Introduce Yourself -- Time for a CS RollCall

Welcome to the forum Jimmy and congratulations on an excellent choice

Rev. Rick here. Live in VA. I saved 3 years for my Amerique. It all started when I was "Slugging" to work and heard the driver and another passenger talking about BBQ and their Smokeshack Smokers. I asked questions, got on the web and started my research. Then the driver and I were together again on another morning and he let me taste the Deer Sausage that he had smoked. I was hooked. I purchased my AQ in '06. I have been Q'ing for more than 20 years, I really enjoy the consistancy of the food that comes off of my CS Smoker. The ease of use and the postive reviews from my friends and family. Many thanks go to the folks here on this list. I pull from you all as much as I can. i love to create something new for us that originated with all of you. Thank you all for your advice over the years.

I seem to have trouble getting any feedback on here but will try again. I gave my smokette to my son and bought an Amerique. I love it of course so I won't go there but was wondering if any other Amerique owners have had any trouble with the electronics. I just worry that cookshack will weaken like most others and have parts built overseas. I worry too much I know but think this smoker will last a lifetime and hope I can get parts if needed. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Cheers, Don

We can't predict the future but Cookshack has been true to its creed and expect the same from them in the future. Cookshack is a small family owned business, and those type of businesses generally do well with local control.

Thanks for the reply Pags and also your positive attitude! Cheers, Don

Logger I got my Amerique in July and I had a problem with my controller just before Labor day weekend. Called CS and told them I was having problems . They shipped a new controller that same day and I had it in time for Labor Day weekend cooking. Great Customer Service.

I've noticed there customer service also!! Thats why I hope they stay in business a long time. I use my smoker alot like most of you. A butt tommorrow and bacon on Sunday. Geze what a life!! Thanks for the info. Cheers, Don

Hey, my name is Pat. Im a highway contractor from Texas. Been smoking for years old school but only three weeks an the CS. Best thing since light-bread. Already had good sucess with ribs and butts after reading 101's. I have been guilty of lurking but maybe I'm over that stage. Thanks for the great info.

Hi everyone, My Name is Roger, I got my Sm008 smoker I think it was 7 or 8 years ago. One of the biggest reasons I bought it over another brand was this forum. When I first got in to BBQ, I built my own off-side smoker from scratch. I still have it, but it takes a lot of work and time to cook on it and tend to it every 45 minutes or so. when I got the SM008 I loved how easy it was to use, like cheating. Anyway I am getting back into using the machine because It works great. I like to cook the food in the cookshack, then foil, and wrap it in a towel and transfer it in an ice chest to the duck club. I got this tip from this forum and I still use it) Right now I am doing 2 boneless pork-buts to drag out to a potluck at the duck club on saturday

Thanks

Roger

Greetings from the "newb".

Just seasoned my AmeriQue with a pork shoulder and for my first attempt it was pretty awesome! Hubby and I are in a pork coma right now. He was not a fan of pulled pork till now. Rubbed it down with a dry rub of paprika, brown sugar, cumin, red chile powder, jalapeno powder and S&P.

Man, I can't wait to try some trout in the smoker tomorrow.

Is it possible to overdose on smoke??

Nope. Welcome aboard. You'll love your smoker.

Hi! B.J. here!
Had my Elite since July/17/10. I have had the pleasure of cooking several great (some not so),meals. Have tried many recipies including Mainley Dave's, SmokinOkie. Thanks.
Today I need adivce. Have cooked a prime rib with cheesecloth, mustard, rock salt on my webber. Was wondering if that setup would get the prime rib brown without having to go to the cnov-oven??
I guess i'm mostly a lurker, but love my Smokette. Thanks in advance, and thanks for the info.

It may get brown that way in the Elite, but the bark we seek can only be achieved with an oven seared finish. Depends on what you want the bark to be like. Check it when it comes out of the smoker. If it meets your needs, just let it rest 45-60 minutes under loose foil. If it doesn't meet your need, throw it into a 500-550* oven for 5-10 minutes after the rest. It'll be ready to slice out of the oven. It just won't take that much longer.

I personally sear it in the oven after the smoke and rest.

Pags Thanks much for the fast reply. I know the bark is very good and looks awesome. After your suggestion, I'm gonna try it. I see you are from Roseville also. I have read many of your post. Just don't want to screw up a good piece of meat from Roseville meat market. If you know what I mean??
THANKS!!

I know what you mean. Roseville Meat Market is very good. Try Orangevale Meat Market sometime. Meats are from outside Omaha rated 93% Choice. A little higher and it's Prime (only 5% qualifies as prime). It, too, is a special occasion market. If you know what I mean.

Hi i'm in Paradise, no not that one, no yet. Paradise, Ca.. My name is George and my user name is mrbeeg. (My kids loved Rockey and Bullwinkle with Natasha and Mr Beeeeeg!)

