hammb
Full Fledged Farker
- Joined
- May 8, 2013
- Location
- Waterville, OH
Some may remember seeing this thread awhile back http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=221320
Well I finally got the smoker cleaned up and fired it up for the first time today. I used an angle grinder to remove the rust. Put on a fresh coat of high temp BBQ black paint. I got new grates made by a friend. Installed a couple of new handles and Tel-Tru thermometers. Really wasn't that much work and it looks SO much nicer...you wouldn't even know it was the same smoker!
So today I grabbed a couple pictures of it. I gave the inside a good coating of PAM and fired it up for the first time! Did a set of beef ribs and a rack of St. Louis cut spares. I ended up getting a later start on the meat than I wanted so I had to foil the beef ribs to speed them along, which cost me some of my bark, but all told a pretty successful cook. The spares were probably the best I've ever made...perfect doneness.
Coming from a WSM 18.5" this bad boy is WAY more maintenance, but that's the joy of burning just wood. I had a blast tending the fire all afternoon. I have to honestly say the smell hit me when the smoker was still coming up to temp. The delicious smell of pure apple wood burning with no charcoal, not choking the wood down to a smolder, etc. A completely different smell, and I think it's noticeable in the end product!
I am saddened (although not in the least surprised) that the vertical cook chamber stays 100-150* cooler than the horizontal chamber. Not the end of the world but will make it tough to use both at the same time.
Anyway, on to the pics:
Well I finally got the smoker cleaned up and fired it up for the first time today. I used an angle grinder to remove the rust. Put on a fresh coat of high temp BBQ black paint. I got new grates made by a friend. Installed a couple of new handles and Tel-Tru thermometers. Really wasn't that much work and it looks SO much nicer...you wouldn't even know it was the same smoker!
So today I grabbed a couple pictures of it. I gave the inside a good coating of PAM and fired it up for the first time! Did a set of beef ribs and a rack of St. Louis cut spares. I ended up getting a later start on the meat than I wanted so I had to foil the beef ribs to speed them along, which cost me some of my bark, but all told a pretty successful cook. The spares were probably the best I've ever made...perfect doneness.
Coming from a WSM 18.5" this bad boy is WAY more maintenance, but that's the joy of burning just wood. I had a blast tending the fire all afternoon. I have to honestly say the smell hit me when the smoker was still coming up to temp. The delicious smell of pure apple wood burning with no charcoal, not choking the wood down to a smolder, etc. A completely different smell, and I think it's noticeable in the end product!
I am saddened (although not in the least surprised) that the vertical cook chamber stays 100-150* cooler than the horizontal chamber. Not the end of the world but will make it tough to use both at the same time.
Anyway, on to the pics: