Hello - New 18.5 Owner


 
M

Mark Pitzer

New member
Hi Folks,

Just getting into smoking and new to the forum. I have previously used my Weber Spirit E-310 with a wood chip box to attempt smoking. The results were not what is was hoping for. Last summer, my neighbor sold me her 18" Weber kettle for $10. I began smoking on it and loved it, numerous beer can chickens and a Boston butt and I am hooked.

Fast forward to a week or so ago and my wife finally said "it is your birthday, buy the thing already" So, here I sit running a load of charcoal on it in the hopes of learning how to hold temps. I have a Maverick ET-732 monitoring the grate temp. I have the low temp alarm set at 230 and the high at 300. It seems to be holding in the mid to high 260's. I closed 2 bottom vents to get this temp and assume that would be different with meat on the grates. On board lid thermometer is 20 degrees less than the Maverick

I started with the ring about half full of Kingsford with a dimple in the center, I threw a few chunks of wood to see how they would effect temp. I then dumped 1/2 a chimney of hot coals and spread around a little. I will see how long it rolls though. I think that this was a bit too much of the hot coals for the small amount of coals I started with in the ring? Anything else I should be looking for that anyone can think of.

Sorry for the long post - thanks for the info so far and i am looking forward to learning lots more. Attempting to attach a photo of the new addition to the family in action...
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Welcome to the club! You'll like the 18.5, we like ours a lot. And it's just about fool proof-very easy to use. Have fun!
 
Welcome Mark, the 18.5 is a great cooker your neighbors will be hiding behind the trees and bushes sniffing out the aroma of the meats your cooking when you get smoking. I did'nt break my 18.5 in when i got a few years ago and have never used water either, never a problem controlling temps, this is very supportive forum, some say the 18.5 is a bit small but with a little imagination you can cooking plenty of meat for several people. Enjoy
 
Welcome Mark, and enjoy that birthday present. It will take a few, maybe 3 or 4 cooks on your WSM
before it will seal itself up and then be easier to control and hold the lower temps. Its a great cooker,
and the learning curve is not bad, you will be smoking like a pro before you know it.
 
Awesome! I got a 18.5"wsm 2yrs ago this month. Love it! Done lots of pork butts and ribs on that thing, and some 17lb briskets too. Its a great smoker and you'll love it! Everyone has their method of how to smoke something. Try a couple of different ways of doing it and see what you like the most. I've done low n slow with water in the pan, clay saucer in the pan instead of water. Lately I've been doing no water pan at all hot and fast, and love the results of that. Have fun, experimenting with it is part of the fun, enjoy!
 
Mark, lover your patio. Best advice, just enjoy the experience and all will be good. As has been said, try different methods and see what works best for you. Good Luck.
 
Thanks All,

Temps held well for 8 hours on the initial run today. At a high 260's to low 230's in the end. Planning on trying a rack of baby backs in the same way tomorrow with a Memphis style dust on them. All in prep for a large butt and brisket for super bowl Sunday..... any pointers or suggestions?
 
Welcome to the forum Mark. The more you smoke the better it gunked. And this is the matter! Maybe you can change the alu door with canjun's one. just my 2 cents.
 
The best way to learn is to just start cooking on it.

Enjoy

Mark Pitzer said:
Thanks All,

Temps held well for 8 hours on the initial run today. At a high 260's to low 230's in the end. Planning on trying a rack of baby backs in the same way tomorrow with a Memphis style dust on them. All in prep for a large butt and brisket for super bowl Sunday..... any pointers or suggestions?
Click to expand...
 
First smoke with meat is underway. I notice that temp was much slower to come up with food on. It seems that this would be normal? I am using regular kingsford blue bag today, but used kingsford brown competition for the trial run. I think the brown bag stuff burns a little hotter maybe. Also, doesn't seem to be as much smoke coming out although I used the same amount of chunks. I buried the wood a bit though today, is there any difference in the wood being buried and the different charcoal?

Thanks again for the pointers.
 
Initial smoke went well and the ribs turned out very good. They had a nice soft texture with good chew to them still. I ended up getting a little bark and smoke ring as well. They were on about 4 hours 250*-260*. The meat had receded from the end bones a bit and a toothpick went into the meat effortlessly. Here’s proof…



Butt and Brisket going on at 5:00 AM for super bowl dinner on Sunday – any pointers?
 
