John Bridgman
TVWBB Super Fan
OK, so I've been hanging around here since 2007 learning about cooking with charcoal and how to smoke with a Performer, but finally broke down and bought a WSM. Spent a while trying to figure out whether to get an 18" or 22" but in the end I went into the store, looked at the two models side by side, decided the 22" "looked too big" (highly unscientific
) and came home with an 18".
First cook went well. One thing I always wanted to try was the instructions you see associated with jerk cooking, basically direct heat but high enough above the coals that flare-ups don't reach the food. I had rubbed a bunch of chicken thighs with Walkerswood jerk paste this morning, putting most of it under the skin 'cause I realized I end up taking the skin off anyways. Started about 2/3 chimney of Kingsford on the Performer, dumped it into the WSM, no water pan, lower grate only, thighs skin down on the lower grate to start, then put the cover on to see what happened.
Temps went up near 300F with two bottom vents open - closed all but 1/2 vent and temps stabilized nicely at 250F for a couple of hours.
Cooking was totally effortless, no worries about flare-ups whether the cover was on or off (I left it on most of the time anyways). Chicken turned out pretty good :
Definitely the best chicken I've ever made, and I've tried almost the same cook multiple times before on the kettle. The Performer always wanted to run at 350-400F, while the WSM seems to naturally tend to 250-275F. Just what I wanted.
Other than the predictable questions that come from owning a Performer, eg "how do I move the WSM when it's hot ?", I have to say I'm really happy with this so far. I'm definitely going to have to make a table with wheels to get the WSM up a foot or two (I'm 6'5) and let me move it under cover if the rain starts pouring down mid-smoke. Something like :
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/TableGallery/tables.htm?P12 or
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/TableGallery/tables.htm?P29
... but with a WSM instead of a BGE. If only I could find an "Eat more Possum" sign. Sigh...
First cook went well. One thing I always wanted to try was the instructions you see associated with jerk cooking, basically direct heat but high enough above the coals that flare-ups don't reach the food. I had rubbed a bunch of chicken thighs with Walkerswood jerk paste this morning, putting most of it under the skin 'cause I realized I end up taking the skin off anyways. Started about 2/3 chimney of Kingsford on the Performer, dumped it into the WSM, no water pan, lower grate only, thighs skin down on the lower grate to start, then put the cover on to see what happened.
Temps went up near 300F with two bottom vents open - closed all but 1/2 vent and temps stabilized nicely at 250F for a couple of hours.
Cooking was totally effortless, no worries about flare-ups whether the cover was on or off (I left it on most of the time anyways). Chicken turned out pretty good :
Definitely the best chicken I've ever made, and I've tried almost the same cook multiple times before on the kettle. The Performer always wanted to run at 350-400F, while the WSM seems to naturally tend to 250-275F. Just what I wanted.
Other than the predictable questions that come from owning a Performer, eg "how do I move the WSM when it's hot ?", I have to say I'm really happy with this so far. I'm definitely going to have to make a table with wheels to get the WSM up a foot or two (I'm 6'5) and let me move it under cover if the rain starts pouring down mid-smoke. Something like :
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/TableGallery/tables.htm?P12 or
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/TableGallery/tables.htm?P29
... but with a WSM instead of a BGE. If only I could find an "Eat more Possum" sign. Sigh...