Newbie smoker hailing from Buffalo Grove IL

chico28526

Former Member

Joined: Jul 2022

Posts: 1

Location: Buffalo Grove, IL
#1

Newbie smoker hailing from Buffalo Grove IL

July 11, 2022, 07:08 PM

Hi everyone! I would say I started smoking meats on and off about 15 years ago on a family Weber 22" kettle. I took over grilling duties from my dad and I'd do prime rib roasts, smoke the thanksgiving turkey, and dabble with ribs. After the pandemic hit, I picked up smoking again and wound up getting a cheap WSM 18" and a GMG pellet online, and have been smoking things on a weekly basis for the better part of a year now. My favorite things to smoke currently are pork butts on the WSM (used to Texas crutch them, but got lazy one time and didn't do it, and the bark that resulted was glorious) and beef jerky on the pellet (eye of round cut into thin slices, with a soy sauce/teriyaki/bbq sauce marinade). My brother-in-law introduced me to Meathead's site and book about a month ago, and I've been hooked ever since!
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STEbbq

Club Member

Joined: Mar 2020

Posts: 5412

Location: Near Chicago, IL

Current Portfolio:
Joule
PK300
Meathead’s Large Big Green Egg Loaded (see below)

Old (sold) Loves:
PBC
Weber 22" Premium
Masterbuilt Gravity 560
Akorn Kamado

Thermometers:
Thermopro wired
Thermoworks POP
Combustion Inc

Preferred Charcoal:
Masterbuilt Lump

Favorite Rubs:
Homemade (mainly MMD/Just Like Katz rub)

Other Accessories:
Big Green Egg Slow & Sear
Tandoori Skewers System for BGE
Split ceramic plates BGE
Smoking plate BGE
Mercer brisket slicing knife
Rapala brisket trimming knife
SS BBQ trays
NoCry Cut Resistant Gloves
LEM # 8 Meat Grinder
Lodge 5-Quart Dutch Oven + Skillet
Meat Claws
Grill Rescue Brush
Meat Fridge for dry aging

Favorite Whiskey/Beer:
Anything Peaty or anything from New Holland brewery
#2

July 11, 2022, 07:11 PM

Welcome ! Only about 45 minutes from ya.
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1 comment

#2.1

WayneT commented

July 11, 2022, 07:54 PM

Editing a comment

Hard act to follow.
LA Pork Butt

Charter Member

Joined: Dec 2014

Posts: 8596

Location: Grew up in New Orleans, 20 years in Texas, 22 years in Mandeville, LA. Now Dallas, TX
#3

July 11, 2022, 07:12 PM

Welcome to the Pit from Dallas, Texas!
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RickyBobby

Club Member

Joined: Jul 2016

Posts: 889

Location: Brownsburg, Indiana

Cookers:
Oklahoma Joe Offset (older thick steel version!)
Camp Chef Woodwind
OK Joe Bronco
Weber Genesis
Ooni Karu
Weber Kettle
My goal is to eventually have at least one of every style of cooker….. I have work to do. Lol!

Thermometers:
ThermoWorks Thermapen MK4
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE
ThermoWorks Thermopop
ThermoWorks RFX
ThermoWorks IRK-2 Infrared
Maverick XR-50
TempSpike Plus

Other Gear:
Megaforce 3000 Meat Grinder
Weston 7-pound sausage stuffer
Jerky Gun for making poppers. (Game changer!)
Amaz-N-Tube
Original SnS with drip n griddle
Weber Chimney

Fuels Used:
Splits/Chunks, whatever I can get. Usually B&B competition. Favorites are Cherry, Apple, Post Oak, and Hickory.
Pellets, Lumberjack.
Charcoal, whatever is on sale. Currently have a bunch of KBB. Will eventually try B&B. Use whatever lump is on sale in my Ooni.
Propane, Blue Rhino.

