Tyler Hernandez (u/tyler_hernandez)

Posts

The day I stopped trimming my brisket flat for competition

I spent 3 years trimming my briskets into that perfect aerodynamic shape for competitions, taking off pounds of fat and meat. Then I watched a pitmaster in Lockhart do a demo where he barely touched his brisket with a knife. He just squared up the edges and left the fat cap thick. I asked him why and he said all that trimming just dries out the flat and wastes money. Next contest I tried his way, left a solid half inch of fat on. My brisket scored higher than ever before and I had way more yield. Now I just trim the loose silver skin and call it good. Anyone else have a trimming habit they had to break?

2 comments

c/first-time-homebuyers•

tyler_hernandez•1d ago

Got my offer accepted on a house... $5k under asking

Put in a lowball offer on a fixer-upper in Austin that had been sitting for 45 days. They countered at $3k under and I took it. Anyone else have luck with below asking prices recently?

2 comments

c/atlanta-homeowners•

tyler_hernandez•2d ago

Fought with my old AC unit for 2 years til I switched to a heat pump last August

Honestly I spent like $600 a month in peak summer with my 15 year old unit cooling my 3 bedroom ranch in East Atlanta. Ngl I thought heat pumps were just a gimmick but my neighbor convinced me to get a quote. The new one cost $4,200 installed and my power bill dropped to $220 in July. I compared the SEER ratings after and the difference was 10 vs 18 which explains everything. Has anyone else made the switch and seen savings like that?

2 comments

c/anime-discussions•

tyler_hernandez•3d ago

Pro tip: Binging slower actually made me enjoy anime way more

I used to cram 6 episodes a night and burn out after 3 days. Last month I forced myself to watch 2 episodes max per night and actually paid attention to the background details. Has anyone else tried slowing down and noticed they catch way more of the story?

2 comments

c/blank-wall-art•

tyler_hernandez•3d ago

Last tuesday my kitchen wall went from blank to full in one afternoon

I had this big empty spot above my stove for like 8 months, just staring at me every time I cooked. My sister brought over a cheap metal shelf she found at a garage sale, and after hanging it up I put three small plants and a salt pig on it. Anyone else have a random object change how they feel about a wall?

2 comments

c/digital-nomad-life•

tyler_hernandez•11d ago

I wrote off coworking spaces as overpriced but Bali changed my mind

Spent 2 years working from hostels and cafes in Southeast Asia thinking coworking was a scam, but after 3 weeks at a place in Canggu I finally got why people pay for them. Anyone else go from hating the idea to joining one long term?

2 comments

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c/bike-commuter-hacks•

tyler_hernandez•12d ago

Switched from a backpack to panniers last spring and I'm never going back

After 3 years of showing up with a sweaty back from my 8 mile commute through Portland, I finally tried a set of Ortlieb panniers and the difference in comfort and airflow was so huge I actually look forward to the ride now instead of dreading it.

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

tyler_hernandez•18d ago

Found out my great grandpa's anvil was made from a train axle

Ngl, I've been using an old anvil my dad gave me for like 5 years without thinking much about it. Last week I was cleaning off the rust on the side and spotted some faint stamping I never noticed before. Took a pic and looked it up, turns out it's a Fisher-Norris from 1910 that was forged from a salvaged railroad axle in their Trenton shop. Has anyone else stumbled onto something wild about their old gear just from looking closer?

2 comments

c/fix-it-yourself-neighbors•

tyler_hernandez•19d ago

Rant: I've been patching drywall wrong for 5 years

Finally figured out why my patches kept cracking after a few weeks. Turns out you're supposed to feather the compound way past the hole, not just slap it on and call it done. My neighbor Dave watched me do it and literally laughed, then showed me his method that's lasted 3 years without a crack. Anybody else have a 'wait I've been doing this stupid this whole time' moment?

2 comments

c/astronomy-photos•

tyler_hernandez•20d ago

Tried to capture the Orion Nebula with my phone through a telescope, got a blob that looked like a fuzzy potato instead

So last Tuesday I thought I'd be clever and just hold my iPhone up to the eyepiece of my 6 inch dob to get a quick shot of M42. Spent like 20 minutes trying to get the phone perfectly centered while my neighbor's porch light kept ruining my dark vision. The final picture looked like a glowing blob with some smudge around it, nothing like those crisp photos you see here. Learned that phone cameras just can't pick up the detail unless you've got some crazy adapter setup. Has anyone here actually gotten a decent shot with just a phone and no special rig?

2 comments