A preemptive THANK YOU


 

BrianJ

TVWBB Member
A little background: I'm 35 and have recently gotten into the BBQ/Smoke scene but have been gas-grilling for several years. I was raised with Mom cooking and Dad gas grilling only 3-5x per year. I was never taught to cook or how to grill. I remember one time my Dad asked me to "man the grill" at about 14; I was thrilled and wanted to do something. So I pushed down on the burgers to get grill marks (I didn't know any better), and then got yelled at for pushing all the juices out. :/ that was the extent of my BBQ teaching.

Fast Fwd a bit; my buddies got me a gasser that was dented and marked down for my wedding. My first cook, a party for 30 including my Dad, talk about pressure!! I didn't kill anyone so I considered it a huge success! But I enjoyed the process, the prep, the meat, and fellowship so I started gas grilling several times per month. Now, almost 10years (no 9...wait...8years...dammit, I'll ask the wife) later, we have two boys (6y & 4y) and I want to teach them right. They - and I - need to learn on charcoal and wood. We want to camp and play outside and be men together, and that's not activities that I did with my Dad. Thanks to the internet, YouTube and sites like this, I won't be learning alone! Last year I bought a Weber Genesis 3 burner and cook on it all the time. Burgers, dogs, steak, pork tenderloin, spare ribs, chicken, veggies, corn, even watermelon and pineapple. I've done a few low and slow cooks with wood chips in tin foil, but it's time to really learn how to BBQ! So...

Last week I was "gifted" a rusted out original kettle; with grates that cannot be saved, ash sweep rusted shut, an ash catch beat up and beyond repair (he said it was "buried in his yard for a few years"...), and small rust holes in the kettle. I even found a take-out soy sauce packet in the bottom..apparently it was used as a trash can. After a few more days I finally found a dark green 22" premium on my NextDoor app for $50 that's been used 5x and stored under a patio cover. I pick it up today and cannot be more excited to learn and teach my boys, and have a beer. We will have a blast and learn together but thanks to this forum, I'm sure the food will be a success as well
 
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With a little care that $50.00 find will be one of your sons long time memories! Have a great trip down this road of tasty fun!
 
Thank you for sharing your story and allowing us to share in the beginning of what will be an incredible journey. This is a great place to learn and share. Post pics of your cooks so we can continue to share your journey with you.
 
BrianJ;
I enjoyed the story of your BBQ travels...

I have been an outdoor person most of my life after early years on a working farm. That includes LOTS of backpacking in the mountains, hunting, fishing, and extensive camping with my family. All of it, of course, included cooking. Some was over a campfire, camp stoves (including one burner backpack stoves), and some fairly adventurous stuff. I enjoyed surprising my camping companions with such as baking with a Coleman stove with stovetop oven (shortcake, biscuits, etc) combined with cooler with fresh strawberries, etc). I was on a serious back pack trip in the mountains of Kentucky with a Sierra Club group and after a particularly tough day, springing cheesecake on the bunch. One time on a canoe trip with the Sierra Club, I introduced them to the "art" of cooking Cherry Pie with pie irons over a campfire. It was such an immediate hit that nearly everyone bought their own pie irons.

Since your story reminded me of the Cherry Pie with pie irons, within the next week or so, I'll do some using my grill. They are SO-O-O good and so easy to make.
I'll post the method and "recipe" with pictures.

Thanks for sharing with us!

Keep on smokin'
Dale53:wsm:
 
Great story Brian. When I joined the forum a few years back I was an occasional griller of burgers and such. But within a few months with the help of the many great people on this forum I branched out and to this day my passion for grilling and smoking still grows.
So much in fact I know have eight Weber smokers and grills and my lovely wife is a passionate as I am about outdoor cooking, she is actually better at it than I am.
So enjoy the journey you are defiantly on the right forum. There is a vast amount of knowledgeable folks on here that are always willing to help out.
 
Great story, Brian. When I was a kid, my exposure to BBQ and grilling was nothing short of pitiful. As an adult, you can turn that around. I never had kids of my own, but if I did, they would be masters of the grill, as well as the BBQ.
 
Great story, thanks for sharing. My son likes to cook on "his" grill- a smokey joe. That kettle is THE most versatile cooker/smoker on the market. For the price and it's capabilities, there's nothing it can't do. Learn the Minion method and the snake method. In my kettle, I like the snake method for long cooks. Besides, it looks cool. Get you some chunks of wood about the size of your fists.
 
Thanks everyone for the warm replies and the tips. They'll all be taken! I've watched videos on the Minion and Snake methods, they both make sense. Picked up my $50 Premium a few hours ago and it proceeded to fall over in the Jeep and spill the sellers ashes all over. Awesome. Hahaha. I'm hoping our Saturday plans get washed out from the potential rainfall so I can test the new grill out. Will post pictures before / during / after the cook.

By the way, we can up with a great idea for the rust bucket that I was given...we're going to turn it into a spice garden for future cooks. I'm glad the ash sweep is rusted open. That repurposing won't be done for a few weeks but the design and ideas are being put down on paper. If y'all have any input on which spices to plant, I'm open for ideas.
 
Great story Brian, and welcome :)

I've always loved cooking over open fire or charcoal and just recently started doing low and slow as well.
I got a lot of advise from people here. Can't thank them enough!

You and the kids are going to have a great time !
 
And I forgot:

Herbs: awesome idea. They can just make all the difference.
Look at oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, chives, cilantro and maybe you can find a spot for some chili peppers as well...
 
Great story Brian. It looks like you are set to go. I cooked on gas grills for years and got pretty good at it. Then out of nostalgia purchased a weber kettle about 16 years ago. I never went back. I don't even own a gas grill these days, although my wife and cooking partner wants to get one for quick meals. This forum is great with its tips on methods and recipes but what really makes it is the nice people who are here and have answered a lot of my questions. Good luck and get busy! You'll love it. It took me awhile to get low and slow down. I made some pretty bad ribs and stuff the first year. But I didn't do enough research. But the more you cook, research and adapt the faster you will be turning out high quality food without really trying.
 
Remember, success no failure end up in the same place so just learn from the mistakes not repeat them.
Oh, and I like Anne's suggestions for the herb kettle but, I'd find a separate vessel for the peppers. That's just me.
 
A lot of Anne's suggestions were on my short list, but those chili peppers may be in the garden by themselves. We started watermelon and strawberries this spring, planting some chilis may keep the squirrels away too! My MIL who stays with us quite often worked at Walmart for over 20 years in the Garden section, so she's pretty knowledgeable and willing to help. First cook on the new Kettle tonight, kids and wife are requesting chicken.

Thanks y'all. :)
 
Nice story Brian. I was like you, cooked on gas for way too long. I bought my first Weber in Feb 2016, a Performer. I still have a Weber gasser when I need to cook something fast, but I am truly a charcoal guy now. This forum has sure helped speed up the learning curve. I look forward to seeing some pics of your cooks.
 
Fired up the kettle for the first time today, I loved it! BBQ'd four burgers, four husks of sweet corn and five chicken breasts. Threw some post oak in with the KBB briquettes for some extra flavor. Burgers were great, but had figured on three burgers and then had a last minute request for one more, so the burgers were smaller than I would've liked. Threw the buns on for a minute while I brought the food inside, yup...burnt em. Hahaha. Ya live & learn! Chicken was juicy and flavorful. Cooked them for about 8 mins each side directly over the coals & log, then indirect for the remainder of the time. Corn was indirect the entire time. Burgers went direct, temp gauge (which I haven't tested) was reading about 375* and turned out great. We have too much going on tomorrow to BBQ again, but next weekend...it's on!
 

 

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