So I got a WSM...

[Anastasis 23484]

What temp are you cooking at @Cajun

[Cajun 11731]

Those were a good while back, but I'm pretty sure I ran around 305ish.  I think Champ went even higher, but I'm not sure on that one.

Cut my time down roughly 2 - 3 hrs.

Before that I ran around 285.

[Baboontyme 2821]

I think Champ runs around 325. 

[Landomatic 3813]

13 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

I think Champ runs around 325. 

Credit score?

[mdleast 8305]

I’m not sure why but tonight’s baby back ribs were some of the tastiest I’ve ever done.

[elguapo 4586]

Did spareribs yesterday, they were awesome

[elguapo 4586]

[TxTower 652]

Smoked Chicken, Spareribs and Sausage

[TxTower 652]

Smoked Chicken, Spareribs and Sausage

[Baboontyme 2821]

Jesus. Those ribs. Not that the rest looks shabby. But the ribs. Method?

[TxTower 652]

Nothing fancy. 225 for four+ hours. Brushed them with some vinegar/brown sugar about half way to keep them from drying out and then some bbq sauce w 30 min to go.

First time for a whole chicken. Came out good. Nice Smokey flavor and meat was moist and tender.

[TornACL 7722]

If you brine any bird before smoking it will be nice and juicy. I have been accused of undercooking my turkey because "there's no way it can be this moist". Bullshit there isn't. 

Today is the first day to use B&B briquettes. Damn this sure seems to burn a lot cleaner than Kingsford. When I use the blue bag in my chimney starter, I smoke out the entire yard. These B&Bs are damn near burning clean in the starter. So far I am pleased. 

[pch 1261]

2 hours ago, TornACL said:

If you brine any bird before smoking it will be nice and juicy. I have been accused of undercooking my turkey because "there's no way it can be this moist". Bullshit there isn't. 

Today is the first day to use B&B briquettes. Damn this sure seems to burn a lot cleaner than Kingsford. When I use the blue bag in my chimney starter, I smoke out the entire yard. These B&Bs are damn near burning clean in the starter. So far I am pleased. 

When the last of my Kingsford  is gone, I am going to give this a try.  Glad to know what reviews are saying are true based on your input.

[jimmyjazz 46124]

I've done a half dozen racks of spares recently, and I'm definitely coming around to the "pull 'em sooner" perspective.  Yesterday's were great, but they were DONE.  Like, almost black, as in brisket bark.  Small areas of the bark were hard, but most of it was fine.  The meat was fantastic.

This was ~ 5 hours, with the 18" WSM onboard thermometer climbing from ~ 200 F to ~ 250 F over the course of the cook.

[TornACL 7722]

5 hours ago, pch said:

When the last of my Kingsford  is gone, I am going to give this a try.  Glad to know what reviews are saying are true based on your input.

Just as a quick follow up, I just finished up an 8 hour smoke on the WSM and 3/4 of the briquettes are still unburned. 

Seems if I did a full ring and chimney of B&B I could smoke for 30 hours without adding fuel. 

[mdleast 8305]

Beef ribs are my favorite

[mdleast 8305]

Was feeling spicy so decided to do Cuban pulled pork with a mojo marinade and injection plus Cuban corn. Gods stuff!

[mdleast 8305]

That was supposed to say “good stuff” not “Gods stuff”. I’m more humble than that.

[mdleast 8305]

Burnt ends: the brisket gift that keeps on giving.

[Gene Parmesan 4014]

So I think I am going to take the plunge and get a dedicated smoker.  I have a kettle and slow n sear and just been using that to smoke a limited amount a meats the past few years.  It's been fine for my family because it's 3 small kids and they don't eat much, but I want to move up from A ball.  Don't know if I should get the 18 or 22.  Is the consensus just to get the 22' because bigger is better, or are there drawbacks other than extra 100 bucks?

[dcbc 14508]

1 hour ago, Gene Parmesan said:

So I think I am going to take the plunge and get a dedicated smoker.  I have a kettle and slow n sear and just been using that to smoke a limited amount a meats the past few years.  It's been fine for my family because it's 3 small kids and they don't eat much, but I want to move up from A ball.  Don't know if I should get the 18 or 22.  Is the consensus just to get the 22' because bigger is better, or are there drawbacks other than extra 100 bucks?

