gone but not forgot***the lost cooker thread

[smoke ninja]

have you lost a cooker that you loved? it happens sometimes. whether it's cancer (rust), a wind storm, electronics failure, downsizing or in the case of ceramics it just fell over losing a loved cooker can be hard let's take time to remember the ones we lost. show the cooker, talk about how it died and reminisce of days that were better. there will always be another cooker but it'll never be the same

Saturday I lost my ugly drum...and man was she ugly. it burned wood splits as the 007, a raised swing grate and rotisserie. the uds setup was rock solid. the holy difusser created a perfect balance of indirect and direct heat.

rest in peace you ugly SOB
12/04/15-
07/01/23



build thread

https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=221478

ribs were the first and last cook



here it is before it was a cooker. simple times



please feel free to share with the group. this is a safe space

 

[oldgfbbq]

Are photos required? The sweet thing I'm remembering was from 1981. The negatives are in the basement, not sure if they survived.

 

[smoke ninja]

Are photos required? The sweet thing I'm remembering was from 1981. The negatives are in the basement, not sure if they survived.

site rules are no pics required. share away

 

[Moose]

I built this drum in 2010 based on the epic UDS thread I found here a year earlier:




It has seen action in a number of SoCal bashes & microbashes, served honorably as an all around smoker, and in numerous rotisserie battles. As of late 2020, it was retired and put in mothballs with rusted holes where the ball valves were. Debating whether to bring it back to life with one inch valves....

 

[Maylar]

none of my past grills are worthy of remembrance. Except maybe the gasser that my wife took when she divorced me.

 

[Ducksmoke]

none of my past grills are worthy of remembrance. Except maybe the gasser that my wife took when she divorced me.

Fair trade?

 

[food4thot]

Had a Weber 22 for 20+ years. Can't recall if they called it a Performer back then. I called it a kettle on a cart. Was the same setup as the current Performer but without the gas assist and charcoal bin. Spent all its time outside uncovered. Replaced the ash sweeper after the original rusted out. Had a fire get out of control and it melted the rollers for the lid storage...it still worked without them. The ash catcher aluminum eventually fatigued to the point the tabs bent and it fell off. Rolled it to the curb and used my old OTS for a couple years before getting a new gas assist Performer...which has been kept in the garage.

 

[SmittyJonz]

RIP SinLee........ Cancer got her Last month - I had only known her for 4 or 5 years. Double walled - inner wall rusted out to the point she could Not support the ash bucket or charcoal grate anymore....... :sad:
She did Live outside tho.......
We had some Good Times together.......

 

[lastmajordude]

Bought a used Jambo years ago out of Texas. Used it for several years but when I moved I didn’t have the room so I sold it and used proceeds to help build outdoor kitchen for son. So many new fabricators use the grate level up and over flow now, I would go with a different brand with one door and better wheels, and fire box door facing front not the end. But everyone should give thanks to Jamie for that design. I still want a stick burner but I think I want a vertical offset, just for space saving.

 

[oldgfbbq]

The father of my high school girlfriend made me a multipurpose cooker for the beach house. It was essentially a rectangular box with a lid and cooking grate. It was long enough that we could indirect smoke ribs/brisket/chicken. And it was deep enough to directly grill steaks. As sweet as that smoker/grill was, the memories made while using it are the best. Great time of life.

One of our favorite things to cook were shrimp. With melted butter and liquid Tex-Joy Crab Boil seasoning combined, we placed the shrimp on a sheet pan, and basted them while cooking/smoking.

It was not "lost", but rather rusted in the salt air, one block from the surf.

 

[smoke ninja]

Had a Weber 22 for 20+ years. Can't recall if they called it a Performer back then. I called it a kettle on a cart. Was the same setup as the current Performer but without the gas assist and charcoal bin. Spent all its time outside uncovered. Replaced the ash sweeper after the original rusted out. Had a fire get out of control and it melted the rollers for the lid storage...it still worked without them. The ash catcher aluminum eventually fatigued to the point the tabs bent and it fell off. Rolled it to the curb and used my old OTS for a couple years before getting a new gas assist Performer...which has been kept in the garage.

it's a weber platinum!

that grill behind the drum in my last pic is the same model. before the performer they had the platinum. it went silver (old school ash pan), gold (ash bucket), platinum(cart). mine has lived outside for as long as I've had it, 8 years, uncovered. the ash bucket has failed. still cooking. paid $40 from a garage sale.

