Pellet smoker season is here, and whether you're new to the grill or years in, there are fundamentals most people skip. Ted Reader has been cooking over live fire his whole life. He's got the tips that change everything.

The smoke mistake almost everyone makes: too much wood, too long. Reader says all your flavour penetration happens in the first 45 minutes. After that, you're just making it bitter. One good piece of wood to start is enough. Fruit woods, hardwoods, and nutwoods work. Birch does not.

The other two tips land on health and accuracy. A clean grill is a hotter grill, Reader says, and cleaning it right after cooking while it's still warm is the move. A thermometer is non-negotiable: 160 for burgers, 195 to 203 for brisket.

Topics: pellet smoker tips, BBQ grilling tips, barbecue wood selection, grill thermometer, Ted Reader

GUEST: Ted Reader | http://tedreader.com | @‌godfatherofthegrill

Originally aired on 2026-05-14

Pellet smoker season is here, and whether you're new to the grill or years in, there are fundamentals most people skip. Ted Reader has been cooking over live fire his whole life. He's got the tips that change everything.
The smoke mistake almost everyone makes: too much wood, too long. Reader says all your flavour penetration happens in the first 45 minutes. After that, you're just making it bitter. One good piece of wood to start is enough. Fruit woods, hardwoods, and nutwoods work. Birch does not.
The other two tips land on health and accuracy. A clean grill is a hotter grill, Reader says, and cleaning it right after cooking while it's still warm is the move. A thermometer is non-negotiable: 160 for burgers, 195 to 203 for brisket.
Topics: pellet smoker tips, BBQ grilling tips, barbecue wood selection, grill thermometer, Ted Reader
GUEST: Ted Reader |<a href="http://tedreader.com"> http://tedreader.com</a> | @&zwnj;godfatherofthegrill
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-05-14

Shane Hewitt & The Nightshift is your late-night companion for real talk, bold ideas, and unfiltered conversations that matter. Hosted by Canadian radio veteran Shane Hewitt, each episode dives into the headlines, human stories, and hidden truths shaping our world—always with curiosity, compassion, and a sharp edge.

From politics and pop culture to mental health, technology, and everyday life, this podcast is where night owls, deep thinkers, and curious minds come to connect. Featuring expert guests, passionate callers, and Shane’s signature style—thoughtful, fearless, and refreshingly real.

If you crave meaningful dialogue, smart perspectives, and late-night radio energy in podcast form, subscribe now and join The Nightshift.

Shane Hewitt &amp; The Nightshift is your late-night companion for real talk, bold ideas, and unfiltered conversations that matter. Hosted by Canadian radio veteran Shane Hewitt, each episode dives into the headlines, human stories, and hidden truths shaping our world&mdash;always with curiosity, compassion, and a sharp edge.
From politics and pop culture to mental health, technology, and everyday life, this podcast is where night owls, deep thinkers, and curious minds come to connect. Featuring expert guests, passionate callers, and Shane&rsquo;s signature style&mdash;thoughtful, fearless, and refreshingly real.
If you crave meaningful dialogue, smart perspectives, and late-night radio energy in podcast form, subscribe now and join The Nightshift.

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift

Shane Hewitt is known for his engaging and relatable on-air personality, which captivates listeners. His ability to blend insightful commentary with humour and empathy creates a genuine connection with listeners.  Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift provides relatable content, informative discussions and expert insights – along with a balance of anecdotes and entertainment.

Shane Hewitt is known for his engaging and relatable on-air personality, which captivates listeners. His ability to blend insightful commentary with humour and empathy creates a genuine connection with listeners.  Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift provides relatable content, informative discussions and expert insights – along with a balance of anecdotes and entertainment.

Too Much Smoke Is the Enemy: Ted Reader's Barbecue Fundamentals

Dunkin' Donuts expanding into Canada is not just a brand story. It is a bet that Tim Hortons is more vulnerable than it looks.

Tim Hortons has been slowing financially and leaning on celebrity marketing at exactly the moment consumers are walking away from the $20 fast food burger in favour of fast casual dining and proper sit-down meals. That is the opening Dunkin' is walking through, and the analyst who tracks this space says the Tim Hortons empire is under real threat from this new arrival.

Shake Shack launched a GLP-1 menu about six months ago as customers were already drifting from the brand. Whole chicken is up 39 percent year over year. Beef is climbing too. Any restaurant whose identity is built around meat has very few places to hide right now.

