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Rusty Kettle
07-22-2013, 08:45 PM
What was your first grill or smoker? How did you get it? What did you first cook on it? Did it come out perfect or did it come out burnt crispy or did it come out with the fire going out and raw?

My first grill I got it for my birthday in June and have been hooked ever since. It is a Weber One Touch Silver 18.5" grill First thing I cooked was chicken legs with a dry rub I created on my own. No Idea what I was doing but it has now become a staple in everything I cook from homemade bbq sauce to chicken pork ribs and beef. The chicken legs came out perfect at 3am and I was totally thrilled to death with my new weber. I rarely don't cook on it at least once a day. I was given my grill by my wife and her parents for my birthday. I have now acquired a second used version of my grill to make it so I have more room. I am now a weber kettle user for life. I even have smoked brisket and pork shoulder on my kettle. Nothing like a 12 and 16 hour all night long haul cook to really enjoy a weekend. So yeah tell us about your first grill.

tpope
07-22-2013, 08:53 PM
I learned on a brinkman smoker without the interweb's help. Trial and error taught me how to drive it.

Armadillo
07-22-2013, 08:54 PM
My first was a brinkman smoker I did leg quarters they came out great then I moved to a vertical smoker had it 10 years then the bug hit me and I built my own trailer smoker and used parts from the vertical smoker for a warming oven than the wife told me I could smoke more if I didn't have such a big smoker so I built my USD and I'm always looking at how I can make my next one

Ron_L
07-22-2013, 08:58 PM
Weber Kettle that my father gave me because he never used it :-D

Bludawg
07-22-2013, 09:00 PM
My first Grill was a 16" truck split rim with a piece of expanded metal on top,cooked many a steak burger and dogs on it. My first Smoker was a Tx Hibachi and it served as a grill too you name it it probably got cooked on it. The X bought me an Old Smokey like 26 yrs ago so I guess you could say it was my first store bought cooker.

nucornhusker
07-22-2013, 09:01 PM
First grill that was my own, Weber Genesis Gold C. First cook, steak. It served me well, but I stopped using it about 4 years ago after I had my OTG for over a year. Sold it last year and it's getting love again from one of my friends. He couldn't be happier with it.

First smoker, ECB. First cook, ribs. I only did about two or three cooks on it over the course of a few years (I hated cooking on it) and then when I got my OKJ, all hell broke loose and I've been addicted ever since.

Gasket
07-22-2013, 09:07 PM
I've had my Char-Griller Smokin' Pro for 11 years now and have cooked on her exclusively till this past February when I got my WSM. She has taught me the finer points of fire management and I still use her when I have the time to "feed" her.

cirk
07-22-2013, 09:11 PM
One of those cheap kinda square kettles I was 12 or so. Cooked a lot of pork chops from the local gas station/market ran into rats far bigger than my pork chops!

The Pig's Blanket
07-22-2013, 09:26 PM
First smoker was my Bradley digital. First cook was pork butt. Of Corse it turned out great it was like cooking in an oven. I used it for a few months and decided I needed something more challenging .... Well I got what I asked for, lol first ribs I cooked on it were beautiful but when my daughter was eating them it sounded like she was eating corn on the cob... Lol ...poor thing kept telling me they were great. Same results went on for almost a month at which time I realized the gauges n the smoker were not accurate to grate level... 50 degrees hotter on gauge than cooking area... Been smokin good since I figured out the problem...

JPar
07-22-2013, 09:30 PM
First grill was a Weber kettle, about 30 years ago. Cooked a lot of burgers, steaks, chops, brats, and dogs on it. As far as I can remember, they all turned out pretty good.
First smoker is a WSM, bought just last month. My first cook on that was St. Louis spares. I didn't start with enough charcoal, and had to finish them in the oven. They still turned out pretty good though.

MisterChrister
07-22-2013, 09:31 PM
ECB as a teenager getting drunk and cranking out smoked salmon from the Lake Michigan spawning run. That fish was so salty and covered in copious amounts of billowy white smoke it would have probably kept on a shelf for months. Instead we ate it all to keep us thirsty for cheap beer.

Happy Hapgood
07-22-2013, 09:34 PM
I killed many a cow and pig and forced my young kids to endure some bad hamburgers and hot dogs. I went through about 13 different gas/coal grills over 20 years.

