had to be around the Fire & aroma of Grilled/BBQ'ed foods. All the family functions I was the one who grilled/BBQ'ed all the meats. This was great experience. In College, The Frat Bros asked if anyone had experience with BBQ'ing/grilling & I was the only Fool to raise my hand & well you can guess how I spent a good portion of my College time. It was fun however & now I associate BBQ/Grillin'/Smokin'with such fun great memories that will last a lifetime! After college I went on to smokin' on ECB, BGE, New Braunfels Offset & then ultimately on a Pitts & Spitts offset Smoker. The Results On the P&S's was awesome albeit labor intensive & time Consuming. Today I'm smoking a 12 lbs. Brisket to test out the CS. (I wouldn't even think about that in the P&S's with the cold weather today. Just to many variables to play with.) I'm very pleased with this new method of smoker so far! It's 40 degree's & raining steady & the CS is chuggin' along just great & the smell is wonderful. Now, some of my buddies would accuse me of preparing Lazy-Q but I see it as minimizing the variables to get a consistantly great product. I my just use this CS as a go to cooker in my stable of cookers!
Thanks a bunch for all the great info, photos & ideas.
Sal
Wish I had known earlier -- we already have plans for NYs; however, I understand you are doing the CREW annual meeting on the 26th. Will be there with bibs and napkins.quote:Originally posted by RibDog:
[qb] Hey Crakers,
Our team will be in Felda on Dec 31 and Jan 1 competing in a KCBS sanctioned BBQ contest. Please stop on over and say hi. You will have a great time.
Here is a link to the site with the information on the contest:
http://www.gatorhammock.com/PigRoast.asp [/qb]
The "CREW" annual meeting on the 26th, this is news to me.
Hi everyone,<br /> I'm Willie, I live in the Missouri Ozarks in south central Mo.I love to smoke that meat and we have plenty of wood to burn around here. I am getting ready to open my BBQ business in March 06. <br /> <br /> http:www.hcsauce.com ( not complete yet,but soon.)
<br /> <br /> http:www.hcsauce.com ( not complete yet,but soon.)
Hi Willie,welcome.
Kathy English
Kathy English
Hi, I'm Brant from Port Angeles, Washington up on the Olympic Peninsula. I stumbled on to a used CS 105 back in November. I like to hunt and fish. I've used a few different smokers and BBQ's in the past mainly to smoke fish but since buying the CS I've been trying some other things. Very easy to use and everything comes out great. I joined the site in November and have already got lots of good info off of here. Thanks and its nice to hear from everyone.
Hi all.
I've been on board since late Aug when I got a FEC 100---love it.
I am a pediatric dentist in the mountains of eastern Kentucky.
Been grilling forever, started smoking about 3 years ago with a cheap offset.
Last year I subscribed to the NBBQ newsletter and kept seeing the ads for all of the fancy smokers out there and how easy the were to use.
CS ran a 3mo. payment plan in Aug and I convinced my wife I needed it.
The rest is history. My grill is getting lonely however. Somebody else mentioned that an FEC is lazy Q and they are right. I didn't smoke very often before because it took too long and was too much work. But now I smoke something weekly and my food is way better and more predictable than it used to be.
Lee
I've been on board since late Aug when I got a FEC 100---love it.
I am a pediatric dentist in the mountains of eastern Kentucky.
Been grilling forever, started smoking about 3 years ago with a cheap offset.
Last year I subscribed to the NBBQ newsletter and kept seeing the ads for all of the fancy smokers out there and how easy the were to use.
CS ran a 3mo. payment plan in Aug and I convinced my wife I needed it.
The rest is history. My grill is getting lonely however. Somebody else mentioned that an FEC is lazy Q and they are right. I didn't smoke very often before because it took too long and was too much work. But now I smoke something weekly and my food is way better and more predictable than it used to be.
Lee
Hello all, my name�s Will. I live in St. Louis, but I still call Stillwater, OK home. (Go Pokes!) I got my Smokette for Christmas this year from my in-laws. I guess they were tired of me wearing out their 050 on trips home so I could haul provisions back to the BBQ wasteland that is St. Louis. (Seriously, how can K.C. have such amazing Q when St. Louis has nothing worth eating?)
