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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking.


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Old 03-27-2020, 12:09 PM   #1
rwalters
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Join Date: 06-08-12
Location: Columbia, TN
Name/Nickname : Robb
Default Soooo, how did you get your start?

Would love to hear how everyone got their start into the wonderful world of outdoor cooking.

Was it a friend or family member that took you under their wing and got you up and running? Or is outdoor cooking something that you took an interest in, and kind of figured it out on your own? Oh yeah, and do you recall the first grill/smoker that you owned... what was it?

For me, I grew up in a wonderful family, but my dad fired up his gas grill maybe 7-8 times/year. Needless to say, it wasn't him that taught me to cook outdoors...lol! I've always loved food from the grill and/or smoker, but it wasn't very often that I got it growing up.

Met my wife in 93, got married in 94. I grew up in a family where 9/10 meals were homemade, my wifes family was closer to 1/10 meals being homemade.

Needless to say, my wife didn't really know how to cook when we first got married. I didn't know much either because I had never taken an interest in it.

After getting married, the first couple of years we didn't have 2 nickels to rub together, and ate pretty poorly... mostly canned/boxed quick meals. That got really old... but it continued until one day I ended up finding a Char-Griller charcoal grill on sale at Wal-Mart for next to nothing. Bought it and a bag of self lighting charcoal (didn't know any better). Didn't know a thing and messed up a good amount of food... BUT, that's what sparked my love and passion for outdoor cooking, and I slowly started to figure things out on my own (well before forums). That was over 25 years ago, and since then, my love for outdoor cooking has only grown. To me, it's a craft, an art, a hobby, a passion and highly therapeutic. I am no professional chef, but I sure do enjoy trying :)

So, what's your story?
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Old 03-27-2020, 12:30 PM   #2
WilliamKY
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Join Date: 02-18-18
Location: Louisville,KY
Name/Nickname : William
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I would say the seed was planted in 2006 but didn't blossom till 2008. My wife and I bought our first house in 2006 and I quickly realized I needed a grill so off to Home Depot for a 22in Weber Premium kettle.

Fast forward to 2008 and the recession and it saw me laid off for 1.5yrs. We made ends meet but with time on my hands this is where I really started dialing in my interest for Que. I had used plenty of gassers and electric grills in the past but this was the first real experience with live charcoal and wood that required a degree of skill.

I took to it like a duck in water. Lots of mistakes but it never discouraged me, only made me more interested. That old 22in Weber met an untimely demise from my son and a mini bike but I still have the lid. I don't know why I keep it, all bent, chipped,and rusted. I guess it's a token. Mile marker #1 of my journey.
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Old 03-27-2020, 12:31 PM   #3
drunkenmeatfist
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Join Date: 12-03-18
Location: Texas
Name/Nickname : Sammy
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I was always somewhat interested in outdoor cooking. I bought a gasser a few years back, but didn't use it that much or get really into it. I was actually just bored on a weekend about three years ago when I decided to drop $88 on a portable Masterbuilt propane smoker.

I used that little rascal for a few months then bought a Smoke Vault propane. I was reading forums and trying new things the whole time. Really got hooked and bought a Vision Kamado on clearance from Sam's. Since then I've picked up a Hunsaker, Pit Boss Copperhead, Lang 36, and a PK Grill. Cooking is now my primary hobby and one of the best sources for entertainment.
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Old 03-27-2020, 12:32 PM   #4
70monte
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Join Date: 04-29-17
Location: Aurora, Mo
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We didn't have a grill growing up so I wasn't brought up around grilled food much.

I got married in 1990 and it wasn't until we bought a house in 92 that I bought my first outdoor grill which was a hibachi. Someone later gave me a cheap Brinkman smoker that I used like a grill because I didn't know any better.

We eventually bought a cheap gas grill and used that for years.

We got divorced in 2004 and I later moved in with my fiancée in 2007 and that is where it really started with the purchase of a 22" Weber Kettle. From there it exploded with me buying an older Red Weber Performer and then an 18" WSM.

In 2016 I really went nuts after finding myself on various BBQ forums learning about cooking different things and the different smokers and grills out there and I went on a spending spree trying out different cookers.

These days I focus more on cooking different things than on getting new equipment.
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Old 03-27-2020, 12:32 PM   #5
tom b
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Join Date: 10-12-15
Location: Temecula, CA
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My progression:
Middle school - my mother had an electric hibachi with a little toaster element thingy – burgers and dogs, mostly dogs, about all we could afford

High school – my dad taught me how to burn the crap out of chicken on his weber – this is where I discovered beer also

Moved out on my own and got a gasser – burgers, dogs, chicken and stepped up to an occasional steak

Many years of nothing but gassers until around 8- 10 years ago
finally my first pellet grill after another cheap gasser died, pellets couldn’t do grilling for crap

So I decided to build a santa maria pit cause I decided I wanted to cook with a real wood fire. While researching builds I found you farkers

It has been spiraling out of control ever since
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Old 03-27-2020, 12:38 PM   #6
kfdvm
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Join Date: 04-26-14
Location: Lincoln,NE
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I was the youngest of five kids. Grew up on a ranch. Mom cooked for 22 men. Most produce came from a huge garden. Most of the meat was wild game. Mom did all the baking including all the bread. We did not have a lot of money, but didn’t know it.
I helped cook, can, garden, dehydrate, bake, wash dishes what ever I could to help. Dad had built an out door grill out of cement block. We used that in the summertime. In the winter Dad had built an indoor fireplace we used for cooking.
My wife’s parents owned groceries stores. When we got married she had no idea how to cook. She fell in love with home made bread, biscuits and gravy, and believe it or not the wonderful taste of wild game.
Now I’m 65 headed for retirement, cooking takes my back home to the ranch. Sure beats the hell out of obsessing over the news.
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Old 03-27-2020, 12:47 PM   #7
Big George's BBQ
somebody shut me the fark up.

