Build up on Lid


 
I can't say for sure, but the massive smoke, long run up in temp may be the problem. I come up to temp pretty quick and while I do have some white smoke initially, it subsides pretty quickly too. Just for kicks, you guys might want to try less smoke wood, more coals lit in the beginning and all vents wide open until you hit a lid temp of about 200. See if that makes a difference.
 
I'm going to give it a whirl this weekend still using water in the pan (maybe try out clay pot instead), but more briquettes upon light up and try to get a quicker run up in temp.

Initially I started with 7 briquettes lit in the chimney, then went to 13 the 2nd go around. This decreased the run up time from about an ~1.5hr to 1hr. I'll shoot for the 30 minute range this time and see if it makes a difference.

Also, in terms of smoke wood I had 4-5 chunks the first time, then just 2 the second time.

Will keep those reading this thread posted on the outcome.
 
Mitch,

I am with you. I am going to give it a shot this weekend and see how it turns out. I plan to put a butt or brisket on Saturday night.
 
somebody had asked about the water users opinions and such, so..
I don't usssually use water. Although I use water with briskits only though nowadays (dont ask) , long story short, I always use to use water with everything, and that was a lot of darn cooks, by the way, and my lid always looked like Larry's when using water. Now no water and just looks the same. I am one of the wierdo's who doesn't like to dirty of a smoker and clean it to sparkling every 4-6 cooks also. always always looks like larry's build up, with or without water. Basicly this thread has had me curious since it started, not only that but somebody had a pic of there lid w/ yellowish stuff.... now that's def. not what I see, and I too noticed its only water level up. I was going to ask something about it like "do you use pond water in your pan?"
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but you've all cleared it up already. this is interesting. If its any help I've always had temps come up fairly faster then whats described in a few comments so I guess thats one more vote to consider the smokiness in the beggining hour maybe, thats helping cause that stuff. I've been enjoying more wood then I used to as well, so I use plenty i'de say, and don't have the trouble. I even use oak that's probably only 70% cured, no kidding. Hell if I know but i'll keep reading. good luck
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I've been using the WSM for a 3 or 4 years now and have never fully cleaned it. I figure what's the point? Clean or dirty, it all taste good. I used water in the pan for the first year or so. Now I use sand or nothing depending on what I am smoking. I'm sure my water pan is nasty ... fine with me. I just foil over it and add sand for the longer cooks.

The only time I clean the WSM is if the residue starts to flake off. In this case, I just scape it with a ball of aluminum foil. Good luck. If it were me, I'd just let it be until you start to see flakes that could fall on your food.

Tim
 
I've seen that before. That's tar from burning unseasoned pine or that kind of soft wood. The first year we burned wood in my fireplace. We burned pine. We had to burn some special stuff with seasoned hard wood and then had a chimney guy sweep our chimney clean, twice.
 
No solutions, but just some more observations in case it helps for more comparisons. I have been smoking a year and haven't had that kind of build-up. My usual smoke:

* Kingsford Charcoal, usually Minion start w/ 10-20 lit cols

* 3-4 chunks smoke wood put on at beginning (Hickory, Oak, Apple, or Cherry from BBQs Galore).

* Foiled water pan full of cold tap water

* Cold meat (or rested on counter a bit) put on at when I dump in the lit coals

* Temp "run up" of about an hour, to 230 deg. or so

* Lots of overnight, low temp smokes (220s - 230s) with bottom vents almost completely closed

I just started using a clay saucer filled with sand and wrapped with foil in place of water in the pan, and still have not seen any goo. Now I'm not trying to say my smoker's spic and span either, but it really doesn't get any dirtier than an average grill. I can't offer any answers, but at least these are some things I do if they help eliminate anything.

And I'm with whoever said scrape it out and throw it in the beans or BBQ sauce... that's true barbequer thinking.
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Good informative messages here guys. I picked up some Chigger Creek smoke wood today, and will switch up the wood after this weekend depending on how it goes. This will be a great thread to reference when it's all said and done.
 
Alright, you all have inspired me to give my WSM a top-to-bottom cleaning this weekend, as it has been a while since I have done that. It seems to me some of you are saying that you never use water in the pan. I use it for briskets, pork shoulders, etc. The question I have for those of you that do not use water is: how do your long (overnight) smokes come out without water? I typically will smoke a pork shoulder for 18 hours, keeping the water pan filled the whole time, and have gotten great results. I am a bit reluctant to toss a shoulder on the WSM without water, as I don't want a blackened bowling ball for dinner the next night! Should I not worry about this? Any thoughts/advice?
 
