On 18-Aug-2009, Desideria > wrote:

> On Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:11:41 -0500, "Granby" > wrote:
>
> >Lee, I have all but stopped using my gas grill. Right now I am taking a
> >
> >piece of meat and dividing it into thirds are trying different sauces
> >and
> >rubs. Made a few from ideas here on the groups and bought some already
> >made.
> >
> >Since most of these people know so much, I doubt they remember the
> >beginning
> >days when everything was a challenge.
>
> Oh, yeah. We do... ;-)
>
>
>
> Desideria

I had a gas fired vertical (bullet) smoker for many years without ever
using
it to smoke anything. I only grilled with it and it wasn't particularly
good for
that. I came across alt.food.barbecue somehow in 2003, bought my offset
smoker and the fun began. By the end of '04 I was so frustrated with the
thing I was ready to pay someone to haul it off. I didn't though and things
gradually got better.

I spent a pleasant day today mostly on the couch because I didn't feel
particularly well. But my smoker plodded merrily along with two pork
butts and to racks of spares aboard. I had to add some fuel at the three
hour point and then about every two hours after that. I open the chimney
damper all the way when I start the pit and set the firebox damper about
one inch open. That's the way they stay until I shut down the pit.

The butts acted normally today. They took the typical (for my pit) 7 hours
and stayed with in a degree or two with each other the whole time. (I put
the temp probes in after the four hour point and look for about 195°F to
call them done. The ribs were slow today. I'm used to getting them done
in the same pit with the butts at about four hours. Not today. They took
a good hour longer then the butts. Go figure. It's done when it's done.

Yes, I remember the early frustration. I made some creosote and actually
had to throw some portions out once or twice. Today, I watched TV and
never once worried that the meat wouldn't cook to my specifications. I'm
not even finishing the meat in a holding box. It'll cool on the counter and

eat just fine when I get ready for it.

Supper tonight will be freshly smoked pork ribs with my own BBQ beans
and some Winn Dixie deli potato salad and cole slaw. I'll have some
pickled jalapenos on the side, but Nathalie won't touch those.

--
Brick (Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government
those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted
it into tyranny.)
Thomas Jefferson