Which smoker to buy

[Benny B]

This is why I don't go to the dentist anymore... they are the of the kind with whom I would rather kick back, light the grill, burn through a quarter face of a hickory/cherry mix, ash through a couple of Cubans*, complain/commiserate over what the flock MU is doing about this and that - all the while polishing off a 2-4 over a long afternoon/evening - than have them jockeying around in my mouth.

$350 twice a year buys a lot beer and pork belly with more than enough left over for the requisite amount of peroxide and bicarbonate.




*Though now that the novelty of the Cuban cigar is about to go ka-put, we can focus on the Dominicans that have always been better than any Cuban out there (except the Serie D or a well-aged Upmann), not to mention at a discounted price once the US market is flooded by Cubans of no better quality than a Swisher Sweet and the a$$hats who are going to buy them up like candy.

[rocket surgeon]

   "If selling, your financials may look better after running through additional revenue thanks to more time... and the buyer purchases a piece of state of the art (ahem...) technology."

   
     absolutely-it would add to the value of the practice in more ways than one, IF the dr. dude was a fan.  think of it like this-people looking for a home-find one that has everything they wanted, EXCEPT the swimming pool.  i guess he could sell the piece of equipment if he so desired.  the pool?  ot so much

  if i still own the practice after i'm done paying off the digital x-ray/ceph/pan/cone beam plus intraoral cameras, that would free up a lot of capital to add the robotics.  by then, they should have the 10th generation machine pumping out crowns with merely a urine and a hair sample-Eh'na

[real chili 83]

Heading to this event for some que education.  Thanks to SPW for the tip. 

http://mnbbqsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2016BBQSpringTrainingOnePager-page.jpg

[rocket surgeon]

Heading to this event for some que education.  Thanks to SPW for the tip. 

http://mnbbqsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2016BBQSpringTrainingOnePager-page.jpg

that looks really good in more ways than one.  hey, care to share your notes with a few here who chose to "sleep in"?

[keefe]

This is why I don't go to the dentist anymore... they are the of the kind with whom I would rather kick back, light the grill, burn through a quarter face of a hickory/cherry mix, ash through a couple of Cubans*, complain/commiserate over what the flock MU is doing about this and that - all the while polishing off a 2-4 over a long afternoon/evening - than have them jockeying around in my mouth.

$350 twice a year buys a lot beer and pork belly with more than enough left over for the requisite amount of peroxide and bicarbonate.




*Though now that the novelty of the Cuban cigar is about to go ka-put, we can focus on the Dominicans that have always been better than any Cuban out there (except the Serie D or a well-aged Upmann), not to mention at a discounted price once the US market is flooded by Cubans of no better quality than a Swisher Sweet and the a$$hats who are going to buy them up like candy.

Chili

You cannot be talking about a Cuban Cohiba in comparison with its Dominican cousin...the Cuban is much, much smoother. Just a solid smoke.

I agree on a Partagas Serie D but am scratching my head about Upmann...

[real chili 83]

Keefe, I'm honored that you mistook me for the one and only Benny B.   

[Benny B]

Chili

You cannot be talking about a Cuban Cohiba in comparison with its Dominican cousin...the Cuban is much, much smoother. Just a solid smoke.

I agree on a Partagas Serie D but am scratching my head about Upmann...

Not Chili here, but the Siglo VI has to be the most overrated smoke of all time.  "But Castro smokes it"... so freakin what.  Castro's a moron.

And not just any Upmann... a properly aged pre-1998, Mag 50.

[rocket surgeon]

This is why I don't go to the dentist anymore... they are the of the kind with whom I would rather kick back, light the grill, burn through a quarter face of a hickory/cherry mix, ash through a couple of Cubans*, complain/commiserate over what the flock MU is doing about this and that - all the while polishing off a 2-4 over a long afternoon/evening - than have them jockeying around in my mouth.

$350 twice a year buys a lot beer and pork belly with more than enough left over for the requisite amount of peroxide and bicarbonate.




*Though now that the novelty of the Cuban cigar is about to go ka-put, we can focus on the Dominicans that have always been better than any Cuban out there (except the Serie D or a well-aged Upmann), not to mention at a discounted price once the US market is flooded by Cubans of no better quality than a Swisher Sweet and the a$$hats who are going to buy them up like candy.

hey 4everwarriors-this guy probably has a few rings of calculus built up-hygienist will need to put her knees on his chest to chip away, she'll need the forearms of steve garvey-eine'r so?  have any gals around up to the task?

