# 2010 1st Annual Family Reunion: Play-by-Play Q-view



## forluvofsmoke (Jun 23, 2010)

Potluck BBQ is the theme for our meals, and we have a reserved shelter with electric at our home-town's lake/recreation area, complete with campsites and provisions for tons of other daytime activities for this mid-July gathering.

I'm getting some of my smoked items started early and stocking up a freezer, as the menu entree items include some long smokes...this also allows me to stay caught up with posting, as it will take days if I wait until it's over and done with. With the regulations at the gathering site pertaining to no unattended cooking equipment, and me wanting a good night's rest for the 3 days and 3 nights we'll be there, this is my best option. Besides, I want to spend time with my family...that's the whole idea. We'll have fun cooking things up together during the day, I'm sure, but I don't want to be a walking/talking zombie all weekend from doing all-night smokes.

I volunteered to put together the entree menu, and coordinate most of the cooking, and bring several smokers and grills...everyone thought that would be a great way to start. We'll be sharing food purchases/furnishing cooking equipment, etc, so it won't be a heavy burden for anyone to carry. They've all had some samples of my smoking talents recently, and seemed eager to have more when the prospect of a family reunion was being discussed several months ago via email...so here we go!

For starters, I wanted to have a good mix of some of our favorite smoked goodies, and a mix of cold smoked/charcoal seared, cured/smoked, etc.

I started a Ancho Chili & Jalepeno based corned beef with a flat I separated last-night. The point got smoked with a pair of butts today, and will be diced, re-seasoned and smoked again in the morning for burnt ends treat here at home for the family. I'll be smoking a couple more briskets in another 1-1/2 weeks for pulled flat and burnt ends from the point. This will be part of the freezer stock-up to reheat and finish on site as well.

Enough rambling for now, eh? How about that Q-view?!?!?!

Corned Beef has been resting peacefully in my 4.2 cu ft q-fridge for 24 hours...I've massaged and turned it over several times already...smoke is planned in another 11 days...oh, I didn't strain this brine/cure...just remixed in the saucepan before filling the bag:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ef Pastrami/?action=view&current=124hrsin.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ef Pastrami/?action=view&current=224hrsin.jpg

Oh, BTW, here's the recipe for the above:

*Ancho/Jalapeño Corned Beef Brine/Cure*

The following is for 5-6lbs of beef:

2 Tbls Ancho Chili, freshly ground

1 Tbls Jalapeño, freshly ground

½ Tbls Garlic granules

½ tsp Thyme, ground

1 tsp Rosemary, freshly ground

½ tsp Cinnamon, ground

½ Tbls Red Pepper, crushed

2 tsp Cayenne Pepper, ground

1 Tbls White Pepper, ground

6 _*Tbls*_ Morton’s Tender Quick cure *(EDITED)*

2 Cups Water

Combined all ingredients, stirring well, and simmer in a covered saucepan over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Chill very well before adding to meat for curing.

I started 17.5lbs of butts last-night @ 10:00 pm, and as many of my longer smokes go, this one was no exception...challenging...propane tank ran empty before I remembered to swap it out for a full one...I/T's were in the upper 160's, then dropped to ~161* by the time I had things turned around and under control again. Then, severe thunderstorm with heavy rain, hail and high winds tried to put a damper on the finish, but I wouldn't let mother nature get in the way of the success of this smoke, oh no!!!  I pulled the butts to foil/rest @ 167-168* I/T...this was @ 8:30 tonight (yea, 22.5 hours) and began the pulling ceremony after 3 more hours.

12 hours into the smoke in my Smoke Vault 24 vertical gasser, rubbed with my Red Bell Pepper Rub, and smoke (~6 hrs) provided by hickory @ ~215-225*. I started with the brisket point 2 rack spaces above the water pan, and the butts on the second from the top rack space. After about 4 hours, I noticed the meats starting to sweat, and decided that this was the time to add drip pans directly under and above the brisket point (for pork drippings). I knew that this process would slow the smoking stage down quite a bit, as the pans act like a baffle, deflecting more heat towards the sides of the smoke chamber. After closing the door and waiting for temps to stabilize and seeing the door temp gauge running @ ~270-280, I knew this smoke would be no different than any other time I've used drip pans. So, things got really slow at this point...the 4lb mostly lean trimmed brisket point took nearly 12 hours to reach 170* I/T. The butts were moved to the mid-section and their pan just above the water pan, and the point to the top a few hours before the point was pulled out to help things along a bit:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...n/Pulled Pork/?action=view&current=112hrs.jpg

22.5 hours into the smoke...I/T's were 167-168* and I decided that was plenty long enough in the Vault...

