Howdy from New York

[jmforester]

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

[KevinG]

Making your own sippin whiskey  - need a friend  ;D :D Welcome to the forum!

[GusRobin]

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.)

[beefmann]

welcome to the forum

[DTAggie]

Welcome Jonathan, sounds like you have done it a ll, a true renaissance man.

[Habanero Smoker]

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.

[jmforester]

Which two are near you? I'm the administrator for the artisanal distillers forum and know just about everyone in the industry.

[Habanero Smoker]

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?

[FLBentRider]

W E L C O M E  to the Forum jmforester!

[SouthernSmoked]

Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the forum...Enjoy!

http://www.susanminor.org

Remember we like pic's!!

[jmforester]

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.

[car54]

Welcome Jmforester,

It seems that you have some interesting talents. Please keep us posted on all of them.

Brad

[TestRocket]

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

[Habanero Smoker]

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.