Then I remembered what my Dad said (God rest his soul). "It's the section between the rod handle and the boat seat that counts boy!" Started to get it together at that point with BBQ and life in general.

caseydog
07-22-2013, 09:36 PM
My first grill was a cheap gasser. I ruined a lot of meat on it.

My first REAL grill was my 1995 redhead 22.5 Weber kettle. I still have it, and in all that time, I don't recall ruining any meat on it. Some cooks are better than others, but they have all been good enough to eat.

CD

IamMadMan
07-22-2013, 09:46 PM
My first grill was a red brick charcoal grill that came with the property purchased in 1968, it was big, and a pain to clean out. Chicken was my first item cooked on it, nothing fancy, just cooked chicken.

My first smoke was a Brinkman Smoke-n-Pit Professional purchased in 1995. I tried ribs in it but was not happy with the results. It didn't get a lot of use after that as I would use a friends Spicewine smoker or his Southern Pride smoker when I wanted to smoke with great results. In 1998 I made some modifications to the Brinkman to extend the burn time and make the cooking chamber temperature more consistent.

spyre
07-22-2013, 10:05 PM
First grill was a square charcoal of some brand I can no longer remember. Worked pretty well.

First smoker was a homemade clay pots with a hot plate in side pretty similar to the one Alton Brown made. First thing was a pork butt that came out amazing and got me hooked. Turned out a ton of butts and tri-tips and turkey on that thing. It was really hard to find a hot plate that would get to the temps that I really wanted. 10lb butts taking 17 hours was getting old fast. Kamado Joe saved my life!

SurrealOne
07-22-2013, 10:09 PM
My first grill was a cheap square kettle grill. I made lots of awesome steak, burgers, dogs, and chicken on it. Unfortunately, my x-wife ran it over with my truck pulling in the garage one day. My first offset is the Char Broil gourmet I have now. Yeah, it's crap. I've ruined some good pork on it...but I've also made some killer ribs and redeemed myself in the pork butt category. I'm about to build a stick burner to replace this cheap one...so I can't wait.

savageford
07-22-2013, 10:25 PM
first Grill: In 2000 my fiancé and now wife and I had just moved into an apartment and needed a little grill so I bought a Weber go-anywhere gasser. Never ruined anything on it but it's not that big so no real epic cooks but it has always been a faithful companion to many a camping and tailgating trips. I even replaced the the flavorizer grate on it and the igniter still even works.

2nd: A POS COS given to me by my Uncle that was moving out of state. He had never really used it much and I hade some great cooks and some epic fails. I did some research and tried a few mods but was never really happy with it. I was able to turn out some good pork buts, chickens, turkeys, and salmon. But every time I tried a brisket it was just an epic fail.

3rd: Weber Q100 wanted something a bit bigger than the go-anywhere for camping. I like it but man it runs HOT!! I have charred some stuff on that baby!!

4th: 2006 The wife and I bought a house and needed a patio grill so we bought a Weber Geneses Silver C. It has turned out many a fine steaks and your typical fare. I ruined a couple of nice porter houses on it due to a grease fire :-(

5th: 2013 found the Brethren and built a UDS and love it!! Everything that comes off there is awesome. I'm not a saucer or a looker so the UDS was a perfect match. And I finally nailed that brisket I was looking for!!

6th: Had to buy a Weber 22.5 OTS for the lid for my UDS, I love it too!!

A little long winded but that's my grill story!!

mbshop
07-22-2013, 10:40 PM
just some cheap gasser long ago.

Big M1ke
07-22-2013, 10:51 PM
Got into grilling 3 years ago and bought a Weber 22.5 OTG. Shortly after caught the smoking bug and my kettle is still my main device. I also use a Mini WSM I put together a few weeks ago.

Callahan-que
07-22-2013, 11:07 PM
My first grill was very similar to this one. I liked that you could raise and lower the charcoal grate three diferent levels from the cooking grate.
http://media.webcollage.net/rwvfp/wc/cp/10037335/module/cpwalmart/_cp/products/1364233894598/tab-39703563-8e5c-4ab0-93c4-37df872da9b8/41b95a4c-37d7-41d5-a3c8-2fc8748d5b5a.png.web.v1.jpg

thunter
07-23-2013, 12:06 AM
Mine was the 2004 version of my Aussie Grill pictured below, it was Meco Grill though, and it was Red with a wood side-table...