Erik,
I use sand instead of water for long cooks. This is actually an advantage because you don't have to worry about replenishing water overnight.

Tim
 
Originally posted by Erik M:
The question I have for those of you that do not use water is: how do your long (overnight) smokes come out without water? I typically will smoke a pork shoulder for 18 hours, keeping the water pan filled the whole time, and have gotten great results. I am a bit reluctant to toss a shoulder on the WSM without water, as I don't want a blackened bowling ball for dinner the next night! Should I not worry about this? Any thoughts/advice?
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Erik,

I had stopped using water for over a year but have gone back to it. I was using a foiled pan instead. Water in the pan helps maintain low and slow temperatures in a very predictable way - in my opinion of course. I find that when I use water, I maintain more consistent temperature ranges. Not using water causes me to have to manage the temperature a little more. I can still get the smoker stable, but sometimes it takes longer to stabilize.
 
I cleaned my wsm lid yesterday w/ Dawn Power Dissolver, the hose and a brilo pad. Some of it peeled off like a fruit roll-up before I started with the Dawn. I ran it hot for about 6 hours with some left over briquettes (made some hot & spicey road side chicken for the last 2 hours). The lid looks great now.
 
Ok, cook is over, and verdict is in - The ooey gooey is gone!

To start, I used a foiled clay pot instead of the filled water pan. Also, instead of the 1hr-1.5hr run up to temp, I used more Kingsford briquettes at startup (MM method) and got her up to temp in about 30 minutes. Lastly, I was using strickly hickory chunks before, and this time I had 1 fist sized chunk of hickory and a couple small oak pieces.

I honestly can't narrow down what the culprit was as I changed 3 variables (clay pot, faster temp increase, less cheap hickory), but regardless, the brown goo is gone and it's just black smoke residue on the lid. Take it for what's it worth I suppose?

Tony, how did your test come out?
 
Tim and Tony:

Thanks for the replies. I know it is a bit off of topic here, but do (or "did" for you, Tony as you have returned to H2O) you notice a difference in the moisture of the meat with/without water?
 
Well, I cooked 6 fatties with RO lump, apple wood chip and with water in the pan. I still wound up having to clean the lid after the cook. I don't mind doing that and I guess I will until I figure this out for me. I am going to give Mitch's method a try this weekend and see how that turns out.
 
Originally posted by Erik M:
Tim and Tony:

Thanks for the replies. I know it is a bit off of topic here, but do (or "did" for you, Tony as you have returned to H2O) you notice a difference in the moisture of the meat with/without water?
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Erik,

My experience has been that water does not add any moisture to the meat. Neither does not using water make the meat dry. The water pan serves as a baffle or heat sink to help control the temperature of the smoker - that's all it does in my experience.
 
OK, after reading this thread, I had to go have a look at mine. I have been using the clay saucer in my pan covered with foil for awhile now and really never had a problem with the sticky stuff on the lid. The last few cooks it has shown up. The lid sticks and has a heavy coating of the black nasty inside. The only thing different about my last few cooks is that the WSM was really loaded up (6 8lb butts at once
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) and it took almost 2 hours to come up to 230. I minion start with around 20 coals (still using rancher; I have 7 bags left
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). I usually close my bottom vents to around 1/8 after it gets to 200 and the top is always 100% open with no obstructions. With a smaller load, it gets to 230 to 240 on the top grate in around 30 min. I also used more wood (hickory oak mixed). In my case I guess it could be the slow temp and extra wood that is causing the issue.
 
Originally posted by Tony Hunter:

My experience has been that water does not add any moisture to the meat. Neither does not using water make the meat dry. The water pan serves as a baffle or heat sink to help control the temperature of the smoker - that's all it does in my experience.
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Yes true but... Using water in the water pan does create some steam inside the WSM or any water smoker. So if you are seeing this gunky, sticky stuff after a few cooks after it being cleaned off/out then here's my take on it. Maybe the steam is making this sticky, gooey mess run down off the inside of the lid? I've had my WSM for 6 years now and never ever seen this problem. I've cooked with water and without. If I minion the start it takes anywhere from 1 hr to 2 hrs to get up to temp. Have burned dry wood and I'm a big green apple wood fan, still no gunk build up. The only thing I do, that most here don't, is I clean the inside of the WSM every year, and haven't used water in almost 5 years. I do get the flakes on the inside of the lid after about 3-4 low and slow cooks then a high heat cook, but that's it. HTH
 
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