About Me

My name is Cory and I reside in the great Pork State of Iowa. I have been barbecuing now for 15 years and have retired the gas grill for a wood pellet loving Traeger. For most of my life I have been grilling burgers, dogs, and steaks on my propane gas grill that I got from Sears. I love going to the local barbecue joints in the Des Moines area and rolling out with a full belly.

However there is nothing better than the smell of hard wood smoking. So when I fire up the barbecue and throw some meat on the grill it is for pleasing the senses. I am hoping that my regular JOE experiences can help you get started and so you can get by reluctance of going beyond the ordinary gas grill.

I would consider myself intermediate in the pit, but I can make a mean brisket and better than most slab of ribs. I will share my methods thru discussions and on the BBQology Blog.

If you would like to share your barbecue experiences here thru blogging and discussion please contact me. If you are thinking of joining the fun and getting a grill or smoker- just do it. You will learn from your mistakes. I hope you enjoy your visit.

About my Smoker

I currently use a Traeger BBQ100 that fires on wood pellets. This smoker has about 525 square inches of cooking area. This equates out to 6 full slabs of baby backs laid out flat. The large outside hopper box holds about 20lbs of pellets. I have upgraded the temperature control with the multi-stage thermostat that shows the exact temperature thru LED. This grill starts with a 300 watt hot rod that fires the wood pellets in the soup can sized fire box. The fan that blows down the auger tube and into the firebox, creates convection and even heating. The auger systems calls for pellets from the hopper as the thermostat attempts to control the temperature. It does a fairly good job holding temperature. With my current setup the maximum temperature is about 425 degrees. My smoking temperature can be as low as 140 degrees.

About my Weber

I purchased the Weber Q220 gas grill to replace my rusty Kenmore from Sears. I love the portability of the Q220 and the heat the unit can dish out. I have a some of accessories including the foldable stand, the LP tank adapter, and the Weber Q Griddle. This grill features push-button ignition, an infinite control burner valve, stainless steel burner and a built-in thermometer. The cooking system is rated at 12,000 BTUs and the total cooking area measures 280 square inches. Other features include (2) durable Tuck-Away work tables with tool holders , a sturdy glass-reinforced nylon grill frame, cast aluminum lid and body, removable catch pan, a large weather-resistant lid handle, porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grate and operates on operates on a standard 14.1 or 16.4 ounce propane cylinder. This grill is great for grilling your typical barbecue. I really love cooking breakfast with the griddle.