Stages of a hobby (kinda long)


 
L

Lew

TVWBB All-Star
When I first started getting into barbecue, I joined forums, researched equipment, read books...anything I could do to learn my new hobby. I cooked on an ECB, then modified it so I could maintain temps for 10-12 hrs. I bought a COS and modified it with baffles, chimney extensions, etc. I made some great Q on both.

For the next several years, I bought/sold all kinds of bbq stuff, mostly kettles. At one time, I had 11 grills & smokers. I continued to try several different ways to cook Q: hot and fast, foiling, water pan with/without water, lump, K, natural charcoal. I made my own rubs and sauces, experimenting with all kinds or recipes. I was obsessed. Eventually, I kinda lost interest in the stuff and just concentrated on the food. I'm down to a Genesis, a Performer with a Smoke EZ attachment, and a WSM; I know craigslist misses me. I still enjoy barbecuing as much as ever, I just don't worry about what I'm cooking on or whether I need a new smoker. I still make my own rubs and sauces, but I spend less time trying to find new recipes. I stay away from BGE, UDS, hot & fast/low & slow, and foil/no foil arguments because I don't need anybody to know my opinion. I'm not opposed to new ways or recipes, but finding them doesn't consume my time anymore.

The thing is, I've done this with several hobbies: hunting, fishing, photography, skiing, motorcycling, and LOTS of others. In the first stages, I get lost in the learning, the process, and the stuff. I remember during my early fishing phase, the guy at the fly shop told me, "eventually, you need to stop buying gear and start fishing." In the later stages, I spend much less time on the peripheral things and just do it: ride, ski, fish, etc.

I wonder if there is a psychological profile for someone like me. Have any of you guys who have been Q'ing for a long time taken a similar path, or am I the exception? Do I need professional help?
 
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I think it totally makes sense. I do that to some extent although I've probably gone through a lot less hobbies. I've only been barbequing for a few years so I'm still very much obsessed with it. It is a hotbed of strong opinions. At some point you mature in hobby and get enough of a grasp of it that you no longer obsess over details.
 
That is how i have approached all my hobbies except i am not one to buy a bunch of stuff but i am one to obsess over it and continue to work at it until i feel that i am proficient at whatever craft i am working on. For me as a kid it was BMX racing and dirt jumping to skateboarding both street and the half pipe, to basketball and soccer, to rock climbing, to mountain and road biking, to fly fishing, to conventional fishing and BBQ....i still do all of them except soccer and basketball because of an injury sustained when playing ball on the college team.

So in summation, you are not alone :)
 
The guy at the fly fishing store had it right! I'm an analyst by profession and approach everything as you do. And end up doing what you did as well. It's a natural progression of people that want to be the best at whatever they do, and it's the journey, the learning process that we find enticing. We don't abandon the hobbies, we just know that we are in a place where the tiny extra bit of knowledge to be gained with a huge expenditure of time is not worth the effort for the returns :).
 
I have done the same as you to a degree. I am very opinionated and will never ever experiment with some ideas such as store bought rubs or the Hot and Fast method. If I don't agree with it I wont even try it. I have bought many "tools" to make my cooking better (Ribolater, Firewire, Pigtails, BearPaws, Maverick, Sizzle-Q, etc.
I did the same thing with music. The guys at Guitar Center new me really well as I was always buying accessories for my Bass guitars or stuff for my Drums. I finally sold all my extras and got down to simply playing music. Now the salesmen never see me-probably think I died or something.
 
Lew,

What do you fish for in GA?

Can you post a picture of your Performer with the EZ?

John Zell
Portland, OR
 
I kinda did the same thing after getting my WSM. I had all sorts of BBQ and grilling crap.er,paraphenalia. I wound up selling,giving away or throwing almost everything. I have it down to just the few thing I use on a semi regular basis and call it good!
 
Obsessive/Compulsive... when channeled properly = great personal satisfaction/accomplishment.
As you dream.... so shall you become.
 
You are not alone :) I tend to experiment a ton..... try everything.... the $$$$ is another story - I'll dump it in on some things like tools & meters, buy a bunch of junk figuring out what doesn't work (don't really know what to do or what works until I f it up a bit. I go for bang for the buck, but finding the cheapest/best options takes time & $$$$$.

I'll quit counting $$$$ after a while. That's not to say I have the newest/best. My motorcycles are a 1999 CR250R that I've rebuilt several times, a 2007 XR650L I've hopped up as much as you can (want to sell it & get a 650R), my favorite resort skis were bought a year old (new) in 2009 & have ~200 resort days on them (lotsa core shots I fill with base weld & wax)....the backcountry getup has delaminated on the tails a bit, I have a new set (same) but I still ride the old junkers.

Friends talking about new motorcycles --- I'm like "I could ride a cinder block" (rider, not the bike----archer, not the arrow---you know the saying)....

The mountainbike is from 2007,,,,my road bike is I think a 2006 specialized allez bot used (fair price) from my cousin last year. I'd like to upgrade the MTB to get a larger frame that feels more like a motorcycle, but I need to focus elsewhere.

Books---- books on everything.

Get out there & do it - that's the most important part. I like the tools / books / whatever to help understand what I see and think about.
 
John Zell said:
Lew,

What do you fish for in GA?

Can you post a picture of your Performer with the EZ?

John Zell
Portland, OR
Click to expand...
I fish for crappie in the spring, trout spring/summer, bass when I get asked by a friend with a boat. As far as the Performer/Smoke EZ,

6983704328_40291e8d42_c.jpg
 
Great post. I think what you describe is similar to everyone. You find a new hobby and are having fun and doing more and more and more and then you start to get a little burned out. You end up with lots of stuff. I have a garage full of wood working equipment, scuba gear, gardening equip, hunting gear, off roading stuff, knife/shotgun collection, BBQ equipment etc. Of all those hobbies the only one I do on a regular basis is BBQ but I still use the other stuff from time to time. I think people like us get caught up in the discovery process. You find this hobby and start out learning a lot. You get better and better results and it is exciting. Eventually you learn a majority of what there is to learn and you stop getting the exciting new results. You then put the stuff in the garage and accomplish something else! Wife and I have a 4 month old baby so a lot of my hobbies got put on hold! If you have to disposable income and you are doing a good healthy activity go for it! hobbies should be fun. If you are not having as much fun or want to try something else go for it! I do my best to buy as much hobby gear off craigslist to save a few bucks but hey, its your free time have fun! there is no law saying you should focus on only a few hobbies.
 
This is a great and really interesting thread. Thanks OP.

I agree with all the previous comments. I used to be very meticulous and overly concerned with every little detail. Now I just cook. Surprisingly it's much more enjoyable this way.
 
I'm obsessed with bbq too and have spent a lot of time and money on it. Not quite to the level you were ( I only have 5 webers)
 
I'm with all of you here! I'm phasing out of the gadgets and concentrating on the cooking now. Still a few more things I'ld like to get. You know how that goes. My last consuming hobby was tournament paintball at its highest level. Bbq is way cheaper! And more relaxing ;) you are not alone my friends
 
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