But, you didn't go to 200-205*, you ask? Nope...panned/tented and into the dreaded "O" @ 170* to hold the temps for 90 minutes, then rested for 3 hours before pulling...worked out just fine...lots of shrinkage as indicated by the protruding bones here...just about to foil tent:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/.../Pulled Pork/?action=view&current=2225hrs.jpg

Ready for pulling...I kinda like this longer smoke, as it really developed the color and bark nicely:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...Pulled Pork/?action=view&current=3pulling.jpg

This had a much firmer and more prominent bark then I get with shorter open grate times and longer panned/tented times...so much so, that I really had to work at breaking it apart in the bowl with large meat forks...it was actually crispy, and I've never had a shoulder come out like that before...this alone was worth the longer burn time in the Smoke Vault:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/.../Pulled Pork/?action=view&current=4pulled.jpg

The drippings I scrapped off the pan, into a saucepan. I added a few dashes of lemon juice and about 1 cup of water and slowly simmered it uncovered for 10 minutes or so, then strained it directly into the 8 quart stainless bowl full of pulled pork...tossed it all up for a minute and bagged it for the freezer:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...lled Pork/?action=view&current=5drippings.jpg

I couldn't find any of my gallon size vac bags or large continuous roll bags, so I did my best with plastic food storage bags...it'll be alright.

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/.../Pulled Pork/?action=view&current=6bagged.jpg

Well, that's a good start for my somewhat large smoking project, anyway.

More to follow in the coming 4 weeks, up to and including the on-site feast.

Thanks for peekin'!

Eric


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## mballi3011 (Jun 23, 2010)

Now you have some fine looking grub for your family reunion and the whole family should eat really well with all your food. I can't wait to see the rest of your smoking goodness either. I'll be checkin back with you soon.


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## sumosmoke (Jun 23, 2010)

Excellent looking food!


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## rdknb (Jun 23, 2010)

That look good, I to will be checking back to see the rest


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## bmudd14474 (Jun 23, 2010)

Looking good


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## forluvofsmoke (Jun 28, 2010)

Thanks all! I'm on another roll today, so more q-view!

My wife and I were on our way back from a day-trip to Colorado on the 25th and I decided to check out the Sam's Club in Cheyenne, WY for my some meats and supplies for the upcoming reunion, and when I walked back to the meat counter, all they had out was flats. When I talked to a meat cutter, he didn't seem to know what I meant when I said full packer, so I said untrimmed brisket...that seemed to light up his eyes. He said he'd have to check if they still had any left. I told him I need 32lbs or so, and he came back with 2 nice monsters.

It's brisket time again, only for today's project, I have 2 packers weighing in @ 35lbs...should be plenty enough for burnt ends and sliced or pulled flat for 35-40 peeps.

Here we go...the 18lb I'm sure is a bit larger than any packers I've had the pleasure of introducing to the thin blue smoke:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/.../Briskets/?action=view&current=117lblabel.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/.../Briskets/?action=view&current=218lblabel.jpg

These are 12" x 18" sheet pans...pretty full load for them:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...n/Briskets/?action=view&current=3fullpans.jpg

I left the entire fat cap intact, other than scoring, and applied a heavy dose of kosher salt:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...iskets/?action=view&current=4scoredsalted.jpg

Ready to flip and rub the meat side:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...0 Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=5.jpg

I opted again for my Red Bell Pepper Rub, as I don't know the extent of the BBQ eating experiences of many who will be dining on this, so I'll keep it on the mild side...and, I'll have a spiced-up version of corned beef pastrami to go along with this meal for the more adventurous eaters:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...0 Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=6.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ion/Briskets/?action=view&current=7rubbed.jpg

Just into the Smoke Vault 24 @ 3:00 pm Mountain Time, with mesquite/hickory @ 225*...a long night for the Vault, indeed:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ion/Briskets/?action=view&current=8Justin.jpg

The plan for these is to smoke to 170* I/T, wrap and rest a few hours, then, trim the fat off and separate the point/flat and slice the flat thin with my Nesco Pro and freeze. The point will get cubed for burnt ends and frozen for the reunion as well.

I'll get final prep of this out in about, oh, I don't know...20-24 hours, give or take...you know how it goes, when it's done, it's done. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I wanted to toss my corned beef into this smoke as well, but it feels like it will need a few more days until the cure is finished.

Oh, I gotta get busy and assemble a brand new Weber 18.5 one-touch gold kettle, which just arrived fed-ex for a 10-year service award from work...I thinkin' hot wings for it's inaugural burn.......cool!!!!!!

More to follow on the reunion goodies, of course...

Thanks again everyone!

Eric


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## rbranstner (Jun 28, 2010)

Looks like the making of a good party!


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## forluvofsmoke (Jun 29, 2010)

rbranstner said:


> Looks like the making of a good party!


Thanks Brother, everyone I've been in contact with about the reunion lately is getting really pumped about it. One of my sisters wrote in a email yesterday that it will be "monumental". Almost can't wait to see everyone again!

7.75 hours into the smoke and decided to stab a probe for I/Ts. The upper brisket was 153* and the lower was @ 143*. The color difference told me there was a bit faster cooking going on up on the top side, which I expected anyway, using a 12" x 18" sheet pan 1 rack space under the lower brisket to catch all those marvelous beef drippings for adding to the bagged goods before freezing.