Thanks for the Cookshack forum!

Well...WELCOME!!! This is a great forum and you will, if not already, learn a ton of imformation that will make you a better cook. Just ask or give the rest of us your points and we can learn from you also.

Life Is Good!!

I'm Matthew Ramsey and live in Atchison, Kansas. I picked up a used Amerique a few weeks ago and have been smoking away. I've used a Big Green Egg in the past and am enjoying the control of the CS.

I've learned a great deal from the forum and appreciate the time everyone has spent building this resource.

Matthew,

Welcome. Two great cookers you have. I have the next size down from the Amerique and you just can't beat the ease of smoking with the Cookshack. Guess that is why they don't allow electric smokers at BBQ competitions.

Also nice that you can enjoy great BBQ year around which is something you cannot do with a lot of other cookers unless you are willing to babysit them all night/day.

I also have the BGE and love it for a grill and cooker. Haven't smoked on them yet, but will just to say that I have/can do it.

Jer

Wow,I didn't realize that I had not checked into Roll Call when I started on the forum.

I purchased my SM025 and away I went. Never smoked before. Been at it for 2 months now and have done a lot with pretty good results thanks to this forum, KISS and you can't go wrong.

I am a stay at home mom, so I do all the smoking/cooking, but I prefer it that way! My hubby and three kids love the BBQ.

Hello folks,
Newbie here, been reading the forum a little the last couple days - found a used SM008 on eBay and won it - waiting on that to arrive. I've cooked all my life and love smoked meat. Never smoked anything in my life except cigarettes and cuban cigars. LOL. Did a stint in Chef School in 1992-93 at the California Culinary Academy where we smoked some real fine meats as part of a garde manger course (classic cold food production).
So I'm really excited to try out some jerky, brisket and pulled pork. I do a fine pulled pork in the oven and am anxious to smoke a butt or two. Read a lot of this thread, saw people from all over - places I KNOW. I KNOW Pittsurg, CA. I lived in Concord, not far away. LOL
Also lived a long time in Chicago and all over the state of California - LA, Malibu, Ojai, Thousand Oaks, San Francisco, Pacifica. You name it. I worked for IBM most of my life and the old joke is IBM stands for I've Been Moved. True dat.

Really looking forward to joining the ranks and eventually will figure out where to post some of my other recipes, I do write, if that is appropriate and in the appropriate place.

Greetings Q' fans !!!!

)If I can ever figure out how to write in all BOLD I will. Ain't shouting, just have a real bad case of glaucoma, nearly blind. But oooohhhh wheee do I love to cook anyway.

Great to have ya Big Mike and welcome. When you start smokin on the 008 you will get addicted! Lookin forward to seein your recipes.

Welcome Big Mike! You're going to love it!

.Welcome BigMike. I am in NJ too. Pretty new here also. . You are gonna love it. The experts on here are so nice and helpful. Good luck. Vicki

Newbie Here - My wife Tobey and I live on an old Church Camp East of Salina, KS. I am the 13th of 15 kids. Grew up on a farm in the Salina area. When growing up we raised and harvested our own animals, and we continue that today. I have always enjoyed baking, cooking and bbq. The world of smoking was by accident after a family member bought a restaurant which had a CS 200. They did not want it so I brought it home and started playing with it. I decided if they want it back it will take a court order, ha. We have been having a hog roast yearly and sometimes more often than that. Used to use a pit in the ground, but done the last in my CS. Did not think anything could be better than a pit pig....Until tried the CS. We have been doing two pigs for a local Old Time Tractor Museum each fall for their fund raiser and will be using the CS. I did not have any guidance in using the CS, so it was great when I discovered the CS Forum.Years ago I went to the CS site but did not see the link to the forum, I found it by accident and what a wealth of knowledge I have been reading. I have been a "lurker" for some time, did not feel like I have paid the price to jump in yet, but here it goes....

COOL....I was born in Salina Ks!

I have been a "lurker" for some time, did not feel like I have paid the price to jump in yet, but here it goes....[/QUOTE]

Hey KS Q, everyone is welcome here and there are NO bad questions cause ya never know without asking and one question can always bring up another. Welcome

Welcome KS Q. It sounds like u probably come with a wealth of knowledge to share as well. Weren't u lucky just happening upon a wonderful smoker. looking forward to hearing more. Vicki B.

I wish Forum Members would list where they are from. I find it facinating that there are Q'rs from all over North America! You can update your Profile by going to the Personal Zone.

Hey Padrefan. I saw your location on the sauce/rub Exchange Map. Is Santee, CA in the US or down on the Baja Peninsula?

Another "newbie" here from Aurora, Illinois.

