On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 09:42:36 GMT, "M&M" >
wrote:
> It uses copious quantities of fuel and has to be tended at least hourly. But on the flip
> side, the best pork ribs I have ever eaten have come out of that pit.

The nice thing about the offset fire box is that it makes it easy to
use hardwoods as fuel. Where I live, I can get all the free oak I
want. I always keep a small pile seasoned out back. I roll up my
Weber grill next to the bandera and build a fire out of Oak. . When
it burns down to coals, I scoop them up with a small garden shovel
with a long handle and add them to the fire box as needed.

Yes it kind of a pain to keep one fire going in the fire box and
somewhere else, but it's barbecueing. But I've gotten to the point
where I enjoy the hands on experience of making good 'que.

I once cooked a couple of turkeys on the smoker and maintained the
chamber temperature at 200-200 for 14 hours. It was lunacy! I worked
from 3:30 to midnight, got home, fired up the smoker, and stayed up
all night tending the fire (something that you don't have to worry
about so much with the WSM) and stayed awake smoking until later that
afternoon when we ate. I think I fell asleep face first in the mashed
potatoes.

My friends think I'm nuts - until they start eating!