I found the board a few days ago after I finally got my CS up here, and I haven�t gotten any work done since. I�m amazed at how much information there is here, and I�m glad y�all are providing such a great resource for new Q-ers like me to learn the art. Keep up the good work!
I found the board a few days ago after I finally got my CS up here, and I haven�t gotten any work done since. I�m amazed at how much information there is here, and I�m glad y�all are providing such a great resource for new Q-ers like me to learn the art. Keep up the good work!
Hello everyone !! recently joined cookshack after seeing all these recipes. Originally from alabama, have been living in laPlace, Louisiana for app. 25 years. I work for major refinery,app 4 years before retirement, son almost out of college. Love to cook inside and outside.
Hello my name is Jeff and I live in Iowa City, IA thus the IC Smoke screen name. Got a 008 week before X-mas (present to myself). During the week I work as a safety and productivity manager for General Mills. I also build homes on the side. Weekends are spent Q'ing. Have done a turkey, 5 butts and one brisket. Everything turned out great, the brisket could have been a little more tender. More practice and I should get it. Want to due some ribs this weekend, my wife's favorite. Wish me luck!!
JK
JK
Welcome to te forum ICSmoke! Good choice of presents. If ribs are the wife's favorite and you've got the CS should make for an interesting weekend.
Good luck!
Good luck!
I'm Tony from Ft. Worth TX. Been cook'n and smoken for a long time, finally got a ST and have used much input from this site to perfect my schmok'n wayz!
Welcome Tony!
Hi I am beerman13, aka rob, I'm new on here, just found your site yesterday. From Denton, TX(just north of dallas). Ya'll seem to have a pretty close group of friennd and would like to be included. I'm still a stick burner, but I am gathering info, looking to make a switch. We cook evet weekend and an occasional competition. my team has placed in the top 10 in brisket 4 years in a row at the North Texas State Fair.
Welcome Rob! Your friendliness and experience is an asset I am sure.
Hey there everyone! My name is Burt and I live in Gurnee, IL.., I joined the forum after lurking on and off for a year, first off I want to say thank you for all the great tips and advise that many of you have provided here, and that I am definitely a better cook for having read everyone's DO'S and more importantly allot of your DON'TS!
So your probably thinking Gurnee? Where's that? Well Gurnee is located smack dab between Milwaukee & Chicago, it's home to 6 Flags Great America, a boatload of hotels and is vast a culinary wasteland full of every lousy national chain restaurant known to man (except Famous Dave's! I guess even Dave thought we needed a water park hotel more than another chain restaurant, but that's another story). In other words, the food here stinks, and we don't have any BBQ joints around for miles, and herein lies my frustration: I'm a fine wine, dinning and BBQ nut, and while Gurnee is a great place to raise kids and own a home, its not the food Mecca I'd like it to be, and most likely it never will be either.
I grew up in Chicago and was spoiled by a life of wonderful culinary options all around me, I firmly believe that per capita Chicago has more great restaurants than anywhere else on the planet! Now that being said, I also recognize that Chicago BBQ is NOT on a par with most of the other major Q' capitols like Texas, Oklahoma & some parts of the south. But we do have a few places can hold their own, and as everyone may know we do make some kick butt babyback ribs up here!
Last year I took the family on a BBQ and amusement park trip, we traveled 2,500 miles from Chicago to Denver, down to New Mexico and across Texas up into OK City and through St. Louis and then back home, we hit no less than 15 BBQ joints and about 10 parks over three weeks. Two big highlights were two of the best places I've ever ate at; Earls in OK City and Super Smokers in St. Louis (Eureka). I also make sure I hit Rudy's whenever I'm in Round Rock, TX on business, man I sure wish I could get that level of Q up this way.