Anyway, no matter, as I rotated the two rack positions to even things out by morning. Stall is on for sure in the 150's range, and the other won't be but a couple hours away from the stall, so no worries about hitting my target temps for quite awhile...it's now 11:15pm here. A nice and long smoke is destined for this beef.

Here we are just before the rack position change...gotta love that deep red color of the upper brisky....that's the 18lbr, if I remember correctly:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ion/Briskets/?action=view&current=9775hrs.jpg

No worries on this smoke...great evening weather, with calm winds, moderately cool temps (62* right now), and no threat for precipitation. High temp of 86* today and the forecast is for the mid-90's on Tuesday...gotta love it! I might just take a dip in the pool for that kinda heat...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





More later!

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jun 29, 2010)

Good morning to everyone!

I slept in this morning, so comfortable with the way the smoke was going. 17.75 hours in and the bottom brisket is @ 174* I/T, so this one's panned/tented and resting as I type...it's partner, which was lagging about 10* before I switched rack positions is now @ 163* (has probe in it now), so a few hours to go yet. That's OK, 'cause it'll give me plenty of time to separate, slice and cube while the second one is resting...piece a cake...er, beef!

Mmm, this is gonna be good!!!!!!!

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...n/Briskets/?action=view&current=101775hrs.jpg

My digi-cam doesn't like the reflective background of the aluminum sheet pan with natural lighting...colors are skewed a bit, but you get the idea:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...on/Briskets/?action=view&current=11panned.jpg

You know, this has probably been one of the simplest and easiest smokes I've ever done, thus far. No problems, no worries...gotta love it!

Eric


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## rio_grande (Jun 29, 2010)

I am sitting here sick as a dog and but for running to the bathroom I am waiting for the sliced shots,,, So lets not dilly dally :)

Looking good I just coked for my family reunion. 4 pork buts a chucky and a brisket. Did it all on sight, Lots of work but well worth it.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jun 29, 2010)

Rio_Grande said:


> I am sitting here sick as a dog and but for running to the bathroom I am waiting for the sliced shots,,, So lets not dilly dally :)
> 
> Looking good I just coked for my family reunion. 4 pork buts a chucky and a brisket. Did it all on sight, Lots of work but well worth it.


Dang, sorry to hear about that, brother. I think there's a bug going around in our area too. Yea, I was seriously considering doing this all on site, but the regulations don't allow for unattended cooking equipment, so no naps during the all-nighters...oh well, this will still be super-good eats, just the same.

It'll still be a quite a wait for slicing & dicing pics...well another hour and a half at least, until 'til I grab a knife and slicer to get them ready. I do have some silicone mitts now for handling hot meats, so that will help. I think I'll let it cool down some in an open sheet pan before I get to excited about it though.

Hang in there, brother!

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jun 29, 2010)

Hmm, the second brisket came out sooner than I thought, so I've got final prep done before separation and slicing. The drip pan is in my outdoor fridge @ 20* so the fat will solidify for removal. Then, I'll toss a bit more water in if needed and reheat to incorporate all the meat drippings for adding to the sliced/cubed beef...this is the final touch for a great eating natural meat in my book.

Long smoke, but well worth the wait...:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...eunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=12IT.jpg

Yea, it looks pretty happy now...time to pan and foil for a rest:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=13.jpg

The tip of the point:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=14.jpg

The scored "corn", rendered down nicely:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=15.jpg

The drip pan is looking nice:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=16.jpg

Time for separation/slicing/cubing...be back ASAP.

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jun 29, 2010)

I have the first beast sliced & diced. This is as far as I got to this point...have another smoke to start shortly, so the second brisket is quick-chilling along with all the drippings. I'll weigh and measure out the beef base to pour some into each bag before they hit the freezer later tonight.

A nice 3 hour rest revealed this:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=17.jpg

Flipped over onto a board with a large hollow in the center for catching juices...fat cap has the grate marks:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=18.jpg

The shadow along the left side showing the fat layer separating the point & flat:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...n/Briskets/?action=view&current=19theseam.jpg

I filleted the fat-cap and then scraped as much fat/connective tissues as I could without getting into the meat fibers and having it start falling apart:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=20.jpg

Time for separation...point is on top:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/.../Briskets/?action=view&current=21Separate.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=22.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=23.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=24.jpg

I scraped more off the inner and exposed sides of the point, trimmed some off the edges and began slicing and cubing:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=25.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=26.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=27.jpg

For the thickest portion of the point, I simply slice down the center and then finish cubing:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=28.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=29.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=30.jpg

How about that flat?:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Briskets/?action=view&current=31Flat.jpg

I scrapped this off as well, examined the bark and conenced to quarter it up so it would fit the Nesco's platform to slice:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=32.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=33.jpg

Cut with the grain first:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=34.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=35.jpg

Sliced it all up in about 2 or 3 minutes...I went for about 1/8" to 3/16" thickness:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Reunion/Briskets/?action=view&current=36.jpg

This one yielded 2.75lbs of burnt ends, and 4.75lbs of sliced flat (7.5lbs total), both without added drippings and trimmed pretty lean:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...n/Briskets/?action=view&current=37nosauce.jpg

Ha, I just noticed, I have smoker-lag...I don't know what day it is according to my labeling.........LOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, that's all I have time to post for now. Gotta get a couple yard birds quartered up (for tonight's dinner) and into my lil' brinky gourmet for her first propane burner fired smoke.

