Introduce Yourself -- Time for a CS RollCall

From Arizona where Mesquite and Hickory grow wild.
Still trying to come up with the perfect rub--for que that is.
I have tried Smokin' Okie's Mustard Sauce, if you haven't you should; same goes for the cole-slaw-topped sandwiches, which, by the way, is very with beef brisket as well as pulled pork.
Hope to find the perfect rub recipe soon. I'll certainly pass it along.

Got my smoker a couple of months ago. It was hard talking the wife into a $400.00 smoker but after we made the decision we both can't wait for our next smoke. Rarely does anything exceed your expectations. I'm getting quite a bit of smoke leak all the way around the door but need to get back with Tony on that.

My wife and I both ride Harleys (average 12,000 miles a year) and are young grandparents. We have two miniature schnuauzers that ride the bikes with us. They are the "kids".

We like to travel, fish and love to hang out with each other. We're simple people in love with life and each other. We live in Heaven,,,,,,I mean Iowa as you can see by the name.

Kevin

A kind hello to all. I have been using a WSM for 7 years, and have been extremely happy with the results. Ribs, roasts, chicken have all turned out great. I have heard really great things about the Cookshack product, no fuss, great quality and tremendous results. I would like a break from the fire tending chores on the WSM, and am looking with a critical eye to a Smokette, although I believe it will only do half the quantity of what the WSM will. I will continue to lurk, and glean great knowledge from the gods/goddesses of Q on this list.

Hello, Larry here from Missouri. I have been retired from Ford Motor Co and teaching for awhile and my wife, a middle school teacher and librarian retires this June. Since we received the CS about a month ago, we have smoked several types of meat with great success. A great tip from a forum entry was to wrap the meat in cheesecloth soaked in whatever glazing or marinade you use. It keeps the stuff from sliding off the meat as it cooks. It worked great with our ham. We really like the CS. The food is so good and really easy -however, our problem has been that we end up doing too much for 2 people. The CS and the crockpot have made our life easier with more time to ride our Harleys.. We plan to travel, spending lengths of time in Canada, California and anywhere else we find interesting esp. if we get the motorhome we would like to have. The CS will definitely travel with us. I hope we don't get cited for needing a catalytic converter due to the smoke.

I'm Killer George of the Pork Belly Bandits cooking team. My bride Donna and I own two cookshacks, a model 150 and a smokette. Our first cookshack was the model 150, that we purchased for commercial use. Donna purchased the smokette because it was just the right size for smoking peppers and garlic. Too bad the smokette doesn't have a computer controller like the 150. Gadgets are fun.

Cheers, beers, and burnt ends to ya's,
Killer George
The Bishop of BBQ
Advocate of the good life

My name is Pete and I'm a carnivore. More of an omnivore, really. I live in SoCal, and when not inflicting Barbecue experiments on friends, I edit reality TV shows like Unsolved Mysteries.

I'm a member of PETA (People for the Eating of Tasty Animals) and a founding member of the Thundering Dummies Motorcycle Club - Ride to Eat...(What good is a motorcycle if it can't take you someplace to eat?)

The license plate on my truck reads FOODLUM...I'm hungry and I'm in a bad mood, so just get out of the way...

Owned a Cajun Chef water smoker for years. Just got my Smokette and I couldn't be more pleased with the Q it turns out. The Official Works Tomato and Supreme Pit Tootsie (The Wife, sometimes known as the Ultimate Motorcycle Accessory), has given it her "I Don't Like Smoked Foods, But This is Good" Seal of Approval. What more can a man ask for? (well, this is a family forum...)

By the way, this forum, you nice people and the great advice and recipes was the reason I chose to spend my money on Cookshack...but you knew that...

Howdy all, from near Washington DC! My wife and I are from Oklahoma City, and certainly experienced some culture shock when we moved to northern Virginia a couple of years ago. Briskets are hard to find and ribs are expensive. I started off on an ECB many years ago, and now use a WSM and Cookshack Model 50, almost exclusively. I also have a Klose offset that I use occasionally. I am amazed at the number of people I run into around here that don't even know what BBQ is.