[4everwarriors]

I do man. Plus, we'll bust out da heavy duty ultrasonic and Biolase if need be, hey?

[Benny B]

You'd be amazed at what brushing/flossing twice a day will do.  You know... that 'thing-that-every-dentist-ironically-tells-every-patient-knowing-that-if-they-actually-heeded-the-advice-it-would-put-dentists-out-of-a-job.' 

"But Benny, even brushing/flossing is only 90% of it, at most... there's no substitute for professional care, right?"

Stop whining and I'll explain how the care for one's teeth parallels ownership of a smoker.  After all, why do you think we use the term 'grill' to refer to both?  Now everyone other that the dentally educated will be surprised that "grill" isn't simply an urban colloquialism for one's pearly whites (or an augmented/embellished version thereof)... every dentist knows that the etymology actually stems from Dr. John Harris' love for the mystical magic of meat, fire, flame, and blah blah blah.  What will be surprising to the dentists aboard is that the building in which Dr. Harris opened the world's first dental school is on the grounds of ancient churrascarias built by the Mestizos who settled in the SW of modern day Ohio... this was not a coincidence as Dr. Harris has long admired how clean the Gauchos kept their grills.

With any grill, you need to clean/brush after every meal, and not just the surfaces.  You have to get in between the gum and tooth just like you have to get in between the grate and the track it sits on, because that's where the gunk - which both contains and traps corrosive elements - builds up over time.

Even though I detest whining, I will certainly concede even the most meticulous grill self-cleaning regiment can only do 80-90% of the work.  After 180 days (or so) of grill use, you must get in there with some combination of mechanical and/or chemical cleaners.  Now the fancy instruments that the professionals use to keep grills clean can't simply be bought at your local Walgreens, so the resourceful individual will turn to regular household chemicals that break down the gunk (e.g. a de-greasing agent or simply hydrogen peroxide, depending on the case) and/or act as mild abrasive (baking soda, conveniently, works in both cases).  Now the risk you run here is that over-aggressive cleaning can also erode your grill over time (which is why dentists don't care if you actually heed their advice), hence the necessity of properly resurfacing your grill regularly.  Again, without access to the professionals' toolbox, it's not exactly the easiest thing in the world, but like seasoning a cast iron pan, it can be done with patience and the gentle manipulation of certain molecules (or ions).  Moreover, whether building up these "protective layers" involves inducing polymerization by raising highly saturated fats to requisite temps or the alchemy of calcium, phosphate, and fluoride, neglecting to do so properly in either situation could lead to the creation of carcinogenic material.  Fortunately, a simple understanding of chemistry not only makes this easily avoidable but allows a resourceful individual to add countless years to his/her grill's life.

In this light, going to the dentist twice a year makes about as much sense as hauling your meat chamber to Dr. Smoker twice a year so he can give it a deep clean (and I'm not talking about an ObGyn who goes through three packs of Camels a day here, either).  However, we do use our teeth daily - not so much the case with a smoker - and most people don't want to deal with this crap every day, which is why dentists provide a great benefit to society.

Though you can't blame people for being skeptical when a dentist tells them that parts of their grill are wearing out and they should really come to terms with plopping down a few G's to upgrade to the new model because theirs definitely won't last more than two or three years at the most... despite the fact that almost 20 years later, everything is holding up just fine and looks/feels as clean as can be.

[rocket surgeon]

You'd be amazed at what brushing/flossing twice a day will do.  You know... that 'thing-that-every-dentist-ironically-tells-every-patient-knowing-that-if-they-actually-heeded-the-advice-it-would-put-dentists-out-of-a-job.' 

"But Benny, even brushing/flossing is only 90% of it, at most... there's no substitute for professional care, right?"

Stop whining and I'll explain how the care for one's teeth parallels ownership of a smoker.  After all, why do you think we use the term 'grill' to refer to both?  Now everyone other that the dentally educated will be surprised that "grill" isn't simply an urban colloquialism for one's pearly whites (or an augmented/embellished version thereof)... every dentist knows that the etymology actually stems from Dr. John Harris' love for the mystical magic of meat, fire, flame, and blah blah blah.  What will be surprising to the dentists aboard is that the building in which Dr. Harris opened the world's first dental school is on the grounds of ancient churrascarias built by the Mestizos who settled in the SW of modern day Ohio... this was not a coincidence as Dr. Harris has long admired how clean the Gauchos kept their grills.