More later, folks!

Eric


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## rio_grande (Jun 29, 2010)

Ahh,, Well I didnt sit here the entire time, but it is good to see things well on their way.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 4, 2010)

Hey all, I'm back, with the next stage for my Ancho/Jalepeno Corned Beef!

BTW, happy Independence Day!!!

We're 15 days into the the cure and even though we're getting thunderstorms this morning, I need to get this finished.

They're definitely ready for a good fresh water soak and a kiss of smoke...very firm texture when squeezed...that's what I look for with curing...I cut the flat into two pieces just so I could fit it all into one bag:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...eef Pastrami/?action=view&current=415days.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...eef Pastrami/?action=view&current=515days.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...eef Pastrami/?action=view&current=615days.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...eef Pastrami/?action=view&current=715days.jpg

No rinse, just a deep ice-water bath in separate bowls to keep them cold and submerged while the salt is pulled back out...I'll work them around in the water every 15 minutes or so to help keep the process in motion. I'm thinking 90-120 minutes should suffice, and then, we're off to the smoker after a dusting with CBP:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=8soak.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/... Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=9soak.jpg

45 minutes into the soak right now, so I need to get the smoker ready 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Back later with the smoke.

Thanks all!

Eric


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## beer-b-q (Jul 4, 2010)

It all Looks Great Eric...


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 4, 2010)

Thanks Paul!

The smoke is on!!!!!!!!!!!

I let these drip dry after a good cold water rinse, then coated well with fresh CBP, and into the Smoke Vault @ ~220-230* with hickory and double pans of water.

Very cloudy soak water after 2 hours (still some ice present, too)...that's what you want to see...this indicates a good amount of salt has been drawn back out of the meat. Most of the residual spices from the brine/cure have settled to the bottom, but the water is pretty saturated with salt, so I'll skip the fry pan test and get to smokin'!!!:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ef Pastrami/?action=view&current=10cloudy.jpg

Even the thin fat cap has taken on some of the coloring and spices in the brine/cure...oh man, this stuff is gonna be great!:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=11.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=12.jpg

Together again at last:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=13.jpg

Lots of CBP, and we're off to the smoker:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=14.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=15.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=16.jpg

A 12" x 18" sheet cake pan over the stock water pan for drippings and extra humidity. I filled this pan about 1/3 the depth (2" high pan)...I'll check the water level in this along with everything else when I pop the cabinet door open about 4-5 hours into the smoke to stick the meat with probes for I/T's:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=17.jpg

Temp probe is beside the smaller cut, and the larger cut directly above, as my past experience has told me that the lower level won't be quite as hot just above the pan:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=18.jpg

One last peek before they go on their journey through the thin blue hickory smoke:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=19.jpg

I want to pull these to rest @ 160* I/T, then slice, bag and freeze for the gathering in 2 weeks...hmm, actually we hit the road in just 11 days for the trip back to my old stomping grounds. These will get a slow steam to finish on-site...man, I almost can't wait to taste this stuff...I think I'll grab just one small slice for a taste after slicing, just to see how well those spices did their job.

Back later with the finish.

Thanks for peekin'!

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 4, 2010)

5 hrs in and hit the stall in the mid-140's range with both cuts.

Still had water in both pans, but getting low, so I added another 1/2 quart to the drip pan, and the rest of a 1/2 gallon to the main water pan...good to go for another several hours:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=20.jpg

Lookin' good already...:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=21.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=22.jpg

Drip pan is catching some dropped peppercorn and a few bits of meat juices here and there...this will go into the bag after slicing for freezer storage and will be there for the steam reheat/finish on-site at the reunion:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=23.jpg

So far, so good!

Slicing to follow soon (after the stall is over, and a foiled resting).

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 5, 2010)

I decided to put off slicing until these cuts are well chilled. Thin slicing while still warm/hot doesn't seem to give very good results anyway.

I pulled these at 160* after just shy of 8 hours in the smoke, and they've been resting for 4 hours wrapped in 3 layers of towel, and they are still pretty hot, so I'll just remove the towel wrap and toss 'em into my outdoor fridge @ 20* until Monday evening after work.

Ready for foiling:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=24.jpg

The larger of the two cuts, with a cooked weight of 1.75lb:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=25.jpg

And, it's 1.25lb partner:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=26.jpg

Hmm, 4lbs of cured smoky beefy hot & spicy...this is going to make a great treat for the more adventurous eaters in my family...yum!