Topics: Dunkin' Donuts Tim Hortons, fast food Canada, Shake Shack, GLP-1 restaurant trends, chicken prices Canada

GUEST: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois | @‌foodprofessor

Originally aired on 2026-05-14

Dunkin' Donuts expanding into Canada is not just a brand story. It is a bet that Tim Hortons is more vulnerable than it looks.
Tim Hortons has been slowing financially and leaning on celebrity marketing at exactly the moment consumers are walking away from the $20 fast food burger in favour of fast casual dining and proper sit-down meals. That is the opening Dunkin' is walking through, and the analyst who tracks this space says the Tim Hortons empire is under real threat from this new arrival.
Shake Shack launched a GLP-1 menu about six months ago as customers were already drifting from the brand. Whole chicken is up 39 percent year over year. Beef is climbing too. Any restaurant whose identity is built around meat has very few places to hide right now.
Topics: Dunkin' Donuts Tim Hortons, fast food Canada, Shake Shack, GLP-1 restaurant trends, chicken prices Canada
GUEST: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois | @&zwnj;foodprofessor
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-05-14

SHIFTHEADS: Shake Shack Is Leaking. Dunkin' Thinks Now Is the Time

Mount St. Helens erupted 46 years ago this weekend, and the mountain did not blow its top. It blew its side, and people as far away as Lethbridge, Alberta felt what that meant.

Harry R. Truman was 83 years old and refused to leave Spirit Lake Lodge. He believed the volcano would blow straight up, not sideways. He had said they couldn't pull him out with a mule team. He and his 16 cats were buried under 150 feet of volcanic debris. His body is believed to still be on the ridge that now bears his name.

USGS scientist David Johnston was observing from the mountain when it went. His last four words, broadcast on ham radios around the world: Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it. A pyroclastic flow swept him away. His body was never found. His trailer turned up among highway wreckage in 1993. Researchers believe the volcano is already inside the 30 to 100 year window for another eruption.

Topics: Mount St. Helens 1980, Harry Truman Spirit Lake, David Johnston, pyroclastic flow, Canada volcano impact

Originally aired on 2026-05-14

Mount St. Helens erupted 46 years ago this weekend, and the mountain did not blow its top. It blew its side, and people as far away as Lethbridge, Alberta felt what that meant.
Harry R. Truman was 83 years old and refused to leave Spirit Lake Lodge. He believed the volcano would blow straight up, not sideways. He had said they couldn't pull him out with a mule team. He and his 16 cats were buried under 150 feet of volcanic debris. His body is believed to still be on the ridge that now bears his name.
USGS scientist David Johnston was observing from the mountain when it went. His last four words, broadcast on ham radios around the world: Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it. A pyroclastic flow swept him away. His body was never found. His trailer turned up among highway wreckage in 1993. Researchers believe the volcano is already inside the 30 to 100 year window for another eruption.
Topics: Mount St. Helens 1980, Harry Truman Spirit Lake, David Johnston, pyroclastic flow, Canada volcano impact
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-05-14

NEW - Vancouver, Vancouver, This Is It: The Mount St. Helens Story

Alberta pipeline talks are coming to a head, with a major announcement expected that will test whether what has been promised has anything behind it.

The Prime Minister is arriving in Alberta to stand alongside Premier Danielle Smith and announce the next phase of their energy agreement, including a pipeline proposal the federal government has committed to fast tracking as a project in the national interest. The pipeline is still months from formal federal approval. Canadians, as the argument goes here, are at the point of wanting to see results, not more promises.

A First Nations coalition challenged the separation referendum petition in court this week on treaty rights grounds, and a judge agreed. The petition is dead for now. Both the Alberta government and the separatist group behind it plan to appeal. Some within the movement are pushing Smith to put the question on the ballot herself.

Topics: Alberta pipeline, Alberta separation referendum, Danielle Smith, Mark Carney, First Nations treaty rights Alberta

GUEST: Rob Breakenridge | robbreakenridge.ca

Originally aired on 2026-05-14

Alberta pipeline talks are coming to a head, with a major announcement expected that will test whether what has been promised has anything behind it.
The Prime Minister is arriving in Alberta to stand alongside Premier Danielle Smith and announce the next phase of their energy agreement, including a pipeline proposal the federal government has committed to fast tracking as a project in the national interest. The pipeline is still months from formal federal approval. Canadians, as the argument goes here, are at the point of wanting to see results, not more promises.
A First Nations coalition challenged the separation referendum petition in court this week on treaty rights grounds, and a judge agreed. The petition is dead for now. Both the Alberta government and the separatist group behind it plan to appeal. Some within the movement are pushing Smith to put the question on the ballot herself.
Topics: Alberta pipeline, Alberta separation referendum, Danielle Smith, Mark Carney, First Nations treaty rights Alberta
GUEST: Rob Breakenridge | robbreakenridge.ca
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-05-14

Too Much Smoke Is the Enemy: Ted Reader's Barbecue Fundamentals

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