Pelletheads -- Time for a Roll Call

I'm Fast Eddy,I've been cooking bbq since 1986 and was introduced to wood pellet cooking in 1990. Throughout the 90's I developed my own version of the pellet cooker using the traeger pellet feed system and started selling the FE100 in 1998. I'm a fabricator by trade and a bbq contest cook for pleasure. I also have a job, I'm a Kansas City Mo. firefighter. My email is Fasteddy@cookshack.com and my personel pager is 816-818-1888 if anyone wants to get ahold of me directly.

I encourage everyone to jump on the roll call here even if you just like lurking.

I would like to thank all of my loyal customers over the last 5 plus years and am very excited to have this new forum where we all can exchange cooking ideas. I hope all of you get a chance to come by and visit me out on the cookoff trail or at some of the trade shows I'll be attending.

I�m Kerry Montgomery, turned 58 two days ago, and I spent 26 years practicing domestic relations law and got so fed up with it that I quit in Jan. of 2001. Since I�m too young to retire (and too broke) I�ve been doing administrative support work for a living and am currently OUT of work and looking. My wife, Judith, and I live in Lake Oswego, Oregon, a nice little town outside of Portland. I have three and she has two children by other marriages---all in their mid to upper 20s. I like good music (classical), good cigars (Cuban when I can get them) and good Bourbon (Maker's Mark is a daily driver; Knob Creek or Basil Hayden on special days) and Scotch (Macallan is a good one).

I�m a cook, not only to put dinner on the table, but because I love cooking. It is my recreation and my creative outlet and has been for over 35 years. I�ve been barbecuing for only three of those years on a $200 New Braunfels Black Diamond offset from Home Depot, and---in the words of McDonalds---I�m Lovin� it! A little over a month ago I gave myself a present of the FE100 and my BBQing life has changed 180*. Gone are the endless trips to the cooker checking, stoking, backing off and replenishing the coals, adjusting the air intake and the damper, pre-burning logs, adding charcoal and everything else that went into trying to reach and maintain proper temperature. That tedious activity has been replaced by actually taking time to ENJOY the BBQ process. It reminds me of the time I stopped cooking over a campfire rimmed with rocks and bought a top of the line camp stove. Who said roughing it is what it has to be all about?

I started out on the KC BBQ board and still check in there now and then. But this is my home.

My name is Earl Whyte & i am living in Toronto, Canada. I have ordered & am now waiting for my FE100 to arrive so i can get a handle on it. I'm looking forward to tryng a different way of cooking but i will still enjoy cooking whole pig on my other cookers as well as i use the Big Green Egg. I own a car repair shop & i use bbq's to get me away from it all to relax. I also have a bbq team that travels to some of the cooking events in the U.S & have enjoyed meeting & competing along side many great teams from all over.I am a Certified judge both in Canada & US as well i have taken Paul Kirk's class & am also looking into DR BBQ's class in Florida this Feb. I know there will be many questions coming up & i hope i can help as well . I think i know how to post pictures so i should be able to show some of my trials & errors real soon. Also my spelling sucks big time.

My name is Bill Schmitt and I live in Ocala FL. My teams name is Bill & the Dixie Chicks. Please understand I didn't name the team, But my wife Nina. and friend Jody felt that should be the name, if I wanted them to help on the team. We have been cooking BBQ for 20 years, 17 in the yard and 3 years in competition, MIM,KCBS,FBA. I've had my FE for about 6 mo. and so far we have done well with it. Be happy to share what little I know, Just ask. Cause I sure will...Bill

Hi, my name is Craig and I am a smokeaholic. I am 35 and living in sunny Grand Forks, ND (ok not so sunny and cold). I am a pilot (both helicopter and airplane), and also an engineer (electrical and mechanical). I design equipment for semiconductor companies. I work out of my house but travel a fair amount. I have smoked on 2 big green eggs for about 5 years and wanted more capacity and not having to worry about the coals going out at night. I received the FE-100 earlier this week and did a test sample of 32lbs of boston butts and 7 lbs of ribs on it. It worked great.