I really want to see and taste a slice of this recipe...I know from the last ones I cured and smoked up that the spices should have penetrated very deeply  after just over 2 weeks brine/cure time. I think my last batch was 12 days and had far less amounts of heat and spices in the brine solution and you could could really taste it deep into the cut.

Sorry to keep everyone waiting in suspense on this, but the sliced product will be better if chilled well first IMHO, and worth the wait just for this reason. Hey, we've all seen a good slice of Pastrami before anyway, right? LOL!!! Well, this one is an experimental recipe...it'll be good eats, I'm just not sure how heavy the heat level will go yet.

See ya Monday evening.

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 7, 2010)

Hey Gang! I finally got around to slicing and posting pics.

I worked pretty late last-night (11:00pm), so I waited until tonight to get this last little chore finished.

BTW, I passed around a few slivers from the heals of the meat...this has a nice slow onset of heat from the Ancho/Jap/Cayenne combination. Just enough heat to get your attention after a few slowly and deliberately chewed bites...the bad part for us right now is that it makes you want to have another bite (we have to wait...sigh).

My 20* outdoor fridge was just that...if you look closely, you'll see some ice crystals...that didn't stop me though, as the slicer loved it nice and cold:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=27icey.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=28icey.jpg

Sliced up nice and thin and ready for hibernation for 9-10 days in the freezer until it gets sampled at the gathering:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=29.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=30.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=31.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=32.jpg

4lbs of YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ned Beef Pastrami/?action=view&current=33.jpg

More to come as it develops...

Thanks all!

Eric


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## mrsb (Jul 7, 2010)

I'm pretty sure we're related and I did not get my invite to the family reunion....is that a hint?!?!?!

Everything looks great, I'm sure it will be much appreciated.  Plus, now you will have more time to enjoy the reunion.


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## deltadude (Jul 7, 2010)

Yo forluvofsmoke, 

Your family is really fortunate to have a pitmaster who loves to cook and smoke.  The love you put into the meat is going to blow them away with great tasting food.  Thanks for all the details because your post is very instructional.  Enjoy the reunion, you deserve a good time.


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## flyfishjeep (Jul 8, 2010)

Wow!  What a great and detailed Qview.  I can almost taste the pastrami through my new "scratch-n-taste" computer screen...

Looking forward to some final pics of all the Q together.  Great job planning all this out, i'm sure your family will be ranting about this for a long time.


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## Bearcarver (Jul 8, 2010)

Forluvofsmoke,

I don't know how I missed this over a week ago, but this post is nothing short of AWESOME!

I've seen a lot of yours like this too.

When it comes to great posts, You Are The Man!
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Thanks,

Bearcarver


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 8, 2010)

MrsB said:


> I'm pretty sure we're related and I did not get my invite to the family reunion....is that a hint?!?!?!
> 
> Everything looks great, I'm sure it will be much appreciated.  Plus, now you will have more time to enjoy the reunion.


HAH-HAH-HAH!!! I got a kick out of that one! I just wish everyone here could have some samples of everything...it's gonna be a great time! We'll still be cooking some stuff on-site...shorter smokes and grilling/steaming/reheats, etc., but there will be lots of time for visiting too.

 


deltadude said:


> Yo forluvofsmoke,
> 
> Your family is really fortunate to have a pitmaster who loves to cook and smoke.  The love you put into the meat is going to blow them away with great tasting food.  Thanks for all the details because your post is very instructional.  Enjoy the reunion, you deserve a good time.


Thanks Brother, yea I'm pouring the smoke to this event..J/K! Really though, it comes together pretty easy once you look at what you want to be able to accomplish. I just had to realize that the all-nighters would not be a good idea to do on-site...then, I just let it roll so everything I wanted to do would be ready.


 


flyfishjeep said:


> Wow!  What a great and detailed Qview.  I can almost taste the pastrami through my new "scratch-n-taste" computer screen...
> 
> Looking forward to some final pics of all the Q together.  Great job planning all this out, i'm sure your family will be ranting about this for a long time.


Thanks, that 'strami does look killer...tastes pretty good, too! Don't worry, I'll be updating this thread with everything I prep before the trip, and the on-site feasts, so there will be more. Did I mention, we're planning 6 meals for this event? Yea, crazy amounts of food for a 2-day weekend gathering.

 


Bearcarver said:


> Forluvofsmoke,
> 
> I don't know how I missed this over a week ago, but this post is nothing short of AWESOME!
> 
> ...


Thanks Bear, I do like to share all of my new cooking experiences with my second family here on the forums...gotta spread the smoke around when we can! LOL!!!!!!!!

I'll be back in a day or 2...I'm thinking about doing a smaller batch of Red Bell Pepper Chicken Sausage to take with for snackin'...one more day at work, then I'm off for 2 days to do final prep before the trip up to the gathering, so I'll be a busy lil' smoker while I still have the chance! LOL!!!!!!!!

