Greetings from Alaska

bilder · July 30, 2010, 11:23:33 AM

Hello forum!

Been lurking for awhile now and have finally taken the step and have mu first bacon in the fridge curing.

Been smoking since I was a kid. We used to make venison jerky all the time growing up and I have smoked hundreds, if not thousands of salmon over the years, but I have never gotten beyond that till now. I own an old Tall Totem smoker that is on its last legs and will be buying a Bradley in the next couple months. Still reading up on which model to get, but am leaning toward the OBS.

My first bacon was a bit of a challenge to locate. So far I have found only one place to buy up here and then you either have to buy the whole belly or buy smaller 1-2 pound frozen slabs. I started with a couple of the small slabs till I get the hang of it then I will dive in with a full side of belly and have at it.

The wealth of information on this forum is incredible. Thanks for all the posts and know how you guys bring to the masses.

KyNola · July 30, 2010, 11:56:29 AM

Welcome aboard bilder. There are several folks from AK on here.

GusRobin · July 30, 2010, 12:13:25 PM

Welcome. It you can swing it, now seems the time to buy the OBS. See the "hot deals" section of the forum. THose are some of the lowest prices I have seen.

classicrockgriller · July 30, 2010, 03:17:24 PM

bilder, Glad to have you with Us.

If you have been lurking you probably have seen this info,

but I will post it for you anyway.

You might want to check out our FAQ's
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?p=748#post748

recipe site:
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/

Try this link to get your pictures going.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showpost.php?p=768&postcount=11

KevinG · July 31, 2010, 07:30:26 AM

Welcome the to the forum bilder! Nice to have another seasoned smoker around here.

Kummok · July 31, 2010, 07:48:29 AM

Camai Bilder!
If you're anywhere near Soldotna, check on the OBS at the 'Soldotna Hardware and Fishing' on the Sterling Highway....I often see the OBS on sale for $279 there.....

aces-n-eights · July 31, 2010, 10:50:08 AM

Welcome, bilder! Where are you located in the Great Land?

KyNola · July 31, 2010, 12:28:20 PM

Told you they would be along. Iceman is probably working on the North Slope right now or he would have already stopped by too.

bilder · July 31, 2010, 12:51:05 PM

I live in Anchorage.

Had a couple years where I did no smoking due to the location I was living in. Neighbors would have either stolen the goods or called the fire dept.

Just moved into a nice house a couple months ago and one of the first things I did was pull my smoker out of storage. I am a budget shopper and hit the clearance meat section at the market all the time. Scored yesterday and got a couple packages of pork ribs for half price and picked up some chuck roast while it was on sale too.

My smoker is not real good at temp control, so I have to baby sit it a lot. Looking forward to buying a Bradley and not having to worry about the temps so much. The pucks cost more than chips, but the peace of mind on temp control is well worth it to me. Was considering a Masterbuilt, but after looking at the availability of spare parts the Bradley wins.

One question for the Alaskans, do any of you cure your own bacon? If so, where do you get it? Only place I can find so far is Mr. Prime Beef.

TestRocket · August 02, 2010, 10:35:09 AM

Welcome aboard bilder,

I've got a sister and BIL up your way and they send me some mighty good canned salmon from time to time!