A few preparation questions before my first cook.


 
Arun L.

Arun L.

TVWBB All-Star
I'm going to do a turkey.

Questions:

1)

Are the wood chunks in these 2 bags the same size, just that one comes in a bigger bag?

21 lb:

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Cowboy-Charcoal-21-lb-Hickory-Wood-Chunks/50450042

600 cu:

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Cowboy-Charcoal-600-cu-in-Hickory-Wood-Chunks/999979182

And 3 chunks should last 6 hours, right?

2) I'm going to use a Flame Boss 200.

It's recommended to use high temperature tape to cover up the remaining vent holes, in the vent in which the blower is installed.

If I use such tape, is it easy to remove later? Can I just easily peel it off?

Will it leave a sticky residue afterward?

I saw one other recommendation to use wadded up pieces of aluminum foil. I would just be a little concerned that they wouldn't really be in tightly, and fall out after some time.
 
The chunks in both bags will be about the same size. However regardless of the bag you will have all kinds of sizes of "chunks" in the bag. either will be fine.

I personally would use about 3-4 and that is it. I am not a huge tons of smoke on my meat guy. it is much better to have too little smoke then too much and have it taste like a cigarette IMO.

Maybe someone will have a better idea but personally I would not like to tape up my WSM, I would be afraid of it melting or leaving residue. I'd just stuff the holes and assume it would work
 
You can also plug the holes with metal plugs, see this thread. I think they are 3/4" plugs on the 18.5 WSM, not sure on other sizes. I did this with my DigiQ blower install and it works great.
 
Matt A said:
You can also plug the holes with metal plugs, see this thread. I think they are 3/4" plugs on the 18.5 WSM, not sure on other sizes. I did this with my DigiQ blower install and it works great.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

Can you post a pic of your setup?

How come the picture of the plugs from Lowes don't match what's in Russell Y's post # 1? Especially when he said he got them at Lowes.

Can they be easily removed, when not using the blower for a cook? Can I just pop them out or something?

Also, if you look at my test setup from this morning, in the 3rd pic, 1/2 of the bottom vent would still be open.

http://imgur.com/a/0NoTm/layout/grid#2

Should I be concerned?
 
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Keith R said:
The chunks in both bags will be about the same size. However regardless of the bag you will have all kinds of sizes of "chunks" in the bag. either will be fine.

I personally would use about 3-4 and that is it. I am not a huge tons of smoke on my meat guy. it is much better to have too little smoke then too much and have it taste like a cigarette IMO.

Maybe someone will have a better idea but personally I would not like to tape up my WSM, I would be afraid of it melting or leaving residue. I'd just stuff the holes and assume it would work
Click to expand...

Thanks. :)

I do like a lot of smoke, but from reading elsewhere, 2 - 3 chunks seemed to be how much people used, so I wanted to start off on the more conservative side. And wanted some more opinions to get a better gauge of how much, so thanks for your response.
 
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Arun L. said:
Thanks.

Can you post a pic of your setup?

How come the picture of the plugs from Lowes don't match what's in Russell Y's post # 1? Especially when he said he got them at Lowes.

Can they be easily removed, when not using the blower for a cook? Can I just pop them out or something?

Also, if you look at my test setup from this morning, in the 3rd pic, 1/2 of the bottom vent would still be open.

http://imgur.com/a/0NoTm/layout/grid#2

Should I be concerned?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I don't have any pics of my setup, but it looks identical to the first pic in the thread I linked to. With the DiqiQ or CyberQ you attach a blower to the mount in that pic.

They can be removed fairly easily with a flat head screwdriver or something similar. For your setup, it looks like there's room (from the pic) to install the plugs in both holes before you mount the Flame Boss.
 
Arun,

I got mine at Lowes. They are called "Hillman Group" metal hole plugs. They are located in the fastener section (nuts and bolts) in the specialized hardware "drawers". Were hard for me to locate. Get the 3/4" ones and they pop right in (although I used a rubber mallet to seat them). You can pop them right out if need be.

The scan code is 0 08236 71658 0
H# 881267

Note: I use a PartQ. With the rectangle setup of the Flame Boss, you may have to cock it sideways a tad for it to fit with the plugs in.
 
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Matt A said:
Sorry, I don't have any pics of my setup, but it looks identical to the first pic in the thread I linked to. With the DiqiQ or CyberQ you attach a blower to the mount in that pic.

They can be removed fairly easily with a flat head screwdriver or something similar. For your setup, it looks like there's room (from the pic) to install the plugs in both holes before you mount the Flame Boss.
Click to expand...

Thanks. That's a good idea.

(Both removing the plugs with a screwdriver, and installing both plugs before mounting the blower.)
 
Randall S said:
Arun,

I got mine at Lowes. They are called "Hillman Group" metal hole plugs. They are located in the fastener section (nuts and bolts) in the specialized hardware "drawers". Were hard for me to locate. Get the 3/4" ones and they pop right in (although I used a rubber mallet to seat them). You can pop them right out if need be.

The scan code is 0 08236 71658 0
H# 881267

Note: I use a PartQ. With the rectangle setup of the Flame Boss, you may have to cock it sideways a tad for it to fit with the plugs in.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the exact part #. That was helpful.

I'm providing the link here for future reference.

http://www.lowes.com/pd/The-Hillman-Group-1-Pack-Steel-Hole-Plug/3013218
 
Now I have some questions about starting up the WSM.

I think I should use the Minion method?

I watched this video:

https://youtu.be/WwoYW9IWSEU

And read this in the Minion section:

http://virtualweberbullet.com/fireup2.html#smokewood

A few questions:

* Lump charcoal or briquettes? I have both. I think briquettes, though?

