My name is Len. I reside in Folsom, CA (about 20 miles east of Sacramento). I am originally from the Atlanta, GA area and will return to retire there in a couple of years. I have been smoking meats for a number of years, but never very seriously, until recently. I started out 30 years ago on a Weber 22" charcoal kettle. I graduated to a Brinkmann Sportsman, using charcoal. Then I had kids and the smoking pursuit dried up. About 5 years ago, my brother in Atlanta got a Lang (big offset stick burner to pull behind his Suburban), and he woke me up on this topic again. So, my next endeavor was to modify my Brinkmann to burn propane, using wood chunks in a large coffee can to smolder and provide flavor. That worked excellent.....until my propane ran out one time. Then 2 years ago, Traeger was showing their pellet smokers at Costco with a sweet price, so I bought the Texas Grill and never looked back. While I can appreciate the tradition of natural cooking with stick burning, I sure appreciate the convenience and great flavor of the automated temperature control of the pellet smoker. What is next in my BBQ future? When I retire, my brother and I want to take our skills on the road to compete and see the USA. Hence my focus for now is on honing my smokings skills and developing a broad range of recipes for meats and side dishes, which will serve me in a competitive environment.
