# Breaking in Ol Bud



## walking dude (Mar 19, 2008)

finally, i THOUGHT, a nice enuff day to break in my christmas gift........

its a good experience for a stick burner, but i did discover several issues with the ol man








i haven't been able to do any mods to the beast yet, so i knew i was going to have to babysit it the entire smoke

i started with a chimney full of charcoal, and added splits of ash........the ash was free, and i had hickory to use for smoke if so needed

i finally found full racks of spares..........which needed to be trimmed to st. louis style ribs







my plan for this days smoke was both racks of ribs......the trimmings from the racks.......4 heads of garlic.....2 chicken 1/4's......2 iowa chops.....dutch's beans........and abt's

this pic is the start of the smoke........the 2 racks of ribs.....the trimmings from the ribs, there in the pic to the left.......and the garlic







i fought temps all day........needed the smoker in the wind so the fire would stay up to temps, but with 10 gauge sheet metal, the smoker part ran temps of 50-100 degrees diff. between firebox side and exhaust side.....

THEN the wind would die down, so i added a cheap mod







the fan is all metal, so no worry of anything melting.........unfournately the fan wouldn't push enuff air to really do any good

this next shot shows the sloppy mess i was dealing with........when the sun was out and the clouds away........wasn't too bad......but when the clouds moved in......it was cold, damp, and windy.........picked up abit of a cold







one DEFF. mod needed, is the baffle.......the chicken 1/4's i put next to the fire box, since temps at that end was running 300-350.......hoping to have crispy skin........but the wind would push the flames into the fire box, and burnt the chicken abit........sorry no pics of that..........but i brined the chicken over nite.......was the best chicken yet i have done......

this next pic is the chops.......the ribs......and the beans..........the ribs never pulled back on the bone........







so i foiled em, and put into a cooler for abit..........then at the end of the smoke.......brought em back out to put sauce on em........and glaze it up.......which it didn't.........the fire was dying out, and really didn't want to fire up a whole bunch of coals just to do that........so i had the wife put em under the broiler for a bit........should of told her only 3 minutes or so........but with THREE women running off the face.......they got toasted abit.........meat was good........but need to learn to trim st.louis style better....and they was NO way near fall off the bone.........

All in all........a learning experience........and i wasn't expecting great results, since no mods, and being the first time...........but the meat was edible and i learned alot........

*SIGH*


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## richtee (Mar 19, 2008)

Cheap mod?!?!  You went and bought a keg?    


Hehehe...

Get back on that horse, cowboy!


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## walking dude (Mar 19, 2008)

heheh......rich........was a keg i keep around for the deposit for the next one this summer.........cheap 15 bux........back when 15 dollars WAS cheap for me...........


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## desertlites (Mar 19, 2008)

oil well dude-I give u an a for effort-spring is on the way for u & with a little play time on the bud-you gonna be putting out some Q that will keep them womans mouths shut-naa  (not.)


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## walking dude (Mar 19, 2008)

tell me about it


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## navionjim (Mar 19, 2008)

Yep! The positioning of the keg wasn't lost on me either, nor the cold one in the cozy. Looks good no matter what Steve. What do you use to cut your ribs St. Louis style by the way? I haven't got a meat cutting band saw handy.


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## djbman (Mar 19, 2008)

First smoke was in January. Took 40lbs of charcol . Good grub though.


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## walking dude (Mar 19, 2008)

jim............check these links out



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDgSF...related&search=





hth


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## walking dude (Mar 19, 2008)

dj..........when it gets THAT cold out.......i use the ecb gourmet with mods..........i could of done this whole smoke with 20 lbs .....tho in shifts.......ehehe


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## domn8_ion (Mar 19, 2008)

If a Keg is a cheap mod, I'll take 3 new cheap mods. Sorry, I had too. What type of smoker is it. I can't tell, but it is similar to mine. It's getting all types of work today. I'm thinking of using an old computer fan attached to the offset on extra long screws to push air.


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## walking dude (Mar 19, 2008)

the first pic said it all..............it was a promotional item........its a Budwierser Smoker........no clue who really made it.......its a clone of a couple others i have seen here...........10 gage steel........which is a ouch.......but nice entry level till i can move up


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## mossymo (Mar 19, 2008)

Looking good WD. You will learn that smoker in no time, or it will have trained you !!!