With any grill, you need to clean/brush after every meal, and not just the surfaces.  You have to get in between the gum and tooth just like you have to get in between the grate and the track it sits on, because that's where the gunk - which both contains and traps corrosive elements - builds up over time.

Even though I detest whining, I will certainly concede even the most meticulous grill self-cleaning regiment can only do 80-90% of the work.  After 180 days (or so) of grill use, you must get in there with some combination of mechanical and/or chemical cleaners.  Now the fancy instruments that the professionals use to keep grills clean can't simply be bought at your local Walgreens, so the resourceful individual will turn to regular household chemicals that break down the gunk (e.g. a de-greasing agent or simply hydrogen peroxide, depending on the case) and/or act as mild abrasive (baking soda, conveniently, works in both cases).  Now the risk you run here is that over-aggressive cleaning can also erode your grill over time (which is why dentists don't care if you actually heed their advice), hence the necessity of properly resurfacing your grill regularly.  Again, without access to the professionals' toolbox, it's not exactly the easiest thing in the world, but like seasoning a cast iron pan, it can be done with patience and the gentle manipulation of certain molecules (or ions).  Moreover, whether building up these "protective layers" involves inducing polymerization by raising highly saturated fats to requisite temps or the alchemy of calcium, phosphate, and fluoride, neglecting to do so properly in either situation could lead to the creation of carcinogenic material.  Fortunately, a simple understanding of chemistry not only makes this easily avoidable but allows a resourceful individual to add countless years to his/her grill's life.

In this light, going to the dentist twice a year makes about as much sense as hauling your meat chamber to Dr. Smoker twice a year so he can give it a deep clean (and I'm not talking about an ObGyn who goes through three packs of Camels a day here, either).  However, we do use our teeth daily - not so much the case with a smoker - and most people don't want to deal with this crap every day, which is why dentists provide a great benefit to society.

Though you can't blame people for being skeptical when a dentist tells them that parts of their grill are wearing out and they should really come to terms with plopping down a few G's to upgrade to the new model because theirs definitely won't last more than two or three years at the most... despite the fact that almost 20 years later, everything is holding up just fine and looks/feels as clean as can be.

just as some people can eat whatever they choose and not put on an ounce, some can get away with their own concoction of oral armamentarium, old standbys, hydrochloric acid, drano, lime-away,vinegar, sodium bicarb with pumice, etc etc.  btw, you can buy any assortment of dental instruments on amazon or other places online.  google dental curettes or instruments., many gunsmiths love some of our stuff, car mechanics, but i digress.  now, other people NEED their teeth cleaned professionally.  it's just the way it is.  refer back to my some people eating example.  some people gain weight by just looking at food.  anyway, you wouldn't believe some of the "crap" build-up i see in ones grill within a week or so of having hygienist do her thing.  otherwise, let me know if/when you start spreading the word on benny's alternative dental care so i can revamp my denture inventory and brush up(no pun intended) on my periodontal surgical techniques.  i might be able to retire earlier than anticipated 

[Benny B]

just as some people can eat whatever they choose and not put on an ounce, some can get away with their own concoction of oral armamentarium, old standbys, hydrochloric acid, drano, lime-away,vinegar, sodium bicarb with pumice, etc etc.  btw, you can buy any assortment of dental instruments on amazon or other places online.  google dental curettes or instruments., many gunsmiths love some of our stuff, car mechanics, but i digress.  now, other people NEED their teeth cleaned professionally.  it's just the way it is.  refer back to my some people eating example.  some people gain weight by just looking at food.  anyway, you wouldn't believe some of the "crap" build-up i see in ones grill within a week or so of having hygienist do her thing.  otherwise, let me know if/when you start spreading the word on benny's alternative dental care so i can revamp my denture inventory and brush up(no pun intended) on my periodontal surgical techniques.  i might be able to retire earlier than anticipated 

Benny's alternative dental care works only because Benny happens to be one of those people who can get away with it.  Which, granted, is what everyone says until the first time they can't get away with it, but whether it's brushing/flossing twice a day, limited sugars/carbs, drinking more tap water than your average person, or simply body chemistry, I don't expect my methods will work on the general population.  Maybe England.

