My W.S.M. Plan

[imjesse1]

Well last weekend I decided that I would try to cook up some pork shoulders and try to sell them, I started with 3-7pound shoulders
In the 10 hours they took to cook I had all 3 sold... I had to leave 2 customers disappointed that they missed my call.

I have decided to make 50 shoulders in 10 weeks and take a profit of 8.00$ on each shoulder to pay for a new wsm 22

 

[linguica]

Would seem to be a good idea on the surface, but selling home cooked foods to people you don't know well can have drawbacks. Make sure that you know, understand and practice good food sanitation rules.   

 

[imjesse1]

I'll be selling to family and friends.... I've been feeding coworkers my food for years, I do rib roasts at my house and I think it's time to start getting payed

 

[mdboatbum]

Good luck!! It seems like an awful lot of hassle to go through all the inspections, certifications and licensing procedures to become a commercial caterer just to save up for a WSM, but I applaud your work ethic.

 

[imjesse1]

I have 38 pounds going in the smoker tomorrow, I got 4 shoulders .99 a pound 7.00 each, will get 65.00$ for them all...
32.00$ profit
I'm only selling it to friend, they know what I'm doing and there ok with the risk the stuff is awesome!

 

[fpnmf]

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• fpnmf
• Jan 26, 2013

 

[pgsmoker64]

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• fpnmf
• Jan 26, 2013

I have to agree with Craig!  

I don't mean to be negative, but think about the money you spend on fuel, rub, etc.  Plus, what about your time?  At 10 hours for a pork butt (not pulled pork obviously) and an $8.00 profit...well that's about 0.80 cents per hour.  Don't know about you, but I think my time is worth more!  However; if you are doing something we all love...smoking meat...is it really work?  Then I guess even 0.80 per hour is awesome!

Have fun and Good Luck,

Bill

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Be easier to just put the WSM on plastic and save all the good smoking for your family.

Just saying

 

[shegriller]

First off - I this is my first post for a long time.

I applaud you for "thinking outside the smoker" and selling your product.

First thing that jumped out at me:

You are not charging enough. And I don't mean "your time is worth more $" "consider the cost of the rub, foil, gas/electricity" etc I think anyone, family or friend would balk at paying over $20 per shoulder. $25 isn't too steep either.

I am well aware of the 'wet blankets' warning you against sanitation issues, health department regulations and the high cost of opening a catering operation.

You aren't building an empire - you are just smoking some pork!

I am taking advantage of the new law recently passed in CA allowing home food sales. I have been doing it 'undercover' for years and no one has ever gotten sick or died from my food - eve!.

Yes, it's my 'fun' and it sound like yours too.

Good luck and happy smoking and selling!!

 

[dward51]

Most BBQ shops around here get $10 a pound for 1 pound containers of pulled pork, so do the math.  You are way undercharging from what you posted.  I know it's friends and relatives, but you need to do more than just over break even.  Figure your actual costs including rub, charcoal/gas/electricity, meat, etc... You should at least be doubling that (and easily more). 

Also unless you know you can get your shoulders for $0.99 per pound every week, don't use that price in your selling price calculation.  If the normal everyday price is $1.69 per pound use that even if you got the lower price that week. If you occasionally get a better price, consider it a windfall. From the way your earlier posts read you are not adding in the costs of fuel and other items for your selling price point.  Hard to figure you time as some smokers require more than others.  For example a WSM with a power draft, or a PID controlled electric smoker, time is basically in meat prep and the pit is pretty much autopilot from there.  A stick burner on the other hand will require more attention and time devoted.  So don't forget to figure that in also.

Call a few local Q joints and ask them how much they would sell a similar product for (act like your are a customer interested in buying them, not just pricing them).  Somewhere between double your raw costs and that retail price per pound is where you should be.

 

[pgsmoker64]

First off - I this is my first post for a long time.

I applaud you for "thinking outside the smoker" and selling your product.

First thing that jumped out at me:

You are not charging enough. And I don't mean "your time is worth more $" "consider the cost of the rub, foil, gas/electricity" etc I think anyone, family or friend would balk at paying over $20 per shoulder. $25 isn't too steep either.

I am well aware of the 'wet blankets' warning you against sanitation issues, health department regulations and the high cost of opening a catering operation.

You aren't building an empire - you are just smoking some pork!

I am taking advantage of the new law recently passed in CA allowing home food sales. I have been doing it 'undercover' for years and no one has ever gotten sick or died from my food - eve!.

Yes, it's my 'fun' and it sound like yours too.

Good luck and happy smoking and selling!!

Hi there SheGriller,

No one is trying to be a "wet blanket" in your words, just wanting to make sure everything is being considered.

It's genuine concern that prompts us to bring up issues.  One should have a solid business plan and understand exactly what needs to be done and what can happen.  Why not benefit from experience instead of jumping off a cliff?

I'm glad you are having fun...we all are, we love smoking meat and making good que, but the first time someone gets sick you could lose everything. 

We aren't trying to keep anyone from doing what they love just suggesting that they exercise caution...so cool your jets a bit...it's all good.  We are a community and we are trying to look out for our own.