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## walking dude (Mar 19, 2008)

i have a hunch, its going to be training me..........dont ALL new smokers do that.......you may THINK you mite know what you want to do with it, the first time.........but trust me.........its going to give you the finger and say..........NOT TODAY...............LOLOLOL


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## mossymo (Mar 19, 2008)

Maybe your smoker has an attitude? Try drinking Budweiser while smoking instead of what looks like possibly..... Schmidt Light in your koozie !!!


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## geek with fire (Mar 19, 2008)

I took a large computer workstation fan and mounted it in a plastic box, on an extension tube (which sounds better than "paint can"). Fan doesn't get hot at all. I can even melt aluminum, if the mood strikes me ;->


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## walking dude (Mar 19, 2008)

nice dude..........now where to find one of them suckers........i know where i can get a new paint can...........anyway to control speed, and vent openings with the can in place?


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## walking dude (Mar 19, 2008)

mossy..........bush..........told you that last nite on the phone.........desperate times calls for desperate measures.......


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## mossymo (Mar 19, 2008)

WD; ain't nothin wrong with Busch; cold or warm.....


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## teeotee (Mar 19, 2008)

The food sure looked great. Sure you'll have that smoker thinking your way in no time
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 .

You said early in the post you had some ash splits ....... You use that as a fuel or for smoke ? Only reason i ask is that i have come across 6 35'ers i'm bringing down for a local farmer.
We will use most of it to heat the house in the winter but if it's good for the smoker then hey, once seasoned i'll have a whole bunch of it.


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## walking dude (Mar 19, 2008)

thankx tot.........meant to add that...........didn't need to add ANY thing to give the smoke flavor.........GREAT smoked ring and excellant smoke flavor.........jump on em dude......you won't be disappointed.......and i have at LEAST two more pickup loads to get


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## domn8_ion (Mar 19, 2008)

If you don't want it. I'd love it. It combines 2 of my 3 favorite hobbies. Now if it teaches me to golf I'd fall in love with it.


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## walking dude (Mar 19, 2008)

you a man after my own heart.........i play golf just for a excuse to drink beer


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## desertlites (Mar 19, 2008)

me thinks a waste of a good hike.


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## cowgirl (Mar 19, 2008)

Good looking grub Deud!


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## smokebuzz (Mar 19, 2008)

When we gonna play golf for beer?


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## teeotee (Mar 19, 2008)

Oh i was having the tress anyway  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. We live in an 85 year old farmhouse with some original windows can't afford the propane !!!!

I've already had two trees down and i thought when cutting them, hmmm that smells like it would be good in the smoker. Was going to leave some of the smaller branches. Think i'll be hauling most of every tree back here now
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Keep at it with ol bud.  and you'll be best friends in no time.


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## capt dan (Mar 20, 2008)

Don't give up. Them  cheap thin walled offsets can be conquered! I am proof of that. The learning curve is alot less troublesome with the good help from this site.

Windbreak is a must in this weather.
Extend the smokestack to the grate.
Baffle, baffle , baffle
Water pan

Plates!

You'll get it, hang in there!


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## domn8_ion (Mar 20, 2008)

Tell ya what, you pay for golf, I'll pay for beer.  
Beware Pebble Beach, here we come.


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## smokeymagoo (Mar 20, 2008)

The kegfan mod has got to be the best i've seen in awhile if not ever!


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## kookie (Mar 20, 2008)

Great looking smoker and grub..............


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## cman95 (Mar 20, 2008)

Good looking grub you got there. You know I am still learning my offset. Some days I call her Baby......some days I call her Beiotch!!


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## teeotee (Mar 21, 2008)

Hey wd. Not sure what you're thinking for a bafflle plate for bud. I found something interesting at our Thiesens last weekend. 
It's a universal heat deflector plate for propane grills. Looked like it's several plates with holes and slots to make it abjustable. Was selling for $10.00. 

Think i may try one in my cgsp. 




http://www.broilkingbbq.com/grillpro...ts.asp?AID=172


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