Tools for the beginner

[JD McGee]

I'm gonna be miserably company then because I don't drink lol.

My team mate doesn't drink either...so you'll be in excellent company. As far as getting together to build your UDS..the next weekend I have available is May 8th. We have a competition this weekend at Pike's Place over in Seattle...(feel free to stop by and say hello). The following weekend (24th) I'll be on vacation and will not be back in town until May 1st.

You mentioned wanting to learn the "art" of bbq...I am willing to teach you the basics and a few tips and tricks that I've picked up along the way...mainly from some of the good folks right here on this forum. The most important thing (IMHO) is to learn how to control your pit...the rest is all about personal taste that you'll have fun figuring out on your own over the next few years.

I'll send you a PM with my phone #...feel free give me a call at your leisure...we'll talk about bbq...

JD

 

[Jumpkix]

Thanks so much for all the advice I will be calling this weekend.

 

[ChrisChaos]

Just read read this forum...practice practice and enjoy yourself...these guys and gals are really great here..I read everyday...and I always smile....and get really really hungry

 

[Martijn]

I would add a camera to your list.......I guess a lot of forum members would like to see some pics of your results.

 

[MOS95B]

To sum up what everyone is getting at, starting with a Traeger is like wanting to be DaVinci, and buying a paint by number. You'll get good reults, but you won't learn anything

I first learned by helping my Dad. We had an offset smoker he made out of a 55 gallon drum, with a 5 gallon oil can as a fire box. No thermo's, just his experience. Then, once I got my own grill, I figured out how to mod it to use it as a smoker.

Now I am learning a Char-Griller offset that I got from Kevin. And hoping I can get together with an old friend, who's a member now, to build UDS's

I guess where my rambling is leading is that the biggest part of barbequeing, IMHO, is about the learning, the friendship, and the fun. Using a "paint-by-number" smoker that you know will produce the same stuff every time potentially removes 2/3 of the equation....