Thanks all! Stay tuned!

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 11, 2010)

Sweet Red Chicken Sausage is my final pre-smoke project (I think) for the reunion.

My original recipe is can be found here: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/fo...smoked-sweet-red-chicken-sausage-qview-recipe

My wife grabbed some chicken thighs while she was out yesterday, and she graciously skinned & de-boned them for me today just before dinner, so they could re-chill before I set out to work my magic with them. I also had a couple lbs of brisket trimmings from back in December, so that was just what the doctor (smoker) ordered.

Weighing out my mostly lean boneless/skin-less chicken thighs, so I could determine the proper amounts of beef fat, Tender Quick and seasonings to add to the chopped mixture:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...union/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=1.jpg

Dead-on @ 5lbs...I like it when measurements are easier to calculate the correct ratios, as my recipe is for 2lbs total meat/fat weight:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...union/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=2.jpg

Now that I know my meat weight, I can weigh out my mostly frozen beef fat...just over the 0.75lb mark I was shooting for...it'll be fine:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...union/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=3.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...union/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=4.jpg

The fat is cubed and ready to toss into the food processor to turn it into crumbs while it still has a lot of ice crystals:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...union/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=5.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...union/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=6.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...union/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=7.jpg

I placed the fat crumbs into a stainless bowl to re-chill in the fridge while I processed the chicken meat...all 5lbs, after cutting into ~1" chunks and chopping...I go with 1.5-1.75lb batches of meat in the food processor, which is a pretty good workout for it, even being a 450 watt motor:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...union/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=8.jpg

I dumped the entire ~6lbs (with seasonings/cure) into a poly lined cookie sheet and placed more plastic sheets as need to form into a loaf without touching the meat, then worked out the air pockets as well as I could while forming and continuing to add a few more sheets of poly to seal it all up for chilling/curing overnight:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...union/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=9.jpg

I just love how the spices show through on the surface...this stuff is so good, I just couldn't resist sharing a nice loaf of it at the reunion:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=10.jpg

So, that makes...OK, what do I have smoked already? Pulled Pork, Sliced Beef Brisket (flat) & Burnt Ends (point), Ancho Chili & Jalepeno Corned Beef Pastrami, and, in the morning, this will be smoked and frozen for the trip as well. That should do...unless I think of something else I want to throw into the mix...HAH-HAH-HAH!!!!!!!

The smoke will be in the morning...oh my, it *is* morning...1:05 am here...busy day today...er, yesterday, but a very good day to be a smoked meats lover with a willingness to share my creations!

Smoke starts in about 8 more hours...I need to give the TQ a chance to work it's magic anyway.

Hope to see ya then!

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 11, 2010)

8:45 am Mtn Time, and the Smoke Vault 24 is happy with my offering. I'm wet smoking with cherry @ ~200* this time...would have liked to run closer to 150* to start, and then slowly bump temps up to 210* or so to reach finished I/T, but this is almost 6lbs, which will take quite a bit longer than the 2-3lb chubs I've smoked in the past. Also, I'm still getting the rest of my cooking gear checked out and ready for the upcoming weekend trip, so I don't want to be constantly checking and tweeking the smoker.

Oh, I mixed the meat by hand this time, just to save the clean-up and having to measure and weigh-out the smaller separate 2lb batches I need for the Kitchenaid stand mixer. Not to mention, my hands are getting pretty soggy from all the dish soap and water from cleaning cooking gear and storage bins for the trip, plus washing between each step while doing the sausage prep...no, I'm not using Palmolive (for softer skin)...LOL!!!!

The no-grinder, no-stuffer, no-casing prepared sausage is getting happier by the minute...I'll run a shorter smoke on this (probably 60-90 minutes):

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=11.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=12.jpg

Back to the outdoor kitchen for me. I really need a larger trailer to load all of this stuff into. I'm already starting to decide what items I _wanted_ to bring, that I can probably make due without. My menu items where already based upon as much of my gear/equipment being used for multiple roles, so I had already planned on having to squeeze every bit out everything I brought with. I may not have too much room to cut back, but there won't be quite as many people attending as I originally planned for several months ago. We'll make it all come come together...it's a large family and everyone who's coming will be pitching in with something along the way. Hmm, I'm so accustomed to doing outdoor cooking in solo-mode that I'm still adjusting to the idea of the potluck. I'll get it hammered through my skull before the weekend comes....(as I take a slow, deep breath now).

I won't be slicing this with the Nesco at home, as this will be for appetizer/sandwiches at the gathering. I will cut the loaf in half for packaging reasons before freezing, so, if you want a peek at the cross-section, I'll get a bit more eye-candy posted before the trip.

I decided this morning that this is my final pre-gathering smoke...there will likely be more food than we could possibly eat in 2 days anyway.

Back to the kitchen prep!

Thanks all!