Get the 22.  It's a little less fuel efficient, but you'll be glad you spent the extra money for the extra amount of space.  To that, I'd suggest adding the Cajun Bandit Door and an extra charcoal grate (18") to criss-cross so the coals don't fall down into the base quite as fast. 

Also, get a pair of clay pot bases.  14" and 12".  Wrap in foil and nest them inside the water pan.  Cover that with a couple of layers of heavy duty foil.  No need for water in the pan, and your heat sink will be a nonevaporating constant.

It's a little extra money up front (and you definitely can do these things in stages), but those upgrades are worth it in my opinion. 

Edited September 9, 2020 by dcbc

[Gene Parmesan 4014]

8 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Get the 22.  It's a little less fuel efficient, but you'll be glad you spent the extra money for the extra amount of space.  To that, I'd suggest adding the Cajun Bandit Door and an extra charcoal grate (18") to criss-cross so the coals don't fall down into the base quite as fast. 

Also, get a pair of clay pot bases.  14" and 12".  Wrap in foil and nest them inside the water pan.  Cover that with a couple of layers of heavy duty foil.  No need for water in the pan, and your heat sink will be a nonevaporating constant.

It's a little extra money up front (and you definitely can do these things in stages), but those upgrades definitely are worth it. 

Yeah I was leaning towards the 22' but I didn't want to look like a goober smoking a single pork butt on it one weekend.  I guess I could keep using the kettle for small stuff.

Question on the water pan.  My knowledge of smoking is pretty much limited to how the slow n sear works, which needs the water to keep temps low, and supposedly the steam helps the smoke flavor adhere to the food.  Is that last park boloney?  What are the cons of sticking with water?

[dcbc 14508]

1 hour ago, Gene Parmesan said:

Yeah I was leaning towards the 22' but I didn't want to look like a goober smoking a single pork butt on it one weekend.  I guess I could keep using the kettle for small stuff.

Question on the water pan.  My knowledge of smoking is pretty much limited to how the slow n sear works, which needs the water to keep temps low, and supposedly the steam helps the smoke flavor adhere to the food.  Is that last park boloney?  What are the cons of sticking with water?

The water is the heat sink.  Any moisture it may add in the cook, in my experience, is negligible to the quality of the end product.  It works fine as a heat sink if you replenish it as it evaporates.  If you don't, your heat sink (and your overall temperature) ends up being a moving target.  Since a lot of my cooks are overnight.  I prefer to not have to mess with the temperature swings resulting from a full water pan turning into a nearly empty one while I'm asleep.  If you want some water in the cooker, a little disposable pan on one of the racks works fine and is easier to top off than a heavily foiled pan the size of the one in the 22.5" WSM (it's big).  I don't bother with it and opt for an occasional spritz with ACV/Water in a spray bottle.

Edited September 9, 2020 by dcbc

[Gene Parmesan 4014]

1 hour ago, dcbc said:

The water is the heat sink.  Any moisture it may add in the cook, in my experience, is negligible to the quality of the end product.  It works fine as a heat sink if you replenish it as it evaporates.  If you don't, your heat sink (and your overall temperature) ends up being a moving target.  Since a lot of my cooks are overnight.  I prefer to not have to mess with the temperature swings resulting from a full water pan turning into a nearly empty one while I'm asleep.  If you want some water in the cooker, a little disposable pan on one of the racks works fine and is easier to top off than a heavily foiled pan the size of the one in the 22.5" WSM (it's big).  I don't bother with it and opt for an occasional spritz with ACV/Water in a spray bottle.

Thanks.  Do the clay bases work just as well as a heat sink in your experience?

[Gene Parmesan 4014]

Also are of the BBQ fan systems worth it with this smoker, or is it hands off enough on it's own?

[Dutch 4479]

Another vote for the 22.5" WSM.  It may use more fuel than the 18, but IMHO the trade off of not having to trim the proteins to make them fit makes the extra charcoal expense a small price to pay.  Three full slabs of StL spares will fit perfectly across the top grate without trimming, as will all but the largest briskets.

I've never considered a fan system; the WSM is pretty much "set and forget" after the first few cooks.