 
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Join Date: 02-07-08
Location: Framingham, MA
Name/Nickname : George
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I had always done grilling on a Weber Kettle or Gasser My father was a big Kettle fan My oldest son told my wife he thought I would be interested in smoking food so she got me a Chargriller offset First few cooks had a bitter taste but over time improved Then my son mentioned competitions When I did not say yes right away he told me to adjust my hem and pull up my panty hose We did a back yard in Yardley PA Did not do well so I went back the next day to see what we did wrong I connected with Tom Christine of Smokin' Dudes He had his son Bill talk to me and show me how to improve Did a few more cooks with the Chargriller and bought a Meadow Creek 120 Took some classes and did really well at New Holland Summerfest My team Back Porch BBQ is defunct and does not compete Sold my stick burner and my wife bought me a Large BGE for my 60th B Day Love the Egg for grilling and smoking Still use my gasser Bill lets me hook up with him when he does a Comp Thats my story And Oh I have a like new Extended Back Woods Party I want to sell
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Old 03-27-2020, 01:04 PM   #8
ebijack
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Join Date: 08-23-13
Location: Detroit Mi
Name/Nickname : tom
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Started cooking (in doors) around the age of 12.
Starting cooking out doors around 16.
By the time I was early 20's. I had already gone thru 2-22" weber grills and a couple weber gassers. Never cared much for weber products after going thru 4.
On to bigger and better. Lots of modifications to make every cooker I purchased work better for me.
I have friends that are still using my modified cookers that they have had now since early 2000's.
Besides all the cookers I've modified/built since joining this group.

I was lucky enough to hook up with a few Brethren and do alot of cooks for our Veterans. No charge ever. All out of our pockets and donations.
Like quite a few other Brethren here do.
https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/s...d.php?t=279233
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Old 03-27-2020, 01:07 PM   #9
AceQue
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Join Date: 06-14-14
Location: Racine, WI
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My dad usually grilled a lot (mostly in the summer) on a gasser while I was growing up, and also would use a tripod to cook on when we went camping which was a lot. So I learned quite a bit that way as far as outdoor grilling is concerned.

I had a small little portable gas grill in college when my roommates and I lived in apartments/duplexes, so I would cook mostly burgers and brats and stuff like that a bunch (until one fateful day it caught on fire and damn near burned our whole apartment down...oops) even had a hand-me-down gas deep fryer that I would fire up from time to time.

Bought my house in 2008 and went from cheap gassers to an Akorn and better gassers via Craigslist. Then I got into smoking after having gone to a good BBQ restaurant and was hooked ever since. I didn't know any better, but started off with a cheap masterbuilt propane smoker, and it was great to start on and learn...made some good Q on that thing. Just wish I had more time to do it, but alas that's where I am now.
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Old 03-27-2020, 01:08 PM   #10
blackdogbbq21
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Join Date: 04-30-18
Location: Northern California
Name/Nickname : Paul
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Growing up my family grilled several times a week, most of the time with charcoal. Once I got old enough I started helping out with cooking. I always liked smoked meats but no one in my family had a smoker. A coworker bought a weber smokey mountain cooker and brought some pulled pork he made into work. Not long after that I bought my own and used that for about 10 years.

I always was intrigued by offsets but thought it was too involved. Then about 4 years ago I found out about Aaron Franklin and started following his videos and book and started messing with a cheap offset smoker. Now I've got a 250 gallon offset smoker and I absolutely love cooking on it. It's a lot more work than the old WSM I had but I really enjoy the process. I still do a lot of grilling with charcoal as well.
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Old 03-27-2020, 01:39 PM   #11
Maylar
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Join Date: 04-21-15
Location: Connecticut
Name/Nickname : Dave
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Outdoors was burgers & dogs on a cheap ass charcoal grill at age 16. Indoors, cooked daily supper for the family after school, specialized in deserts at an early age. I actually had an Easy-Bake Oven as a kid. Almost attended culinary school instead of engineering, but no regrets on that.
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Old 03-27-2020, 01:47 PM   #12
16Adams
somebody shut me the fark up.

 
Join Date: 01-16-13
Location: USA
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I was a sophomore in high school, Wait you mean BBQ?

Never mind
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Old 03-27-2020, 01:52 PM   #13
rwalters
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Location: Columbia, TN
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 16Adams View Post
I was a sophomore in high school, Wait you mean BBQ?

Never mind

Thread killer! Go back into quarantine buddy… lol ;-)
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Follower of Jesus, Husband of 1, Father of 9, Lover of people
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Old 03-27-2020, 01:52 PM   #14
Sooner21
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Join Date: 10-24-09
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 16Adams View Post
I was a sophomore in high school, Wait you mean BBQ?

Never mind
Haha! What song was playing??
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Old 03-27-2020, 01:53 PM   #15
16Adams
somebody shut me the fark up.

 
Join Date: 01-16-13
Location: USA
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Lying Eyes-Eagles
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