Vinnie-BuffaloNY
New member
Hi everyone - my name is Vinnie and I live outside of Buffalo, NY. I've been grilling and smoking almost exclusively with charcoal for about 20 years. I love the smell of charcoal as it starts to burn and the process of tending to the cook - making the micro adjustments necessary to turn out great food. I do it because I enjoy the challenge, but mostly because the food makes people happy. When I have friends or family who make the switch to charcoal, I'm also the guy who sends them their first chimney starter.
My first smokers were an offset Char-Griller and an inexpensive (but pretty cool) modular water smoker that I used mostly while camping. About 10-12 years ago I purchased Char-Griller Akorn kamado style cooker. I really loved the versatility that the Akorn provided (and that I could use it in cooler weather), but I've been replacing parts and patching it up for the past few years. I also have a pellet smoker (not a Traeger) for use at my buddy's cottage so I could cook hands-off BBQ while I'm out on the boat, but the food is never quite as good as when it comes off my charcoal cookers.
By chance, my wife and I happened to stumble on a really small BBQ competition last summer. There were less than 10 teams and I think they only cooked ribs. We have more time on our hands since my daughter recently started college (and we can only play so much pickleball) so we decided to start competing in a few competitions of this size. Needless to say, it was already past time to update my grills but this was the tipping point.
I looked at several options, but eventually settled on a 22" Weber Smokey Mountain for my smoker. I also bought a 22" Weber Kettle to replace my beloved Akorn as my everyday grill. I went with the Weber over the Kamado once saw all the fun products to enhance this grill. I already purchased a pizza oven (we loved making pizza on the Akorn), a meat hanging rack so I can experiment with using the WSM as a barrel smoker or smoking wings on the kettle, and I have a Santa Maria grill attachment on the list for someday soon.
My favorite food to grill is chicken. It's right in the middle of the quick cooks you get while cooking steaks or chops and the long process of low and slow barbeque. Chicken is versatile, inexpensive, and pretty healthy (most of the time ;-) ). Chicken is about a "2-drink" cook - which is perfect for a weeknight.
I have a lot to learn as I make my transition to these new grills and I am looking forward to upping my game. I look forward to your mentorship, friendship, and chatting with you all!
My first smokers were an offset Char-Griller and an inexpensive (but pretty cool) modular water smoker that I used mostly while camping. About 10-12 years ago I purchased Char-Griller Akorn kamado style cooker. I really loved the versatility that the Akorn provided (and that I could use it in cooler weather), but I've been replacing parts and patching it up for the past few years. I also have a pellet smoker (not a Traeger) for use at my buddy's cottage so I could cook hands-off BBQ while I'm out on the boat, but the food is never quite as good as when it comes off my charcoal cookers.
By chance, my wife and I happened to stumble on a really small BBQ competition last summer. There were less than 10 teams and I think they only cooked ribs. We have more time on our hands since my daughter recently started college (and we can only play so much pickleball) so we decided to start competing in a few competitions of this size. Needless to say, it was already past time to update my grills but this was the tipping point.
I looked at several options, but eventually settled on a 22" Weber Smokey Mountain for my smoker. I also bought a 22" Weber Kettle to replace my beloved Akorn as my everyday grill. I went with the Weber over the Kamado once saw all the fun products to enhance this grill. I already purchased a pizza oven (we loved making pizza on the Akorn), a meat hanging rack so I can experiment with using the WSM as a barrel smoker or smoking wings on the kettle, and I have a Santa Maria grill attachment on the list for someday soon.
My favorite food to grill is chicken. It's right in the middle of the quick cooks you get while cooking steaks or chops and the long process of low and slow barbeque. Chicken is versatile, inexpensive, and pretty healthy (most of the time ;-) ). Chicken is about a "2-drink" cook - which is perfect for a weeknight.
I have a lot to learn as I make my transition to these new grills and I am looking forward to upping my game. I look forward to your mentorship, friendship, and chatting with you all!
