BBQ & Smoking
BBQ & Smoking
The further from centre, the more strongly this hobby leans that way. Your quiz answers are scored against exactly these fifteen.
- RestfulPhysical
- IndoorsOutdoors
- SolitarySocial
- PracticalCreative
- InstinctiveTechnical
- Hands-offHands-on
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Holding a fire at a low steady temperature for hours while smoke works on a large cut of meat. Managing airflow and fuel is the skill.
~$297Cost to start
SteadyDifficulty
Mostly outdoorsWhere
2 setup steps, ~$297 all in. Nothing to buy until you say so.
Is it you?
Nobody has scored this against your answers yet. $297 to find out whether it sticks.
MessMessy
The path13 quests
ASetting up2 things to sort, in any order$26
- Get a thermometer, and smoke on the grill you own
- Clear a whole afternoon for the first cook
Then the quests
- Hold a steady low temperature for hours
- Smoke chicken or a rack of ribs
- Cook meat to the right internal temp
More on BBQ & Smoking
Everything else we have written about it. Free to read, no account needed.
Guides1
What to buy2
Best Meat Thermometer for Smoking (2026): Temperature Is the Whole SkillAlmost everything that goes wrong on a smoker is a temperature problem, and almost nobody can see temperature. Barbecue is not cooked to a time, it is cooked to a number, and a cheap thermometer removes more guesswork per pound than any upgrade to the smoker itself. The three types below solve genuinely different problems.Best Smoker for Beginners (2026): 3 Real PicksA smoker is the tool that turns tough, cheap cuts into brisket and ribs by cooking them low and slow in wood smoke for hours. For a beginner, the single most important thing is not size or brand but how easy it is to hold a steady temperature, because that is what low-and-slow really is: keeping a box at 225 to 275 degrees for six to twelve hours. An electric smoker does that almost automatically, which is why it is the easiest place to start; charcoal and pellet give more flavor and control but ask more of you. Here are three good ones across the range, plus what actually matters when you choose.
From the blog1
Learn it with a course
UdemyRecommended course
BBQ - From Beginner to pro: Grilling, Smoking and Cooking
Start on UdemyAffiliate link
Same shape of evening, different thing to hold at the end. Or follow a tag sideways.
