Hey everyone,
I'm excited to join this great community of smoked meat lovers. Just trolling through the forums so far, it's easy to see this is a rich gathering of kind spirited like-minded individuals who love to share their passion for smoking meat, feeding those we care about and love, and getting the most out of our gear. (can I get an amen?
)
I'm a native Oregonian, currently (and always will be) living in Portland. To me, it's the greatest city on the planet, and I'm lucky enough to live here (no offense to inhabitants of other cities.. Portland is just the town for me!). I'm a software engineer by trade, with a side business/hobby of photography (new website in the works, my Facebook Page has tons of samples of my work). My specialty of my art being (wait for it) fire performance photography. Anyone sense a theme of passion here? FIRE!
My first Weber kettle was given to me as a housewarming gift from my step-dad about 7 years ago, and I have progressed from basic grilling to smoking meats on it through the years. I've done boston butt, ribs, brined turkey, rotisserie chicken, and all the grillables I could imagine, all using my 22" Weber. But I've always been envious of a true offset smoker setup. My goal is to eventually own an extensive Horizon pit, but I definitely need more experience with the low-and-slow before I make it there, I think.
So in the meantime, I've now got myself a brand new Char-Griller Duo, seasoned up and ready for my Side Fire Box to arrive tomorrow via UPS. I'm beyond excited to take smoking meats to a whole new level with this setup. I know my wife and daughters are excited too (well, not necessarily my 8 month old, she mostly just claps at anything I do
, but my 9 year old is excited for "ribs ribs RIBS!"). I've already extended the charcoal side chimney to grate level, and installed two new thermometers (one fire side, one opposite) also at grate level. I'm also in the process of enlisting the help of my metal-working genius friend in fabricating an expanded steel charcoal basket, and perhaps a more extensive baffle once I learn what is needed for my setup.
Consider this a preemptive THANK YOU for all the great posts, threads, and tips I've been getting from this amazing community already. Thanks to some of you, I was able to make the decision to get my Duo with confidence knowing I can make the most out of what's available. I hope to provide lots and lots of QView once I get my setup completed. Being a photographer will hopefully help with that immensely. Just be careful you don't short out your keyboards drooling over all the incredible meats I plan to smoke up!
Cheers and thanks for the opportunity to share it all!
Jeremy
I'm excited to join this great community of smoked meat lovers. Just trolling through the forums so far, it's easy to see this is a rich gathering of kind spirited like-minded individuals who love to share their passion for smoking meat, feeding those we care about and love, and getting the most out of our gear. (can I get an amen?
I'm a native Oregonian, currently (and always will be) living in Portland. To me, it's the greatest city on the planet, and I'm lucky enough to live here (no offense to inhabitants of other cities.. Portland is just the town for me!). I'm a software engineer by trade, with a side business/hobby of photography (new website in the works, my Facebook Page has tons of samples of my work). My specialty of my art being (wait for it) fire performance photography. Anyone sense a theme of passion here? FIRE!
My first Weber kettle was given to me as a housewarming gift from my step-dad about 7 years ago, and I have progressed from basic grilling to smoking meats on it through the years. I've done boston butt, ribs, brined turkey, rotisserie chicken, and all the grillables I could imagine, all using my 22" Weber. But I've always been envious of a true offset smoker setup. My goal is to eventually own an extensive Horizon pit, but I definitely need more experience with the low-and-slow before I make it there, I think.
So in the meantime, I've now got myself a brand new Char-Griller Duo, seasoned up and ready for my Side Fire Box to arrive tomorrow via UPS. I'm beyond excited to take smoking meats to a whole new level with this setup. I know my wife and daughters are excited too (well, not necessarily my 8 month old, she mostly just claps at anything I do
Consider this a preemptive THANK YOU for all the great posts, threads, and tips I've been getting from this amazing community already. Thanks to some of you, I was able to make the decision to get my Duo with confidence knowing I can make the most out of what's available. I hope to provide lots and lots of QView once I get my setup completed. Being a photographer will hopefully help with that immensely. Just be careful you don't short out your keyboards drooling over all the incredible meats I plan to smoke up!
Cheers and thanks for the opportunity to share it all!
Jeremy