My wife and I were at Menards a week ago walking through the outdoors section when she asked if I wanted a new smoker for Father's Day this year.  I directed her to the cans of high-temp Krylon, told her I already had the sandpaper at home, and said I just need three hours to myself to R&M what I already had.  She thought I was crazy; me, not so much.  For some people, there's nothing like a job well done and maintaining what you already have.

Some people buy the Egg or one of those automated electronic boxes that don't require the care or attention during cooking that my smoker does... I have to check on mine every 15-20 minutes, adjust the fire and the vents, rotate the meats, refill the water bath, etc., and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.  But again, that's just me; to each their own.

[rocket surgeon]

Benny's alternative dental care works only because Benny happens to be one of those people who can get away with it.  Which, granted, is what everyone says until the first time they can't get away with it, but whether it's brushing/flossing twice a day, limited sugars/carbs, drinking more tap water than your average person, or simply body chemistry, I don't expect my methods will work on the general population.  Maybe England.

My wife and I were at Menards a week ago walking through the outdoors section when she asked if I wanted a new smoker for Father's Day this year.  I directed her to the cans of high-temp Krylon, told her I already had the sandpaper at home, and said I just need three hours to myself to R&M what I already had.  She thought I was crazy; me, not so much.  For some people, there's nothing like a job well done and maintaining what you already have.

Some people buy the Egg or one of those automated electronic boxes that don't require the care or attention during cooking that my smoker does... I have to check on mine every 15-20 minutes, adjust the fire and the vents, rotate the meats, refill the water bath, etc., and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.  But again, that's just me; to each their own.

i love the smoker analogy; it hits it right on the head-some things(or people) require more maintenance than others.  sometimes as a result of one's own free will or choice, or preferences.  i used to NEVER floss my teeth.  i haven't had a cavity in over 30 years and none interproximally(in between).  HOWEVER, just recently i developed a couple isolated, perio pockets ~5mm(my cut-off is 4mm)  that became unacceptable for me.  i started flossing and the pockets shrunk/healed to 3mm(ideal)  moral of the story=to each his own.

i get a kick out of patients who ask-are you going to yell at me for....i tell them hey, i only suggest.  if ya don't like my suggestions, chances are i'll be seeing you more often, just don't call me on a friday, saturday or sunday night...well, if ya do, i'll have to charge mutation-like $$

[real chili 83]

Went to the BBQ seminar yesterday.  Event had over 100 participants and a waiting list.  They served an absolutely huge lunch prepared by pro BBQ competition chefs.  Two brisket choices, chicken breasts and drumsticks, ribs, and sweet Italian sausages.  Lots of sides, including some killer chili.  All produced on 4 Green Eggs. 

Lots of good tips.  One item that I found interesting is that meat takes on most smoke while the box is at 90 - 120 degrees.  This was per a Ph.D. from the U of M Meat Science department.  Seems like you want to keep your box cool and at this temp for a while for a good bark. 

Also found that buying pork and beef, you look for color....the more red in color, the higher the ph.  Higher ph means the protein can better retain water, thus juicier meat.  Marbling is also important, but never knew that color played such an important part.  This was affirmed by two different Ph.Ds. at the seminar.

We got a tour of the Meat Science lab.  They butcher sever pigs and cows per week for research.  Much of the meat is for sale at the school for retail. 

Famous Dave Anderson spoke to us for an hour.  Great guy and an amazing story.  Dave was a lousy student in school....C"s, D's, and F's.  Dave never got an undergrad degree. Later in his career, he applied and was accepted to Harvard for his Master's.  Dave showed a picture of him receiving his Master's at Harvard. 

Dave has an amazing passion for BBQ.  I bought his book and got an autograph and photo.

One other interesting tidbit.  Jack Link's contracts out with the U of M to do product testing.  They have a $300k industrial smoker in the building. 

Ran into a 90's MU grad at the event.  He was associated with Memphis Grill's.  Nice looking grills.  Super, super expensive.  Dude wasn't a scooper.  SPW, perhaps you know who I am referring to.

Time well spent.  Highly recommend.  Event was put on by the MN BBQ Society.

Edit:

Forgot to mention, FD has started up new brand, Old Smokehose Barbeque. He has a location in Hayward and in Rice Lake.  His technique includes maplewood using a direct heat smoker. 

