# Please allow me to introduce myself....



## wookie (Oct 10, 2007)

Hey everyone!

My name's Chris, and I'm from outside Columbus, OH.  I'm just starting out when it comes to smoking.  I read up a bunch on the topic this summer, and did my first few smokes with a small cast iron box filled with wood chips down on the burners of my propane grill.  My friends and family were pretty surprised how good everything turned out with such modest equipment.  Being toward the end of the season, I'm on the lookout now for clearance deals on smokers.

I know there's a little bit of cross-over between the hobbies, so I figure I should mention that I'm a home-brewer also.  Besides beers my wife and I have also tried our hand at wines, meads, and ciders so far.  Actually won an award this year at a local microbrewery's homebrew contest for our sweet stout.  It was our first crack at all-grain brewing and it turned out fantastic!

So...hello everybody!  And thanks in advance for all the info I'm sure to soak up from the expertise on hand here.


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## fatback joe (Oct 10, 2007)

Welcome to the forum.


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## shellbellc (Oct 10, 2007)

Welcome aboard!  You'll find a few home brewers here!


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## Deer Meat (Oct 10, 2007)

Welcome to SMF, It sounds like you can share a few tips with us.

Glad to have you here 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





sign up for jeff's 5-day ecoures lots of helpful info to be found there.

Don't forget to post pictures(Q-view) of your smokes we all love to see it.


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## bwsmith_2000 (Oct 10, 2007)

Welcome to the SMF Mr. Wookie! Glad to have you aboard. Smoke lots and post often.


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## richtee (Oct 10, 2007)

Are you a man of wealth, and taste? 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Welcome to SMF! Lots of experts here on many subjects. I brewed for a couple years. Don't anymore, but a few here know alot about that too... DeejayDebi and NavionJim come to mind.

Anyway, you will be amazing instead of surprising folks soon!


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## msmith (Oct 10, 2007)

Welcome aboard wookie glad you joined us.


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## gypsyseagod (Oct 10, 2007)

welcome to smf wookie. be sure to post pics of your smokes & brews- we love the Qview & ... the "Qbrew"..hey a new acronym .


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## blackhawk19 (Oct 10, 2007)

Welcome to the SMF, remember questions are always welcome here


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## placebo (Oct 10, 2007)

Haha exactly what I was thinkning! As soon as I read the subject the background vocals started doing, "ooh oohs" in my head.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Welcome to SMF, your in good hands now.


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## scotty (Oct 10, 2007)

I'd like to say welcome and dont get that long wookie hair too close to the fire


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## jts70 (Oct 10, 2007)

Welcome aboard


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## bigarm's smokin (Oct 10, 2007)

*  Welcome aboard Chris, I am interested in making some mead. I tried it 25 years ago, with wild Montana huckleberries. I must have added a tad too much sugar when I bottled it.*
*  I gave a bottle to my friend, she popped the cap, and took a shower in mead, it ran down her face, down her glasses, soaked her hair and shirt. Sure gave everyone a good laugh though. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  Terry*


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## wookie (Oct 10, 2007)

I would have kept going with the stones lyrics....but in actuality, I'm rather poor and classless.  Wealth and taste aren't exactly my forte.

Thanks for the kind, and rapid fire, introductions.  This board sure does see a lot of traffic.

BigArms, as for exploding mead problems there's 2 major culprits:  1) incomplete fermentation, and 2) incorect dosage of priming sugar.  Meads are SLOW fermenters.  My first mead was still giving off visible airlock activity for more than a month after I first pitched the yeast.  Getting them to ferment fully can be a challange.  If you bottled too quickly, you may have still had sugars left over from the honey, and the transfer during bottling may have roused the yeast.  Then they'd start munching away to finish fermentation, giving more CO2 than you planned on.  Hence the mead-shower.  As for #2, make sure to weigh out that priming sugar and not just use a measuring cup.  Of course, you could always go for a flat mead and steer clear of that issue entirely.


