# when you want help



## eman (Dec 8, 2010)

This message is for every member ,Especially the newer ones.

  Here at SMF we will bend over backwards to help anyone at anytime learn this craft called smoking.

 But when you  ask for help we need some information .

 1st we need to know what type of smoker you are using?

Wood ,charcoal ,gas or electric.

 2nd , we need to know where you are located ?

believe it or not, It can make a big difference if your in lowlands of mississippi or the mountains of colorado.

 3rd. We need to know how much if any smoking experiance you have w/ the smoker you are using .

 This also makes a BIG difference in how we give advice.

4th . If someone here on the site gives you advice and you aren't sure that  they are right Just hang around and get a consensus from other members . ( I would recomend you do this anyway)

 If you see OTBS out by someones name  that means is they have been on the site for a certian ammount of time and that they have demonstrated to the powers that be that they have knowledge about the proper and safe way to smoke .

 Also most of the time they can be trusted to give good advice.                   I said most  of the time because we all make mistakes . I have done it and others here have too.

 If you come on the site and post something that is considered unsafe

I ,We ,Most of us will let you know that it is an unsafe practice.

 Don't get mad at the messenger. Just ask questions and we will be happy to explain why it is unsafe and how if possible to correct it.

 We at SMF are here to smoke and have fun but most of all ,WE ARE HERE TO HELP EACH AND EVERYONE OF US BECOME BETTER AT OUR CRAFT.


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## Bearcarver (Dec 8, 2010)

Great post Eman.

It would help if more people would put where they reside in their "Bios" page (Community Profile).

We don't need your address, or even your town, if you don't want to say. 

Just like, "S/E such & such state" would be a big help.

Then that will end up just below the Date, at the top right of all of your posts.

Thanks,

Bear


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## placebo (Dec 8, 2010)

Agreed great post eman. Should be a sticky.


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## mballi3011 (Dec 8, 2010)

Very nice there Bob. Now I believe thats what Jeff wanted when he started this place. He wanted a place where anyone could come into and feel wanted and ask questions and get answers and smart a... remarks. Well most of the time but we will kid with you too. So sit back enjoy and learn I have, and alot of us here started out right where alot of the Newbies are right now.


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## scarbelly (Dec 8, 2010)

Great post Eman !!

In addiition to what Eman said, I would like to add this:

Most of the time if you are looking for a recipe or proceedure you should go to the search bar at the top and type in what you need. If no results, go to the _*Main fourms  *_page and scroll down and look at the subject you need help with.  There are different subject headings there to guide you to the right threads.

Example - if you want help smoking a chicken, go the the main page, scroll down and find Poultry then look thru the threads. This will get you info immediately. If you don't find what you need or want to ask for more info post up what you need.

What I see happening more and more is that the newer folks dont use the existing info on the forum and have to sit and wait for one of us to answer their question. Beleive me when I tell you that 90% of what you are going to ask has already been covered in one of these threads.  We are happy to help anytime but reading the forums will give you a wealth of knowledge we can not give you in a single answer


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## Bearcarver (Dec 8, 2010)

That's why I told so many:

Find a recipe that is already out there (I have a few right in my signature), or combine a couple of recipes.

Write up a plan from looking at what others have done. Then put the whole plan in a post, and let some veterans take a look at it, and make some suggestions for you.

That way, if your plan has something dangerous in it, we can help you change it, before it's too late.

Bear


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## ak1 (Dec 8, 2010)

Excellent post Eman!

If members give us more info, the better we can help.


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## smokeamotive (Dec 8, 2010)

Great post Eman!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  BTW I pick up my new MES 40 on friday! Thnx


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## marlin009 (Dec 8, 2010)

You can search within each forum for information too. At the top of the page in each forum there is a link "Search this forum". It cuts down on the results

and makes it easier to find what you need. You can also search threads the same way.

Good thread Eman.


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## chefrob (Dec 8, 2010)

good post............


