Here is a great story (at least for me lol) for you all to read

[rob sicc]

Hi All,

I have been on this site for a while now.  Of everything I know about smoke, I probably learned 80% here.  I primarily use my smoker for the beef jerky I sell at a local farmers market and the occasional Fattie.  

This past weekend I was at a local  BBQ contest sell my jerky.  It was a 3 day event.  I posted about it.  I hope all locals went.  The event was a lot of fun.  There were a number of BBQ vendors and such.  There was also someone selling smokers and an organization 'BBQ Relief".

So I spent the weekend selling and through out the weekend I kept buying 50/50 tickets for the BBQ Relief organization.

On Sunday I brought my 9 year old daughter for moral support,  lol.  She loves to help Daddy sell beef jerky and I like to teach her to handle money also.  Not sure if she gave the right change but it was still good for her.  

Now here is the funny part.

I gave her $20 and asked her to get me 50/50 tickets.  She likes running around so I thought it might some energy, thought again, those of you with 9 year old's or who have had 9 year old's know that was just wishful thinking.

She came back with my tickets.  then at the end of the event the started reading off the winners.  It turned out my daughter didn't buy me 50/50 tickets.  She bought me raffle tickets.  Long story short (TOO LATE)  I won a Large big green egg!  My daughter got an extra big Root beer float.  lol  I really love this story.  I've wanted one but always thought they were out of my price range.  So I have the dilemma is, I need a large smoker that allows me to make more jerky at once.  Should I sell the Egg and use the money for a Bell Fab or should I keep the egg and save longer.  I'm thinking be greedy.  lol   

How did you like my story?

Ciao,

Rob

 

[SmokinAl]

Wow that is a great story.

I would think that the smart thing to do would be to sell the BGE.

Only because you said it wouldn't be what you needed.

Then you can get the Bell Fab you want.

Al

 

[sauced]

WOW....great story!! I agree with Al, sell it!

PS.....real good jerky!!!

 

[thegreatmc]

You have to do a cost vs reward breakdown. You said all you cook is fatties and jerky and you need the other smoker to do jerky, which in turn gets you more money so you could buy a BGE and have both sooner then if you kept the BGE. I don't know how big your operation is but personally I'd keep the BGE and make a UDS. You can make a lot of jerky in one if you build yourself some sort of system to hang it or build lots of shelves in it. Then again this is just me talking while I'm thinking about building a UDS so my opinion is warped.

 

[bbqbrett]

Wow, that is pretty cool. Question is can you use the BGE to make jerky as well? If so and you have always wanted one then keep it. You could still get some good use out of it while saving for the other.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Great story! And over the years I have had 3 nine year old Daughter's, all now in their 20's. Unless you will take Full Advantage of all the Egg can do...Sell it. For me, it would be a nice to have but to expensive...JJ

 

[betaboy]

Hehehe! Very interesting story for sure! Can't really go wrong really! To sell or not to sell is a tough one. I'd personally sell it I guess but, that's a tough one.

 

[b-one]

If your not really going to use it you might as well sell it and get making the jerky. You can always buy toys later.

 

[GaryHibbert]

If |I were you I'd sell the BGE and rent out your daughter--she could make a fortune buying raffle tickets for people like me who always buy the loosing tickets.  LOL

Gary

 

[gearjammer]

Great story, I love it.

Ed

 

[jirod]

I would have trouble getting rid of a free BGE.  Do you do much other grilling, or plan on doing more smoking?  

I love my Bell Fab I got, but even the "small" one is pretty big, and is a bit big to do just small amounts of food (like a single pork butt).  So if you like you current smoker for the odd smoking that you do outside of jerky, then that would make it easier for me to sell the BGE if I were in your shoes.

Either way you are a winner. Congrats man.

 

[mdboatbum]

I'd keep the BGE. You'll think of your 9 year old daughter buying the wrong ticket every time you use it. And from what I understand, if you take care of it, you'll be using it for a very long time. Most likely long enough to cook for her wedding on it.
Money comes and goes, but memories are special. I know it's just an inanimate object, but there's a pretty wonderful story attached to it.

 

[jetsknicks1]

I'd keep the BGE. You'll think of your 9 year old daughter buying the wrong ticket every time you use it. And from what I understand, if you take care of it, you'll be using it for a very long time. Most likely long enough to cook for her wedding on it.
Money comes and goes, but memories are special. I know it's just an inanimate object, but there's a pretty wonderful story attached to it.

^^^ this. I have 3 daughters (all grown now) and two granddaughters. If one of my granddaughters mistakenly bought those tickets, I'd have a really hard time getting rid of it because of the sentimental value I would immediately impart on it because of how I got it.

But that's just one man's opinion. :-)

 

[chef jimmyj]

I'd keep the BGE. You'll think of your 9 year old daughter buying the wrong ticket every time you use it. And from what I understand, if you take care of it, you'll be using it for a very long time. Most likely long enough to cook for her wedding on it.
Money comes and goes, but memories are special. I know it's just an inanimate object, but there's a pretty wonderful story attached to it.

Aaawww...When you put it that way....I would have to keep it!....JJ

 

[wklkjn]

Rob, that's a great story and it makes me think.  I never thought about making jerky in the smoker!

Now I'll have something to try this weekend.

Thanks!!!

 

[rob sicc]

 
WOW....great story!! I agree with Al, sell it!

PS.....real good jerky!!!

Hey Sauced. Thanks for the comments on the jerky.  It was good meeting you.

I was thinking of keeping it only because I have saved the money for the bell fab but I will never spend the money for one of these.  

You both are right though.  It will probably collect dust and that would be a shame.  Plus adding an extra $800 - $1,200  (that I think I might get for it) to my current budget should get me exactly what I need.  

 

[rob sicc]

 
Rob, that's a great story and it makes me think.  I never thought about making jerky in the smoker!

Now I'll have something to try this weekend.

Thanks!!!

Making jerky was a fluke and good timing.  I was smoking something and making some jerky so I thought,  why not throw a few pieces on the smoker and see what happens.  I gave it to friends and they lost their minds over it.  I sell 3 times more of my smoked jerky than anything else I sell.

Let me know how it goes.  But remember, you need a lot of surface space because you can make just 1 piece of jerky.