Converting the ignorant masses,

"Reverend" George

Welcome All, Great to have you around.

Jump into the forum and do some posting...we can you some new comments, now and then.

Smokin'

I'm still here in Choctaw, I've been waiting to here from Andi. I sent here some hickory.I know it must be hard to get in Alaska. Going to have a BBQ party this Sunday for my #2 daughter graduating U.C.O.

Enjoy,Jimbo

JBJAX here. JAX is the airport and postal code for Jacksonville, FL, where the Q is great. Many of you will see that when you travel here for the NBBQA convention next February.

My tools include my Smokette, a couple of Webers & a TEC ceramic grill to add a fast crust. The neighbors now come running whenever they smell that smoke – very Pavlovian. They’re begging again for awesome smoked prime rib, so I'll do a couple of roasts this evening.

I travel nearly every week, and am still on the quest for the ultimate Q in every city I visit. I’m also a wino, and would love to hear when you discover an interesting wine to drink with BBQ. The best additions to my Q recipe library come from right here in the CS Forum. Thanks to Smokin’ Okie & Donna who make it happen, and to all who contribute!

hi everyone, guess I better log in. I'm Harold "Big Daddy" Groetsema from Fairbanks, Alaska. Had a couple of BBQ joints here in town, but is hard to hold down a full time job and run a full service restaurant at the same time. So I had to keep the sure thing and let go of the restaurant. My passion is still BBQ, and have a concession stand with a CS150. I do as many fairs and catering as I can, and go to a couple of competitions in the lower 48. Love the forum, I get alot of info from here. Thanks everyone.
Just for your info it is going to be in the 80's today, above 0

I didn't want to move this to the archives, it's a great series of posts.

Anyone new out there???

YA I don't know how I missed the fun But I'm here still smokin with my two CS.

Papa Shaka here,just found this post,thought I should check in. Retired Cop,and you know the old saying "want good food,look for the Cop cars in the parkinglot at a restaurant,the more the better".I love good food and over the years of traveling around this here USofA at the county expence bring back bad guy for trial,I have eaten some great and some bad Q. So when I retired I opened with the help of my youngest daughter a BBQ in a food court with nothing but CS units,two 250's and backed up with a 150. Great results everytime we load one.
Coming to or through Little Rock,stop and see us at SHAKA SMOKE LODGE,at the RIVER MARKET.

Hello everyone,
I'm Kevin aka cookin-n-ark, and I just wanted to introduce myself.
I am the proud owner of a Cookshack Smokette, Husband, Father or 3 year old girl (with another due in March), Gulf War Vet (medic-US Army 7yrs)
.....and I love to BBQ.
I find it very relaxing to prepare everything and then load it in the smokette and forget about it.....until its time to eat!!!!!!!!
Glad to be a member of the forum and cant wait till I hear from all of you again. Take care and God bless.

Cookin-n-Arkansas

Hi, I have been a smokette owner for about 17 months and a lurker for about that long also. Now that I have assurances from Smokin Okie that he won't bite I decided to post. I am a single 27 yr old in Las Vegas (woohoo!!! but the meat is horrendous, thank god for Sam's and Costco). I grew up in Kansas City so I was practically raised on BBQ; Gates, Haywards, Sneeds, Bryants, Boardroom, LC's, Quicks 42nd St, etc. When I moved out here in 1998 it was quite a culture shock to say the least, and not just BBQ wise, but that's another story.
I got my smokette a a few months after I bought my house, two years after I moved to Vegas, and I will admit the first couple months I was pretty terrible at smoking (except pork butt, thats a cinch)but after learning the value of a Polder and the wealth of great techniques from all of the people on this board I have become very proud of my work. It just keeps getting better and better.
Anyway, I apologize for not posting sooner but I honestly did not get really into this hobby until six or seven months ago even though I have owned the smoker much longer. By the way, my name is Jed. The floydcash was a long time ago and it basically is for Pink Floyd and Johnny Cash, two of my favorites. Once again thanks to everyone and its good to finally jump into the mix.
Jed

Howdy gang,
I am peartree(Dennis) I usually don't have much to say, but read often. typical Vermonter I guess. Sometime will have to send in a true recipe for Baked beans from the heart of New England, but everybody would have a hard time finding the proper dried beans in most parts of the country.
Happy thanksgiving to all

Good to see you new guys posting! Especially some of you "older" lurkers. We can tell how long you've been around by your forum #.