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y537/tonyhunterajh/New%20Family%20Member/IMG_4144_zpscfbd8436.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/tonyhunterajh/media/New%20Family%20Member/IMG_4144_zpscfbd8436.jpg.html)

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y537/tonyhunterajh/New%20Family%20Member/IMG_4143_zps866cf51e.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/tonyhunterajh/media/New%20Family%20Member/IMG_4143_zps866cf51e.jpg.html)

http://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y537/tonyhunterajh/New%20Family%20Member/IMG_4145_zpsc9ea63d6.jpg (http://s1279.photobucket.com/user/tonyhunterajh/media/New%20Family%20Member/IMG_4145_zpsc9ea63d6.jpg.html)

Beef
07-23-2013, 12:11 AM
A POS Brinkman bullet with no top vent. frustrating till my UDS!

Haastyle
07-23-2013, 12:55 AM
Weber Kettle was my first grill, First smoker was a Brinkman, and I still have 2 of them that have been given to me since my very first one. My friends really didn't know how to use them, and really didn't want to hear me tell them what they were doing wrong with their coals.... So they dropped them off at my house after years of dust collection, and long after they had given up. I still use the old bullets, they work fine. The temp gauge sucks but with all the probes and temp stats out there you can manage anything.

burntaffliction
07-23-2013, 01:04 AM
My first grill was a Sunbeam charcoal grill given to me as a Father's Day gift back in 1998. The grill was similar to a Meco or Aussie grill with a square design and adjustable charcoal grate. It was a great grill for me at the time that lasted seven years before I gifted the grill to a couple of friends. Sometimes I miss it for nostalgic reasons. :cry:

Titch
07-23-2013, 01:08 AM
My first grill was river rocks (yeh I know ) old piece of wire mesh and a piece of old kero tin as a lid.
Snags and Rissoles and the odd stolen chicken came up a treat

Al Czervik
07-23-2013, 05:18 AM
The first grill I ever purchased was a Weber Smokey Joe back in the mid eighties before I got married. Used to fire it up almost every weekend for brats, burgers, steaks, etc. Obviously not a lot of room, but I made it work for me and my buddies for many a year.

stephan
07-23-2013, 05:37 AM
My first was a weber kettle then a WSM then a klose stick burner and now I have a Pitmaker safe. I still have a kettle and a gasser for when Im being lazy

Lake Dogs
07-23-2013, 06:30 AM
First grill was a Weber silver 22. I had it for 25 years and used it probably every-other weekend. It didnt take much skill. I now have 2 Weber 22's; use them both.

My first smoker was a Brinkman Smoke-N-Grill bullet type smoker. I never learned to use it well, always ruined whatever I had on it, I ended up throwing it away after a few years of rusting in the corner...

deguerre
07-23-2013, 06:42 AM
I really don't remember. My dad let me take over grilling when I was around 10 or so when he let me grill a steak once. Must've been pretty good, because I started doing them routinely after that. Or, maybe grilling was interfering with his drinking time...

Some square boxy thing. My first purchase was a cast iron hibachi I had for years...

HeSmellsLikeSmoke
07-23-2013, 06:43 AM
One of my first purchases after getting discharged from the army back in 1968 was a Portable Kitchen Cast Aluminium "Ozark Oven" similar to the one my dad used. I used it for about 20 years before I upgraded to the Brinkmann SnP Pro which I still have. My son now has the PK.

Smokeat
07-23-2013, 11:21 AM
My Dad had a nice Ducane gas grill outside and a built in gas grill in the kitchen, he designed the house. We were a gas grillin' family. When I moved out with my girlfriend(now wife), I went to the BBQ's Galore store and bought the Ducane gas demonstrator/floor model, $300 30 years ago, a lot of money for me back then. I still have it, and my Dad's, waiting for restoration.

bbqgeekess
07-23-2013, 11:34 AM
First gas grill: PGS K40
First charcoal grill: Weber Smokey Joe
First smoker: Mini WSM

gtr
07-23-2013, 11:41 AM
First grill - 22.5 Weber I got in '93 that I still have and cook on. First smoker was an ECB with the electric element. Piece o'crap but I didn't care - my wife and friends and I had what we thought were a lot of great meals off that thing. As soon as I moved from an apartment to a house with a yard I got a NBBD. By that point I was very happy to let the ECB go.

