Bill M
TVWBB Member
Hey everyone. I'm Bill and I'm happy to be joining this wonderful community.
I am from Maryland (middle of the East Coast of the United States, for those who speak metric) and have lived here a good chunk of my life. I'm married to a wonderful and patient, understanding woman. But I'd have to be to have a hobby like this. And we have 4 children.
To the interesting parts, the parts about cooking meat with fire and smoke! Growing up in suburban America, we had the ubiquitous propane grill. When I enlisted in the Army, at my first duty station in Germany, I had my first real charcoal grilled steak and there was no turning back. It was just my wife and I, so I picked up a 7th hand Smokey Joe. A couple weeks later when I had the guys over, one brought an 18" kettle and left it for me. It was there I learned to define "grilling season" as "I can keep the charcoal under control in this weather".
So I started bringing the Smokey Joe along with the coffee pot to war games.
Anyways life continues, family grows, and there has always been a Weber kettle in my backyard. And they've always been curbside rescues. At some point I had smoked brisket from a neighbor. The next day I got a cheap paper thin stamped offset which I used for a summer. I got rid of that for a propane vertical smoker, which was much better. But not quite good enough.
During this time 2008 happened and I ended up taking a job as a cook. I looked it enough to spend the next 8 or 9 years doing it. From there I learned tricks and tips to up my home grilling game. Mostly about spices and how to use them, but how to treat different cuts and lots of presentations things.
So now I have a 22" WSM, 22" kettle, 18" kettle, and that propane smoker for those things that only need a light touch. I might end up using it to hold parts of Thanksgiving dinner this year.
Anyways, yeah. That's my Cliffs Notes story. I'm a pretty open book though if anyone has any questions about anything. And I look forward to getting to know everyone here.
I am from Maryland (middle of the East Coast of the United States, for those who speak metric) and have lived here a good chunk of my life. I'm married to a wonderful and patient, understanding woman. But I'd have to be to have a hobby like this. And we have 4 children.
To the interesting parts, the parts about cooking meat with fire and smoke! Growing up in suburban America, we had the ubiquitous propane grill. When I enlisted in the Army, at my first duty station in Germany, I had my first real charcoal grilled steak and there was no turning back. It was just my wife and I, so I picked up a 7th hand Smokey Joe. A couple weeks later when I had the guys over, one brought an 18" kettle and left it for me. It was there I learned to define "grilling season" as "I can keep the charcoal under control in this weather".
So I started bringing the Smokey Joe along with the coffee pot to war games.
Anyways life continues, family grows, and there has always been a Weber kettle in my backyard. And they've always been curbside rescues. At some point I had smoked brisket from a neighbor. The next day I got a cheap paper thin stamped offset which I used for a summer. I got rid of that for a propane vertical smoker, which was much better. But not quite good enough.
During this time 2008 happened and I ended up taking a job as a cook. I looked it enough to spend the next 8 or 9 years doing it. From there I learned tricks and tips to up my home grilling game. Mostly about spices and how to use them, but how to treat different cuts and lots of presentations things.
So now I have a 22" WSM, 22" kettle, 18" kettle, and that propane smoker for those things that only need a light touch. I might end up using it to hold parts of Thanksgiving dinner this year.
Anyways, yeah. That's my Cliffs Notes story. I'm a pretty open book though if anyone has any questions about anything. And I look forward to getting to know everyone here.
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