What is needed besides the WSM?


 
Dom

Dom

New member
Hi Guys,

I've wanted a smoker for a while now and I decided to pull the trigger this summer. I had my eye on a BGE/KamdoJoe but came to the conclusion that it was was way out of my price range. I already have a 22in kettle and a smokey joe gold and love the both. I'm a fan of the Weber products so instead of buying a lesser kamado grill, I decided I was going to add to the collection from a company I know/trust. So basically, instead of having a grill/smoker (Kamado), I'll just have them as seperate units (Kettle/WSM)

Which brings me to my question: What gadgets do I have to get in order to help produce quality food on the WSM?

- Most people have a temp probe, which one is a good buy? good value? Is it absolutely necessary?

- I've seen these neat little themapen things, should I get one?


Also:

- Lump or Briquettes?

- Is there an easy way of getting rid of the ash in the WSM after a long cook?



I'm sure I'll have a million more questions once I pick up my 18.5 but for now thats about it!


Thanks in advance :)
 
The primary thing you need: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004IMA718/tvwb-20
I also have these for pulling pork: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007ZGURK/tvwb-20

See above for a temp probe. I find it makes things much easier simply because you can monitor your temp without being right next to the smoker.

I wouldn't turn a thermapen down, but I've never needed one in addition to the maverick.

I prefer briquettes because they are a) cheaper, b) far more consistent with far less flare ups, and c) provide less charcoal flavor as I like my smoke flavor to come from the wood I add. many people disagree.

dump it in the trash can?
 
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I agree with Matt about a good quality probe. I use an igrill2 but the maverick is also very good. A thermapen also is very useful and a good investment.
 
As for the Thermopen, I use mine more for the kettle and the Genesis gasser. After the last 2 tritips I did for mothers day, my wife has finally realized that temp is important and is using either my Thermopen or the Thermopop. They are a great investment.
 
Matt H. said:
dump it in the trash can?
Click to expand...

I would get a dedicated ash can and put the ashes in it. Spent coals can stay hot enough to start a fire a surprisingly long time. After a few daze in the ash can then bag them and put them in the trash or dump them elsewhere.

I recommend reading this website for answers to your questions as well as questions you did not ask: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/index.html
 
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Dwain Pannell said:
I would get a dedicated ash can and put the ashes in it. Spent coals can stay hot enough to start a fire a surprisingly long time. After a few daze in the ash can then bag them and put them in the trash or dump them elsewhere.

I recommend reading this website for answers to your questions as well as questions you did not ask: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/index.html
Click to expand...

dwain you are the voice of reason. I'm just the voice of the lazy man and I generally don't dump out my used coals till the next cook if at all..
 
I would start with what you have first - the WSM. I didn't buy any accessories for quite a while and still got good BBQ off of my smoker. This site is probably the best initial tool you can have. As others have suggested read the cooking topics section - it has a lot of very helpful information and is a great starting point. I ended up buying a Maverick and have found it useful, but again not a necessity in the beginning. Your lid thermometer might be off somewhat but mine wasn't so bad to cause me to make bad food (that was all my fault). For a simple food temperature probe my wife picked one up at Target and it works just fine. It might not be as fast as a Thermapen but it was a lot cheaper and gives me a reading quickly enough. I agree with Dwain on the ashes. I usually let mine sit for at least 24 hours with the vents all the way open before I dump them. I think the only thing that might smell worse than my garbage can is my garbage can on fire.

I guess what I'm trying to say is don't feel like you have to go out and spend money on a bunch of stuff right away. You have the best tool right here at your fingertips.
 
I've published a list of basic and optional accessories on this page: Barbecue Accessories & Supplies

Another good resource is Low & Slow by Gary Wiviott.

See Cleanup, Maintenance & Storage for info on ash removal.

I recommend using Kingsford Original Charcoal briquets for new Weber smoker owners. It's cheap and reliable, burns hot and long and consistent. It just takes one variable out of the equation as you learn to barbecue using your new equipment. With some experience under your belt, you can then branch out and try other briquets or lump charcoal.

Good luck! Feel free to ask questions here, no question is too basic! :wsm:
 
Don't forget the Weber chimney starter, its the best. And i like to use the weber starter cubes too.
 
I recommend checking out Gary Wiviott's "Low & Slow" from the library. I believe his advice on how to manage a fire in a WSM is the single thing that helped me most when I began.
 