Oldhoss
07-23-2013, 12:27 PM
First grill was a gasser. First smoker was a gas grill modified for indirect cooking....I did some very good cooks on that setup also a few mistakes. I now have the gasser, a Bradley digital Jim Beam model, a New Braunfels cheapo, a 22.5 OTG Kettle, a Akorn, a cinder block pit and a metal fire pit with a cooking rack.

If I were to pick only one to have.....the Kettle. No second thought there as it does it all.

Bdub
07-23-2013, 01:40 PM
First smoker was a Masterbuilt gasser. Put out some decent pork butts and ribs on it but never could get the smoke flavor I wanted. It has been retired and in storage for 6 years and just last week gave it to my oldest son so he can start his bbq quest.

Hankdad1
07-23-2013, 01:58 PM
First grill was an 18.5 Weber kettle my dad gave me in the mid 70's when he upgraded to the larger kettle. I still have it and just used it at the cabin last weekend.

1st smoker was an ECB with an electric element. It didn't like Minnesota weather and I ruined some meat and fish with it. Rusted out, tossed it, bought a WSM and never looked back.

ironmanerik
07-23-2013, 02:01 PM
My first grill was very similar to this one. I liked that you could raise and lower the charcoal grate three diferent levels from the cooking grate.
http://media.webcollage.net/rwvfp/wc/cp/10037335/module/cpwalmart/_cp/products/1364233894598/tab-39703563-8e5c-4ab0-93c4-37df872da9b8/41b95a4c-37d7-41d5-a3c8-2fc8748d5b5a.png.web.v1.jpg
this except mine was green, "the green weenie" my wife bought me a gasser, didn't have storage for two, gave the green weenie to a friend before I figured out I hated gas. Got it back from its third owner a couple years later and used it till its legs fell off.

agoldswo
07-23-2013, 02:47 PM
Grew up using an 18" weber Kettle, it finally rusted out after being nearly 35 years old, bought a Weber Performer about 6 years ago, love it. Just started getting into smoking and experimenting with different things. Currently building a UDS, and hope to build a brick oven in the future.

BeerBQ
07-23-2013, 06:09 PM
I started with something like this a few years ago:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Backyard-Grill-Deluxe-Square-Charcoal-Grill/17768234?findingMethod=rr

I didn't quite know what I was doing and used matchlight charcoal. A friend gave me an old portable type grill that I used to light charcoal on then add to my bigger grill when the lighter fluid burnt off. Throw some mesquite chips on there and pack it on one half with a pork picnic on the other side and it wasn't too bad for a poor college student.

I replaced it after over 2 years when the charcoal pan (not a grate, just a metal sheet) burnt through in a few spots.
I've upgraded slightly to a Smokey Joe and one of these:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kingsford-381-sq.-in.-Charcoal-Wagon-Grill/15907741

WiscoKid
07-23-2013, 07:15 PM
I started out with some off brand 18" kettle grill, and the rest is history=)

jasonjax
07-23-2013, 07:21 PM
First grill: Weber Silver Gasser
First smoker: Weber Smokey Mountain

SimcoBBQ
07-23-2013, 07:22 PM
Brinkman that my brother picked up on a Sunday morning coming in from Saturday night , he also had a couple of whole chickens. Needless to say I had to cook em!

dwfisk
07-23-2013, 07:30 PM
The first I remember (50+ years ago) was a hibachi, kind of what Lodge sells now-about an 8"X16" oval cast iron when was a kid in K-Bay MCAS, Hawaii. Either that or just a hole in the ground lined with lava rocks & banana leaves.

bluetang
07-23-2013, 07:39 PM
Not mine but one like this. Circa 1970
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9X1gIAJ36Eg/Ue8hhWAnMnI/AAAAAAAADg0/D-3qvPKNMSg/s800/hibatchi.jpg

CTSmokehouse
07-23-2013, 07:49 PM
My first Smoker was a New Braunfelds Black Diamond. The second was a Bandera which would change my life. I found the Bandera Brethren ( to become the BBQ Brethren) and souped up both smokers. In our second competition we came in 5th amongst the best in New England at Lyme Rock, CT. Some of the teams we competed against were competing nationally with good results. I stayed up all night and put charcoal in each and every hour, and went through a microburst. After turn in a number of teams asked if we wanted to upgrade to one of their fancy cookers. When the awards came out we got 2nd in Chicken (second highest score for NEBS that year),
Third in Brisket and 4th in Beef Ribs. They said...keep doing what your doing!