This forum is all the better when the new guys & gals join in.

I'd like MORE lurkers to jump in. I don't bite Often, just when you makes some really weird post or TOM posts in the wrong places with his great recipes....Tom just wants to keep me busy.

Come on in, lurkers and tell us who you are.

Smokin'

Hi , I just got a smokette. Over the years I have owned a Little Chief and a Brinkmann electric smoker. I have only smoked fish, but I am going to try some jerky in my smokette. When I lived on the East Coast (I am originally from NYC), I smoked bluefish and weakfish (aka seatrout). Now I have gotten into smoking salmon. After a fishing trip to the Gulf last year I brought back some spanish mackeral and smoked it - that was great! My first attempt at smoking in the smokette produced salmon that was fair, but needed a bit more cooking for my tastes. I guess I have to get used to the smokette.

Pete

Hi,everyone Dave here (cook17)after lurking on this fourm for a few months I purchased a smokette WOW! I have tryed jerky,chicken,butt,brisket,ribs. not one bad Q yet,I know that it was becouse of all of the great info on ths fourm,keep up the good job and thanks Cook17

PS trying to talk wife into the bigger CS already

Hello guys & gals, long time lurker, also a woodburner for now. some catering and a lot of competition bbq and chili cookoffs. always looking for recipes for anything. the cook for all the partys. just love to smoke anything. saving my money to find Andi, think I'm in love, but looks like I'm standing in a long line.

Ken here...
Wanna say that in the few months that I've been coming to this forum, it has been an extemely educating, and tasty experience.

I never get tired of reading all the new ideas for doing Q, and improvements on the old ways.

And God knows I NEVER get tired of eating Q.

Ya got me hooked..

I'm Jake, work for Union Pacific Railroad in Salt Lake City, Utah. I had the pleasure of working with many out of counrty visitors during the 2002 Winter Olympics and was able to feed some of them on good old "Q" and Dutch oven food that we are famous for out in these parts. Active in family, church, Qing, Dutch ovening and ham radio in that order.

Hi Gang! I'm David Fowler from Fayetteville, NC home of Ft Bragg and the 8nd Airborne. Love my family, love my church and love BBQ. I've cooked on primative equipment for years and recently stepped up to a 55. Why did I wait so long? Thanks for the input on the forum. Look forward to many years for readin and writin.

Hi, I'm Paul, now from Southern California.

I got to be real partial to bbq when my wife and I lived in Houston and traveled to Austin and the nearby Hill Country. Up until October, I was just a specialist -- I only ate. I never smoked and hadn't grilled in decades. When my sister-in-law's boyfried said he was getting a smoker, I figured it was time for me too. And for me, Cookshack seemed ideal. The Los Angeles Times food critic's very positive review about his experiences with his Smokette led me to the Cookshack website.

I've had my Smokette about a month, and I'm happy with the results of my efforts. (pork butts, brisket). This website is so very important. I appreciate all the hints, help, recipes, humor, and efforts of people who post here. My thanks to you all. (My friends who are eating all the food I'm smokin' thank you too!)

I bought myself a Smokette a couple of years ago. I liked it so well that I bought my Dad one too. We both go in cycles, use like crazy then take a break for a while. Love the forum and all of the good advice. We're
both in central Illinos, pops is semi retired and I am an operations manager for a large company. Gettin ready to make some Canadian bacon and two turkey breasts this week.

See you soon,

Charlie

Man, this is why it would be good to know whos in the forum any giving time.

Wow-

I just skimmed through this thread, and it has been over a year since I posted in the Roll Call.

And guess what? I,m off to New Jersey again in the morning for Thanksgiving. Just in time for a snow-storm up there. Leaving Tampa when the weather is as nice as one could want.

