Hi there! I live in west central Illinois, near St. Louis, MO. Santa brought me a digital Bradley smoker for Christmas, and I am looking forward to getting started with it. I have some experience with charcoal and electric smokers, but I am ready to step it up a notch and get into things more in depth. I plan to make my own venison sausage, snack sticks, Salami, and perhaps bratwurst. I am sure I will find the education and heIp here I will need along the way, as this looks like a great resource for all things "Smoke". Thanks for the nice resource..........I look forward to participating and learning as I go! Happy New Year everyone!