Darkman
Is lookin for wood to cook with.
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2013
- Location
- Pensacol...
Hi my name is Charles, just turned 56 last Wednesday, work as a public servant and I live in Pensacola Florida.
My current equipment if you can call it that is an electric Smoker from a Big Box store requiring membership. Stainless Steel exterior to look pretty and cheap internals but it has worked well so I can't complain. You get what you pay for. This is the one that looks like a mini fridge and has about four wire racks in it. I have produced some tasty Pork Butts, Ribs, Chicken and Sausage with it. Still learning and probably always will be.
I am looking to find information and owner reviews on some more professional units. I'm looking at the 1500-CXLD from a Texas company. I'll soon be posting a few questions to further my research. I'd be very interested in what everyone else is using for 100 pound capacity smokers.
I have not nor do I plan to enter any contest but I do plan to make competition quality Q. I'm pretty happy with what I do now but I need more consistency and I'm sure I can improve. Chicken is especially hard for me. The Butts seem to be the easiest. I just set it low around 205F and wait till it hits an internal of 195F -200F for pulled or 180F for slicing. That can take a mighty long time on some of the larger Butts. I think 22 hours is the longest I've had anything on the smoker. I prefer the larger Butts and usually buy the Cryovacs. I make my own rub that many people like. Strangely it does not really appeal to me. It's good but I think it could be better. It is "Herby" if that is a word. I usually use hickory for the first two to three hours and nothing after that.
I do have a large 8 Ft by 5 Ft concrete block open pit that I have cooked on a few times before. We cooked a whole hog, a whole goat, several butts, numerous chickens and lots of sausage all at the same time for a party one Summer. It turned out pretty well but required three of us to tend it. It consumed over a cord of oak before we gave up and started using Charcoal. It was just too ventilated for wood. LOL Had a good time though.
I have way to many hobbies, Some active some dormant. I grow Citrus, Muscadines, Figs, Bananas, Blueberries and Blackberries plus a few others. I also like old trucks (50's) and old Mustangs (65 - 71). Like tropical "looking" landscapes and recently built with professional help and twenty five foot tall waterfall for my pool.
Looking to retire in the next two years and hopefully can do a lot more BBQ'ing then. Hopefully I can find another amateur Q'er near Pensacola.
Sorry to ramble on so but I guess I just have a lot to say but I will quit now.
Darkman AKA Charles in Pensacola
My current equipment if you can call it that is an electric Smoker from a Big Box store requiring membership. Stainless Steel exterior to look pretty and cheap internals but it has worked well so I can't complain. You get what you pay for. This is the one that looks like a mini fridge and has about four wire racks in it. I have produced some tasty Pork Butts, Ribs, Chicken and Sausage with it. Still learning and probably always will be.
I am looking to find information and owner reviews on some more professional units. I'm looking at the 1500-CXLD from a Texas company. I'll soon be posting a few questions to further my research. I'd be very interested in what everyone else is using for 100 pound capacity smokers.
I have not nor do I plan to enter any contest but I do plan to make competition quality Q. I'm pretty happy with what I do now but I need more consistency and I'm sure I can improve. Chicken is especially hard for me. The Butts seem to be the easiest. I just set it low around 205F and wait till it hits an internal of 195F -200F for pulled or 180F for slicing. That can take a mighty long time on some of the larger Butts. I think 22 hours is the longest I've had anything on the smoker. I prefer the larger Butts and usually buy the Cryovacs. I make my own rub that many people like. Strangely it does not really appeal to me. It's good but I think it could be better. It is "Herby" if that is a word. I usually use hickory for the first two to three hours and nothing after that.
I do have a large 8 Ft by 5 Ft concrete block open pit that I have cooked on a few times before. We cooked a whole hog, a whole goat, several butts, numerous chickens and lots of sausage all at the same time for a party one Summer. It turned out pretty well but required three of us to tend it. It consumed over a cord of oak before we gave up and started using Charcoal. It was just too ventilated for wood. LOL Had a good time though.
I have way to many hobbies, Some active some dormant. I grow Citrus, Muscadines, Figs, Bananas, Blueberries and Blackberries plus a few others. I also like old trucks (50's) and old Mustangs (65 - 71). Like tropical "looking" landscapes and recently built with professional help and twenty five foot tall waterfall for my pool.
Looking to retire in the next two years and hopefully can do a lot more BBQ'ing then. Hopefully I can find another amateur Q'er near Pensacola.
Sorry to ramble on so but I guess I just have a lot to say but I will quit now.
Darkman AKA Charles in Pensacola
