Hey Gang!
I live up on Vancouver Island, Canada, in the Pacific Northwest. Fun fact - Where I live doesn't actually rain that much. We get like a third of what Seattle or Vancouver gets.
I've been smoking meats for about 15 years. Started smoking meats with shavings from my neighbours carving projects. So a lot of cedar in the early years. I experimented and played around a lot with local woods and the bounty from local fish and meat. So elk, black tail dear, salmon, oysters, mussels, clams, spot prawns, octopus, trout, rabbit, chicken, etc. But shockingly little beef or pork. So I don't usually fit in well with the southern BBQ and smoking culture as we tend to focus on different things.
In the last couple years, smoking foods has definitely become an obsession. The niche I've really carved out for myself over the years is definitely seafood. I've been smoking salmon and oysters like crazy this winter. But I've got 3 whole hogs coming my way in June, and I've committed to processing my friends kill's this blacktail season in the fall, so it looks like I'm going to be getting back into whole animal butchering, sausage making, and smoking different cuts. Actually really looking forward to doing some ribs on the new pit this year.
For my smoker setup I've got a little chief that I use exclusively for salmon and oysters. I've got 2 weber kettles that works great for a quick indirect hot smoke. I've got an unbranded classic style pit smoker with an offset wood burning chamber that is great for big pieces of meat and low n slow long smokes. I've also got a much larger home made cabinet smoker that I built with my buddies for group fishing trips. It's got an offset smoking box that is ducted into a large insulated cabinet with 2 electric burners that control temps in the cabinet (it was originally a plate warmer for hotel banquets). And I've got my everyday BBQ with a smoke box: a Weber Genesis 2 with a side burner.
Currently have a cache of cherry wood, plum wood, maple and red cedar for the smokers. So that's what I'm planning to use for the near future, But I'm always keeping my eye out for more free wood to bolster the supply's.
Favourite thing to smoke: Spring Salmon
First thing I smoked: Cedar smoked elk burgers done in a wok in my dads kitchen. He was pissed.
Last thing I smoked: Miso brined Mackerel hot smoked on cherry in a weber kettle.
Weirdest thing I've smoked: toss up I think. I smoked water to make smoked ice for an old fashioned cocktail. And I've smoked spot prawn heads to suck back around the fire. Both were awesome.
Thing I think more people should be smoking: French Fries. Hickory smoked fries are a simple pleasure in life.
Favourite wood to smoke with: Cherry
Looking forward to picking up all sorts of tips and tricks on this forum!
Cheers gang.
Ry
I live up on Vancouver Island, Canada, in the Pacific Northwest. Fun fact - Where I live doesn't actually rain that much. We get like a third of what Seattle or Vancouver gets.
I've been smoking meats for about 15 years. Started smoking meats with shavings from my neighbours carving projects. So a lot of cedar in the early years. I experimented and played around a lot with local woods and the bounty from local fish and meat. So elk, black tail dear, salmon, oysters, mussels, clams, spot prawns, octopus, trout, rabbit, chicken, etc. But shockingly little beef or pork. So I don't usually fit in well with the southern BBQ and smoking culture as we tend to focus on different things.
In the last couple years, smoking foods has definitely become an obsession. The niche I've really carved out for myself over the years is definitely seafood. I've been smoking salmon and oysters like crazy this winter. But I've got 3 whole hogs coming my way in June, and I've committed to processing my friends kill's this blacktail season in the fall, so it looks like I'm going to be getting back into whole animal butchering, sausage making, and smoking different cuts. Actually really looking forward to doing some ribs on the new pit this year.
For my smoker setup I've got a little chief that I use exclusively for salmon and oysters. I've got 2 weber kettles that works great for a quick indirect hot smoke. I've got an unbranded classic style pit smoker with an offset wood burning chamber that is great for big pieces of meat and low n slow long smokes. I've also got a much larger home made cabinet smoker that I built with my buddies for group fishing trips. It's got an offset smoking box that is ducted into a large insulated cabinet with 2 electric burners that control temps in the cabinet (it was originally a plate warmer for hotel banquets). And I've got my everyday BBQ with a smoke box: a Weber Genesis 2 with a side burner.
Currently have a cache of cherry wood, plum wood, maple and red cedar for the smokers. So that's what I'm planning to use for the near future, But I'm always keeping my eye out for more free wood to bolster the supply's.
Favourite thing to smoke: Spring Salmon
First thing I smoked: Cedar smoked elk burgers done in a wok in my dads kitchen. He was pissed.
Last thing I smoked: Miso brined Mackerel hot smoked on cherry in a weber kettle.
Weirdest thing I've smoked: toss up I think. I smoked water to make smoked ice for an old fashioned cocktail. And I've smoked spot prawn heads to suck back around the fire. Both were awesome.
Thing I think more people should be smoking: French Fries. Hickory smoked fries are a simple pleasure in life.
Favourite wood to smoke with: Cherry
Looking forward to picking up all sorts of tips and tricks on this forum!
Cheers gang.
Ry