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just asking - when you say 5:00am... do you mean 5:00am Superbowl Sunday day?

May be cutting it close to meal time if so depending on size etc.
 
Yes, I was thinking that I would get them going at 5 am to be done at 6 or 6:30 pm. Maybe start at 2-3 am would be better, knowing I can put them in a cooler if they get done earlier than expected?

I got a butt on sale that is about 7-8 lbs. going to look for a large brisket as well, although likely not a whole one. Will they take a similar ammount of time?
 
Mark Pitzer said:
Yes, I was thinking that I would get them going at 5 am to be done at 6 or 6:30 pm. Maybe start at 2-3 am would be better, knowing I can put them in a cooler if they get done earlier than expected?

I got a butt on sale that is about 7-8 lbs. going to look for a large brisket as well, although likely not a whole one. Will they take a similar ammount of time?
Click to expand...

So first off, I feel a need to note I am pretty new to this as well. I just got a WSM in mid December, have only used it a few times. so my comments come more from reading things on this site and another one I read a lot then personal experience.

I did one 7 lb one a few weeks ago. Went on the smoker at about 9am which was after 35-40 min of startup time. I took it off at 10:30pm and it was at ~195 but I did foil it a bit and I have heard getting to 200-205 range might be even more ideal. which if I didn't foil and I wanted to get to that temp might of needed another 2 hours maybe? I was at about 230-235 temp range most of the time as a side note

But ~ 12 hours for a butt if you also have another huge hunk of meat on the smoker might be cutting it close. you want to let is sit for at least 30 min too I believe.

I am planning on doing 2 or 3 butts (can't decide) and I am debating starting closer to sat night 11pm - 12 midnight. maybe even 10pm. Ideal would be to finish about 3-4pm (13-14 hours) and I can wrap and rest for an hour or so then pull and serve. if it ends too much earlier I'll put in fridge and reheat (I don't want to leave out 6 + hours). I am not sure with 15 + people over I want to be dealing with a 180 degree butt at 5:30pm and I am firing up oven etc

I have yet to do a brisket so I'll leave that answer to someone far more experienced. which would include anyone that has done one 1 or more times ha ha
 
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IMO, if you actually plan on eating it for dinner on Sunday you had better plan on putting it on closer to midnight or a little before. My first cook with 2 9lb butts and a 12.5lb brisket took 16 hours in ~30° weather cooking with water. You want to let the meat rest in a cooler wrapped up in foil ( after the IT starts to drop) for a few hours for best results.
 
I don't have wsm yet. But I've done butts on my kettles and other cookers in winter and summer and large cold meat and cold weather means your smoker will take way longer to come to temp so be prepared to add some extra time. I would start the night before if you can. Cooking at 250 instead of 225 will cut down cooking time as well if this suits you.

I always try to broker in an extra time, as You can keep meat warm for hours if it gets done early.

You can fill a cooler with warm water ahead of time to warm the insulation and then dump and dry. Place meat double wrapped in foil. Wrap in a clean towel and placing in the dry cooler.

"This faux cambro" will keep meat warm for hours and allow to rest before pulling.
 
if it was me....I'd have the smoker all ready to go the night before....charcoal ring loaded , chimney full , everything in place ready to put a match to the chimney at maybe 5:30 ( that's about as early as I can get my eyes open)
I think that will give you time to cook a butt and a brisket by game time ,or a little before. I would go empty water pan and use the vents to keep the temps under control. And defenitely have a probe in both pieces of meat to monitor the IT of the meat. Cooking at just under 300 , I would bet you can do both those cuts in the time allotted . My 2 cents. Good luck.
 
Thanks for the tips. Better to err on the side of caution and start at midnight to give it 15+ hours I guess. From what I have read, It seems that most people put the butt on the top grate, fat side up to aid in keeping the brisket moist with the brisket fat side down. Wouldn’t the brisket be done first though making it better to have the brisket on top and easier to take off and let the butt keep rolling on the bottom grate? Also, is it better to put the probe in the brisket since it is thinner? I guess I could pop in a leave in oven thermometer in the cut without the Maverick probe in it too? Thanks again.
 
I usually put the brisket on top because i check it more often for temp and then doneness and it tends to be done before the butts anyway. I always put it fat side down to protect the meat. First one i did fat up and the bottom 1/8 of the brisket was jerky.
 
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