Newbie smoker

[tednol]

Hi all,

Massive BBQ lover here. I blame my father. He spent his 20's and 30's at RAF Akrotiri with a beer in hand, tending to his grill (when he wasn't piloting his Lightning). We used to have 2 or 3 BBQ's a week growing up in the Middle East, so I well and truly have the bug. I've inherited his enthusiasm, if not necessarily his talent.

I've a Weber 57 Kettle BBQ which has very much been my trusty steed the last few years. And last Friday I decided to go one step further after seeing a Weber Smokey Mountain 37 on sale for a frankly silly price of £160. Very excited to see what it can do.

Did my first cook over the weekend. Didn't want to have too much on the line by way of pricey meat, or to have set expectations high and have lots of people coming round to try the results, so opted to cook a single whole chicken. Really enjoyed my first time using the WSM. Very easy to maintain the temperature with a few vent adjustments. Even after 150 minutes of burn time, the coals were only half burnt through. And the meat itself was excellent, even if it didn't have the crispy skin I love when roasting a bird in the kettle.

Obviously I'm thinking about what to do next. Excited by a pork shoulder, brisket and a side of salmon. Will be seeking inspiration and tips from the web and found this forum whilst Googling, so thought it might be a good place to engage with people who know a little bit more than me!

Ted

[BraaiMeesterWannabe]

Baby back ribs are a good one to learn with. 4 to 5 hours @ 225f so good to learn how to control the heat for a mid range cook time.