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 11, 2010)

I took a quick break while mother nature tries to rain on my parade...er, prep work.

3.5 hours into the smoke, and I stabbed my probe for a look at internals...134*...this why I like to do lower & slower with cured meats...no sweating the I/T's...it gets there when it wants to (safely) and I can run low chamber temps to help keep the natural juices inside. The cure seems to help with that as well, so you get double the chances of enjoying a great smoked sausage.

Some drippings are starting to hit the water pan as the loaf is beginning to sweat now:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=13.jpg

It's taking on a nice light golden brown color already...that crust and color will develop much more before the finish temp is reached:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=14.jpg

Ah, I see sunshine again! Back to work!

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 11, 2010)

Just a lil' more drool-view for ya...

166* when I took these:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=15.jpg\

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=16.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=17.jpg

I'm going to push this to 170*, pull it to mop off the exterior fat with paper towels, and hit my outdoor fridge before cutting it in half, so it can quick chill for a couple hours. Chamber temps have been pretty steady @ 200*. Oh, just passed the 8-hr mark now.

See ya soon!

Eric


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## werdwolf (Jul 11, 2010)

What a *great* post.         
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Can't wait for the final picks.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 11, 2010)

Thanks werdwolf!

I have in my possession the last of my drool-view before the trip to the reunion, so in the name of fair-play, here goes!!!

Just out of the Vault...I placed a paper towel-lined cookie sheet over the grate, pulled the grate out and flipped it over on top of the smoker to check for sagging of the meat through the grate...this can be a problem with a regular grate, but the jerky grate does a fine job:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=18.jpg

The grate lifted right off with just a slight resistance as the grate wires released from the loaf...perfect:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=19.jpg

I patted off the surface rendered fat, flipped over and patted the rest off before hitting a 20* fridge for a couple hours to chill:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=20.jpg

The heals even look good enough to eat:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=21.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=22.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=23.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=24.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=25.jpg

And, the moment of truth...you just can't go wrong with this stuff...I always get good results with this sausage:

*(EDIT: ADDED THIS)*

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=26.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=27.jpg

My wife wanted to keep one 1/2 loaf of this in the house...teasingly...we all love this sausage for cold cut sandwiches, or just on a cracker is great...we are just finishing the remains of my last batch of this:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=28.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...nion/Chix Sausage/?action=view&current=29.jpg

These are tightly bagged and getting frost-bitten as I type, until the trip on Thursday the 15th.

That's it for now...back to work for 3 days...then it's road-trip time! Digi-cam and cell-cams will be worn-out when we get back...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





...I'll share.

See ya sometime after Sunday the 18th!

Until then, I wish you all very many great smokes!!!!!!!!

Eric


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 22, 2010)

Hey all! I finally got around to posting a recap after getting back from the reunion...it's been a busy few days with work right after getting home.

I didn't get alot of pics like I planned on...I guess I was having too much fun visiting and cooking for the family. The pics I did get were not great quality, due to my inexperience with the blackberry's camera, but they will still tell a good story.

All the pre-smoked goodies I made ahead of time were a huge hit with everyone. The chicken sausage and ancho/jap corned beef pastrami were great cold lunch treats on day one. The pulled pork was more than enough for french bread sammies for Friday's dinner.

We had tons of food for the gathering as expected. Here's some breakfast goodies to start the finale...

My youngest sister brought a variety of home-made rolls for each breakfast, as I recall:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...e Eats/?action=view&current=CinnamonRolls.jpg

I griddled up some french toast over a camp stove...getting down to the remains before I remembered the camera:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ite Eats/?action=view&current=FrenchToast.jpg

Lil' Sis' pancakes:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...n/On-site Eats/?action=view&current=Cakes.jpg

Lil' Sis & her Hubbies smoked Venison/Pork Sausage that he grilled up...they had pepper,  garlic and regular recipe sausages...the pepper sausage was superb with a content of 10% by weight of fresh Jalepeno, banana peppers and other peppers ground into the mix...well, actually, it all was great!!!:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...ats/?action=view&current=BreakfastSausage.jpg

A smaller batch of several runs for the day with ABT's...this was a pre-lunch snack which is a combination of 3 different kinds with 1/3 fat cream cheese with turkey bacon, some regular cream cheese/sausage stuffing with turkey bacon, and some with regular bacon:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...n/On-site Eats/?action=view&current=ABTs2.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...n/On-site Eats/?action=view&current=ABTs1.jpg

My youngest brother's birthday party was on the 16th...here's a little memoir from the back of an on-site customized t-shirt...I told my brother that it was OK if he forgot what the back of his shirt read, because I got pictures of it...he snickered and called me a smart-A$$...heh-heh!:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...On-site Eats/?action=view&current=T-shirt.jpg

I did larger pieces of chicken (split breasts and leg quarters) in the smoke vault 24 with cherry smoke for lunch, and grilled the smaller pieces in the Weber kettle...teriyaki marinade for one batch and garlic/herb marinade for another...no pics of the grilled:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...site Eats/?action=view&current=SmokedChix.jpg

