bgray
MemberGot rid of the matchlight.
Seems like a nice place here to talk about BBQ!
I've enjoyed grilling for many many years now, although my talents are pretty limited in an indoor kitchen! Maybe it's because my wife always kicks me out! My brother put together a meal for us that he smoked on a kamado earlier this summer and I was hooked on smoking after that meal!
I picked up my own smoker, a Napolean Apollo (pic below...it's basically a WSM knockoff). The reason that I got this over the WSM is that it is a bit more versatile.
The rings can be removed. Take out one ring, and it gets shorter, making it easier to reach higher temps (although I haven't had that need yet). Take out both rings and make the base and lid into a smaller portable charcoal grill. Pretty handy.
So far, I've done two whole chickens and a pork butt. All three were great meals. I wish I had discovered the joys of smoking years ago!
As a newb, I've been following Gary Wiviot's book "Low and Slow" with lots of success. If you are a beginner with a WSM or Apollo like mine, I highly recommend the book, as he really spells out how to use these cookers very effectively. His writing style is a little off-putting at times, but he does spell it out in a decent way, and keeps the first couple of recipes and methods relatively foolproof from what I can tell.
So this weekend is my first try at smoking ribs along with a pork shoulder, (I have enough confidence to actually invite some friends over for a great meal!) :grin: then in the coming weeks I have meatloaf plans, then a brisket, and then......
I'm so happy with how the meals have turned out, I'm already thinking about moving up to an offset like a Yoder Cheyenne or something similar next spring. I'll do my homework this winter, and get ready for some kind of upgrade in the spring...at least that's the plan for now! I'll appreciate learning from this nice community in the meantime!
Thanks!
Brian
I've enjoyed grilling for many many years now, although my talents are pretty limited in an indoor kitchen! Maybe it's because my wife always kicks me out! My brother put together a meal for us that he smoked on a kamado earlier this summer and I was hooked on smoking after that meal!
I picked up my own smoker, a Napolean Apollo (pic below...it's basically a WSM knockoff). The reason that I got this over the WSM is that it is a bit more versatile.
The rings can be removed. Take out one ring, and it gets shorter, making it easier to reach higher temps (although I haven't had that need yet). Take out both rings and make the base and lid into a smaller portable charcoal grill. Pretty handy.
So far, I've done two whole chickens and a pork butt. All three were great meals. I wish I had discovered the joys of smoking years ago!
As a newb, I've been following Gary Wiviot's book "Low and Slow" with lots of success. If you are a beginner with a WSM or Apollo like mine, I highly recommend the book, as he really spells out how to use these cookers very effectively. His writing style is a little off-putting at times, but he does spell it out in a decent way, and keeps the first couple of recipes and methods relatively foolproof from what I can tell.
So this weekend is my first try at smoking ribs along with a pork shoulder, (I have enough confidence to actually invite some friends over for a great meal!) :grin: then in the coming weeks I have meatloaf plans, then a brisket, and then......
I'm so happy with how the meals have turned out, I'm already thinking about moving up to an offset like a Yoder Cheyenne or something similar next spring. I'll do my homework this winter, and get ready for some kind of upgrade in the spring...at least that's the plan for now! I'll appreciate learning from this nice community in the meantime!
Thanks!
Brian