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## richtee (Oct 10, 2007)

mmmm..Mead!  I doubt Homer would truly appreciate it's complexities, but man...I love that stuff. Right along with ices, ports, and sherries   :{)


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## jocosa (Oct 10, 2007)

Star Wars fan and brewer - good combination.  :)  Q-fan is just a bonus.  :)  Welcome to the board!

AG brewer here and start at least two batches of mead a year - making more braggots these days... and never bottle mead at less than a year of bulk aging. 

Got a couple of braggot recipes I'm willing to share - both can be bottled at 6 months, and then aged for at least another 6 months to a year to get the green out - the last bottle of one 'recent' batch was well over 2 years when we popped the cap on it...  testimonial to the magic that time does to mead and mead varieties.  

Not big on priming my meads, tend to do them still...  have force carbed a 3 gallon keg and put it on tap... nice stuff.  

Weather is finally cooling off here... so it's time to start brewing again, and that's also prime time to smoke something... had a friend bring me an armload of pecan wood last weekend and I can't wait to cut it up and use it - it's already well seasoned.  Should last me through a few smokes.


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## meowey (Oct 10, 2007)

Welcome to SMF!  Glad you found us!

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey


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## deejaydebi (Oct 10, 2007)

Welcome Wookie -

Glad to see another homebrewer here! There are several of us now. Congrats on winning with your sweet stout. 

Download Jeff's FREE 5 day Smoking Basics eCourse:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/mod...ewarticle&id=3 

It'll go through the basics and get you off on the right foot!

then subscribe to Jeffâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s FREE Smoking Meat newsletter:
http://www.smoking-meat.com/subscribe.html


And don't forget to read Jeff's FREE How To Smoke Meat PDF
http://www.smoking-meat.com/how-to-smoke-meat.pdf

ENjoy!


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## coleysmokinbbq (Oct 10, 2007)

Hi Chris!...Welcome to the SMF!...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





...Glad to have you aboard!...You're gonna love it here...


Until later...


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## walking dude (Oct 10, 2007)

heheh......welcome.........even tho we have posted together bout your bigblock

once again welcome


d8de


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## johnd49455 (Oct 10, 2007)

Welcome to the SMF Family
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






I have been toying with the idea of home brewing. I know I can get help from my brothers & sisters here @ the SMF
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 should I decide to dive in.


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## redbrinkman1955 (Oct 10, 2007)

Hey I started the same way metal box from wally world and apple chips when I did porkchops then I found a electric brinkman at a garage sale for $8.00
Then it was all down hill. Made my own homebuilt smoker, then bought one 
what a great hobby or way of life.
Good luck and good Smoking
Redbrinkman1955


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## step-n-fetch-it (Oct 11, 2007)

Wookie - seems quite a few of us started with humble beginnings and evolved to bigger and better... As you know, these folks will eagerly take care of us beginners... welcome!
- Steve


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## badss (Oct 11, 2007)

Welcome Wookie,
I am a newbie as well and I can tell you I just did my first smoke and it was with everyones help that garnered us success. The rub and sauce recipe that Jeff sells is well worth the money and very tasty. There are some fantastic people here. Hope you have as much fun with your new hobby as I am so far. Cheers from BADSS.


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## gofish (Oct 11, 2007)

Wookie, 

Welcome aboard the SMF.  We have a member and his smoker is nicknamed 'The Wookie'.  I think its great ........... We'll see if the two of you find each other.


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## deejaydebi (Oct 11, 2007)

When I first saw this name I though Cheech was fooling with us! Calling himself by his smokers name!


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## bigg125 (Oct 11, 2007)

Wookie,
    I probably fall into the "just getting started" category as well. I am an avid hunter and cut and prepare all my own game. I have taken many nice deer and lots of cow elk but I am still in search of the big bull elk. "some day". my wife and kids love some of the stuff i have oven smoked. I decided this fall to build a "real" smoker. I basically turned a 55 gallon barrel on end like a beer can and put a chimney on it. If any of you have any pointers please share them I am pretty much going by feel at this point. thanks Jeff for the cool site.


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## merriman (Oct 11, 2007)

Homebrewing is fun but it's more science than art.   
If you decide to start, just pop into a homebrew shop and get the "extract kit."  Don't worry about all the gadgets and books right away.


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