Rubs:
Usually make my own riff’s on Memphis Dust and BBBR. Also use Meathead’s commercial rubs and occasionally try something new. I like a couple from Tuffy Stone and Kinder’s. After several surgeries, I’m very sensitive to “spicy” stuff, so I need to be careful about heat levels.
#4

July 11, 2022, 07:15 PM

Not sure that you qualify as a newbie smoker given your intro. Lol!!! That said, welcome to The Pit! We are happy to have you. You won’t find a better group of people or more BBQ knowledge anywhere! I look forward to learning along with you!
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Allon

Club Member

Joined: Jun 2022

Posts: 1499

Location: Blackstone Valley National Historic Corridor, MA

Oklahoma Joe's Bronco in orange. *

Backyard Grills GCB 1690W dual/fuel grill.

ThermoPro TP 910 dual probe thermometer.

ThermoPro TP 610 instant read thermometer

2 ThermoPro TP 960 TempSpikes.

*made possible by donations from members of the Pit

🔥🔥🔥
#5

July 11, 2022, 07:15 PM

Welcome from Central Massachusetts
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Texas Larry

Club Member

Joined: May 2017

Posts: 2898

Location: San Antonio, TX

Weber Searwood 600
Weber Jumbo Joe w/SNS
Weber Q1200
Meater Block
Thermoworks Smoke
Thermapen MK4
Thermapop
Thermoworks Chef Alarm
Thermoworks Dash
Too many thermometers, gadgets, accessories, and tools!
Favorite beer: Alaskan Amber
#6

July 11, 2022, 07:16 PM

Howdy from Wilson County, Texas!
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Oakgrovebacon

Club Member

Joined: Apr 2016

Posts: 2439

Location: South central Illinois

2 reverse flow stick burners (I built)
Propane griddle
3 charcoal grills
pellet grill
Meat slicer, meat grinder, sausage stuffer
#7

July 11, 2022, 07:25 PM

Welcome to the pit from Southern Illinois!
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Redwng

Charter Member

Joined: Oct 2014

Posts: 1589

Location: St. Cloud, FL
#8

July 11, 2022, 07:32 PM

Welcome from St. Cloud, FL.
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Whiskeyman53

Club Member

Joined: May 2020

Posts: 1613

Location: Massachusetts

Smokers/Grills:
Camp Chef Smokepro DLX pellet grill
Weber Kettle
Dyna-Glo vertical offset smoker

Favorite whiskey:
Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon
Angels Envy Bourbon
Whistle Pig Rye

Everyday sipper:
Jim Beam Black and Wild Turkey Rye 101

Favorite beer:
Coffee Porter or Stouts

Pabst Blue Ribbon and Narragansett for grilling and lawn mowing.
#9

July 11, 2022, 07:40 PM

Welcome to the pit from the bbq capital of New England, Massachusetts.
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58limited

Club Member

Joined: Dec 2018

Posts: 5198

Location: SE Texas

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." ~Benjamin Franklin
#10

July 11, 2022, 07:51 PM

Welcome!
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WayneT

Club Member

Joined: Jul 2021

Posts: 2389

Location: Yadkin Valley, NC
#11

July 11, 2022, 07:54 PM

Howdy, from NC. Welcome to the Pit.
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RonB

Club Member

Joined: Apr 2016

Posts: 20402

Location: Near Richmond VA

Weber Performer Deluxe
SNS
Pizza insert
Rotisserie
Cookshack Smokette Elite
2 Thermapens
Chefalarm
Dot
lots of probes.
Fireboard
#12

July 11, 2022, 08:20 PM

Welcome to The Pit.
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Donw

Club Member

Joined: Jul 2017

Posts: 7355

Location: Where almost all comedy is courtesy of Autocorrect.
#13

July 11, 2022, 09:03 PM

Welcome from Maryland
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mcook2201

Club Member

Joined: Aug 2019

Posts: 1186

Location: Mooresville, North Carolina

Currently own:
Weber 22 and 26 Kettle.
Regular gasser with rotisserie.
Custom built horizontal stick burner.
Custom built duel fuel "whole hog" cooker.
â€‹â€‹â€‹Many other tools of the trade.
#14

July 11, 2022, 09:10 PM

Greetings and welcome from North Carolina.
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FireMan

Founding Member

Joined: Jul 2014

Posts: 13509

Location: Wolverine lake area, Meeeechigan.
#15

July 11, 2022, 09:52 PM

With all the work you’ve done with the equipment you have & the experience you have, findin this here site & this here community was bound to happen! Welcome, eat good and have fun!
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