Another FNG

[wildtxn]

Finally broke down a few weeks ago and placed an order for a Party, heat diverter, Guru and 2 extra racks. Now the wait.......

[RickC]

Welcome to the forum. Search is your friend. As a primer pull all of Old Dave's posts and read them. There is a lot of good information in them.

[wildtxn]

well, looks like the smoker is getting it's final touches. Time to make a road trip to Shreveport to go pick it up Parents house was less than an hour away on a nice private lake, seemed a viable option over paying shipping costs.

I'm Excited, been a long 2 months!

[RickC]

Congo Rats. You know we have to have pictures or it didn't happen.

[wildtxn]

I'll post some pics tonight or tomorrow if I get a chance now that I've got it back to the house. Had a long drive back from Texas the other day and haven't had a chance to season the new party yet. Finding their shop was a work in itself. Definitely deserving of the Backwoods name!! Wish I had taken pictures of the road on the way there.

[wildtxn]

Got it seasoned last night and played with the amounts of charcoal on first light to see how hot it would get and burn with a small amount. Used some Stubby's charcoal I picked up at Lowes and heard great reviews on and some of the weber cubes to start it. it's pretty much identical to running lump but formed into briquettes for more consistancy. threw in a few pieces of mesquite and the last of the small chips laying in the bag to finish it off. took about 25 min to hit 300 and stayed there easily for the next hour for the initial burn in. let it cool off and hosed the inside down with peanut oil and then lit up round two with double the amount of charcoal on top of the embers left from the initial. temps got up over 400 at first with all the vents open (no water in pan) so closed the vents down a bit. weekend is coming so I'll have time for a bone in butt I have waiting and 8 racks of st. louis ready to go for an office party monday so it's time to break it in officially now that it's seasoned. Going to stop by Ace Hardware and pick up some Firebricks to set up the fuse tonight.

[RickC]

Looking good.