My hobbies used to be hunting and shooting sporting clays. Then I developed a back problem. I can’t stand for more than a few minutes or walk further than about a hundred yards without needing to sit down. I also can’t climb stairs anymore. When I sit, the pain immediately goes away. It was recently diagnosed as inoperable. My back problem also creates a knee problem because my legs try to compensate for the back problem, so I can’t climb stairs anymore. Anyway, as a result, my hobbies are changing to barbecuing and grilling. I sold all of my rifles and shotguns but a few, and I’m using part of the money to buy smokers and grills. I also joined the Amazingribs.com Pit Masters last December.
Until last fall my grilling and smoking equipment consisted of a Char-Broil 4-burner gas grill, a Brinkman Trail Master offset charcoal smoker, and two Brinkman all-in-one round gas water smokers. One of the gas water smokers was for my wife, Kate, who doesn’t eat red meat and wants her seafood and poultry prepared on a different smoker. She has a degree in animal science and worked summers on a cattle ranch while in college, so go figure.
Last October I gave my Brinkman offset charcoal smoker and one of my Brinkman gas water smokers to my son, Stephen. Then I purchased two Landmann 38-inch 2-drawer vertical gas water smokers, a Weber 22 inch charcoal kettle grill, and a Weber Spirit E-310 gas grill. I also purchased a Backwoods G2 Party smoker that was delivered just last week, and which I haven’t used yet. The 4 burner Char-Broil gas grill is only two years old, but is rusting out and on its last legs. When it goes, I plan to replace it with a Weber Summit S-420.
I worked for Tropicana, the orange juice company, from 1984-1994. For about 15 years, every May the company had a pig roast for managerial employees and their families. About 150-200 people attended. They barbecued two hogs and 50 chickens, and also served boiled sweet corn, baked beans, chili, slaw, and corn bread. There was banana pudding and chocolate cake for dessert, several kegs of beer, cases of red and white wine, and soft drinks. Games were horse shoes, darts, and volley ball. It started around 2 PM on a Saturday, and went until about 8 PM. The hogs were put on to smoke the night before the event, and were slow smoked and basted for about 18 hours. It was held in Bill Roscoe’s five-acre shady back yard. Bill was in charge of maintenance for Tropicana. He designed and had one of his welders build the three apparatuses that the hogs and chickens were smoked on. My memory for 21 years ago isn’t perfect so this description of them may not be exactly correct. They were made out of stainless steel, and each consisted of a top shelf that was a cooking grate about 3’ X 6’ and about 3’ high. Below that was another shelf that was a steel grid that held charcoal and wood, adjustable for height from about a foot below the cooking grate to about two-and-a-half feet below the cooking grate. This apparatus was enclosed with a steel panel on the 6’ long back and front sides. The 6’ long panel on the front side was on hinges and could be opened to enable adding charcoal and wood. The 3’X 3’wide ends were removable steel panels with adjustable vents for air flow. The whole thing came apart for storage. Bill retired from Tropicana in 1996, sold his house and moved. I want to use his hog smoking apparatus to recreate the old Tropicana pig roasts for my church, the First United Methodist Church of Lake Wales, Florida. So yesterday I contacted Bill to buy one of his hog smoking apparatuses, but he no longer has them. However, he thinks he still has the plans he drew up for their construction. He will find them and email them to me next week, and I will share them on this forum.
Until last fall my grilling and smoking equipment consisted of a Char-Broil 4-burner gas grill, a Brinkman Trail Master offset charcoal smoker, and two Brinkman all-in-one round gas water smokers. One of the gas water smokers was for my wife, Kate, who doesn’t eat red meat and wants her seafood and poultry prepared on a different smoker. She has a degree in animal science and worked summers on a cattle ranch while in college, so go figure.
Last October I gave my Brinkman offset charcoal smoker and one of my Brinkman gas water smokers to my son, Stephen. Then I purchased two Landmann 38-inch 2-drawer vertical gas water smokers, a Weber 22 inch charcoal kettle grill, and a Weber Spirit E-310 gas grill. I also purchased a Backwoods G2 Party smoker that was delivered just last week, and which I haven’t used yet. The 4 burner Char-Broil gas grill is only two years old, but is rusting out and on its last legs. When it goes, I plan to replace it with a Weber Summit S-420.
I worked for Tropicana, the orange juice company, from 1984-1994. For about 15 years, every May the company had a pig roast for managerial employees and their families. About 150-200 people attended. They barbecued two hogs and 50 chickens, and also served boiled sweet corn, baked beans, chili, slaw, and corn bread. There was banana pudding and chocolate cake for dessert, several kegs of beer, cases of red and white wine, and soft drinks. Games were horse shoes, darts, and volley ball. It started around 2 PM on a Saturday, and went until about 8 PM. The hogs were put on to smoke the night before the event, and were slow smoked and basted for about 18 hours. It was held in Bill Roscoe’s five-acre shady back yard. Bill was in charge of maintenance for Tropicana. He designed and had one of his welders build the three apparatuses that the hogs and chickens were smoked on. My memory for 21 years ago isn’t perfect so this description of them may not be exactly correct. They were made out of stainless steel, and each consisted of a top shelf that was a cooking grate about 3’ X 6’ and about 3’ high. Below that was another shelf that was a steel grid that held charcoal and wood, adjustable for height from about a foot below the cooking grate to about two-and-a-half feet below the cooking grate. This apparatus was enclosed with a steel panel on the 6’ long back and front sides. The 6’ long panel on the front side was on hinges and could be opened to enable adding charcoal and wood. The 3’X 3’wide ends were removable steel panels with adjustable vents for air flow. The whole thing came apart for storage. Bill retired from Tropicana in 1996, sold his house and moved. I want to use his hog smoking apparatus to recreate the old Tropicana pig roasts for my church, the First United Methodist Church of Lake Wales, Florida. So yesterday I contacted Bill to buy one of his hog smoking apparatuses, but he no longer has them. However, he thinks he still has the plans he drew up for their construction. He will find them and email them to me next week, and I will share them on this forum.
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