That was 2007 and I went on to cook with Nancee and Greg of Purple Turtles at the American Royal Invitational and Open. IQue got 1st in Brisket at the Open...

I still think I cooked best on those back yard Smokers.

Yours in BBQ,

Cliff

HankB
07-23-2013, 07:54 PM
My first grill was (IIRC) a hibachi similar to one someone already posted. For a wedding present in '74 we got an 18" Weber kettle which we still use. My first purpose built smoker was an 18" WSM. My most recent smoker is a New Braunfels Black Diamond.

ITBFQ
07-23-2013, 09:26 PM
My first grill was a Smokey Joe knock off in 1999. Grilled many a good pork chops, burgers, brats, steaks, sweet corn and hot dogs on there all through college. I even grilled ribs before I knew what the heck I was doing. Bought my first gas grill when my ex and I lived together in an apartment - an Aussie gasser that I cooked on until it rusted away. Now my CharBroil Commercial gasser, Thermos kettle, UDS (my favorite, by far), ECB, Thermos mini kettle and Coleman RoadTrip LX (that I won from Crisco) pretty much serve any need I have for cooking outside.

Its fun reading about everyone's first grills!

Desert Dweller
07-24-2013, 12:38 AM
First grill was a weber kettle. First smoker was an ECB.

buccaneer
07-24-2013, 01:11 AM
I cooked over wood embers on a grate, forever.
First thing I smoked on was a weber kettle, but my first and only " smoker" is my kamado style BigSteelKeg.
Yes, we are still in love.

westy
07-24-2013, 03:45 AM
First grill was a little gasser from the drugstore about the same size as a WGA. First smoker was a Kingsford offset cheapo that im still using today.

YetiDave
07-24-2013, 04:42 AM
My first was/is a ProQ Excel 20 (aka Napoleon Apollo) only had her 10 months or so and I'm hooked. Next will be either a Weber OTP or a UDS build

Neil
07-24-2013, 04:49 AM
First grill was a Weber 22 1/2'' kettle that I received from my brother-in-law for a wedding present. Come to think of it, that is the only good thing I can say about him!:biggrin: First smoker was the New Braunsfell Bandera which led me to a web site that was then called the Bandera Brethren prior to the current name change.

IrondeQuer
07-24-2013, 06:31 AM
My first grill/smoker was a Thermos kettle that I picked up at Sears 6 or 7 years ago after reading a recipe for pulled pork in a Cooks Illustrated cookbook. I used it once a year for our annual 4th-of-July picnic.

Last year I joined the Brethren and actually learned something about bbq. I built an ECB, picked up a Cajun Bandit for a new Performer and have been smoking/grilling a couple of times a week since.

Somehow I see the kids more often now. :grin:

rksylves
07-24-2013, 06:55 AM
First grill was/is a SJS. That was many (14-15?) years ago, I still have it, and it still goes with me to every competition. It's even on my packing checklist. I cook my Friday night dinner on it. Sort of become a tradition.

First smoker was/is a WSM 18 about 5 years ago. It's in the backyard (retired from competition) and I still use it most every weekend. I've turned out some really good dinners cooking on it.

Russ

Hoggy Style
07-24-2013, 07:22 AM
Weber Kettle was the 1st grill I ever owned and my first official smoker was a Brinkman Smoke King Deluxe which I also won my first ribbon with.

Texas Turtle
07-24-2013, 07:29 AM
My first grill was a cheap cast iron hibachi that my wife and I bought to cook steaks on the balcony of our second apartment. I had a heck of a time getting the charcoal started but we did some surprisingly good steaks considering neither of us knew anything about cooking over open flame. Next (circa 1976) came a cheap ($20) aluminum rectangular grill that I am still using to do steaks and burgers. First smoker was a NBBD that I bought at a church garage sale for $25. Sometime afterwards, I found the BBQ Brethren and started making mods. By the time I sold it for $25, it was a much more usable unit, but I was moving up to a $1000 offset that I use now.

NickTheGreat
07-24-2013, 07:43 AM
My parents had some really old charcoal grill that I barely remember. Then gassers. Mostly a Holland, which they still use today.

I got some blue light special gas grill that I used in my apartment for 6 or 7 years. It literally rusted through and I bought the WEber Q200. Then when we moved I bought the Genesis.

Last year I got my WSM and love it. Now I'm drooling over BGE's or some sort of komodo . . .

