Hi all! I'm new to the site, been looking it over for a few weeks. This is an incredible Forum, everyone really helps out, and I am learning tons of stuff. So a big Thanks to everyone, and Happy Holidays!
I just got the OBS and an Auber dual probe, 1800watt PID as my B'day & X-mas gifts to myself. Today I'm brining up some chicken tomahawks and will smoke them tomorrow for X-mas Eve. (I have a back-up plan in case my first run with the OBS and PID is a disaster. I THINK I have the PID programed right.) I plan on adding a second heating element, and a fan, after the holidays.
I've done some smoking before, going back 15 years. In grad school I worked at a whole hog, open BBQ pit. in Milledgeville, Georgia. That was my first exposure to real BBQ. After that I had a simple bullet smoker, which I used rarely. Back around seven years ago I got into the BBQ scene here in NY, and became friends with a few competitive teams. Ran around to some competitions with them for a year or two and had a blast. Then most of them went on to start BBQ restaurants in NYC. I moved up to Maine for several years where I was partner in a winery, opened a brewery, and a small artisanal distillery. Now I am back in NY, living in the 'burbs, and about to move an hour upstate from NYC this spring to start a new farm distillery. I'm gonna grow some corn, wheat, and rye and make some fine sippin' whiskey. A few weeks ago I started thinking about throwing BBQ parties next summer, and realized I needed to get back to smoking.
I look forward to joining in here on the forum in the future.
Jonathan
Making your own sippin whiskey - need a friend ;D :D Welcome to the forum!
welcome. If you need any beta testers for your sipping whiskey feel free to send me some. I have been known to sip a bit here and there and consider myself somewhat of an expert sipper ( others call say a drunk, but we are of a different opinion.)
welcome to the forum
Welcome Jonathan, sounds like you have done it a ll, a true renaissance man.
Welcome fellow New Yorker.
Good luck with your distillery. Distillery are getting popular in upstate. There are two within 30 miles of me that I know of. I keep planning to go to them for tasting, but haven't done so yet.
Which two are near you? I'm the administrator for the artisanal distillers forum and know just about everyone in the industry.
Tuthilltown Distillery, Gardiner, NY about 45 miles, and Harvest Spirits, Valatie, NY, about 30 miles. I'm sure there are more in the area, that I don't know about. I am very interested in purchasing some of Harvest Spirits Apple Jack.
Have you every competed at the Hudson Valley Ribfest?
W E L C O M E to the Forum jmforester!
Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the forum...Enjoy!
http://www.susanminor.org
Remember we like pic's!!
Habanero Smoker- Just wanted to let you know that my friend Ralph Erenzo of Tuthilltown Spirits is in the hospital in critical condition. He was in a horrible car accident last week.
I am also friends with Derek Grout at Harvest Spirits. Just saw him a few days ago when I was last up on the farm in Pine Plains where I am building my distillery. I drove the 20 minutes to Valatie to see him and say Happy Holidays.
I was last at the Hudson Valley Ribfest 2-3 years ago. Robbie of Big Island BBQ, Adam of daisy Mae, Big Lou, and a few other friends were there.
Welcome Jmforester,
It seems that you have some interesting talents. Please keep us posted on all of them.
Brad
Welcome Jonathan,
Good luck with the new venture! And with a name like Forester (as in Old Forester) you may have whiskey making down the family tree? ;D
I'm sorry to hear about Ralph Erenzo. I happened to drive by Harvest Spirits on Christmas day on my way to Albany.
I sent you a PM. Correction make it 2 PM's.