Edited September 10, 2020 by Dutch

[Gene Parmesan 4014]

Yeah that's the main reason I wanted the 22'.  I probably won't ever put a full load on there but I didn't want to have to trim everything up prior, plus probes and wanting room to maybe throw some jalapenos and what not at will while cooking.  I know my 22 kettle gets crammed fast but a good chunk of that real estate is taken up by the coals. 

[dcbc 14508]

2 hours ago, Gene Parmesan said:

Thanks.  Do the clay bases work just as well as a heat sink in your experience?

I think they work better.  I load mine up with charcoal and 3 fist size wood chunks, light about 20 coals in a chimney, dump them in the middle when they're white hot, assemble, and let it come up to temp.  Top vent always open; bottom vents open to start.  When it gets to about 225 on at the grate (ignore the lid thermometer), I close two of the bottom vents, and close the third one to "pencil width."  Cooker will run at 238F for as long as the fuel lasts (assuming no heavy wind).

For Turkey or Chicken, I take the clay pot bases out, run the bottom vents wide open, and it will run at 300 F.

Edited September 9, 2020 by dcbc

[dcbc 14508]

2 hours ago, Gene Parmesan said:

Also are of the BBQ fan systems worth it with this smoker, or is it hands off enough on it's own?

I wouldn't bother with one on the WSM (see post above).

[Sam Lin 3561]

Post above is dead on.

I bought an IQ110 fan system back when I bought my WSM 7yr ago. The fan system is still new in box in the garage somewhere, I never needed it. WSM is super stable (briquettes help with that, they're more consistent than lump, hence the stability.) I get a 10-20 degree drift over 5 hours if I don't make a tiny adjustment to the bottom vent.

[UTexasFight 9528]

On 8/2/2020 at 10:22 AM, TornACL said:

. 

Today is the first day to use B&B briquettes. Damn this sure seems to burn a lot cleaner than Kingsford. When I use the blue bag in my chimney starter, I smoke out the entire yard. These B&Bs are damn near burning clean in the starter. So far I am pleased. 

Switched over a year ago to B&B briquettes and never going back...but curious where you are finding it these days.

I haven’t actively been looking but I do glance at the bbq aisle everytime I go to academy since the pandemic started and don’t think I’ve seen the larger bags once. I see the smaller bags at heb from time to time and grab one when I can, but that’s been it.

[TornACL 7722]

8 hours ago, UTexasFight said:

Switched over a year ago to B&B briquettes and never going back...but curious where you are finding it these days.

I haven’t actively been looking but I do glance at the bbq aisle everytime I go to academy since the pandemic started and don’t think I’ve seen the larger bags once. I see the smaller bags at heb from time to time and grab one when I can, but that’s been it.

Academy in FW seems to have nothing but the lump charcoal. Kroger has the small orange bags. Those have been the places that I have found it.

[jimmyjazz 46124]

I bought the 18 and for the most part I'm fine with it.  Bigger briskets and longer rib racks can be difficult to tuck in,  but I haven't had to cut any yet.

Question about the process:  I still get almost no smoke ring on anything I do in the WSM.  Is this because of the water, is it because of the wrong fuel, not enough fuel, what?  Flavor is always fantastic, but the look is "off", especially with brisket.  I've been doing minion method on original Kingsford along with chunks and chips of hickory.

[TornACL 7722]

I am no scientist but in my experience I have gotten a decent smoke ring when I put way more wood in than recommended.  

But I don't give a fuck about a smoke ring. If I cook a brisket for guests and some doucher asks where is the smoke ring, I'll be happy to throw him out on my driveway on his ear. FOH.

[UTexasFight 9528]

1 hour ago, TornACL said:

Academy in FW seems to have nothing but the lump charcoal. Kroger has the small orange bags. Those have been the places that I have found it.

Yep. This is the same in Austin.

lump only at academy. small bags at grocery stores.

I read a while back, among all of the pandemic supply chain disruptions, backyard grilling stuff was one area getting hit pretty hard, but still bizarre

[Cajun 11731]

3 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I bought the 18 and for the most part I'm fine with it.  Bigger briskets and longer rib racks can be difficult to tuck in,  but I haven't had to cut any yet.

Question about the process:  I still get almost no smoke ring on anything I do in the WSM.  Is this because of the water, is it because of the wrong fuel, not enough fuel, what?  Flavor is always fantastic, but the look is "off", especially with brisket.  I've been doing minion method on original Kingsford along with chunks and chips of hickory.

