Hi, I'm Kevin, living on the San Francisco peninsula--moved here 12 years ago from Ohio, but have lots of family in the Carolinas, primarily in the Eastern North Carolina vinegar belt.
I currently have a 3-year old Brinkmann vertical gas smoker I bought at Home Depot. It's gotten great use over 3 years.
I'm an avid cook and started my smoking career with this smoker. My primary motivator was the lack of good barbecue (of any kind) here in the Bay Area.
I especially miss summer visits to North Carolina and indulging in that delicious pulled pork we simply call "Barbecue". You would not believe the stuff that people here in the Bay Area will pile on a plate and try to label Eastern North Carolina.
Anyway, I had great results almost immediately on this little smoker, with pork butts as well as baby backs, a turkey breast or two, and more than one brisket.
I'm beginning to feel I'm outgrowing it a bit--temperature control isn't great and I'd like to be able to smoke some kielbasa and smoked sausage, and do a whole packer brisket without trying to trick it into fitting onto the Brinkmann's smallish round grate. I'm also striving for more predictability from my briskets.
I also cook extensively apart from the smoker, and love to make a huge variety of food--everything from paella to Italian specialities learned from many visits to that magic country to visit friends.
Just this weekend I smoked a whole 12 pound brisket and followed the Texas Crutch method, using a coffee rub I've devised myself. I got the tenderness and juiciness I was looking for, now I'm working on texture. Along with that I cooked two smallish Pork Butts for ENCBBQ, and some of my secret recipe dry-rub baby backs. Our party of 14 hungry guests seemed to enjoy it.
I am eyeing another propane smoker at Orchard Supply Hardware--it's a Smoke Hollow Deluxe Vertical LP gas smoker, with a pull out bottom drawer for chips and water and a nice rectangular insulated cabinet.
I've perused these threads many times over the past few years and gotten some great ideas and looking forward to learning much more and sharing wherever I think I can contribute.
Thanks
Kevin
I currently have a 3-year old Brinkmann vertical gas smoker I bought at Home Depot. It's gotten great use over 3 years.
I'm an avid cook and started my smoking career with this smoker. My primary motivator was the lack of good barbecue (of any kind) here in the Bay Area.
I especially miss summer visits to North Carolina and indulging in that delicious pulled pork we simply call "Barbecue". You would not believe the stuff that people here in the Bay Area will pile on a plate and try to label Eastern North Carolina.
Anyway, I had great results almost immediately on this little smoker, with pork butts as well as baby backs, a turkey breast or two, and more than one brisket.
I'm beginning to feel I'm outgrowing it a bit--temperature control isn't great and I'd like to be able to smoke some kielbasa and smoked sausage, and do a whole packer brisket without trying to trick it into fitting onto the Brinkmann's smallish round grate. I'm also striving for more predictability from my briskets.
I also cook extensively apart from the smoker, and love to make a huge variety of food--everything from paella to Italian specialities learned from many visits to that magic country to visit friends.
Just this weekend I smoked a whole 12 pound brisket and followed the Texas Crutch method, using a coffee rub I've devised myself. I got the tenderness and juiciness I was looking for, now I'm working on texture. Along with that I cooked two smallish Pork Butts for ENCBBQ, and some of my secret recipe dry-rub baby backs. Our party of 14 hungry guests seemed to enjoy it.
I am eyeing another propane smoker at Orchard Supply Hardware--it's a Smoke Hollow Deluxe Vertical LP gas smoker, with a pull out bottom drawer for chips and water and a nice rectangular insulated cabinet.
I've perused these threads many times over the past few years and gotten some great ideas and looking forward to learning much more and sharing wherever I think I can contribute.
Thanks
Kevin