It is an honor to work with Melvin and the team at Meadow Creek Welding. They work hard to become the best at what they do, treat their customers with kindness, and continually look for ways to improve.
Several weeks ago we attended the 2018 Meadow Creek Welding Dealer Meeting where we spent the day sharing ideas, discussing solutions to challenges, and enjoying good barbecue.
In this blog post you will enjoy a unique perspective of Meadow Creek Welding through photos of the dealer meeting and our brand new shop tour video. I've also included a list of changes to our product line in 2018.
Meadow Creek Welding Documentary
Our newly-released shop tour video takes you behind the scenes where our equipment is built and tells the story of how we got to where we are and the values our brand is built upon. Watch this on YouTube and subscribe to our channel here: Meadow Creek Welding Shop Tour
2018 Dealer Meeting
I had the opportunity to talk about what we're doing for the dealers online and several of the dealers shared tips for growing retail sales.
Ribs Smoked on Pig Roaster
The guys smoked pork ribs on a Meadow Creek Pig Roaster with a rib rack and grilled bacon-wrapped scallops on a PR42 Pig Roaster over charcoal.
Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
The scallops were cooked on a PR42 Pig Roaster with the drip pan removed.
2018 Product Updates
Thermometers in Lids
Until now, a thermometer in the lid has always been an upgrade for the BBQ18, BBQ26S, and BBQ42 Chicken Cookers. Because a lot of our customers like to monitor their grill temperature, we've decided to include a thermometer with every model that ships with a lid.
The optional lid on grills that come without a lid (such as the chicken cooker trailers and flat top grills) includes a thermometer too.
Cart Base on BBQ36 and BBQ60 Grills
The flat top grills used to come with detachable pipe legs on casters. The pipe legs are perfect for collapsing the grill for travel, but they make the grill more top-heavy, especially with an optional hinged lid. The new design features a sturdy base with pneumatic tires and spinning casters, which makes the grill much more sturdy when catering on uneven lawns and loose gravel.
BX100 Smoker
While the BX100 has been around for about a year now, we have just recently added it to our online product listing. This cabinet smoker can feed up to 300 people when cooking pulled pork. It holds 22 Boston butts, 12 whole briskets, or 16 racks of St. Louis ribs at a time.
Like the other BX models, the BX100 comes with an auto-feed water system and a 5-gallon water jug for hassle-free water smoking. It does an excellent job with or without water, unlike some cabinet smokers on the market, which makes it possible to also smoke jerky or anything you want to smoke dry. Learn more about the BX100 Box Smoker.
Raised Pedestal Stand
You can now upgrade a BBQ18, BBQ26, and BBQ26S to a pedestal base, similar to what is on the PG25 Patio Grill. Again, this upgrade makes the BBQ26S more stable on uneven surfaces and raises the BBQ18 and BBQ26 grills to a comfortable working height.
Unpainted BX Smoker Interior
There are pros and cons to painting the inside of a BX smoker. From the beginning we painted them with a high heat primer to keep the inside from rusting between uses. The problem is that more and more people were having trouble with the paint peeling. Even though we don't guarantee the paint and sometimes the problem was a result of overheating the smoker, it costs us a lot of money to make the customer feel like we care in these situations.
On the other hand, an unpainted BX smoker will rust quickly if not properly maintained, and because it's a water smoker, you will have moisture dripping from the ceiling onto your meat, so the ceiling and top vent must stay clean. Rust can cause a serious problem in these smokers.
The ultimate solution is to upgrade to a stainless steel interior, but at this time we have decided to make it optional. None of the BX smokers will be painted inside, and stainless steel interior is a highly recommended upgrade.
Stainless Steel Fenders in Trim Package
The trim package on a tank smoker trailer now has fenders made of stainless steel (like the ones on "Big Black") instead of diamond plate steel.
Wagon Chassis on Pig Roasters
My favorite innovation is this wagon chassis upgrade for our pig roasters. This option is really clever for pulling the roaster around by hand without picking up one end, and the handle on the end of the tongue easily unclips for hooking to your ATV or garden tractor. Ask your dealer for pricing and details.
Got a Meadow Creek?
Earlier this year we launched a private Facebook group for people who use our equipment. If you cook on a Meadow Creek smoker or grill and aren't in this group, you're missing out! With many of our cookers, there is more than one way to do it right. The Facebook group is the best place to hang out with other Meadow Creek fans and learn techniques, ask questions, and be inspired.
There are several ways you can support our brand as a customer.
1) Rate the model you own in our online product listing. Simply browse to the model you own and scroll down until you see "Reviews" where you can rate and review your model:
Online Product Catalog
2) Rate and review us on Google:
Review Meadow Creek Welding on Google
3) And on Facebook:
Review Meadow Creek Welding on Facebook
Equipment production is in full swing by now and some of the guys are working overtime to keep up with the demand of orders. If you're in the market for a handmade smoker or grill this spring, get your order in so we can get it in the queue!