Evenin' all, can't believe I never found this place before

[Zippy]

I fell in love with low'n'slow Barbecue after a long anticipated road trip around the American South in 2009. 'Twas a weird thing, but it had always been a calling of mine to get myself to The South, somehow felt like a spiritual home. Or something. Having been once I can't wait to get back when I can next afford it.

Anyway, 'pon my return I set about trying to recreate all the cullinary delights of my trip. I embarked upon a hasty and ill thought out purchase of a cheapo offset smoker. Many, many modifications, and porcine-based disasters down the line, I have decided to ditch the thing. Although I have occasionally managed to serve up some delightful ribs on it, there were more disappointing efforts, and I never felt like I had truly mastered it enough to move onto a mammoth long pork-butt session.

So I have now acquired a Weber Smokey Mountain (57cm), which will hopefully arrive before the weekend, and I will try and properly enter the world of well barbecued food.

Having had a scoot around the forum already I am trying to pick up as much good advice as possible, but I will no doubt be asking all kinds of stoopid n00b questions that have been asked a million times before, so please be patient with me.

Name's Paul by the way, but Zippy is just as good. Based in South West London and looking forward to the summer.

[Vic.]

welcome Paul, lots of tips and tricks to be found in here

[British BBQ Society]

Welcome to the forum Zippy!

[Steve]

Welcome on board zippy.

There's loads of info on here already but never be afraid to ask questions. I'm sure you'll love your WSM they are fantastic cookers. Just remember they improve with cooking, those first few burns will season the cooker and get it performing tip top.

[Zippy]

Cheers everyone, it's appreciated.

I think I will likely give the new smoker a couple of dry runs this weekend without any food on the grill, as I'd like to be able to get confident stabilising temperatures and so on without the pressure of everyone hoping they'll have something nice to eat at the end of it!

[Steve]

I'd recommend one dry run with plenty of wood to get a good smoke coating inside then get some meat on there. The fat and smoke help seal up any small gaps and get the cooker running nice and stable. It needs the food on it to really get burned in properly.

[LM600]

Welcome Mate

Whereabouts in the South did you go - I have a strong pull towards Coastal Georgia, never been there but just like the sound of the area?

[edusites]

Howdy Zippy. Good luck with the WSM. Fancy one of those myself.

[esselle]

Hi Zippy, welcome to the forum.

[Zippy]

Welcome Mate

Whereabouts in the South did you go - I have a strong pull towards Coastal Georgia, never been there but just like the sound of the area?

I had a little road trip tour of the whole region. Flew into Charlotte NC and drove out to the coast at Wilmington NC, then down to Charleston SC and Savannah GA. Those coastal towns in that part of the world are amazing, I can't imagine anybody not loving Charleston and Savannah. They are very proud of their history, even the "British" elements of it which is somewhat different to other parts of the states in my experience(!). The region just oozes history, I think partly because the history is very 'fresh' compared to our history in Europe - ie, there is only about 300 years worth of it being 'Westernised'. But because of that many of the old seafront buldings, houses and plantations are exactly as they were then and you can really imagine what it was like as a busy port town with the streets buzzing in colonial times. I seriously cannot reccomend it enough. The beaches are also amazing.

From there I drove through Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama up to Memphis TN, and back through Nashville, Knoxville and the Smokey Mountains to catch a flight out of Charlotte back to London. I was there a few weeks in total and loved every second.

And of course the food was amazing! Wish I was back there now.