RDOwens said:
I recommend checking out Gary Wiviott's "Low & Slow" from the library. I believe his advice on how to manage a fire in a WSM is the single thing that helped me most when I began.
Click to expand...

I second that. Read it cover to cover (removing his Schtick) and you'll be all set.

Very few gadgets are required for great BBQ.
 
I agree with RD & Dwain. That is an excellent book BBQ is at its root a simple cooking form and doesn't need a whole lot of gadgets.
 
Matt H. said:
The primary thing you need: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004IMA718/tvwb-20
I also have these for pulling pork: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007ZGURK/tvwb-20

See above for a temp probe. I find it makes things much easier simply because you can monitor your temp without being right next to the smoker.

I wouldn't turn a thermapen down, but I've never needed one in addition to the maverick.

I prefer briquettes because they are a) cheaper, b) far more consistent with far less flare ups, and c) provide less charcoal flavor as I like my smoke flavor to come from the wood I add. many people disagree.

dump it in the trash can?
Click to expand...

Im on my 2nd maverick and i agree they are great tools.

Keep your eyes on amazon and sites like this, they pop up on sale and you can them for under $50. I have the ET-73 which can be found cheap. I recently upgraded to the ET-733 which is a major upgrade, notablely the range is way better.
 
congrats on deciding on the WSM. I was thinking about a big green egg and an offset and ended up with a WSM and love it. I would not trade it for the egg or offset after having it a few years.

I would recommend a chimney starter and if you want to go the temp probe route I would suggest a maverick. I have a 733 that has two probes that can be used as internal meat temp or ambient temp probe. I had the smoker for 6 months without my maverick and turned out some good food. It is optional or maybe its something you can pick up down the road. I always recommend an instant read temp probe for food safety. I have not invested in a thermapen I have a $10 weber thermometer. I always recommend taking a temp before deeming something done. You never want to risk you or guests getting sick because you did not cook meat enough.

Keep the questions coming!
 
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Matt H. said:
dwain you are the voice of reason. I'm just the voice of the lazy man and I generally don't dump out my used coals till the next cook if at all..
Click to expand...

lmao, this is totally me, sometimes i'm too lazy to bring the kettle or WSM back into the garage for a couple of days after a cook. I really think putting caster wheels on my WSM would help me with that though.
 
Thanks for the great responses guys, truly appreciate it!

Just to clarify, for the ash removal question, what I meant is do you literally have to pick up the bottom piece and flip it upside down to get rid of the ashes (like the smokey joe gold) or does it have some sort of ash removal mechanism like the kettle?

Some great info in this thread, I'm sure it'll help other newbies also. And thanks for the links Chris, when I end up picking up a few gadgets, i'll get them from the links on this site to help support this great community. It's a lot less intimidating to start smoking food knowing there's this place to help me out :p

Only a couple more weeks to finish moving into my new house and I'll finally be able to pick up my very own WSM.. so excited!

Any suggestions for the first cook? Something that's beginner friendly?
 
Congrats on deciding to buy a WSM, Dom! I'm sure you'll love it and get lots of good use out of it.

There is a section here specifically for beginner recipes. Besides those, pork butt is a very forgiving cut of meat to cook. It can handle a wide range of temperature variation and still come out juicy and delicious.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/cook.html

Enjoy your smoker!
 
Dom said:
Just to clarify, for the ash removal question, what I meant is do you literally have to pick up the bottom piece and flip it upside down to get rid of the ashes (like the smokey joe gold) or does it have some sort of ash removal mechanism like the kettle?

Any suggestions for the first cook? Something that's beginner friendly?
Click to expand...
There is no One-Touch ash removal system in the WSM. You just dump out the ashes. I place a large yard waste bag over the bowl and flip the contents into the bag (several days after cooking so I know the ashes are stone-cold) then brush out any remaining ash. However, I just recently bought the Weber 7471 Ash Shovel which is designed specifically for the WSM. Have not yet tried it, we'll see how it works soon.

As Chris Conro mentioned, check-out the Beginner's Recipes for new WSM owners. They are designed to use briquettes, not lump, and with very little fuss in terms of temp control, the point being to just get you used to operating the cooker. I would try the Basic Barbecued Chicken and the Basic Baby Back Ribs, then skip to Pork Butt - Slathered With Mustard & Rub
 
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