Craig

Hello. My name is Fred Stanek. I live in Isleton, California. I am a Fence Contractor by trade. I finally decided on the FE100 after three years of research. My other pits are just collecting dust now. I have been cooking everything I can think of on it, and it all comes out tasty. You gotta love putting on briskets or pork butts and getting a good nights sleep. Meat is ready for lunch. My wife can cook during the week while I am at work. She doesn't have to worry about feeding the offset every hour.
One of the best purchases I have ever made.
Service after the sale is top notch.
I highly recommend the FE100
Thank's Eddy

My name is Tim Jakubowski, �JAKE� to some. I reside in Grand Island, Nebraska, thus the handle �GI JAKE�. I am 45 years old and a KCBS judge. My wife, also a judge, and I enjoy going to the contests, soaking up the atmosphere and of course sampling the great Q! We just acquired an FE 100 and are really happy with it so far. This site is going to be a real asset to those of us who use these. Thanks Cookshack and SmokinOkie and greetings to all here.

Greetings gang!

My name is Rod Gray. When I started my insurance restoration business seven years ago, I gave up golf because it was a hobby that took to much time. Well, if you want to be any good at it, it takes time. So, after strictly running my business for a couple of years, I needed an outlet to get my mind off of work. I attended my first barbecue competition as a spectator in July of 2001. I WAS HOOKED THEN AND THERE!

After researching my choices, I purchased my first FE-100 in the fall of 2001. Practiced all winter (because the cooker wasn't bothered by the cold Kansas winter), and cooked my first competition in May of 2002. I don't consider myself a cook, but have had some luck along the competition barbecue trail.

This next statement sounds like a major b*utt kissing comment, but I can honestly say, I contribue most of my success in competition barbecue to the FE-100. There is no cooker that comes close to turning out consistent product like this. Many of you know, and some of you are finding out, that's a big step towards getting out of your seat at the awards ceremony.

Congrats to all of you on finding/buying/owning an awesome cooker. I have three of them. Don't tell my wife, but when the new FE/CS version hit the streets, I considered buying another one . . .

Rod

Hello all! My name is Charles, I in Boiling Springs,SC. That explains the BS in my team name(BS Pitmeister)
I have been involved in bbq competition since 1996 with a little sucess along the way. I got my FE-100 in the latter part of November 2003 and have really enjoyed it.
I have been a fire bug all of my life and even got some family members in trouble once because of my playing with fire.
I think I will still enjoy useing my other cookers but the FE is so nice that it will be my competition machine. I am glad to see this forum running
and think it will be a great asset to us all.

I'm Peter Gross and am a fat 59 years old male. I have been playing with barbeque since I was 16 cooking for the family and friends. It had always been on a charcoal grill until about 1995 when I bought my first smoker from Sam's Club, it was an Oklahoma Joe. I had a lot of fun with it but never knew what I was doing until I found some of the bbq forums on the Internet. I thought bellowing yellow smoke was cool! Told everyone that were going to eat my bbq to cut away the bitter black stuff! Then I learned about light blue wispy smoke and a whole new world opened up for me.

I went from the Oklahoma Joe to the FE100 just last spring, what a difference, eh? Now I don't have to know much of anything, just that I am hungry for bbq. As you all know the FE100 is just about idiot proof....just right for me! Just think, I nearly spent $10,000 on a Klose before discovering the Fast Eddy at a nearby cook off in Dillard, GA!

I have opened a bbq business using the FE100!
For the "rest of the story" of some of my lifes adventures visit my web site.

This forum, without a doubt, is going to be and has already been a tremendous asset for the old and new FE100 owners.

My name is Doug Padgitt from Maryville Missouri. About 100 miles north of KC (and we don't even have a BBQ joint in town)!
I am the so called CEO of 'Toad Hollar BBQ' team. We have been competing since 2001.
As far as my profile --- I am an Investment Representative for Edward Jones here in Maryville, MO.

I'm Tom Chilton, and i got my FE-100 last November at the Mandalay Bay contest in Las Vegas. So far I love it. I live in Southern California. I have a BBQ team "Mojave Hot Stuff" that's mostly me and my son, which is why I wanted the FE-100. I'm really looking forward to entering a contest with it. I've been a high school teacher for 20 years. I've had (and still have) a lot of other BBQ cookers, but haven't used any of them since getting the FE-100.

My name is Steve and I live in Charlotte, NC

I recently ordered my FE100 from Eddy and hope to have it early next week. I began last year with a NB Silver Smoker. I was able to produce some nice results but just did not like all of the attention I had to give it during a cook, and the sq footage of the cooking area. After seveal months of research, here I am.