Hello to all the newbies- I know you will enjoy your Cookshacks and the forum as much as I do.

Have a nice Thanksgiving you all. I'll be lurking on my daughter's computer in the Northeast and trying to keep warm.

Hey All

From Bozeman Montana

When it's -20 out side you better believe I love the "set it and forget it function of my smokette...

rich

Well a definite lurker, when I have more time, I'll explain how an Englishman came to Southern California and discovered BBQ and a Cookshack Smoker..*smiles*

Hi there, as you may tell from the moniker, I live in Idaho, the northern panhandle, squinched between Spokane, Washington and Missoula, Montana. Just got my first smoker from the wife for Christmas, a Smokette, and have already smoked three batches of jerky, two salmon, and am prepping for 10 pounds of baby back ribs tomorrow for dinner.

I am an Aries, into cultural sensitivity, rainbows, Ms. Cleo, Bob Ross and puppy dogs...NAH Just kidding, I am stoked (pun intended) about smokin. My gig is technology sales management, I have been in the tech game for 15 years and hope someone acquires my company so I can retire on the stock options.

This board has been extremely helpful with regard to recipes tips and tricks...you guys just flat out rock.

Thanks much, I look forward to a fleet of Cookshack smokers somewhere down the road.

Dr. Mac here. Don't know if anybody will read this since I didn't see the post until there were already three pages of posts. I'm a lurker on the forum & I'm somewhat of a newbie to using a cookshack smokette. I've smoked & barbequed food for several years, but only recently invested in a smokette. I've done canadian bacon, four racks of ribs, a couple chickens, & some deer jerky in my smokette. I've had it for less than a year. I've always used an old refrigerator with a hot plate as a smoker before I got the smokette. Still use my refrigerator smoker for large batches, but the thermostat on the smokette sure is handy!!

Hungry 1 here in the Colorado Mountains about8,500 ft above sealevel. No mesquite or hickory around here, but lots of oak. Haven't tried it yet, but would like to here from anyone who has.

Jim here, got my cookshack today at my local Carbelas. It's out on the porch seasoning now. have some sam's ribs rubed and in the frig. Been lookin at buying a good smoker for a while. Have a big chief I have used the last couple of years but It's not designed to be used the way I was trying to use it. (rapped in a insulating blanket to get the temp up.) Wife got deployed the the gulf with her Nat. Guard unit so I had some extra cash. Can wait till I can try it tommorrow.

Howdy all,

Got a WSM two weeks before Christmas and have really been enjoying it. Found your group as a result of the TVWB group...and joined your's also. Two heads are better than one! Am enjoying and learning from both groups and I must say have never seen a two finer groups of people that are willing to pass on their knowledge to us young pups just starting out.

This is Norm from Kansas City. Just a guyh who love the CS. Usually start smokin in the morning spend the day on our boat and come home to enjoy great BBQ. Thanks for the great site

This is Mike from Cave Creek, AZ...

I smoked some ABT's today on a Weber kettle, although my low an slow unit is a WSM.

Glad to be here.

good evening gents,my name is paul & I am a lurker. I have learned a great deal, thanks to all. I have an offset & a pellet grill, bought a cs almost a year ago,the winters are so cold in western nebr, the months without Q were causing withdrawl. liked the cs so well used it all summer. Happy New Year to all!

It's good to see all the new folks jumping in and introducting themselves...and some of the OLD timers.

One thing we'll try to do on the new server is to have a place like this to "meet" the forum members.

Thanks again.

How's everyone? Pete here. Found this site last spring and it has helped me greatly !!!!! I live in Victor N.Y. ( near Rochester). Love Q'in, my parents are from Germany where they smoke EVERY meat and fish possible, I love it. Married with 5 kids, 22,21,19,19,17. They all love going to our local BBQ joint in Rochester the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, good food and drink with a great variety of both. Also has jazz bands (and plenty of Harleys outside in the summer). Thanks to Smokin and everyone for all the help.Hey if anyone out there hasn't tried smokin a whole bologna give it a shot, it's the bomb !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pete