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MyrandaMaesBBQ
Newbie
Joined: 28 Feb 2012
Posts: 32
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 Posted: May 21 2012 Post subject: First event of the season for me |
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| After months of work, I have built out a new trailer, loaded it with equipment, tested and cooked out of it and I am now ready for a large 3 day event over memorial weekend. I have rehearsed my menu and practices over and over. Yet I still know I am going to miss something. Anyone have a pointer for a greenhorn producing BBQ for the first time at a festival. This is a first time health inspection for me as well. So any pointers or gotcha's around that are appreciated. This festival will draw north of 25,000 over 3 days and I am the only one with a BBQ menu. I was lucky to get into this event actually. Pretty big for me to cut my teeth on. |
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daddywoofdawg
BBQ Super Pro
Joined: 22 Jul 2008
Posts: 3892
Location: Starkweather,ND
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| Posted: May 21 2012 Post subject: |
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25K+ and your first time!go big or go home!LOL.plan busy and slow times.keep your inventory up.make sure you have everything you need.don't forget the little things like hand soap,paper towels,bleach,test kit,therm,409 type of spray,sponge and bucket and dish soap for washing down the front of your rig each morning,rug at your enrty door to wipe your feet if it gets muddy.mop,plenty of servng plates,forks.As I'm righting this I'm adding to my shopping list!LOL!Plenty of power cords,and outside lights.
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Good BBQ is all smoke and beers!
The Dawghouse Custom vertical Gasser
Custom Made offset smoker
Char grill smoker
Weber kettle |
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MyrandaMaesBBQ
Newbie
Joined: 28 Feb 2012
Posts: 32
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| Posted: May 21 2012 Post subject: |
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| daddywoofdawg wrote: | | test kit |
I knew this was worth asking. I dont have a test kit. Adding it to my list now. Thanks for the pointers. |
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MattG
Newbie
Joined: 20 May 2008
Posts: 34
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| Posted: May 22 2012 Post subject: |
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| Test Kit? What is a test kit? |
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MyrandaMaesBBQ
Newbie
Joined: 28 Feb 2012
Posts: 32
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| Posted: May 22 2012 Post subject: |
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| MattG wrote: | | Test Kit? What is a test kit? |
Used to test your sanitary rinse water to make sure you have the correct portion of chemical to water. |
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MattG
Newbie
Joined: 20 May 2008
Posts: 34
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| Posted: May 23 2012 Post subject: |
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| MyrandaMaesBBQ wrote: | | MattG wrote: | | Test Kit? What is a test kit? |
Used to test your sanitary rinse water to make sure you have the correct portion of chemical to water. |
Thanks |
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MyrandaMaesBBQ
Newbie
Joined: 28 Feb 2012
Posts: 32
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| Posted: May 30 2012 Post subject: Followup pics |
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Well, 3 days later, exhausted from the heat, I have been broke in. I have a list of lessons learned but the event was a huge success for me. I sold out of all my product 2 out of 3 days (meaning I left money on the table), but it was more than that. The people that took the effort to come back and tell me how good the food was, overwhelmed me. Made all the effort worthwhile. I have a few pics if I can get them loaded, but I am very happy with the results of the weekend. I really enjoy this website and have picked up valuable tips that helped me out during this event. Thanks to everyone in here that contributes to greenhorns.
http://s1048.photobucket.com/albums/s374/myrandamaesbbq/ |
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Bestiverhad
BBQ Pro
Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 571
Location: The Heartland of America
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| Posted: May 30 2012 Post subject: |
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I don't know where you are located, but that big open window would not pass muster here in Iowa.
How do you keep the bugs out? Especially at night.
Congrats on your success and may you have many more.
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Tender - Juicy - Smoky - Goodness
 "What would you like to drink with that?" |
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MyrandaMaesBBQ
Newbie
Joined: 28 Feb 2012
Posts: 32
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| Posted: May 30 2012 Post subject: |
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| LHD ony "recommends" screens. They require that all food be covered to prevent contact. Most fair/festival vendors that I see have open windows. That said, I have not operated at night myself, so adding a screen to the rig might be in order. Thanks for the heads up. |
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cjschuckwagon
BBQ Fan
Joined: 04 Aug 2007
Posts: 264
Location: northwest pa, but my heart is in avery california
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| Posted: Jun 01 2012 Post subject: |
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| we have a screen with a small opening, and we clamp a fan right at the opening, keeping many bugs out....good looking rig, love the flames....cj |
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QDogsBBQ
Newbie
Joined: 19 Feb 2012
Posts: 75
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| Posted: Jun 01 2012 Post subject: |
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| Bestiverhad wrote: | I don't know where you are located, but that big open window would not pass muster here in Iowa.
How do you keep the bugs out? Especially at night.
Congrats on your success and may you have many more. |
First Bestiverhad, where you located? Second, I hear you on the legal rigs but think about all the temp licenses that are sold under popups. Last weekend at the North Liberty BBQ and Blues I made the call to open the screen door and windows as it was so freaking hot and the supplied power couldn't handle theAC load. My thinking was there was a row of other vendors under pop ups no screens no $hit catching a breeze.