Hi all.
My name is Ray Lampe and I live in Lakeland, Florida but travel all summer to BBQ events.
My cooker is a little different. It is a clone of one of Fast Eddy's early projects. It's a little wider and a lot more uneven than the FE100 but the concept is the same. I've cooked a lot of good BBQ on it and will continuen to do so.

Rod you have something on your chin.

I'm Chris of LongRiders BBQ.
Been cooking all my life (well....OK, since I could hold a spoon) and doing Q since about 1992.

I started out grilling, then I figured out that a Weber has a lid. I got a NBBD in about 1996 and spent a longtime learning that machine.

I bought one of those cute little black bullets and like it a lot; I am saving for a Cookshack Fast Eddy.

I do some catering and events; I also vend at a local brewery when the weather is good. I'm taking baby steps toward becoming a self-sufficient food service biz.

Howdy, I'm JimBobMT and I live in Havre, Montana and it's about -10 here right now. That's one of the reasons I bought my FE-100 in April of 2003. It's very difficult to hold temp on an offset in this climate. I have been queing for about 8 years now and I can honestly say that the consistently great results that I have had with the FE is without comparison to any other smoker that I have used.

I am Dennis Solin, aka "duck". Live in Eugene, Oregon though I am in Phoenix, Arizona a bit. My son Ryan and I compete under the name "Go Ducks". I am a recent owner of the FE100 and love it already. We acquired this to assist in overnight cooks. In the past we have had to run 4 WSM's at the same time to get the quantity of chuck rolls and butts that we need for our tailgaters. We also have a 30 x 8 Klose mobile and a smaller mobile. Plan on using the FE at some competetions. Tired of watching pellet guys sleep all night and win consistantly.

I am a CPA and a financial planner. Have been doing this over thirty years.

Howdy, My name is Jeff Irish and I live in Aurora Illinois, a suburb of Chi-town. I have owned a large Green Egg for around 3 years now and really got used to the hands-free overnite cooks and great insulation properties I got with the egg. Its only problem was its lack of meat capacity. So, after a ton of hand wringing and question-asking, I ordered one of the 1st CS/FE100 cookers. I got it this past August (around two weeks before I got laid off) and just love it! I will hopefully be competing this summer with Humpty & the FE in some midwest (Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa) KCBS events under the team name of "Smoke & Sourmash".

Take care all. I'm really glad I found this forum.

Jeff jeff@jeffirishphoto.com

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Irish:
[qb]Howdy, My name is Jeff Irish and I live in Aurora Illinois, a suburb of Chi-town. [/qb]

Yo, Jeff, I was born and raised in your neighbor, Downers Grove. Transplanted to Oregon to go to college. Welcome to the board!

Hi, I am Donna Johnson and I have never cooked on a pellet cooker in my life. I work for Cookshack, though, so that's going to change. (As soon as I can get Stuart to send me an FE100 .) I really enjoy reading these posts, and I hope more people will jump in.

I'd like to include some team profiles in the Backyard Barbecue News that we send out every month or so. I will be contacting some of you! If you would like to send me information before I ask, please do so.

Donna

PS We are working on an annual award for the pellethead who acquires the most points in cooking competitions. We should be announcing the details soon on this forum -- stay tuned!

I'm Fred Smith. I retired in AUG and moved to Hot Springs, AR.. Currently doing some consulting work to help pay for BBQ toys. My wife Anna and I cooked our first MIM in 1990 and have been hooked ever since. Our team is Wizards Of 'Que. Being too old to stay up all night and still do a presentation the next day, we started looking alternatives. The FE 100 was delivered last week and the team was very impressed. Look forward to meeting some of you on the curcuit.

My name is Troy Black, I am a Garden Design editor and foods(BBQ) writer for one of the largest circulated, nationaly known magazines by day. I am an aspiring competitive BBQ Chef by night and weekend.

I compete under the team name of WhoopDeQue with my wife, two daughters, and whoever shows up from work. We had a fantastic first year in 2003 and are looking foward to this year. We are planning on doing about 12 contest this year.

I have a new Fe100 and a Backwoods Competitor. I purchased one of the first new FE100's last fall and love it. I am currently having a new trailer built, which will be ready in a couple of weeks that will make traveling to contest a whole lot nicer.

Hi Troy (GritsBoy) - can you give some details about your trailer (maybe in a new post). Is it going to be like Rodney's from Kansas City, with the cooker(s) permanently mounted on the trailer? I brought mine back from Las Vegas lying on it's back in a little utility trailer, but I don't like that method of transporting it. I'm taking it to the California BBQ Association Q-Fest next weekend and I'm going to rent a U-Haul truck with a lift gate. Would like another alternative, though.

