tom aka ncsmoker

[ncsmoker]

Hi, guys, I live in the mountains of NC and have weather similar to northern Ohio, where I grew up, or NY in the winter, but not the snow belts. The one problem I do have is that as I sit on the top of a ridge I have upridge drafts in the afternoon that cause problems with maintaining a constant temp with the SN. My temps in the summer are often cooler than my folks in Ohio in the summer. LOL



I first bought the SN in late 2012 and joined the forum in Jan 2013, after adjusting to it from the Weber baskets. My first Weber 22 1/2 was bought in 1979, I have been grilling and smoking on them since then. I now smoke everything edible that flies, walks, or can be found in the water. I have five boxes of wood chunks that I use for smoking, apple, cherry, hickory, maple, and oak. Now that you have the woods you like with each meat experiment with your rubs, mops, and sauces. These will accompany your meats.

With the SN I can smoke from approximately 150 to any higher temp I want. With the lower temps I can smoke the cured bacon and hams from the heritage pigs my neighbor raises.

There are lots of newsletters out there that have helped me in my 30 plus years and lots of BBQ books that have helped also. If you can, go to a Memphis or KC sponsored BBQ championship, some are state championships.. I have one just 70 miles from my place and try to go down every other year. You'll be surprised to see the teams that use Webers some have won in chicken or ribs. There are also books on how to cut up your own meat, so you can cut larger cuts and freeze the smaller cuts. Start with maybe a whole pork loin. You'll get the pork roast plus some large chops you can brine and smoke.

I also want to give a thank you to Ed Crisp for his help in my understanding of low temperature smoking with the SN, and to the forum for all the help it gives. I wish more members were active.

Jay have been up in your neck of the woods in my corporate life at Oswego and Allan in yours in Toronto.

I'm always willing to answer questions either here or at arrowhead @ live.com

[pilfjd]

Tom, thanks! You mentioned about going to a competition in a previous post. At that time I checked around locally and had just missed one. Guess there's next year. :-D

If you or Allan are up this way, let me know and we can hit up the locally famous BBQ joint!

-Jay

[ncsmoker]

Jay thanks for the invite. But now that I'm retired I am staying in my mountains and no farther north than northern Ohio for my parents.

Don't be afraid to ask the restaurant if they will show you how they do there smokes. All they can say is no. After all your only going to be doing it on a Weber. Ask to talk to the pit master.

Tom

[pilfjd]

That's a great idea. There's a local "hole in the wall" bbq joint that has one of the better local briskets. They have their industrial sized smoker next to their building and I always want to walk and poke around it. :-D

[rangerone]

Hey Tom,
I never really made it out to NC, which is very unusual for someone in my field. NC is the hub for the coatings industry in North America. The various companies I worked for have manufacturing plants and research centres in Greensboro and High Point, and maybe something in Charlotte.
I did get to visit Chester, SC many years ago to visit a company that supplied us with a few raw materials. It was called Specialty Polymers Inc. I flew into Charlotte, and drove to Chester. I guess that is the closest I've made it to your area.

You are a great resource here Tom, and I have already learned a great deal from you. I hope that continues for a long time.