What a Beautiful day it is, a perfect day to do some BBQing and restock on some Vitamin D. Got some pork back ribs on the smoker as we speak, and I’m outside in the back yard enjoying a snifter of bourbon. Lately I’ve really liked Blanton’s Bourbon. I like mine with just a splash of water in a snifter, in this case my Monticello snifter, which is a souvenir I picked up while visiting. But the really important part of the first day of spring is getting the smoker going. 
This is my first smoke in this one. It’s a Weber Smokey Mountain. This winter I was considering whether I wanted to get an offset smoker, but decided, after a bit of research, that a quality bullet smoker was closer to what I was looking for. I have three racks of back ribs in it now, which were rubbed down last night. My previous smoker had difficulty staying at the right temperature, and always wanted to get hotter. This one seems to struggle to stay at a higher temperature, but I will say it holds a much more consistent temperature. I can throw in extra coals without getting a wild temperature flucuation. In a few hours I’ll be able to judge whether the end product of this smoker is better than the previous El-Cheapo Brinkmann. In the mean time I’ll enjoy the sun, the bourbon, watch the woodpecker fly around to the various trees in the neighborhood, and try really really hard not to think about the cluster fuck going on in DC right now.
6 thoughts on “First Day of Spring”
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I just pulled a corned beef flat from mine about 1/2 hour ago, and now it’s resting. It’s had a hard day, after all.
You will love love love the Weber bullet, and if you did your part the bullet will do its part. A lot like a rifle, actually.
I use a bullet and an offset (Char-Broil Silver Smoker) and the bullet wins for ease of use, temperature consistency/control and overall enjoyment. In terms of teh amount of meat, I can load up both with about the same-actually teh bullet will hold a little more since the spatial temp fluctuations are nowhere near the 50-60 degree variation over the grate on my offset.
Enjoy your ribs!
I am already much happier with this things temperature control. First mistake was not adding enough coals. On the previous unit adding too many would have caused the temperature to spike up to roasting temperature. On this unit, it seems it tops out about 250 degrees, even if you add a lot of coals. Just better engineering I guess.
Meanwhile, in the north Texas area, we are expecting more than an inch of snow tonight.
I’m making my husband get me a Traeger grill this summer, so I’ll be joining the “cool people who have smokers” club.
If you look carefully, you will see that there is a letter on the Blanton’s cork. Collect all eight, and it will spell BLANTON’S. By the way, Buffalo trace does tours for free, and it’s worth the trip if you also swing by Mammoth Cave.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4881704&l=24dd2212f9&id=686399533
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4881704&l=24dd2212f9&id=686399533
There’s the brisket-it’s a flat that had a little of the point still attached.
You’ve probably already seen the Weber Virtual Bullet site (http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/) but if you have not-it rocks. The temp control for the Weber is so much better because of better air flow control, and to get it above about 275 requires a warm, still day in the sunshine with no water in the water pan.
See here :http://www.thebbqguru.com/products/Eyelet-Assembly-for-WSM-%282-per-pack%29.html
It allows you to replace the rivets for the grate support straps with a through hole for a probe thermometer. Very nice mod.
Also you may want to consider getting a Brinkman water pan-they hold more water and should fit in the same place. I see you’ve got the newer version with the factory installed thermometer and the newer style side door latch-how did that hold up for you?