So in order to get great BBQ I've had to either drive for hours or learn to do it myself. Thus enter the home chef; I have a Weber Genesis Gold B (with the chip steam & smoke attachment), a Cookshack SM009 and Masterbuilt Smoker oven. Let me start by saying that if it was even remotely possible to get smoker results on my Weber (or any other grill) I would have never gone down the smoker path to begin with, but alas, it wasn't, so I started out by getting a MB & then later I bought the CS when I was ready to get serious. Don't get me wrong, I still love to grill on the Weber, in fact and there is nothing quite like like it for steak, chicken or just finishing out my smoked foods, I just load those chips, and in 10-15 mins I'm cooking as hot as 300�-700� even now in the 20� weather, but slow and low isn't the Weber way. So now I think I have the best of all worlds. And I eat great Q at home and everyone in the neighborhood thinks I a BBQ king, all thanks to the CS and you guys! Take care-
So your probably thinking Gurnee? Where's that? Well Gurnee is located smack dab between Milwaukee & Chicago, it's home to 6 Flags Great America, a boatload of hotels and is vast a culinary wasteland full of every lousy national chain restaurant known to man (except Famous Dave's! I guess even Dave thought we needed a water park hotel more than another chain restaurant, but that's another story). In other words, the food here stinks, and we don't have any BBQ joints around for miles, and herein lies my frustration: I'm a fine wine, dinning and BBQ nut, and while Gurnee is a great place to raise kids and own a home, its not the food Mecca I'd like it to be, and most likely it never will be either.
I grew up in Chicago and was spoiled by a life of wonderful culinary options all around me, I firmly believe that per capita Chicago has more great restaurants than anywhere else on the planet! Now that being said, I also recognize that Chicago BBQ is NOT on a par with most of the other major Q' capitols like Texas, Oklahoma & some parts of the south. But we do have a few places can hold their own, and as everyone may know we do make some kick butt babyback ribs up here!
Last year I took the family on a BBQ and amusement park trip, we traveled 2,500 miles from Chicago to Denver, down to New Mexico and across Texas up into OK City and through St. Louis and then back home, we hit no less than 15 BBQ joints and about 10 parks over three weeks. Two big highlights were two of the best places I've ever ate at; Earls in OK City and Super Smokers in St. Louis (Eureka). I also make sure I hit Rudy's whenever I'm in Round Rock, TX on business, man I sure wish I could get that level of Q up this way.
So in order to get great BBQ I've had to either drive for hours or learn to do it myself. Thus enter the home chef; I have a Weber Genesis Gold B (with the chip steam & smoke attachment), a Cookshack SM009 and Masterbuilt Smoker oven. Let me start by saying that if it was even remotely possible to get smoker results on my Weber (or any other grill) I would have never gone down the smoker path to begin with, but alas, it wasn't, so I started out by getting a MB & then later I bought the CS when I was ready to get serious. Don't get me wrong, I still love to grill on the Weber, in fact and there is nothing quite like like it for steak, chicken or just finishing out my smoked foods, I just load those chips, and in 10-15 mins I'm cooking as hot as 300�-700� even now in the 20� weather, but slow and low isn't the Weber way. So now I think I have the best of all worlds. And I eat great Q at home and everyone in the neighborhood thinks I a BBQ king, all thanks to the CS and you guys! Take care-
Hi burt,
that is a great vacation idea you had there.
that is a great vacation idea you had there.
Welcome Burt!
Too bad you didn't post in the forum, we all could of met at Earls for some lemonade and ribs.
Too bad you didn't post in the forum, we all could of met at Earls for some lemonade and ribs.
Yeah!!
Welcome to the forum Burt!
Welcome, Burt. Next time swing through KC on the way home, we have a few BBQ joints worth the time ...
Thanks for the warm welcomes everyone!
Yes Q-Fuego, I agree KC would have been very nice, not to mention that Worlds of Fun would have been a blast for the kids too.
So I'm thinking maybe on my next vacation, I want to hit Memphis and revisit the Rendezvous for some of those amazing dry rub ribs, and then head over to KC and spend some time in the BBQ capital.
Yes Q-Fuego, I agree KC would have been very nice, not to mention that Worlds of Fun would have been a blast for the kids too.
So I'm thinking maybe on my next vacation, I want to hit Memphis and revisit the Rendezvous for some of those amazing dry rub ribs, and then head over to KC and spend some time in the BBQ capital.