So if you can vend under a popup, why should I be held to a higher standard.....not looking for an answer as we vend at a high standard,
just saying |
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Blkandrust
Newbie
Joined: 31 Oct 2010
Posts: 97
Location: virginia
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| Posted: Jun 01 2012 Post subject: |
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Congrats on your success. What size is your trailer?
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Custom 250 gallon offset.
WSM 22.5"
Smokey Mtn Gasser
Weber Kettle 22.5" |
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Bestiverhad
BBQ Pro
Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 571
Location: The Heartland of America
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| Posted: Jun 02 2012 Post subject: |
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| QDogsBBQ wrote: | | Bestiverhad wrote: | I don't know where you are located, but that big open window would not pass muster here in Iowa.
How do you keep the bugs out? Especially at night.
Congrats on your success and may you have many more. |
First Bestiverhad, where you located? Second, I hear you on the legal rigs but think about all the temp licenses that are sold under popups. Last weekend at the North Liberty BBQ and Blues I made the call to open the screen door and windows as it was so freaking hot and the supplied power couldn't handle theAC load. My thinking was there was a row of other vendors under pop ups no screens no $hit catching a breeze.
So if you can vend under a popup, why should I be held to a higher standard.....not looking for an answer as we vend at a high standard,
just saying |
Hey QDog, I wasn't talking legalities, although screens are required here, I was talking bugs. Pounds of them if I tried to operate in S.E. Iowa on a summer night.
I understand your stance about the popups. Water ya gonna do?
North Liberty is only about an hour and 15 minutes North of here. How did the BBQ and Blues go. Did you compete?
Have fun? Stack any coin?
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Tender - Juicy - Smoky - Goodness
"What would you like to drink with that?" |
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MyrandaMaesBBQ
Newbie
Joined: 28 Feb 2012
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Jun 04 2012 Post subject: |
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| Blkandrust wrote: | | What size is your trailer? |
It is a 2012 MTI V nose 6x12 trailer. That V nose actually gives it the space I needed to get everything in there and still have room to function. Don't get me wrong...it's tight in there. |
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daddywoofdawg
BBQ Super Pro
Joined: 22 Jul 2008
Posts: 3892
Location: Starkweather,ND
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| Posted: Jun 05 2012 Post subject: |
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I like the pop up setup behind,I should do that!My next rig will have a man door on a wall that's not on the vending window wall.
_________________
Good BBQ is all smoke and beers!
The Dawghouse Custom vertical Gasser
Custom Made offset smoker
Char grill smoker
Weber kettle |
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MyrandaMaesBBQ
Newbie
Joined: 28 Feb 2012
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Jun 05 2012 Post subject: |
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| daddywoofdawg wrote: | | I like the pop up setup behind,I should do that! |
Thanks man, funny thing is, I get all that equipment back into that trailer so I can travel. It's like a puzzle, but it works for now. Maybe after this season goes by, I will look at a bigger rig, but for now this one is paid for so I will hassle with the extra work to setup outside and hope for good weather. |
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daddywoofdawg
BBQ Super Pro
Joined: 22 Jul 2008
Posts: 3892
Location: Starkweather,ND
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| Posted: Jun 06 2012 Post subject: |
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ya pop-ups suck in the wind!
_________________
Good BBQ is all smoke and beers!
The Dawghouse Custom vertical Gasser
Custom Made offset smoker
Char grill smoker
Weber kettle |
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Bestiverhad
BBQ Pro
Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 571
Location: The Heartland of America
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| Posted: Jun 06 2012 Post subject: |
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| daddywoofdawg wrote: | | ya pop-ups suck in the wind! |
I filled 4 one gallon ice cream buckets with quickcrete and stuck 3/8" threaded rod through holes I cut in the bottom of the bucket.
When dried, I removed them from the plastic buckets, flipped them over and painted them white to match the popup. I ended up with 4 nice looking round pedestals with the threaded rods sticking up for anchoring.
After setting up your pop up, put one pedestal under each leg and use the threaded rod with a nut to anchor the 'feet' down.
This has been very effective.
I don't have pics to show yet.
If I make any more, I'll put some kind of handle on them to make them easier to... well... handle. =^)
_________________
Tender - Juicy - Smoky - Goodness
"What would you like to drink with that?" |
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daddywoofdawg
BBQ Super Pro
Joined: 22 Jul 2008
Posts: 3892
Location: Starkweather,ND
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| Posted: Jun 06 2012 Post subject: |
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Put a couple of U bolts in on the outside top and then tie a rope to each one and have a easy handle.
_________________
Good BBQ is all smoke and beers!
The Dawghouse Custom vertical Gasser
Custom Made offset smoker
Char grill smoker
Weber kettle |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bestiverhad
BBQ Pro
Joined: 22 Oct 2009
Posts: 571
Location: The Heartland of America
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| Posted: Jun 06 2012 Post subject: |
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| daddywoofdawg wrote: | | Put a couple of U bolts in on the outside top and then tie a rope to each one and have a easy handle. |
I was thinking if I added two more threaded rods to the side of the one for the popup anchor, I could attach something like this:
http://www.atcoproducts.com/noname15.html
I could probably drill and anchor handles like that to the pedestals I have, but have been pretty busy, which is a good thing. =^)
_________________
Tender - Juicy - Smoky - Goodness
"What would you like to drink with that?" |
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