Hello from Maryland

[cwshiles]

Greetings all!
I have been bouncing around these forums quite a bit doing research and deciding on which smoker to buy. I have finally pulled the trigger and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my #3 with cart.  I am super excited to start smoking.  I have made attempts before using my gas grill and unfortunately it was on a cold windy day which made it nearly impossible to maintain the temp.  I have friends that have all different smokers and I took in all of their opinions into account as well as the very helpful folks here and a couple sites with similar products.  In the end, I chose the # 3 because of size, ability to do full racks of Ribs, insulation, and price. 

I already have a list of things I am looking into buying:

• Auber PID
• Fruitawood -I want 6 varieties, but do not need 40 lbs of wood considering the small amount of wood our smokers require.  It would be great if someone out there in MD wanted to split a box with me
• Maverick Maverick ET-733 or ET-732  I have not decided if the 733 is worth it.  Plus it looks a little frustrating to navigate
• Vacuum Sealer -looking for suggestions
• Other general accessories to make prep and cleanup easier

I am planning to do ribs for my first smoke, chicken for the 2nd and a turkey breast to prep for Thanksgiving.  We usually fry a turkey which always turns out great, so I am going to try my hand at doing a couple turkey breasts in the smoker.  Wish me luck!

A little about me:
I love good beer, good wine, good food, golf, scuba diving, and making/breaking/fixing stuff.  I am married to a beautiful woman that tolerates and encourages my hobbies, no kids, and 2 ferocious Chihuahua's (Donkey & Hoss).  I play golf as much as I can and am usually out throughout the year on weekends which was another deciding factor on the electric smoker.  It will be nice to get everything prepped, run out for 4 hours, come home and wait for some delicious eats.


I look forward learning from all of you and contributing what I learn.

Cheers,
Charlie

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[swthorpe]

Welcome to the club, Charlie!  Like you, I did a lot of research and pulled the trigger on a smoking-it smoker (but I went with the #2).  You have a good plan...I could not agree more on ribs for the first smoke.  When you get to the chicken and turkey, you definitely need the Maverick.  The Maverick will be important for measuring the internal temp of the chicken and turkey...put the probe in the breast area without touching bone.   You won't need it for the ribs since it is tough to avoid the bones, but I always use the BBQ temp probe just for the fun of watching the temp in the smoker.   

The beauty of the electric smoker is that you can truly set it and forget it...I have even hit the driving range after starting the smoker.

Cheers!

[DivotMaker]

Thanks for the intro, Charlie!  You'll definitely fit into this motley crew!     The answers to all of your questions are here - it's like "one stop shopping!" (wish upcoming Christmas shopping was as easy).  Check out the vacuum sealer & Maverick reviews in the gadgets and gizmos sections, and I think you'll find general consensus on how good it is.

A thought on your "other general accessories" comment:  Invest in a good slicing knife with a Granton blade. 

http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=792.0

Good knife, and affordable.  I own it and love it.

Take comfort in the decision you made to buy the best bang for the buck in the smoker market!  You'll be amazed at the great Q you produce - and so will everyone else!  (And I'm sure Donkey and Hoss will dig the bones and scraps!)

[BIG BOB]

welcome Charlie.....

I know you will love your smoker and this forum is outstanding for advice, recipes, trouble shooting, etc... you are on the right track with the soon-to-be purchased accessories.

Remember the most important accessory.... YOU MUST HAVE PLENTY OF BEER!     
good luck.

[cwshiles]

Thanks for the warm welcome boys! 

I appreciate the suggestions.  I plan to spend alot of time here in my quest to learn and not make some of the same mistakes others have made if possible with some of the pricier cuts of meat. 

My goal is to learn to do a proper brisket.  My wife is from Texas and she is always on the quest for a great brisket, and we just can't seem to find it anywhere locally.  My buddy has a food truck and he turns out some fantastic Brisket as well as other things, but he is not always convenient to get to since he runs his lunch service and I am usually working.

In the last couple of days, I have ordered some wood, a Maverick ET-733, and am about to go outside and begin assembling the smoker. 

Also thanks for the suggestions.  I have a Wuhstof Super Slicer which works well for me, but I have seen rave reviews on the Victorinox 12-Inch Granton Edge slicer you mention earlier.  I have also had the Forschner 12" Cimeter Granton Edged Knife come highly recommended for trimming. 

Bob,  The beer fridge is fully stocked and ready to support my new hobby.   


Have a great week!
Charlie

[BIG BOB]

i AM GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE BEER FRIDGE IS STOCKED!!!!  GOOD LUCK MY FRIEND! 

[DivotMaker]

Several great brisket recipes on here, Charlie.  I've never had a bad one in my SI!  One thing I might warn you about, in case you don't know, is that you won't get a nice pink smoke ring in the meat.  Not a big deal - no taste difference, just visual.  Some people get twisted up over it.  I kind of did, at first, but realized that it's all about taste!

[es1025]

Welcome aboard! You will fit in nicely.
I like you laundry list of extras. I have posted a couple of recipes on brisket. If a say so myself, its pretty darn good. I would suggest getting an injector, that imo is needed for good brisket. 

[DivotMaker]

Ditto on what Ed said...injection + brisket = juicy goodness!

[rickne]

Welcome from Nebraska.  #3 is a great choice.

I pondered the PID for a long time.  Elected to hold off and see how the #3 does without it.  I did get the Maverick.  Never used one before but did have the Polder's in the past.

After a couple of cooks, I've decided I have no need for the PID.  Yes, the cooker flucuates, but that is okay.  It's still more consistent than my old sick burners.  I don't do any cold smoking so I decided there was nothing for me to gain by buying the PID.

I do love my Maverick.  I came from a stick burning background and was looking for EASY.  I got EASY and I love it.

[McSev2010]

That makes me curious - how many smokin'it electric converts do we have here who used stick or charcoal burners prior? I did... anyone else?

[DivotMaker]

Lots and lots of "converts" here, McSev!    ...me included!  I had no idea an electric "lazy Q" smoker could produce such good results!  Wish I'd converted years ago!

[Smokster]

Welcome to the club Charlie. You won't be disappointed with your new #3 smoker.