Good luck and get smokin'

Bill

 

[linguica]

We aren't trying to keep anyone from doing what they love just suggesting that they exercise caution    In the San Francisco Bay area, People will sue for just about any reason they think they can get away with. A few even made make very successful careers by doing just that alone. A quick look in the Yellow Pages under lawyers will substantiate this. Anyone who has any property including your own home has to be very careful these days when your whole life is right there in public records. Have a good time and make a few bucks....sure  BUT always CYOA.

Cover Your Own Ass..

 

[imjesse1]

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• imjesse1
• Jan 27, 2013

I would Consider charging more, but I feel bad because there all my friends but after clean up

 

[triker]

FYI

Sept. 21, 2012. AB1616, known as the Homemade Food Act, will lift restrictions on the sale of home-cooked treats and impose sanitation and labeling requirements on the burgeoning cottage food industry. The bill excludes products that contain meat and cream and could quickly spoil.

 

[veritas456]

image.jpg

• imjesse1
• Jan 27, 2013

I would Consider charging more, but I feel bad because there all my friends but after clean up

If you feel bad about making a profit on your work, then you are not cut out to be in business. Sorry, but that's the cold hard facts. The majority of restaurants fail in the first 5 years of operation. You will have to separate the personal vs the business side of you. This is not "wet blanket" talk, its the reality of the food business.

 

[fpnmf]

Well last weekend I decided that I would try to cook up some pork shoulders and try to sell them, I started with 3-7pound shoulders
In the 10 hours they took to cook I had all 3 sold... I had to leave 2 customers disappointed that they missed my call.

I have decided to make 50 shoulders in 10 weeks and take a profit of 8.00$ on each shoulder to pay for a new wsm 22

Well..for a guy not asking for any advice you sure got a lot!!

  Hahahahahhaha

Thanks for the picture and have fun!!!

                        Craig

 

[jirodriguez]

A buddy of mine bought 2 WSM's that way.... but he did racks of ribs - much larger profit margin.

He would take orders Monday thru Thursday (he already had 2 WSM's and wanted to expand), then on Fiday night he would cook them up, and after they had cooled (in the fridge - safety) he would vaccuum seal them and folks would come pick them up on Sat.

He would buy a three pack of pre-trimmed St. Lois for approx. $25'ish and then sell each individual rack for $20. Since he had rib racks he could fit 12 racks in each WSM at a time.

 

[cityofvoltz]

just a note about food sanitation etc. i found out the SafeServe (the certification restaurants get) the employee one is only 15$ online

http://www.servsafe.com/ss/catalog/FHCategories.aspx

or you could just buy their little review book for 5$-  i'm sure there's free cheater material online.

best of luck- and where do you get pork at 99 cents a pound- that's a great price!

 

[imjesse1]

After cleaning all the fat/burnt fat out of my smoker from the shoulders I decided my new W.S.M. It to just go buy one with my tax return!

Question: will clean up be a breeze with the wsm? I feel like it will....

 

[dward51]

After cleaning all the fat/burnt fat out of my smoker from the shoulders I decided my new W.S.M. It to just go buy one with my tax return!

Question: will clean up be a breeze with the wsm? I feel like it will....

Normal cleanup on a WSM mainly consists of your ash removal, grate cleaning, and water pan/sand pan/flower pot base cleanup.  

Ash removal is easy.  Just get one of those small galvanized trash cans (I think it's a 5 gallon) at the hardware store and after your ashes cool, dump them in there and put the lid on.  I can get several smokes worth of ashes in my can before I have to transfer it to a trash bag and the main trash can. I like moving it to a closed "ash can" (retasked galvanized trash can) and leaving it for a few days before bagging as I KNOW any remaining hot sparks is totally out. On my 18.5" WSM I just pick the cold base up at least a day later and tip it over to shake the ash into the galvanized trash can (close the vents first or some will sneak out onto your deck as you tip it over).

Grate cleaning?  Well it is what it is no matter what brand, design or style of smoker you have.  Some people get them shiny new every time, others just brush the bits off and let the heat from the pit sterilize them.  Your call on this.

Water pan/sand pan/flower pot base - no matter which way you go, get some of the wide foil from Sam's Club and line your water pan or flower pot base with foil to make cleanup easier.  And yes you can run the pan dry also.  Most of the time the cleanup is after the WSM has cooled, just dump the grease (and water if you use it) into an appropriate container for disposal and remove the foil.  Occasionally some grease will sneak under the foil but it's still a lot easier to deal with than without the foil.

As to the interior walls of the WSM there is generally no need. If the buildup get to the point you start to see it lifting away or flaking from the sides and dome then just get the loose stuff off.  The WSM body, base and dome are all ceramic coated.  I think in the 8 years I've had my WSM I had to deal with the lifting & flaking residue once and that was back when I was smoking 4 large shoulders (I have the 18.5" WSM) on a bi-weekly basis for work.

It's a smoker not a operating room.   The grates, water pan/pot base and ash removal are basically it most of the time and it only takes a few minutes.