Southern Pride of Texas
Smoker Maintenance & Repair
170 articles on smoker care, BBQ tips, industry news, and more.
Your Door Gasket Is Costing You Money Right Now — Here's How to Replace It
How to spot a failing Southern Pride door gasket before it wrecks your cook temps, plus the step-by-step replacement ...
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What the 2026 FABI Awards Tell Us About Where Commercial Kitchens Are Actually Headed
Ray breaks down the NRA Show's 2026 FABI trends and what they mean for operators running commercial smoker programs.
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Your Door Gasket Is Probably Shot: How to Know and What to Do About It
Worn door gaskets kill efficiency and cook quality. Here's how to diagnose gasket failure on Southern Pride smokers a...
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Burner Orifice Cleaning: The 20-Minute Job That Saves Your Cook Consistency
Step-by-step burner orifice cleaning for propane and natural gas commercial smokers. Component names, intervals, warn...
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The Maintenance Log That Actually Tells You Something: What to Track on Your Commercial Smoker
A practical guide to building a maintenance log that prevents failures and keeps your commercial smoker running. Real...
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What 22 Years of Service Calls Taught Me About Winterizing Trailer-Mounted Smokers
Specific winter storage procedures for trailer-mounted commercial smokers: fuel systems, electrical, rotisserie maint...
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What Black Rock Coffee Bar's Growth Tells Us About Equipment That Actually Shows Up
Black Rock Coffee Bar posted strong sales growth despite weather disruptions. There's a lesson here for commercial ki...
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When to Pick Up the Wrench and When to Pick Up the Phone
A practical guide for commercial operators: which smoker repairs you can handle in-house and which ones require a cer...
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What I've Learned About Putting Trailer Smokers to Bed for Winter
Practical winter storage steps for trailer-mounted commercial smokers. Component-specific procedures, realistic inter...
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Seasoning Your New Commercial Smoker: The Step That Separates Good BBQ from Great BBQ
A new commercial smoker needs proper seasoning before its first cook. Ray explains the process, timing, and why short...
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What Popeyes, Jimmy John's, and Dutch Bros Are Putting on Menus Right Now — And What It Means for Your Smoker Program
New menu drops from major chains signal where consumer taste is heading. Here's what commercial BBQ operators should ...
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What Grant Achatz's Career Tells Us About Innovation in Commercial Kitchens
Grant Achatz built Alinea on constant reinvention. Here's what commercial operators can learn from his approach to eq...
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