DriverWild
07-24-2013, 09:31 AM
My first true smoke experience was in a pit we dug about 4 ft deep in the ground and covered it with sheet metal. That was a lot of fun but we ended up filling the hole back in after the big bbq. My first backyard unit was a POS Royal Oak that I would offset the coals. The metal was so thin and had so many leaks that airflow management worked in reverse. I quickly upgraded to BGE and have been totally hooked ever since.

dadsr4
07-24-2013, 09:41 AM
Not mine but one like this. Circa 1970
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9X1gIAJ36Eg/Ue8hhWAnMnI/AAAAAAAADg0/D-3qvPKNMSg/s800/hibatchi.jpg
My first was a double one of these.

BB-Kuhn
07-24-2013, 09:44 AM
Brinkman electric gourmet smoker (the red one with the plug-in).

made a Pork butt - it was actually delicious. It's not a bad setup for the occasional user, the problem lies in with control.

I used it for a few months, and sold it. Bought a Masterbuilt Electric and didn't miss it. NOW, I have about 5 different charcoal grills and smokers but I still like my MES!

Tomah5139
07-24-2013, 09:47 AM
WSM. I love it. Looking into make a horizontal UDS. So confused...

davefan360
07-24-2013, 10:12 AM
my first grill was a cheep offset from target. my girlfriend just bought a house and we talked about getting a grill. I was thinking a gas grill, had no clue about charcoal. She went one day to get some shoes and women things for her self then called me to tell me to pick up some nice NY strips for that night because she bought a grill. I get home, the grill was in the box because it needed put together and I did not see a propane tank. I put it together, went and got some match light charcoal to cook the stakes. They cooked ok other then the over char and under cooked middle. That night I looked on line to find tips how to cook on charcoal, that is when I found this sight. Now I have 4 Webers, a 120gallon RF on a trailer and a MINI UDS, and building a MED UDS. The cheep offset lived a good life but is ready for the scrape pile.

DownHomeQue
07-24-2013, 10:48 AM
my first was a Chargriller offset which i still use for small cooks.. and grilling.. second was a Landman cheap offset that i still use also. Latest is the Homemade in the AVI.. its my first born.. lol Use it almost every weekend too.. Smaller grills get used throughout the week..

Smokeat
07-24-2013, 11:52 AM
Not mine but one like this. Circa 1970
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9X1gIAJ36Eg/Ue8hhWAnMnI/AAAAAAAADg0/D-3qvPKNMSg/s800/hibatchi.jpg

Back then these were actually cast iron with a decent vent door. Usually there were posts to set grill level. I sure wish they made them like that today. Now they are made with sheet metal.

I have the Lodge "Hibachi", and it's a good for what it is, but too pricey. Wind plays havoc with it also, as the grate is over an inch above the body.

gsobbq
07-24-2013, 12:47 PM
My first one was chargriller w/o the sfb. I would put charcoal on one side and do indirect. Then a friend of mine bought a monster that was custom made it had THREE 275 gal tanks on it. That's really when I learned to do large volume smoking.

Ole Man Dan
07-24-2013, 12:48 PM
My first Grill was a 16" truck split rim with a piece of expanded metal on top,cooked many a steak burger and dogs on it. My first Smoker was a Tx Hibachi and it served as a grill too you name it it probably got cooked on it. The X bought me an Old Smokey like 26 yrs ago so I guess you could say it was my first store bought cooker.

I still keep a truck tire rim and a 40"X20" grill grate for camping, hunting, and fishing. I've cooked 100s of meals on mine.
I used to use a large Weber grate on mine but after dumping everything in the fire, I copied a grate in Cowgirl's blog.
Everyone who see's one of these wants one.

tubby384
07-24-2013, 12:55 PM
My first smoker was a Brinkman propane smoker. Looks like their charcoal model, but has tall legs and lava rocks on the bottom. I purchased it at Costco many moons ago and have eaten rubbery skin turkeys to under cooked prime rib for my family. Fortunately they were good sports and told me how good it tasted. I still have this rusted unit in my backyard as a reminder of the good old days.

GoolsbyMD
07-24-2013, 12:56 PM
18.5" wsm, first cook was an 8lbs Boston butt for pulled pork. Woke up at 5am in the morning to prep the smoker and set up the minion method, started a chimney and sat back drinking coffee and watching the sun come up, when chimney was ready, threw the coals on and just let her ride the entire time up to 195/200 degrees IT without lifting the lid. Been hooked ever since. Will always keep her but got an upgrade in the works now.

