Greetings From The Motor City

[holehogg]

Greetings from South Africa

[Donw]

Welcome from Maryland

[Steve74]

Hello, from another Michigander!

[klflowers]

Welcome from a native Detroiter living in TN

[Evil Swine BBQ]

Howdy from Kansas Territory, Welcome to Th Pit!
Lookin forward to learnin along with, an from ya!

What kinda offset are ya currently rollin?
Mebbe we can share some tips a, experience that'll help ya endure, while ya wait fer an LSG...

Congrats on yalls successful recovery from th cancer, an Many Thanks fer yer Service, Brother!

---

Well, it's embarrassing to say after seeing some of the pits you guys here are working with. I have a cheap big box store Chargriller. Cost me maybe 150 bucks lol. It's a decent size for a backyard cooker being that I have a pretty small family.

I made some modifications to try to improve my thermal mass, temperature control and to seal it up to keep the heat and smoke in.

The first thing I did was reseal every seam with that red high heat sealant and installed a gasket around the cooking chamber so I don't lose heat or smoke out the cooking chamber except through the chimney. Then I lined the bottom of the cooking chamber with 6 firebrick to increase my thermal mass so when I have to open the lid to mop or probe, the pit will get up to temp faster. Next I made a two piece baffle/tuning plate out of a steel plate that I put a 45 degree bend on one side so I could butt it up to where the opening of the fire box and cooking chamber meet. I cut holes into the plate making them small near the fire box and increase in size farther inward. It helped maintain a much even temp throughout the cooking chamber but I still had a pretty decent variance in temp from one side to the other. So my solution was to fabricate a water pan out of steel plate. I gave one side a 45 degree angle to match the baffle so I could fit it right up against the wall where the cooking chamber and fire box meet. It works surprisingly better than I thought.

But the cooker obviously has its flaws. The cooker and firebox metal are paper thin and I use a lot of wood because of it. I had a couple of old welding and moving blankets so I cut them to a size that I can drape over the cooking chamber and the top of the firebox. It helps somewhat with the fuel consumption but it's not an ideal scenario when I have to add a log, mop or probe. It can be a pain in the butt...but right now I'm doing the best I can with what I got. But hey, what can you expect from a $150 cooker right? I put about another $100 bucks into modifying it so for $250 I've produced some decent BBQ from it and my family doesn't seem to complain about the results so that's a win in my book. Here are some samples of what I've produced out of my modified cheap offset:



I'd also like to thank you all for the warm welcome and we'll wishes. I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.

[Evil Swine BBQ]

Understand the spousal situation, I live with it daily. Good to see things are lookin up. I know you’ve got yer heart set on a really good stick burner, but have you considered going charcoal with a kettle. They’re cheap & ya can get by makin some pretty good Q whilst yer Savin fer the LSG. Welcome, eat good & have fun!
BTW, where in Motown?

God bless you and your family my friend. Stay strong and stay positive, I know it's easier said than done some days, just keep the faith and keep on fighting.

I live in Sterling Heights, MI... About 40 minutes northeast of Detroit.

[Mr. Bones]

They Obviously ain't nuthin looks wrong bout yer foods, Brother!

Th Magick ain't in Th Cooker, amigo... It's in Th Cook...

Worked my way through a whole lotta shite-boxes, over th decades, but if'n yer turnin out foods like them shown, it means ya've already mastered some of th most important things: Knowin yer cooker, an fire management...havin ya a gazillion dollar pit ain't no help, if ya don't know how to build, maintain, an run a good fire in it...

Very Pleased to have ya here, amigo!

We'd Love to hear more bout yer rubs, sauces, techniques, etc., if yer willin to share...it's what we all do here!

Also, special since yer new; Never be afraid to ask a question...We all love to help an share with each other, an ain't nobody gonna yike at ya...

Reckon I done already asked up alla th stoopid ones lol

[Evil Swine BBQ]

I appreciate the kind words, it means a lot. My rubs are pretty much standard stuff like a typical BBQ rub that hits all the notes of salty, sweet and some heat on the backend. I also make a hotter version. I make a salt, pepper garlic with a few added extras for an all purpose rub and use that also as a base for my beef rub.

As far as my BBQ sauces go, they are thicker than a vinegar based sauce, more along the lines of a Kansas city style sauce in terms of consistency. The stores are flooded with regional sauces Carolina, Kansas City, etc. What I do is a little different. Each of my sauces have a unique flavor profile. I pair up a different kind of chili pepper with a different type of alcohol. The sauces I currently make are:

Whiskey Green Apple Jalapeño
Spiced Rum Pineapple Habenero
Moonshine Peach Poblano
Bourbon Chipolte Bacon and Onion

I have a couple other ideas in mind as well but right now I'm trying to figure out how to get the recipes I have to market. The thing is, I'm just a backyard cook, not a businessman. After researching how to get started bottling and selling my own sauce and talking to people, my head is spinning. I had no idea how many steps and how much money it would take to start a business.

[FireMan]

Nuthin wrong with a cheap whatever, it’s the cookie not the cooker. Some outstanding cooks ya got there.
Grew up on the west side of D, was in St. Clair Shores before I moved to Cheeseland.

[Huskee]

Welcome to the Pitmaster Club, from about 2hrs NW of you! Happy to have you here. I'd have to agree it doesn't matter what you're cooking on as long as you know how to work it and those you love are there with you.

Since you’re new here, please check out our homework assignment post for new members, it contains a few how-tos and please-dos. This will help you learn your way around so you can get the best experience from our forum.

Also, it's very important that you:

1. Give us an email address you actually use. You can check the email we have on file for you by clicking your username in the top-right, then My Settings, then the Account tab. You currently cannot change your email on file with us yourself since it’s tied to your Pitmaster Club account as well as our payment processor if you’re a paying member. Don’t worry though, we’d be happy to change it for you, just click here to fill out an email change request.
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Hope to hear & see more from you!

[Richard Chrz]

Welcome to the pit from LaCtosse Wi. Happy to read cancer was beat. Look forward to seeing your cooks. Like Mr. Bones said. Nothing wrong with your cooking, it’s the cook that builds and maintains a fire.

[Stuey1515]

Welcome from Oz, I too have a $150 COS and after several years I am finally getting the right noises from the family when I cook. Planning on building a larger pit so I can do larger BBQ's, as @Mr. Bones replied to me once "it ain't so much the cooker, it's more the cook and what your cooking". Wise words indeed

[jharner]

Welcome to the pit. Enjoy the Wikipedia of BBQ