* This video buried the smoke wood on the bottom. But he's doing a 24 hour cook. Mine is expected to be 6 - 8 hours. I should have my smoke wood on top, right?

I also have both regular and "match light" briquettes.

* I'm not sure how that person lit his charcoal? He put it on a stand next to his gas grill. If you go to 4:23, I'm not sure how it's being heated up then?

* Does the water pan go directly on the lit charcoal afterward? He didn't show using the water pan after lighting it. After his charcoal was lit, the next shot was of the cooker fully assembled.

* He only lit maybe 1/3 of the chimney. I would think I would need a 1/2 chimney?

Is there a video someone recommends, of firing up the WSM? And especially the portion of where the water pan is placed? I've done reading and looked at pictures, but it just helps me to see a video too.
 
1. Briquettes
2. NEVER, um, NEVER match light
3. N-E-V-E-R match light
4. See #2 & #3
5. Water pan (I use a wrapped clay saucer, no water) directly after lighting charcoal and lift total assembly onto bottom
6. I go with about 1/3 chimney

He set it on the side burner of his gas grill. I just use newspaper and light it on my regular BBQ.
 
Arun L. said:
Now I have some questions about starting up the WSM. I think I should use the Minion method?
Click to expand...

I like the "Soo's Donut" version of the minion method. That's basically the same thing the guy did in the video you posted. However... there are lot's of ways to arrange the charcoal. Other people do a straight minion, where the scatter lit coals across the top. I would recommend first trying the method that makes the most sense to you and experiment from there as you go along.


Arun L. said:
* Lump charcoal or briquettes? I have both. I think briquettes, though?
Click to expand...

Either will work, but I prefer briquettes because they are all the same size and thus burn really consistently.


Arun L. said:
* This video buried the smoke wood on the bottom... I should have my smoke wood on top, right?
Click to expand...

Try it with the wood on top or just slightly buried, or a combination. I normally only use 2 or 3 chunks, with one on top and the other two buried. Again, this is one of those things that have a lot of possibilities. People do all sorts of different methods, and they all work. Try them on top at first and experiment later.


Arun L. said:
I also have both regular and "match light" briquettes.
Click to expand...

Echoing what Randall said=never, ever use match light style charcoal in the WSM (I would say never use it for anything, but especially not in a smoker). Unlike a grill, you do not wait for all the charcoal to ignite in the WSM. Since different areas light at different times, you are going to get a nasty bunch of petrochemicals on your food. Best case scenario? Your meat will taste like lighter fluid. Worst case? You'll be ingesting some very bad stuff!


Arun L. said:
* I'm not sure how that person lit his charcoal? He put it on a stand next to his gas grill. If you go to 4:23, I'm not sure how it's being heated up then?
Click to expand...

In the video, he put the chimney on top of a side burner of the grill. You would not really see that in the video.



Arun L. said:
* Does the water pan go directly on the lit charcoal afterward?
Click to expand...

No. The water pan goes on the L-brackets at the bottom of the center section. If you put it right on the charcoal, will partially extinguish the fire



Arun L. said:
* He only lit maybe 1/3 of the chimney. I would think I would need a 1/2 chimney?
Click to expand...

Personally, I only light about 10 to 12 briquettes. You don't need 1/2 chimney, but you can certainly test that out.
 
Randall S said:
Try this........

https://youtu.be/PzWw8yEq8qw
Click to expand...

Mark Barton said:
I like the "Soo's Donut" version of the minion method. That's basically the same thing the guy did in the video you posted. However... there are lot's of ways to arrange the charcoal. Other people do a straight minion, where the scatter lit coals across the top. I would recommend first trying the method that makes the most sense to you and experiment from there as you go along.




Either will work, but I prefer briquettes because they are all the same size and thus burn really consistently.




Try it with the wood on top or just slightly buried, or a combination. I normally only use 2 or 3 chunks, with one on top and the other two buried. Again, this is one of those things that have a lot of possibilities. People do all sorts of different methods, and they all work. Try them on top at first and experiment later.




Echoing what Randall said=never, ever use match light style charcoal in the WSM (I would say never use it for anything, but especially not in a smoker). Unlike a grill, you do not wait for all the charcoal to ignite in the WSM. Since different areas light at different times, you are going to get a nasty bunch of petrochemicals on your food. Best case scenario? Your meat will taste like lighter fluid. Worst case? You'll be ingesting some very bad stuff!




In the video, he put the chimney on top of a side burner of the grill. You would not really see that in the video.





No. The water pan goes on the L-brackets at the bottom of the center section. If you put it right on the charcoal, will partially extinguish the fire





Personally, I only light about 10 to 12 briquettes. You don't need 1/2 chimney, but you can certainly test that out.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the responses.

I liked that video better than the one I saw yesterday.

I think this answered all of my questions, and I don't think I have any more right now. :)
 
I have a 2 gallon, 8.5" x 8.5" plastic container with lid that I use for when I brine a chicken.

Will a turkey fit in it? If not, can someone recommend a container (with link) that I can brine a turkey in?

- - - Updated - - -

Mark Barton said:
I like Alton Brown's method - http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/how-to-carve-a-turkey-0112583.html
Click to expand...

SeanHaz said:
This one of his seems to be easier and helpful in breaking it down into simpler tasks.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/how-to-carve-the-turkey-61002.html
Click to expand...

I haven't watched these yet, will try to do it within the next few days.

Thanks.
 
I'm not sure about the 2 gallon size. Seems a bit small. But... you can always go buy the size turkey you want and see if it fits!

A food grade 5 gallon bucket will do the job for almost any size turkey.
 
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