Holy Smoke started the way most good ideas do: standing in front of a smoker at 6 AM, coffee in hand, wondering "what temp did I run last time when that brisket turned out perfect?"
We tried the notes app. We tried spreadsheets. We even tried just remembering (that didn't work). Nothing quite fit the way BBQ enthusiasts actually cook—with greasy hands, a cold drink nearby, and attention split between the pit and the game.
So we built what we wanted: a simple, beautiful app that tracks cooks without getting in the way. Log a temp with one tap. Snap a photo when the bark looks right. Note when you wrap. That's it.
Simple first. If you can't figure it out with one hand holding a beer, it's too complicated.
Respect your time. You're here to smoke meat, not fill out forms. Every tap should count.
Warm and casual. Like a good backyard cookout, not a corporate cafeteria. The vibe matters.
Community without toxicity. React to great cooks with 🔥 and 👏. No comments section, no drama. Just appreciation.
Right now, Holy Smoke is your personal BBQ logbook. But here's where it gets interesting: as more pitmasters track their cooks, we start to see patterns.
What temp ranges work best for a 12-pound brisket on a WSM in Texas summer heat? How long do pork shoulders typically stall? What do the most successful cooks have in common?
The long-term vision is to aggregate these insights—anonymously and with your permission—to give everyone the benefit of the community's collective experience. Not replacing your intuition, but informing it.
For now though, we're focused on making the best damn cook tracker out there. The rest will come.