Not sure where to start, but here it goes. I'm a Texas native that relocated to Oregon 5 years or so ago. We relocated to help out my mother in law. I'm a father of 4 and a new grandfather. I enjoy pretty much anything outdoors. I'm an avid camper, hiker, and fisherman. I learned real quick that Oregon is a haven for outdoor life, but you gotta get accustomed to the rain. It rains ALOT! I'm still developing my webbed feet. My occupation is an engineer and machinist. I've been doing it for around 20 years.
I've been BBQing meats most of my life. BBQing, not grilling. I am horrible at grilling. It's hard to find a good brisket in Oregon, but I have managed to find a couple. I spent most of my life smoking on the good ole' 55 gallon drum, slightly modified. I got pretty good at building those. Now that we have moved to Oregon, I am forced to live in an apartment. I really miss my house and shop back home. That being said, they sort of frown on non gas grills. At my complex, I had to get permission to have a charcoal pit and smoker. Cooking with charcoal had it's learning curve as I am used to cooking with split oak and mesquite. I found some lump charcoal and have had success with it, but it seems to be seasonal up here. Charcoal briquettes it is..... HMMM. I bought a Brinkmann smoker on sale at wallymart, seasoned it up, and...well. It needs some mods. I have the green egg felt on order and will be heading to the Home Depot for a better coal basket. Temp guage is on order as well. One more thing I plan on doing(since it ain't the warmest up here) is have some sheet aluminum cut so I can rivet it on the outside of the smoker for a little additional insulation. I may put it on the inside instead for aesthetic purposes. It should also cut down on moisture getting between the layers causing unwanted rust. I sure miss my old pit.
Well, that's my story in a nutshell. I'm looking forward to catching a few pointers on here.
I've been BBQing meats most of my life. BBQing, not grilling. I am horrible at grilling. It's hard to find a good brisket in Oregon, but I have managed to find a couple. I spent most of my life smoking on the good ole' 55 gallon drum, slightly modified. I got pretty good at building those. Now that we have moved to Oregon, I am forced to live in an apartment. I really miss my house and shop back home. That being said, they sort of frown on non gas grills. At my complex, I had to get permission to have a charcoal pit and smoker. Cooking with charcoal had it's learning curve as I am used to cooking with split oak and mesquite. I found some lump charcoal and have had success with it, but it seems to be seasonal up here. Charcoal briquettes it is..... HMMM. I bought a Brinkmann smoker on sale at wallymart, seasoned it up, and...well. It needs some mods. I have the green egg felt on order and will be heading to the Home Depot for a better coal basket. Temp guage is on order as well. One more thing I plan on doing(since it ain't the warmest up here) is have some sheet aluminum cut so I can rivet it on the outside of the smoker for a little additional insulation. I may put it on the inside instead for aesthetic purposes. It should also cut down on moisture getting between the layers causing unwanted rust. I sure miss my old pit.
Well, that's my story in a nutshell. I'm looking forward to catching a few pointers on here.
