OK, first off, The Smoke has been drinking...…...as a global moderator I should just wait for tomorrow to post...…………………
………………..but I got this...………………………
OK, I have been researching Texas made offset smokers. I had a Smokemaster out of Austin that I re-did last year. It was over 20 years old and unfortunately due to poor care by the previous owner, part of the smoking chamber and firebox had rusted through in some spots. It was also 3/16 thick and could not handle the decades of not being cleaned.
Sold it.
We picked up a POS offset that someone had on the side of the road here in town.
Got through the cook. Pit was quite a challenge. A co-worker of Wendys needed a pit.
Sold.
Now the search was on. Was pretty set on a Gator Pit. Darn thing was close to 2500 bucks without the shipping.
Wasn't quite sure how I was going to pull that one off.
Now we live in a small town about 30 minutes southeast of Waco.
We have a small HEB market. The market just does not offer the selection and family packs the larger HEB markets offer.
I have found out in a short time that HEB is THE market in the state of Texas.
Texas is HEB country.
Wendy is off every weekend because she works in a doctors office in the rural clinic.
I cook in the hospital kitchen and get every other weekend off.
On the weekends I work, we shop here in Marlin at the little HEB.
The weekends we are both off, we go to Waco to shop at HEB or we go to Bryan/College Station to shop at Krogers when they have their sales.
This weekend we went into Waco to shop at the Wooded Acres HEB.
We parked and went into the "Texas Backyard" dept to get into the store
.............and then I see this:
![](https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/Rgm2sH.jpg)
I am immediately drawn to it like a moth to a flame.
20 X 40 double door Lyfe Tyme offset. 1/4 inch thick. 470 lbs of Texas Steel. Made in Uvalde.
.............and then I see this:
![](https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/bpQf3S.jpg)
Ok, The Smoke is all fired up over this...................
I know I know, I have the MAK 2 Star. Sorry, nothing says BBQ more to me than an offset. Anyone can fill a hopper and flip a switch. I think men should be able to start and keep a fire going before they buy anything that can smoke and be plugged in. While the MAK is invaluable for our day to day cooking, I like to start a fire and cook Texas style. The Smokes Man Card is still valid my friends. I just have a few days a month where I can set and manage a fire and I still love to do that.
OK, so back to my story:
The guy in the dept says "We can put it in your truck for you"
Really?? A 500 lb pit you expect me to just drive home and unload all by myself?
![Huh? ???](https://letstalkbbq.com/Smileys/akyhne/huh.gif)
?
"I want to see a store manager right this minute" I say.
Here she comes.
I unload: " How do you expect a customer to buy a 500 lb beast of a smoker and just get it home like it's a sack of groceries??"
She makes a call.
"Where do you live?"
" 30 minutes south east from here" I reply
"We will deliver it and put it on your patio for you for 40 dollars"
Get the frick out of Dodge, I say. I had my credit card out and it was a done dead deal.
Just a skosh over a grand for a 500 lb well made offset delivered and set up on my patio for 40 bucks?
![Huh? ???](https://letstalkbbq.com/Smileys/akyhne/huh.gif)
![Huh? ???](https://letstalkbbq.com/Smileys/akyhne/huh.gif)
"God Bless Texas"
I bought the pit at 10 am and it was setting on my patio at 5 pm..........................
I was informed by my CFO and much better half that this is it when it comes to pits so this story isn't exactly perfect but I am cool with that
![](https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/IheZT6.jpg)
Sagebrush Smoochy was on hand for the festivites
![](https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/OVNR5b.jpg)
Got some post oak in the firebox and getting her seasoned up for a Lyfe Tyme of cooking
![](https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/VxUmYB.jpg)
Did I mention I have been drinking??? Old no 7 seems to be the best thirst quencher on these hot Texas days (we have been close to 100 the last three weeks)
Y'all take care and I will break the pit in tomorrow with some thick juicy rib-eyes........................