More ABT's and part of the Burnt Ends about to hit the smoke vault:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...On-site Eats/?action=view&current=ABTsBEs.jpg

A distant picture while the crew was swarming over Saturday night's dinner...red onion blossoms, steam-reheated sliced beef brisket, burnt ends and ABT's from the smoker:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...On-site Eats/?action=view&current=Dinner1.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...On-site Eats/?action=view&current=Dinner2.jpg

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...On-site Eats/?action=view&current=Dinner3.jpg

I still had 9lbs of pork breakfast sausage chubs thawed out after making breakfasts and ABT's, so tossed 'em all into the vault on Saturday evening to hand out to anyone who could take them home for devouring on a later date. The original plan for this was to make breakfast fatties, but I made griddled pork sausage patties instead, with my Lil' Sis wipped out a bunch of scrambled eggs to go with it...so we had a pretty good mix of differently prepared foods, which was really what made it all great...a bit of everything for a taste tempting treat with every meal:

http://s829.photobucket.com/albums/...On-site Eats/?action=view&current=Fatties.jpg

These pictures probably only represent about 10% of all the great food that we had for the weekend, and the the pic quality isn't that good...you get the idea though.

The reunion meals didn't all go according to the menu I had planned, but it was very easy to adapt and change things up as needed.

The visit with everyone was a great experience for everyone who attended, I'm sure. I spent a bit more time cooking than I wanted too, but still had some time to make my rounds with everyone.

A couple of my nephews were interested in getting into smoking more in-depth, and we discussed some things they could start working on to expand their knowledge and skills.

One of my brother in-laws sounded very interested in making his own corned beef pastrami...he's fell in love with the Ancho/Jap recipe, so I sent him home with about 8-10 oz of the last I had left in my fridge...he said it would make great sandwiches for work on Monday.

Of course, I could not resist mentioning SMF to several who I chatted with about outdoor cooking, as it is where I learned most of what I know today about smoking, and recommended that they drop in and have a look around.

All in all, this took a bit of time during my days-off work to do smokes ahead of time...but hey, wait a minute...I would have been firing up a smoker anyway, being the die-hard that I am...soooooo, the way I see it is I really didn't invest much extra time to prep for this. Besides, it gave me an excuse to do another pastrami and another sausage batch...LOL!!!!!!!! I felt very satisfied with being able to share all the great smoked meats which we enjoy regularly here at home with the rest of our family...that along with a bit of coaxing with teaser pics via email to get the ball rolling for the gathering gave me a true sense of accomplishment...we've not had a gathering just dedicated to a family reunion...ever...and now, we're planning one for every summer. That's too cool!!! 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Now that I have my biggest feast under my belt, I can say I'd do it all again in a heart-beat. This was truly a great experience that I'll never forget.

For anyone with concerns about doing a feed like this: just go with your gut and you'll do just fine. The more pre-smokes you can do ahead of the gathering, the more time you can spend with the family, of course. I wanted some fresh cooked vittles for everyone as well, so I made a compromise to do the on-site cooking. We had tons of fun while a few of us we were cooking too.

I missed many pics of side items which were made off-site and on-site as well...it was such a wide variety, and much more than I would have ever imagined having in one place at the same time for a family gathering...a great 2-day feast to share with our family.

Next year will be a June gathering for a family reunion along with one of my niece's wedding, so it will probably be a 2-3 day event. No plans are made yet for what we'll all be doing, but it will be a great family event for sure.

I can't wait for the next gathering...I think no matter how close they are together, they're never often enough.

Keep on smokin' and stay connected with your family, all!

Eric


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## mrsb (Jul 26, 2010)

sounds like you had a great time! Everything looks good


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## forluvofsmoke (Jul 29, 2010)

MrsB said:


> sounds like you had a great time! Everything looks good


Thanks, yes it was a hugely enjoyable event. Lots of great food and great people to share the weekend with.

I wanted to share the bulk of this event with everyone here so others could get and idea how they could put together a larger family gathering and share their favorite smoked meats with everyone. With a bit of planning and forethought, it can be done while maintaining a normal heart rate and blood pressure...just do your longer smokes ahead of time, and this will allow you to spend more quality time with your family, and you can do some on-site cooking with them as well.

All things considered, there isn't anything major that I would change the next time around, except I could cut back on the amount of cooking equipment I brought with, as a few of my siblings who had less travel distance pitched in and brought some gear with as well. The first time around will always bring a learning curve, but there is nothing to prevent you from making changes in plans to keep things going in the right direction. I did a few last minute changes on what I cooked on-site and everything worked out just fine. Just keep an open mind and you'll be able to adapt to make it happen, and accept suggestions and ideas from your family as well.

It sure does bring the family closer together when an event like this comes together, and that was the whole idea to begin with.

Keep your smokers happy and your family close, my brothers and sisters!

Eric


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