My new baby....

I bought a new Brinkmann heavy duty vertical charcoal/wood smoker the other day to replace my ancient Brinkmann bullet-style one. It was a sharp end-of-season deal at the local Wal-Mart. In spite of chomping at the bit to use it right out of the box, I had to spend several hours curing it according to directions.
The grills, water pan, and charcoal pan all slide out the huge access door without tipping, so access is much better than reaching down inside a tube. The construction is study, and the thermometer seems very accurate.
My first use was this past Saturday with a rack of ribs. As some may know, I have used sand in the water pan, so it's a 'set it and forget it' kind of thing. I added thermal mass with a pan of lava rocks over the coals, and this made the temperature almost rock solid even after opening the smoker to add fuel. I used a mix of mostly hickory wood with a little mesquite and apple added to my 50/50 mix of charcoal briquettes and lump charcoal.
They came out smoky, flavorful, and certainly done enough, but not tender. I made a rookie temperature mistake that I will adjust upward next time. This fall, the smell of decaying leaves in my neighborhood will be augmented with the addictive aroma of hickory and smoking meat. This and football make it my favorite time of year.

BBQ / Barbecue / Barbecue Ribs