Well here is my story and I'm sticking to it!
Name: Mike Maynard (AKA) Papa Shaka) Retired in 1996 after 22.5 yrs as a deputy sheriff,last 12 yrs working warrant and extraditions.Married to Lynn 42 years ago,three daughters 2 of which work with me at Shaka Smoke Lodge,located in the River Market in downtown Little Rock Ar.Opened this up when I retired from chasing fools arount the country.We use two 250 CS smokers at the shop,and I have a 150 at home, love them great Q all the time.
Well Smokin stopped by a week or so ago and was telling me about the FE100.Got the adventure in me going ,so last friday I ordered one.Heven't figured out were I'm going to go with this,store or on the Q trail,time will tell.First thing is to get it ,then figure out how to make it bump.So I'll be up in this forum for a while.
Your in Little Rock,come see me,door is ALWAYS OPEN.
PAPA SHAKA

My name is John Ford I live in Northville Michigan, I met Fast Eddy at a contest in Buffalo New York back in 1999 he won the contest and I took home his FE100. Ive been hooked ever since also I have just purchased the new Cookshack version a couple of weeks ago. My wife and I cook approx. two contest a year under the name of "Rub Me Tender"

Just turned in our application for Dillon Co. Cook-Off Top Of The Summit plan on cooking Grand Rapids Michigan & Nelsonville Ohio in the fall

Sincerely
John Ford

Hi Im Kim Pettit from Spartanburg SC , I have been cooking Competion since 1996 and started out with a Wood burner Ok Joe trailer model , then I made the switch to FE100 in 2001 and have not looked back . It took a while but I have done very well this cooker . I would suggest this cooker to anyone in Competion or the back yard cooking also .

I just purchaged my second FE100 to practice while Im at work to hone in on my cooking skills .Plus we dont have bad lunches either .
Eddy is great to deal with and no matter what the problems arise he always comes to the rescue .

See ya around at the Competions , my team name is KP`s Cowboy Cookers

Hi, I'm Kevin Cowan. My wife and I own a fireplace and grill store in Spartanburg, SC. I've been cooking with pellets since'92 when we began selling and demonstrating Traeger pellet cookers. I've been cooking competitively since '96 as Burning Desires. Competitively, I have cooked on OK Joe's, Jedmaster, Weber, Cajun and FE 100's. The FE's have been the most successful and consistent of all, regardless of where and what we are cooking. I have many customers who are as pleased with their FE's as we are of ours.

Smokin4fun;
Kevin

Hi, I'm Ron Taylor. My wife and I live and cook in Blacklick, OH, a suburb of Columbus, OH. My wife is Kathy (Sue). We go by Suzie's Q. In our day jobs we are an ER doctor and nurse.

We've been cooking for years. We love everything from Q to classic French. Baking and desserts are another love. Oh, did we mention wine and cigars? (Yep, I said we. Kathy also enjoys a good cigar. Acid Blondies are her favorite.)

We have been burning wood and charcoal for quite a while. My dad cooked with a 55 gallon drum most of my childhood and my uncle had a smoke house on his farm. My first grill was a habachi followed by a square Meco. We started using an ECB around '92 and a NB in the mid 90's. Last year we bought a Lang 84 and loved it. I still love to cook on it but who can argue with the FE?

We enjoy competition when our schedules allow and do some private catering. We hope to retire from our real jobs in a few years and pursue our love.

Lordy! Another mirror! Cigars, too?? At one point I had 600 cigars in my collection, but I haven't bought any for a couple of years and am down to less than half that. But what I DO have are all good. Welcome, again, Ron & Sue.

Hi, I'm Al Clark of Appleton, Wisc. Have been doing 4-5 contests a years for 4 years on Weber Bullets. Expecting my FE100 to arrive in a week or so. Can't wait to start testing.

I am mostly a weekend BBQ'er but love cooking for friends and neighbors. My team cooks under the name B&B BBQ. Just became a Certified KCBS judge and looking forward to seeing what people are doing.

Hello from Sunny Orlando Fla.Ok it not that Sunny today. My name is Craig Kimmel I am 32yr Fireman her in Orlando. I now cooking with acouple of Traegers have been for about two years and now want a FE200. Before that I was cooking on a lang type cooker that I built. We cooked alot of contests before the kids and might be back into that soon. But for now I Judge FBA and KCBS and do some catering.

hello from oklahoma city. my name is brad and i am 32. i am a backyard BBQer.

