Recent content by Mike Arnold

Hi, I have a WSM 22” and would like to smoke beef jerky. The instructions call for 170 degrees. I have never smoked at such a low temperature. How do you set up the smoker to keep at this temperature? Water in the pan or not? I was thinking of using the snake method for this but not sure how...

I have had the same Maverick ET732 for almost 7 years. I noticed that it loses signal a lot more often than it used to. Also noticed that the temperature difference between the WSM dome than the Maverick is greater than it used to be. The Maverick is showing 30-40 degrees hotter than the dome...

Hi, I plan on smoking a thin beef brisket. It is small, only 2.3 lbs. How much time should I plan for when smoking? Thanks. Mike

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I need to keep things mild for the rest of the family. I'm the only one who likes food with a some kick. As long as this stuff doesn't have any heat, then all is good. My wife was concerned because it had some chili powder in the ingredient list. Also, some people...

I'm planning on using this for the first time this Thanksgiving, but we have some family members that do not like spicy food. How would you describe the level of heat? I guess I can always dilute with chicken stock if I have too. I never used this stuff before, but heard lots of good things...

Has anyone ever made striped bass on the WSM? What temperature and for how long? Did you have water in the pan? Let me know how you did it. Thanks. Mike

When using this method, do you still fill the pan with water?

I have been researching smoking bluefish and it is recommended with a temperature around 180. What is the best way to set up the WSM to achieve this temperature? I have smoked other things at 225-250 and higher, but never this low. Would I use the minion method where I would add less than a...

Thanks John. I have done some Google searches on the topic and have a general idea of what to do, but I'm finding different things. I would like to hear what others have done based on personal experience. I have had the recent urge to go deep sea fishing again because I haven't done it in a...

Smoking Striped Bass or Bluefish - Advice needed I have a few questions about about smoking fish. How much time do you allow for brining? I have seen recommendations from 1 hour up to as many as 12 hours. I was just wondering for planning purposes. I also know that you need to allow time...

I saw instructions for Hot and Fast Chicken which calls for removing the water pan in order to get crispy skin. I really want to try it because I have had problems getting the skin to be really crispy. Just out of curiosity, has anyone made smoked hamburgers this way? I saw another recipe for...

If I smoke a turkey on the top rack and place an empty foil pan on the lower rack to catch the drippings, will they burn on me? What is the best way to do this? Thanks. Mike

I just got the WSM 22.5 last Christmas from my wife and I used it for the first time on May 25. I made Beer Can Chicken. I brined it for 4 hours using a gallon of water, 1 cup of Kosher salt, and 1/2 cup of sugar and then let it sit in the refrigerator for another 4 hours to dry out. I...

Dave, That is exactly what I was thinking based on my research. I want the skin to be crispy if possible, not rubbery. Since this will be my first use of the WSM, it will tend to run hotter anyway the first time I use it. Thanks for the feedback. Mike

I'm a newbie here and I know this sounds like a stupid question, but I have seen several recipes out there that call for wrapping the meat with foil on a off during a cooking session. What does this accomplish? The only 2 things I can think of is that it helps keeps the juices in the meat and...