Hi, my name is Don. My journey here is a journey born of frustration. I was never a big bbq fan until about 15 years ago when I found a place that made what I thought was good bbq. 10 years ago they had the nerve to close on an Easter Sunday when I was really craving some q(lol, I know, but I was young and didn't know better). So, being frustrated with them, I decided I would start making my own ribs and show them. That led me to Bass Pro Shops and a little bullet smoker from Brinkmann that cost $25. And I was off and running. Man those 1st ribs were absolutely horrible. You couldn't get the meat to come off the bone if you had a tow truck helping you. But i was happy because it was something I made, and I was hoping there was no way it could get any worse, or at least I was hoping that was the case. They got worse. The next few times, I tried boiling them for 10 minutes prior to smoking(if you decide to suspend my membership over that, I understand). needless to say it was a nice failure. Then I found the Texas crutch. The 1st time I unwrapped the ribs, was the moment I officially had the bug. I always hoped, but wondered if I could get ribs that tender. After playing around with seasonings and sauce for a few more years, I ended up with a rib that I deemed acceptable. My next challenge was pulled pork. Which came along very quickly. I didn't know until this site it was actually a more forgiving meat than ribs.
About 2 years ago, I realized that little bullet smoker had served it's purpose, and it was time to take the training wheels off and find something bigger. So I started looking online for smokers. I knew I wanted a big, woodburning smoker because I had eaten some q in Amarillo that I swear is still imprinted on my tastebuds. I also knew that I wanted a utility smoker that I could grow with as my knowledge increased. I knew it was gonna be a goal to make bacon and sausage at home eventually, and have the ability for massive cookouts without worrying about space. And my search kept coming back to the same pit, over and over. The price was a bit unnerving, but I figured if I did right by it on maintainence, I wouldn't have to buy another pit for a long time. So in October 2015, I took the plunge and ordered a Yoder, Durango 20 loaded. I'll admit it has been a steep learning curve going from a CBS(cheap bullet smoker), to what my friends and family call The Beast. But it has been an awesome journey. When people 1st see it, their 1st word is usually "Whoa". So far I have surpassed my previous ribs and pork butt, bacon, whole chickens, smoked a prime rib, and managed to even smoke some turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas. My current project is 2 fold; brisket and fire management. Fire management is coming along better than brisket now that I have found a good source of seasoned cherry, pecan, and hickory. Brisket will eventually get there with reps.
I'm not really good at tech stuff, but I will try and post some pictures of the pit soon.
About 2 years ago, I realized that little bullet smoker had served it's purpose, and it was time to take the training wheels off and find something bigger. So I started looking online for smokers. I knew I wanted a big, woodburning smoker because I had eaten some q in Amarillo that I swear is still imprinted on my tastebuds. I also knew that I wanted a utility smoker that I could grow with as my knowledge increased. I knew it was gonna be a goal to make bacon and sausage at home eventually, and have the ability for massive cookouts without worrying about space. And my search kept coming back to the same pit, over and over. The price was a bit unnerving, but I figured if I did right by it on maintainence, I wouldn't have to buy another pit for a long time. So in October 2015, I took the plunge and ordered a Yoder, Durango 20 loaded. I'll admit it has been a steep learning curve going from a CBS(cheap bullet smoker), to what my friends and family call The Beast. But it has been an awesome journey. When people 1st see it, their 1st word is usually "Whoa". So far I have surpassed my previous ribs and pork butt, bacon, whole chickens, smoked a prime rib, and managed to even smoke some turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas. My current project is 2 fold; brisket and fire management. Fire management is coming along better than brisket now that I have found a good source of seasoned cherry, pecan, and hickory. Brisket will eventually get there with reps.
I'm not really good at tech stuff, but I will try and post some pictures of the pit soon.
Comment