ButtBurner
07-24-2013, 01:02 PM
my first grill was one of those round flat ones with the folding legs and the grate was supported in the middle with a rod that you could move up and down to adjust the grate.

took that thing everywhere.

About 1970 vintage

Big George's BBQ
07-24-2013, 01:11 PM
My personal 1st grill was a Hibatchi and smoke a Meadow Creek 120

Bluesman
07-24-2013, 01:31 PM
First grill for me, that I bought, was a 1998 Performer. I made some good food and some really bad food. After I found this place not only do I get better results more consistently but my collection has grown as well. I still use the Performer, know as Mr. Green Jeans several times a week.

thunter
07-24-2013, 01:39 PM
my first grill was one of those round flat ones with the folding legs and the grate was supported in the middle with a rod that you could move up and down to adjust the grate.

took that thing everywhere.

About 1970 vintage

Wow! I remember those! Lol!

pitbossJB
07-24-2013, 02:03 PM
Oh I had a cast iron hibatchi and then a gasser that I never really cared for, then about 20 years ago my (then) wife surprised me on fathers day with a New Braunfels Bandera which I have modified to death and still have. Then drum smokers.

tnjimbob
07-24-2013, 02:07 PM
Had a Char-Broil 2-burner gasser, a gift from a friend for helping him move (and he couldn't take it to his new apartment.) After a year or so of burning burgers & steaks on it, I gave it to another friend as a good faith gesture. My wife & daughters gave me a Weber kettle on Father's Day about six years ago and I still have it and cook on it every now & then, even thought I have other cookers that I use more often. Don't want it to get lonely or feel neglected. :wink:

Harbormaster
07-24-2013, 03:36 PM
My first outdoor cooking device would have been an 18.5" OTS that I bought after buying my house. Not sure what happened to it, but I don't have it anymore.

My first smoker was a Brinkman Cimmaron offset that I still have and will always have. My dad gave it to me for Christmas in 98 I think.

From there my collection has exploded. I have more grills and smokers than I could ever realistically cook on.

deguerre
07-24-2013, 04:05 PM
From there my collection has exploded. I have more grills and smokers than I could ever realistically cook on.

Clark's museum provides tours twice daily M-F and three times Saturday. Closed Sundays.

RevZiLLa
07-24-2013, 10:29 PM
Weber kettle and ECB

Bluebird
07-25-2013, 06:32 AM
My first grill was a Weber 18.5" kettle and my first smoker was a 18.5" WSM.

lastmajordude
07-25-2013, 08:18 AM
I killed many a cow and pig and forced my young kids to endure some bad hamburgers and hot dogs. I went through about 13 different gas/coal grills over 20 years.

Then I remembered what my Dad said (God rest his soul). "It's the section between the rod handle and the boat seat that counts boy!" Started to get it together at that point with BBQ and life in general.

GREAT POST!!!!!!...on many levels!!.....I have been around the block with different cookers and smokers.......now i've got my stickburner (Caveman Grunt!!) and hurricane Katrina salvaged weber kettle.....as the Allman Brothers once sang "back where it all began...."

cdollar
07-25-2013, 09:29 AM
My first purchased was a cast aluminum Portable Kitchen grill, I think I got it about 1967. Wish I still had it. I think it was about $40, a lot of money for me back then.

Grain Belt
07-25-2013, 09:46 AM
First gasser was a little H burner Sunbeam. It has been rehabbed 4 times since 1982 and is residing at a hunting shack in northern MN and still turning out steaks and burgers.

First charcoal grill was a Weber kettle knockoff by the Crestline Co. (Window manufacturer) My dad picked it up at an auction for $1. I cooked on it for 5 years in my college days until the bottom rusted out.

First smoker was a Mecco brand that is like the ECB. Dad and I picked it up for a buck at another auction. Smoked carp and salmon on it like it was going out of style. Terrible temp control but we made some really tasty fish on it. Dad still has it but it hasn't been fired up in awhile.

Westexbbq
07-25-2013, 09:53 AM
My first smoker was one of the original New Braunfels Silver Smokers (prior to Char Broil buy out), purchased at Home Depot (most stores had just 2 units back then) and my first cook was naturally a briisket that alas and alack turned out to be about as good as shoe leather, edible but barely. Still have the smoker, now used as a real good charcoal grill.