Been grilling for years and finally decided to give smokin a try. At Christmas, bought MasterForge vertical smokers for my 2 sons-in-law and my son and decided "what the heck" got 1 for myself. So far I'm the only one that's tried it. (we usually don't have good enough weather at this time of year) New Year's Day did a chicken and made the mistake of not enough coal. (I've been using hickory or mesquite charcoal from Kingsford) Had to finish the chicken on the grill. Hah - rookie mistake. Couple of weeks later did a pork butt and it was fantastic. Did another pork butt on Super Bowl Sunday (after returning from Mexico on Saturday evening) also fantastic. Then found this forum when I did my first brisket this past Sunday. Only a couple of replies but they were extremely helpful. Putting it up until the weather gets a little better and then going to try duck breast and/or trout.

Looking forward to more help.

Welcome!

Jim, you might not get some replies because of the smoker you're using. Some people don't reply if they don't have experience.

If it's not a smoker specific question, then there is a LOT of info here.

Jump in and ask away.

Again, welcome.

quote:

Originally posted by Pags:
Hey Padrefan. I saw your location on the sauce/rub Exchange Map. Is Santee, CA in the US or down on the Baja Peninsula?

Sorry I missed this Pags. Fortunately for my family and friends we are still north of the U.S. border. Although there are areas of San Diego county, where I am not so sure.

Holy Smokes!
I just realized that I haven't introduced myself yet.
I'm Jim Heggeness from Fargo, ND. I got started smoking with a Weber grill and bluebill ducks. I progressed into geese and other meats. I currently use a Cook-shack Amerique. I haven't learned how to use it effectively yet. Most of my efforts come out with a bitter taste. It seems that the build up (creasote?) of a film on the inside of my smoker imparts a bitter taste to the meat. Any comments adfressing this issue will be appreciated!.
Jim

Welcome! What type and how much wood are you using? You want that buildup of smoke on the inside of the smoker. After a while, if you want just a slight smoke, you'll be able to run the smoker without any wood in it and still get some smoke flavor.

Bitter taste might mean too much wood or too much of a strong wood like mesquite.

AndyJ,
Thanks for the response. I usually use 2-3 oz. of wood on my smokes. I have used mesquite, hickory, apple, cherry, pecan and alder. I use alder on fish and as long as I keep the total smoke time under 1-1/2 hours, it turns out good. More than that - icky!
For brisket, I have used mesquite and hickory. They usually take about 12-14 hours and seem "over" smoked.
For pork loins and pork butts, I brine and then smoke to about 170 for loins and 190 for butts. By the time I reach temperature, the meat tastes over smoked.
Any suggestions will be appreciated!
Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jaques:
AndyJ,
Thanks for the response. I usually use 2-3 oz. of wood on my smokes. I have used mesquite, hickory, apple, cherry, pecan and alder. I use alder on fish and as long as I keep the total smoke time under 1-1/2 hours, it turns out good. More than that - icky!
For brisket, I have used mesquite and hickory. They usually take about 12-14 hours and seem "over" smoked.
For pork loins and pork butts, I brine and then smoke to about 170 for loins and 190 for butts. By the time I reach temperature, the meat tastes over smoked.
Any suggestions will be appreciated!
Jim

I have found in any smoker that if you pull loins at about 140 and not over 145 they will be very moist. I pull at 140 and wrap with foil and wrap with towels and put in the cooler for up to an hour or 2 and slice no more than you will serve. Then for seconds cut some more and it stay very moist. Pork has a bad rap that it needs to be cooked to a higher temp. Especially loins and tenderloins.

Hey all,my name is Chris and I'm a que addict. I know I've been to therapy and failed. Love the que. I am brand new to the art of bbq,but not the taste.Just got a sm045. Ride a VTX 1800 scooter,wife rides a 1300 VTX.We have been all over the area in search of good bbq. Finally said, self what the heck are you buying for, when you can make your own. So here I am.Couldn't be happier. Call me "Q" , peace out smoker bretheran.

Welcome Q. I still eat bbq out once in a while just to get new ideas and to size up the competition (just see whats out there really.) You are gonna have fun on this adventure. It doesnt sound like u will be too worried about asking questions. Looking forward to hearing more about your smokes!

Hello all. Cook quite a bit and grill. New to smoking. But have wanted to get into it for a while. Love BBQ of any kind. Researched smokers ad-nausium. Pellet grills, charcoal smokers, electric etc... I must say there is no shortage of people that say electric smoking is not real BBQ. That had me looking at a Backwoods smoker for a while. In the end however, I went with a cookshack SMO 45. Read nothing but rave reviews on the quality of construction (made in USA) and the quality of the food it produces. The 45 will also be about the right size for me also. I ordered mine from the Charcoal store and it showed up severely damaded (UPS shipping). I sent it back and am now awaiting a new one. I'm a little nervous about the condition the next one shows up in. So far the Charcoal store has been very good about it all. I hope I have made the right decision about the Cookshack and who I bought it from. I just want to get started smokin! Words of encouragement anyone?