Welcome to SmokeyGood.com—where we make premium wood-fired cooking simple. We are Smoker Cooking Made Easy.
My name is Jim Admans, and I am the founder and head pitmaster here. If you are considering jumping into the backyard smoking game, you are in the right place. My explicit mission is to strip away the confusion and provide clear, easy-to-follow instructions and information for outdoor cooks.
My live-fire journey did not start overnight. I spent years learning about smoke, airflow, and heat distribution across several different cookers.
Here is my timeline to mastering the pit.
The Early Days: The Gas Grill Failure
Years ago, I worked in corporate marketing for a commercial food company. I had the privilege of collaborating with professional chefs who introduced me to the deep flavors of real wood smoke.
My very first backyard smoking attempt was not very successful. I tried to force dry wood chips into a cheap metal contraption sitting on a standard gas grill. It was an inefficient, frustrating mess.
But that failure gave me the exact motivation I needed to master the art of the craft.
The Weber Bullet: Learning the Fundamentals
In November of 2014, I invested in a Weber Smokey Mountain bullet smoker. For beginners looking for a low-cost entry into backyard smoking, this is still the gold standard place to start.
Managing a manual charcoal bullet smoker teaches you the foundational rules of barbecue. You learn exactly how to balance manual air intake valves with your fuel consumption to lock in target temperatures.
Crouching over an open fire for hours taught me patience, consistency, and the true science of smoke behavior.
The Built-In Memphis: Stepping Into Luxury
By 2018, I was ready for premium build quality. I built a custom outdoor kitchen at our home and wanted a heavy-duty, stainless steel centerpiece cooker. I chose a beautiful built-in Memphis Pellet Grill.
The Memphis was an exceptional convection machine, but it featured one specific design priority that completely changed my style of cooking: Open Flame Grilling.
Instead of just baking meat indirectly, I could finally expose steaks directly to real wood fire. I used that machine heavily until the digital Wi-Fi boards failed permanently and we relocated. You will see the Memphis in action in some of my older posts.
The Yoder YS640s: The Ultimate Flagship
We relocated to beautiful Oregon, giving me the ultimate opportunity to shop for a new smoker. After months of research and build-quality comparisons, I landed on the heavy-duty Yoder YS640s Competition Pellet Grill.
Now, two years into owning this machine, I can confidently state I love it!
The Yoder features an unmatched ability to transition from a low-and-slow wood-fired smoke house to a blistering, open-flame steakhouse broiler using their integrated two-piece diffuser system.
What We Do Here at SmokeyGood
Throughout this website and my companion YouTube channel, you will see my pellet grills in action. I don’t deal in guesswork or sponsored fluff. I deliver real-world pitmaster testing, detailed hardware reviews, and foolproof recipes and smoking instructions.
We are here to help you get started on a highly rewarding, delicious outdoor hobby.
Thanks for visiting SmokeyGood, and remember—this is Smoker Cooking Made Easy.
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