I am Rick Tucker. I live in Renton Washington. I smoke cook primarily because I love BBQ! I will on occasion smoke meat for friends and relatives. I consistently get good reviews. At one point I thought to myself that it would be nice trying to make a living at doing what I love..BBQ. However, after a few stints of staying up all night cooking pulled pork for a wedding on my Hathorn smoker, I thought no way! That is when I found Cookshack. I cuurently have a Smokette II but have been following the pellet smokers for some time now. I have seen them mentioned in a few books (Willingham) but they never have garnered much respect until the last couple of years. I saw a special on TV about 4 months ago and Fast Eddy was there being interviewed. I immediately took notice as Eddie got to sleep during the night while others were left with nothing to do but drink while they tended their fires!

I received my FE100 on May 3rd, 2004.

I am Scott Groen from Fort Collins, CO. Bought a Traeger 075 to cook for my employees at the shop and then my brother found pellet cooking and "the rest is history." We are now the proud owners of 4 075 units and are very curious about the FE100. We cooked in the competition at Mandalay Bay last year and "Wide Boyz BBQ" was born. I want out of auto repair and my brother needs a job, am beginning to believe that fort Collins needs a BBQ joint here in town-- maybe I'm just spoiled.

It's certainly a pleasure to make all of you'alls aquaintance. I'm kinda like a sponge (lurker) but promise to chip in when I feel i have $.02 to contribute.

Thanks,
Scott Groen

I am Stephen Smith, from Ocala, FL. I purchased my first pellet smoker - Traeger 200 in 1996. I purchased one of Eddie's FE100 a couple years later, and consider it my primary cooker.

I competed with Byron Chism of ButtRub.com for several years and now occassionally compete.

Please visit my Web-Page www.NoCents.us for a more complete history and also 100's of pictures of BBQ contests/people taken across the country during our BBQ travels.

I love my FE!

My name is Steve Farrin and I'm from Malden, Massachusetts. I'll be picking up my Coockshack FE at the Liberty Bell contest in Philly in a few weeks. I've been cooking in bbq comps since 1996 and have had some success. I'm currently cooking on a Backwoods Competitor and I'm buying the FE to increase my cooking capacity for catering and vending. Visit my website at http://www.ismellsmoke.com and sign my guestbook.

I'm a building controls technician at a Biological Research Institute affiliated with MIT.

Hi, My name is Leonard Cacioppo, I am an eye surgeon in Brooksville Florida. I started competition BBQ in 1996 in La. That year Fast Eddy was my mentor for KCBS. I was using two Traeger 150 units right out of the box. Eddy was very helpful in showing me the ropes of competitive BBQ. So much so that I won the state championship then. I went on to cook with Eddy at the Royal where my team "Smoking Guns" came in 9th out of 327. The next year I placed reserve back in La. and reserve in Tryon. I have been off the circuit for the past few years, my last contest was Lakeland Florida three years ago, placed first in Brisket. I am thinking about getting back out and compete again but it seems that there are alot of people using what was once the secret weapon of pellets. Anyway just found this site, like I needed any more distractions. Hope to see Fast Eddy again on the road.

Hi,
My name is Marsha Russell and I work for Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg TN. John Hale and I make up the Late Night Whiskey Smokers. We have been cooking together for 5 years. We bought our FE100 on the way back from the Frisco CO. cook-off in 2000. If you get a chance to come to "The Jack" in October be sure to look John up, he is usually cooking up something good. We have cooked in 35 contest and meet some of our best friends this way.

Hi to all,

I've been Q'n since I was a kid. Started in the competition circuit last year with another team to see what all the fuss and fun was about. We compete under Palm Springs BBQ and have been using an FE100 for about two months now. Relative rookies on the circuit but have managed to bring some cash and trophies home on both of our 1st two contests. Thanks to Eddy for the specific advise on the FE and to Ray Stillman for letting us join in last year.

I don't cater or sell BBQ so its only a matter of time before I cross the 400lbs barrier due to the ease of heating up the FE.

From Brandon, Fla originally, and thanks to 14 years in the Corps, I've landed in Palm Springs. I pay the bills as a GM for a glazing company (glass).

At the competitions we always have Cigars, Single Malt and Jack. Just because the cooker doesn't need ya doesn't mean you have to go to sleep!!