[rocket surgeon]

thanks for the notes and pics.  looked like a really interesting seminar. 

 we"ve been going to hayward area since i was 6 years old.  watched famous dave's evolve.  amazing story.  i will have to look up the old smokehouse next time i'm up there. jack link's products weakened the bigger he got. there is a gas station on hwy 53 in minong that sells his stuff by bulk.  i found an incredible jerky-old trapper-i grab in searchlight, nv. on my way to and from havasu city.  much better, cheaper and it sits on a shelf right next to jack links.  last month, i grabbed like 5 big bags and the cashier looked at me funny. jacks just seems too processed to me now.  it used to be pretty good

 eating a beef brisket i whipped up yesterday on ole smokie and just pulled it off the grill-wow! 

maybe we can get MU to start up or host a program like the one you were just at. 

[real chili 83]

thanks for the notes and pics.  looked like a really interesting seminar. 

 we"ve been going to hayward area since i was 6 years old.  watched famous dave's evolve.  amazing story.  i will have to look up the old smokehouse next time i'm up there. jack link's products weakened the bigger he got. there is a gas station on hwy 53 in minong that sells his stuff by bulk.  i found an incredible jerky-old trapper-i grab in searchlight, nv. on my way to and from havasu city.  much better, cheaper and it sits on a shelf right next to jack links.  last month, i grabbed like 5 big bags and the cashier looked at me funny. jacks just seems too processed to me now.  it used to be pretty good

 eating a beef brisket i whipped up yesterday on ole smokie and just pulled it off the grill-wow! 

maybe we can get MU to start up or host a program like the one you were just at.

I know that gas station well.  We go 30 min north of there.  We'll need to tee it up in Solon this summer. 

[rocket surgeon]

I know that gas station well.  We go 30 min north of there.  We'll need to tee it up in Solon this summer.

hidden greens baby!  since we bought the place in arizona, haven't been up there(barnes-upper eau claire) near as much.  my parents sold it to my sister to keep it in the family, but i could go anytime as long as it's not being used.  absolutely beautiful place.  the only place you'll see more stars is lake havasu city though

[reinko]

Chili,  ya gotta get that blue thing checked out on your face.   Looks kinda serious. 

[real chili 83]

I got some serious smoker envy.  Went down with SPW on Friday night to a KCBS contest at the state fair grounds.  One of the teams gave us a tour of their rig.  Holy cow!!!

The front part was a decked out camper and the back half was a commercial grade stainless kitchen.  Complete with fridge/freezer, warmers, etc. 

The smokers were vertical pellet smokers  that would replenish themselves automatically with an electric auger system.  They had two of them.

Yep, I got smoker envy.

Fair number of Eggs too.

[rocket surgeon]

I got some serious smoker envy.  Went down with SPW on Friday night to a KCBS contest at the state fair grounds.  One of the teams gave us a tour of their rig.  Holy cow!!!

The front part was a decked out camper and the back half was a commercial grade stainless kitchen.  Complete with fridge/freezer, warmers, etc. 

The smokers were vertical pellet smokers  that would replenish themselves automatically with an electric auger system.  They had two of them.

Yep, I got smoker envy.

Fair number of Eggs too.

were they cookin?  where does one hear about these local smokin events?  i would have taken a ride as i don't golf well with mittens and parkas on

[real chili 83]

were they cookin?  where does one hear about these local smokin events?  i would have taken a ride as i don't golf well with mittens and parkas on

http://mnbbqsociety.com

[rocket surgeon]

http://mnbbqsociety.com

that is one oiled machine-the club i mean.  they have a lot going on.  are there any local clubs with events?

[SaintPaulWarrior]

that is one oiled machine-the club i mean.  they have a lot going on.  are there any local clubs with events?

Here is a website for the whole country/world.  You can search by date and/or location.


http://www.kcbs.us/events

[rocket surgeon]

Here is a website for the whole country/world.  You can search by date and/or location.


http://www.kcbs.us/events

thanks!  hey-state championship-union grove wi. 10/21/16  if i'm not in Az. i'm marking that down on the calendar

chili-you going to that one? 

bullhead city, az.  10/9/16-i am going to be in vegas and havasu 10/7 thru 10/18  now that's a place where they've got to do bbq right or die eyn'a?  how else are ya gonna eat?

correction-that was last year-schnikees!

[real chili 83]

My next might be in Owatonna.  Looks like a good event for the city.