Got the call from Paul early July saying my smoker would be done in a couple weeks, it seemed like just a few days prior I made that first call and inquired about the smoker. So on the morning of July 22nd I began the final step of the journey in getting a Shirley to call my own.
Getting close
Stopped by the shop and talked to Paul and the rest of the men that make Shirley Fabrication thrive. I was there close to an hour but, could have stayed and shot the **** the whole day. Time for me to get back home with the newest addition to the family.
Got her home and did a seasoning in preparation for a big first cook. The weather however was looking mighty suspect, I was hesitant doing a big cook as this was my first time using a stick burner, along with the rain and unknown wood quality I decided the cook would go on but just a lot smaller.
Cooked a choice brisket from Walmart and pork collar from SRF.
The next morning I figured I might as well test the ole griddle out.
That night I decided to try out a Tri Tip on the the searing station in the warmer. I put the meat in a SV bath at 122* for a few hours, seasoned with S/P
The next morning I fired up the smoker for the first big smoke, I ended up doing 5 butts and 4 hams. I really enjoy cubing the ham up and putting it in my scrambled eggs, and the butt well, its just awesome as a leftover.
And a few pictures of the smoker
Overall Impressions
There is no way to get around the fact that Shirley Fabrication rigs are highly spoken of, and that sometimes makes it difficult for a company to live up to expectations. But I'm here to tell you without a doubt Paul and the rest of the guys live up to and surpass any expectations you will have. I knew the smoker would be nice but, the attention to detail and pride that they take in every facet of their work is rarely seen now a days. I wasn't in the market for a stick burner until I watched a few of Paul's videos. After watching 4 or 5 of them and reading some here I was hooked, not just with the quality of cooker they build but, the quality of a man that Paul and the rest of the guys are.
Being new to a stick burner I was a little worried if I could run the machine without any hiccups. After the seasoning session all those fears were gone, each cook has been simple. I throw a few sticks on every 45 minutes or so and the cooker holds around 275-300*, no questions asked. The searing station is flawless, I wasn't sure how it would work but after using it I'm getting rid of my Akorn which makes my wife happy. The griddle is great, there is a learning curve with the burners though. First time using a griddle also so it took me a few cooks to figure out the temps, I was cooking way too high in the beginning. Oh yeah I'm also getting rid of the Char Broil oil less fryer and will just smoke the bird, another win for my wife.
Things I would change/add
- I completely overlooked the need for a paper towel holder. Such a little thing, I remember thinking "I'll never need that" WRONG!
- I'm really liking the griddle and see myself using it quite a bit, I wish I would have looked into getting a three burner version so I had more surface area to work with, its plenty big as is for my family, but I could see myself using it to cook for crowds.
To sum it all up I could not be more happy with my experience. From day one Paul was a humble guy and would bend over backwards to answer my questions. The day I picked her up Paul was exactly what I though he would be, along with the guys you don't see all that much like Colton and TW, great guys. If you read all the way to the end, thanks for sharing my journey.
Getting close
Stopped by the shop and talked to Paul and the rest of the men that make Shirley Fabrication thrive. I was there close to an hour but, could have stayed and shot the **** the whole day. Time for me to get back home with the newest addition to the family.
Got her home and did a seasoning in preparation for a big first cook. The weather however was looking mighty suspect, I was hesitant doing a big cook as this was my first time using a stick burner, along with the rain and unknown wood quality I decided the cook would go on but just a lot smaller.
Cooked a choice brisket from Walmart and pork collar from SRF.
The next morning I figured I might as well test the ole griddle out.
That night I decided to try out a Tri Tip on the the searing station in the warmer. I put the meat in a SV bath at 122* for a few hours, seasoned with S/P
The next morning I fired up the smoker for the first big smoke, I ended up doing 5 butts and 4 hams. I really enjoy cubing the ham up and putting it in my scrambled eggs, and the butt well, its just awesome as a leftover.
And a few pictures of the smoker
Overall Impressions
There is no way to get around the fact that Shirley Fabrication rigs are highly spoken of, and that sometimes makes it difficult for a company to live up to expectations. But I'm here to tell you without a doubt Paul and the rest of the guys live up to and surpass any expectations you will have. I knew the smoker would be nice but, the attention to detail and pride that they take in every facet of their work is rarely seen now a days. I wasn't in the market for a stick burner until I watched a few of Paul's videos. After watching 4 or 5 of them and reading some here I was hooked, not just with the quality of cooker they build but, the quality of a man that Paul and the rest of the guys are.
Being new to a stick burner I was a little worried if I could run the machine without any hiccups. After the seasoning session all those fears were gone, each cook has been simple. I throw a few sticks on every 45 minutes or so and the cooker holds around 275-300*, no questions asked. The searing station is flawless, I wasn't sure how it would work but after using it I'm getting rid of my Akorn which makes my wife happy. The griddle is great, there is a learning curve with the burners though. First time using a griddle also so it took me a few cooks to figure out the temps, I was cooking way too high in the beginning. Oh yeah I'm also getting rid of the Char Broil oil less fryer and will just smoke the bird, another win for my wife.
Things I would change/add
- I completely overlooked the need for a paper towel holder. Such a little thing, I remember thinking "I'll never need that" WRONG!
- I'm really liking the griddle and see myself using it quite a bit, I wish I would have looked into getting a three burner version so I had more surface area to work with, its plenty big as is for my family, but I could see myself using it to cook for crowds.
To sum it all up I could not be more happy with my experience. From day one Paul was a humble guy and would bend over backwards to answer my questions. The day I picked her up Paul was exactly what I though he would be, along with the guys you don't see all that much like Colton and TW, great guys. If you read all the way to the end, thanks for sharing my journey.
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