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## scarbelly (Dec 23, 2010)

It is time to bump this one again


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## meateater (Dec 24, 2010)

Great post Eman! Just ask we will help. I would like to add that if you live on the east coast and ask a member from the west coast a question just remember the time difference. We are not ignoring you.


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## smokinstevo27 (Dec 24, 2010)

Well said eman. I think it would be nice for new members to have a short e-handbook when they join. Maybe just a short explanation of decorum and a guide to getting the most out of the forum. I know it would have helped me when I first joined back in August, I had never been a member of any sort of forum prior to SMF. Just my thoughts.

Steve


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## SmokinAl (Dec 24, 2010)

Well written and to the point, Eman.


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## eman (Dec 24, 2010)

smokinstevo27 said:


> Well said eman. I think it would be nice for new members to have a short e-handbook when they join. Maybe just a short explanation of decorum and a guide to getting the most out of the forum. I know it would have helped me when I first joined back in August, I had never been a member of any sort of forum prior to SMF. Just my thoughts.
> 
> Steve


That's a good idea steve, It would have to be approved and  installed by one of the  powers that be.


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## bamaboy (Dec 24, 2010)

Agreed


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## smokinstevo27 (Dec 24, 2010)

Thanks eman, I think it would get folks off to a nice start on the site. Everyday you see someone post a question and its their very first post and you have almost no info to go on. Then they either get an answer or they are ignored. If these people knew to go to roll call first and also had a little info on the ins and outs of SMF, it may encourage more people to stay with the forum and become contributing members.

 


eman said:


> smokinstevo27 said:
> 
> 
> > Well said eman. I think it would be nice for new members to have a short e-handbook when they join. Maybe just a short explanation of decorum and a guide to getting the most out of the forum. I know it would have helped me when I first joined back in August, I had never been a member of any sort of forum prior to SMF. Just my thoughts.
> ...


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## beer-b-q (Dec 24, 2010)

Great post Bob...


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## Bearcarver (Dec 28, 2010)

I'm bumping this great thread, because TOOOOOOOO many people don't say where they live.

When you say your smoker has trouble keeping up in temp, it has a different kind of problem if you live in Florida, than if you live in North Dakota!

Thanks,

Bear


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## jirodriguez (Dec 28, 2010)

Bearcarver said:


> I'm bumping this great thread, because TOOOOOOOO many people don't say where they live.
> 
> When you say your smoker has trouble keeping up in temp, it has a different kind of problem if you live in Florida, than if you live in North Dakota!
> 
> ...


.... well over this last week or so I think some of the folks in Florida feel like they got relocated to North Dakota! LOL

Like Bear and everybody said, the more info you can provide when asking a question the better we can help you, and don't be afraid of asking somthing because you think it might sound dumb. I can't tell you how many dumb mistakes I have made (and eaten) and could have avoided by simply asking... lol.


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## eman (Jan 4, 2011)

Getting many new members that got new toys for Christmas so i'm bumping this back up.


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## shoneyboy (Jan 4, 2011)

Great post and good advice, I hope to keep it up for some newbies to read. It would have been a great to have seen this when I first joined the site.   Shoneyboy


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## wntrlnd (Jan 4, 2011)

fantastic post, and great advice, eman!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






and super great replies, too!  particulary the advice to find answers to questions  one has by searching the forums for previously answered questions similar to yours,  and i liked the advice to review other recipes to come up with one of your own (i love doing that!).   there are a LOT of super creative and generous people on this forum.  monkey see, monkey do!

and the introductory e-book sounds super cool.   this place is such a rich resource that i feel i've barely scratched the surface and i've been here a while now. 

it can be overwhelming for new members, especially those with little or no smoking background, so it would probably be very useful to have a simple overview of the site.


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## smokinstevo27 (Jan 6, 2011)

bump her on up


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## eman (Jan 15, 2011)

Got a pm thanking me for posting this so i guess it worked for at least one new person.


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## eman (Jan 15, 2011)




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## placebo (Jan 18, 2011)

it's bump thirty.......somewhere.


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