JJ, I used to use water and more wood than I do now in my WSM.  Hardly ever had a smoke ring.  Now I use a mix of oak lump and briquettes (usually just whatever HEB brand is available) and get a smoke ring just about every time.  That wasn't something I was shooting for, but seems to be part of the result.  I run dry, clean, and on the high temp side at around 305F.

Take what you can use and leave the rest, as they say...

[Dutch 4479]

3 hours ago, TornACL said:

I am no scientist but in my experience I have gotten a decent smoke ring when I put way more wood in than recommended.  

But I don't give a fuck about a smoke ring. If I cook a brisket for guests and some doucher asks where is the smoke ring, I'll be happy to throw him out on my driveway on his ear.

This right here. 

The fire in a WSM doesn’t “burn” the way a fire burns in a stick burner. It is more of a “smolder,” which typically releases less nitric oxide than a raging fire in an offset firebox, and less NO = less of a smoke ring. Usually. I’ll use 6-8 chunks to start and throw one on every two hours until it hits 140, and that often helps me get a bit better smoke ring.  You could also add a tsp or two of celery seed to your rub (naturally-occurring nitrates) to boost the smoke ring without affecting the flavor. 
 

The best-tasting and most tender briskets I’ve cooked have had little to no ring, so it’s all for show anyway. 

[jimmyjazz 46124]

Great tips, thanks.  I'm not sure I want to wander beyond the Mueller-esque purity of lots of fresh ground pepper + kosher salt for my rub, but I will pray on it tonight.

[dcbc 14508]

12 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I bought the 18 and for the most part I'm fine with it.  Bigger briskets and longer rib racks can be difficult to tuck in,  but I haven't had to cut any yet.

Question about the process:  I still get almost no smoke ring on anything I do in the WSM.  Is this because of the water, is it because of the wrong fuel, not enough fuel, what?  Flavor is always fantastic, but the look is "off", especially with brisket.  I've been doing minion method on original Kingsford along with chunks and chips of hickory.

I don't get much of a smoke ring either.  Don't care.  Get lots of compliments and, personally, I think it tastes pretty damned good.  Most importantly, to me, the bark looks great. 

 

[UTexasFight 9528]

smoke ring?

we talking about smoke ring?

 

 

[mdleast 8305]

Did another hot and fast brisket (with foil wrapping half way through). Based on earlier discussion in this thread, made a point this time to pay in the rub. Also was more mindful of trimming the fat cap. Once again the bark isn’t impressive (because I wrap in foil and flip it over with the fat side up for the last 1/2) but this really was one of the tastiest briskets that I have done and am very happy with the results from a 5 hour cook for an 11 lb (pre-trim) brisket.




Some had mentioned above that they also do hot cooks but don’t wrap in foil. Im curious what you’re cooking at and roughly how long for those cooks (assuming an 11 lb brisket)

[ScooterHTX 110]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

2nd time to use WSM.
5.5 lb pork butt at 275 for about 7 hours. Wrapped at 160 degrees. Pulled at 204, let it sit in a cooler for 1.5 hours.

Thanks, I’ll hang up and listen.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[UTexasFight 9528]

Did some beefers and tried out my modification for the first time that lets me grill close to the coals.

not my finest beef ribs but not the worst either.

will definitely be using the “bottom” rack more often

 

[Sam Lin 3561]

What modification did you have to make? You can set the grate right on the coal ring to grill hot and close, no modification needed. The height ergonomically sucks, but it cooks great.

 

[jimmyjazz 46124]

If you were willing to remove the 3 legs, I'll bet the bottom bowl would balance on the main cylinder, getting it to a useful height.  I'll have to check.  (Not really wanting to take off the legs, though.)

[Cajun 11731]

Getting ready to put some Dino Ribs on the WSM.  Going 290-300ish for roughly 6 hrs.  

More pics to follow...

Edited September 14, 2020 by Cajun
Enjoyin' my coffee.

[Cajun 11731]

Running steady at 300F and on the WSM she goes...

 

[Dutch 4479]

Repped for not only beef ribs, but the Lebowski mug.  Well done, my good man.

[Cajun 11731]

3 hours in...

[Cajun 11731]

Thickest bones I’ve ever handled.

No homo