Hearth, Patio and BBQ Expo 2023

With some help from Burnt Finger BBQ’s Megan Day, Ted Conrad, Steven Briggeman, and I had a successful go of it at the HPB Expo in Louisville Kentucky this past weekend.  Temperatures in the 40ºsF and wind gusts reaching 20 mph, made for brisk weather.  We persevered and were able to demonstrate FireBoard technology to potential dealers and end users.

FireBoard tent staff at the 2023 HPB Expo: Jeff Nichols, Steven Briggeman, Burnt Finger BBQ Pitmaster Megan Day, and Ted Conrad.

What is HPB?

For the uninitiated, the HPB is an organization for the sales and distribution of hearth, patio, and barbecue sales.  Their Expo is a chance for educational classes to be held and important HPB association business to be conducted annually.  Plus there is a large international trade show, attracting manufacturers and dealers from around the world.

This was FireBoard‘s interest in the show. On many levels, the show was a success for FireBoard.  We were able to demonstrate our products and sign up new FireBoard dealers.   We made some new friends like Mathieu and Anthony at Father’s Cooker Grills a fascinating all-purpose propane grill, and Avril and Matthew with nomadiQ a Dutch company known for a clever lightweight propane grill. 

Chef Anthony at Fathers Cooker Grills using a FireBoard Spark to check the temp of a tasty maple syrup sauce.

Additionally, we all got to hang out with Greg Rempe, host of  The BBQ Central Show a podcast that explores all aspects of BBQ grilling and smoking.  While Ted has been a guest on Greg’s show a few times, this was the first time they were able to meet face-to-face.  Click here for a link to Greg’s show covering the Expo.

Outdoor Burn Area

Exhibitors at the HPB Expo have the option to exhibit in the Outdoor Burn Area, where open flames are a welcome component.  We opted to have our booth there this year to exhibit our thermometers in action. 

Burnt Finger BBQ Pitmaster Megan Day was at the FireBoard tent helping prep chicken wings with her delectable Bacon rub and Smokey KC sauce!

Italian sausage was also offered by FireBoard to sample Burnt Finger’s Smokey KC and Spicy KC BBQ sauces.

Over the three days, we cooked 75 pounds of chicken wings and 60 pounds of Italian sausage were presented to Expo goers seasoned to perfection with Burnt Finger BBQ and sauce and cooked with a Yoder YS640s pellet cooker which has FireBoard technology built-in, and a Primo ceramic grill with a FireBoard 2 Drive and Blower set up as seen in our Kamado x Fireboard post. 

Don’t try this with your thermistor, thermocouples only, please. A Solo Stove cranking through the cordwood was a great way to demonstrate the high-temperature readings the FireBoard 2 Pro is capable of.

We also used a woodburning Solo Stove to set up with a FireBoard 2 Pro to demonstrate the high-temperature reading capabilities of the Pro’s thermocouple probes.  It registered temperatures over 1000ºF!

Exploring and Networking

After the Expo we enjoyed exploring some of  Louisville’s downtown attractions with Megan Day and Greg Rempe.  And, as a bonus, we were able to bring our bikes along for some light night city rides.

Greg Rempe, Megan Day and FireBoard crew unwinding after a brisk day at the HPB Expo in Louisville.

Always an Adventure

To conclude this post I’d like to recognize a little adventure we had on the way to the HPB Expo. Approximately 2 hours into our seven-hour journey, we noticed the water temperature on Ted’s pickup going up and down sporadically. After a little diagnostic discussion, it was decided that the thermostat was the culprit.   We made a pit stop at an O’Reilly’s in Columbia, Missouri, and fortunately, the thermostat was a common part and easy to change, putting us back on the road in about an hour.  A small hiccup on an otherwise successful trip.

Ted and Steven replacing the thermostat on Ted’s truck on the way to the 2023 HPB Expo.