# Very excited Newbie



## fidcastro (Nov 9, 2009)

Hello everyone,

My name is Fid, I'm 32, and I live in Claremont, CA, about 45 minutes east of Los Angeles.  I have been grilling on a charcoal grill for about 10 years, but have never done anything fancy.  I have been talking about wanting to try some new things, and get into smoking, and my wife just bought me a new grill this past weekend.  It is a Char-Griller Trio 3030:
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/fo...com/albums/ae238/Fidcastro/NewGrill.jpg[/IMG]

I just got it all put together last night, and I am very excited to try it out.  I want to use it on Saturday, and smoke something, but I have NO IDEA what I am doing.  I plan to poke around this sight a bit to try to get a clue.  If anyone has some suggestions on a no-brainer first time recipe, please feel free to share.

Now I guess I need to figure out where to go to get some wood for the smoker.

Man I'm excited.


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## pineywoods (Nov 9, 2009)

Welcome to SMF glad you decided to join us. Congrats on the new smoker. I'd suggest signing up for Jeff's 5 Day Ecourse it has lots of good info and its free. Maybe start with a fatty, some abt's, and a butt all pretty easy and a good full day of smoking with snacks through out the day


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## fire it up (Nov 9, 2009)

Welcome Fid, nice new toy you got there.
First smoke, well I think Jerry gave you good advice, I agree a fattie and pork butt is a great beginning smoke, a butt is a very forgiving meat if you make a few mistakes and fatties are amazing and only take 2-3 hours.  ABTs are awesome also but are slightly labor intensive to prep and you need to try and get that bacon crisp on the outside, if done right they are some of the greatest smoked snacks ever!

Some chicken legs or wings are also pretty easy and poultry is a somewhat simple smoke but it's best to smoke smaller bits like legs or thighs before attempting a whole bird.
Whatever you decide I wish you luck, make sure to take plenty of pics.


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## mballi3011 (Nov 9, 2009)

First off welcome Fid to *SMF*. You'll like it here cause there are abunch of good folks here that would just love to help you out with just about anything to do with smoking. We really like to have newbies here because they can bring in a new propective to how things are done. There's nothing like a new set of eyes to give and new way to make things that little differant to make things alittle better. So I hope you know about the *Qview* here. 
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=58920
Here's a link to photobucket it's free and easy to download pictures. Then if your really new to smoking Look up the E-course. 
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...play.php?f=127
It's also free and it will give you the basics of smoking. So after all of that you just need to go grab something to smoke and if you have any question just post them here and we will answer it quickly so you don't have any mishaps with your smoke. 
Welcome To Your New Addiction


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## scarbelly (Nov 9, 2009)

Now I guess I need to figure out where to go to get some wood for the smoker.

Man I'm excited.[/quote]

Hi Fid 
Welcome to the SMF - you will find tons of help here and lots of very supportive and friendly folks. 
For your first shot at some good smoking wood try these guys

*Barbeques Galore* - www.*bbq**galore*.com
2315 E Imperial Hwy # A, Brea - (714) 256-0786

I agree with the fatty is a really good place to start and maybe some ABT's too
There are threads on both here just  scroll down and look at the titles and read 
thru some of the posts then ask away. 
Glad you are with us


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## oneshot (Nov 9, 2009)

Welcome to the SMF Fid.....
	

	
	
		
		



		
			





That's a pretty neat little set up ya have there. Just remember to be patient, we all started not knowin nuttin. Before ya know it you'll be turnin out some great smokes. People here are real helpful so ask yer questions and we'll get ya goin. For wood you may want to try a Walmart or similar store, they usually carry enough wood to get ya goin. You may want to start off with something like cherry, maple or apple wood as it's a more mellow and sweeter tasting smoke. Good luck and good smoking....
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





PS. Here's a post on making ABT's I did that might help ya get started....

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=78995


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## okie joe (Nov 9, 2009)

Welcome, to SMF....nice set up  you have there better than what I started with ....Great site and friendly folks that want ya to be the best ya can be....and will help any way we can....Welcome..


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## alx (Nov 10, 2009)

I just got excited myself.Welcome to SMF.Very nice set-up to turn out some fine Q.....


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## beer-b-q (Nov 10, 2009)

Welcome, Glad to have you with us. This is the place to learn, lots of good info and helpful friendly Members.