RIP SinLee........ Cancer got her Last month - I had only known her for 4 or 5 years. Double walled - inner wall rusted out to the point she could Not support the ash bucket or charcoal grate anymore....... :sad:
She did Live outside tho.......
We had some Good Times together.......

behind that weber platinum you can barely see my old akorn cooker. things were notorious for rusting out. if I left it out in any rain the ash pan would fill up with water and was a beach to get out. thing was all customed out hod rod style by ebijack...remember him. another brethren who dropped off the earth. even I stopped hearing from him. thing had a custom intake and home built stainless grates as well as fire baskets and difusser. je really pimped that thing out. the cancer got her.

I miss that time. I really enjoyed trying new equipment and techniques.

 

[JAKs Q & brew]

Every weber 22 I've ever owned. I honestly don't know the number, maybe 5 or 6.

Some were still in service well past their expiration date, some were given away to friends, one was thrown off a 3rd story balcony by my landlord

 

[Phrasty]

OMG I remember this one!

Ive retired a few smokers... I pass on the smoke by servicing and reusing the ball valves so there's that... lol

I built this drum in 2010 based on the epic UDS thread I found here a year earlier:




It has seen action in a number of SoCal bashes & microbashes, served honorably as an all around smoker, and in numerous rotisserie battles. As of late 2020, it was retired and put in mothballs with rusted holes where the ball valves were. Debating whether to bring it back to life with one inch valves....

Sorry for laughing but I wasn't ready for this! :tape::heh:

none of my past grills are worthy of remembrance. Except maybe the gasser that my wife took when she divorced me.

 

[kls44]

My first gasser in the 70s was a Arkla. Heavy cast aluminum with dual controls "H" burner.
The pedistal rusted so it went to the curb. Was a great cooker.

 

[NC Mike]

My first charcoal grill. It was one of the ones with a lid and a cooking grate that could be raised and lowered. Bottom was rusting out so I gave it away when I got my first gas grill with the amazing grease sponge lava rocks.

 

[Maylar]

My first gasser in the 70s was a Arkla. Heavy cast aluminum with dual controls "H" burner.
The pedistal rusted so it went to the curb. Was a great cooker.

Sounds similar to the Sunbeam grill I've been using for the last 30 years. Needs a new "H" burner every few years, it's getting one this week. I keep the frame painted.

 

[food4thot]

it's a weber platinum!

that grill behind the drum in my last pic is the same model. before the performer they had the platinum. it went silver (old school ash pan), gold (ash bucket), platinum(cart). mine has lived outside for as long as I've had it, 8 years, uncovered. the ash bucket has failed. still cooking. paid $40 from a garage sale.

behind that weber platinum you can barely see my old akorn cooker. things were notorious for rusting out. if I left it out in any rain the ash pan would fill up with water and was a beach to get out. thing was all customed out hod rod style by ebijack...remember him. another brethren who dropped off the earth. even I stopped hearing from him. thing had a custom intake and home built stainless grates as well as fire baskets and difusser. je really pimped that thing out. the cancer got her.

I miss that time. I really enjoyed trying new equipment and techniques.

Platinum. $40 is a helluva deal. They were $200-220 brand new IIRC...before Weber pricing went stupid expensive.

Mentioned downsizing in another thread. Decided the Ninja Woodfire and Jumbo Joe are all I need anymore. Haven't used either the Performer or 18 WSM in at least 4 years. Both garaged and gathering dust. Both pretty much like brand new if cleaned up. Haven't checked craigslist yet and haven't decided what to price them at. The Performer and rotisserie kit together retail for farking $800 now! The WSM for $420-450...use to be able to get a 22 for less than that. Will entertain any reasonable offers.

Never met but miss ebijack. One of my favorite posters after joining the forum. Miss his pics and stories of his time at gm, as well as his high BBQ IQ. He, and a number of others gone, should be in a BBQ-B Hall of Fame.

 

[food4thot]

none of my past grills are worthy of remembrance. Except maybe the gasser that my wife took when she divorced me.

Bought a Weber Genesis when married. Never liked it, except for the rotisserie feature. Was more than happy to take my kettles and leave the gasser to her. :laugh:

 

[Big George's BBQ]

A Weber Gasser and Kettle Both were a lot of fun and provided some great meals

 

[Callahan-que]

[QUOTE
rest in peace you ugly [/QUOTE]


Shouldn't that be "rust" in peace?