I've been using a WSM for about a year, but not that often. I just got a Stoker, and am going to do my first smoke with it later this week.

Any hints for the first time user? What do I set the top and bottom vents to? Should I use water in the pan as I usually do?

First smoke will be an 8.5lb pork shoulder and a 6lb top sirloin roast (for slicing, not pulling). I'm probably going to do a day smoke, since I don't want to get up in the middle of the night to add the beef. Hoping to have the pork done in about 10 hours. I might cut the shoulder in half to speed it up a little. Then add the beef to the smoker about half way through. Suggestions for smoking temp?

TIA

joe

Here's the way I do (which doesn't mean it's right, of course). I don't use any water in the pan; I have a Piedmont Pan setup with the WSM pan sitting on top of a Brinkmann pan, with about one inch air space in between. I foil the inside of the top pan only. I leave the top vent fully open. The two unused bottom vents, of course, are fully closed. I start the fire (lump charcoal) using a modified Minion Method, with about 3/4 of small chimney (the cheap kind, not the big Weber chimney) full of lit, poured on the side of the fire ring that faces the Stoker, and the unlit lump poured beside and around it. I put the meat on as soon as I add the lit and close up the WSM. This method has worked well for me over the past 3 years or so since I got the Stoker.

I don't have a Piedmont Pan, so there's no way to do an air gap. So I'm not sure if I should use the water or not. The empty pan will deflect heat, and with the Stoker I shouldn't need much moderation. I hope.

joe

I pretty much do as Larry does (2 Larry's can't be that wrong) with a couple of exceptions 1) I use the stock water pan (no water) with foil over the top 2) MM with between 8 - 10 lit briquettes to start her off 3) When I'm about 10 - 20 degrees below my target temp I close down my top vent to about 1/4 to 1/8 open. Grab a beer and settle in for a great cook.

Yes, I didn't mean to imply that you need to rig up a Piedmont Pan... I did it because I already had two pans. Any of the waterless methods would work equally well; with the Stoker, all the pan is doing is blocking infrared heat from the fire, and collecting drippings. As long as the pan doesn't get hot enough for the drippings to burn (foil over the top, or a layer of foil over a few balled up pieces of foil), you should be good to go.