For Those of you New to Smoking, be sure to check out Jeff's 5 Day Smoking Basics eCourse.
Click Here it's "FREE"... 5 Day eCourse

Everyone here enjoys seeing the Qview so be sure to post plenty of pics... 

Large ones that us old people with bad eyes can see.

When you uploading to Photobucket I always use the Large IMG setting, 640 x 480 it is a nice size...

How to post Qview to Forum:



For Step By Step Instructions On Posting Qview Check Out This Tutorial

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=82034


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## old poi dog (Nov 10, 2009)

Aloha Fid....Glad you could join us.  Don't be shy about asking for any assist.  There are many great people here.  Have fun and post Q-views when you can.


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## hoser (Nov 10, 2009)

Welcome aboard Fid! Nice to see people still getting excited about the TBS.

Don't forget to give that chargriller a break-in burn, and have fun this weekend.


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## irishteabear (Nov 10, 2009)

Welcome to SMF.  Glad you joined us.


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## warthog (Nov 10, 2009)

Welcome to the SMF. Enjoy your stay.


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## eaglewing (Nov 10, 2009)

*Greetings 'Fid', and Welcome to the 'community'.*

*Enjoy your stay at* *SMF*
*Settle in and have fun.
Any questions, plenty of experts... and make yourself at home.




*


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## the dude abides (Nov 10, 2009)

glad you joined us.  Fine looking cooker you got there.  Make sure you invest in a couple of quality thermometers.  That's the one tool you'll find that will help you more than in anything.


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## evo 9 guy (Nov 10, 2009)

Welcome to SMF. Tons of useful information here. 

Most Home Depots have Hickory and Mesquite. For a first smoke you could try using those but not a lot of them as they have a heavy smoke flavor.


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## ryphraph (Nov 10, 2009)

Welcome Fid!

I spend a lot of time in Claremont. Do you get out to the Back Abbey much?

Ryph


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## flatbroke (Nov 10, 2009)

Welcome to a great sight with an excellent group of people. We are motley bunch by the looks of some of the photos., The women are outstanding and a plethora of knowledge. The men are second to none and the sheep........ well you know the rest.

FB


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## gruelurks (Nov 10, 2009)

Welcome! I highly recommend the pork butt sticky in the pork forum for a great tutorial on smoking a butt for the first time. You will find a lot of great people here willing to help and share their wealth of knowledge.


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## mr mac (Nov 10, 2009)

Fid, that is one serious piece of equipment she got you!  Be sure to give her another hug for that one!  As for what to smoke after you locate some wood, I would try either ribs (using 3-2-1 method) or a Boston Butt.  Both are quite forgiving of beginners and both are quite tasty even if you do mess up a bit (just don't admit to it 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 ).

Welcome to SMF!

Mac


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## seenred (Nov 10, 2009)

Hello Fid!  Welcome to the SMF family.  Glad you joined us.  Wow, that's a nice lookin' piece of hardware ya got there!  You're wife is a kind and generous person.  Your getting plenty of good advice.  Don't forget to season that new rig by coating it with some vegetable oil or cooking spray and firing it up with some good hardwood for smoke.  Good luck and happy smokin'!


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## fidcastro (Nov 12, 2009)

Wow, thanks for all the responses.  Glad to see this is such an active forum.  I'll try to take some pictures of whatever I decide to smoke.  I'm a homebrewer too, so one of these Saturdays I'm just gonna spend the whole day grillin and brewin.  For this first ime, though, I am thinking about a Bacon Explosion (that's a type of fatty, right), some of those ABT jalepeno things, and maybe one other thing, but I don't know what the other thing will be yet...

Lookin forward to it.

I definitely go there, but not as much as I'd like to.  I used to have to drive to Pasadena, Sierra Madre, or Santa Monica for a good beer place.  The Back Abbey is only about 8 blocks from my house.


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## fidcastro (Nov 12, 2009)

P.S. I seasoned the grill on Monday.  Saturday I hope to break it in properly.

Thanks, man.  There is actually one a little closer to my house in Rancho Cucamonga.  I'm going to check it out tonight.  Thanks for cluing me in.


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## vinman (Nov 17, 2009)

Welcome Fid.
Nice little Binford 9000 u got there!


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