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Michael Alex

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Hi, jut picked up a 14.5 wsm at Wally World for the great price of $99.When I was putting it together one of the legs was bent at the wrong point so it didn't fit the two holes in the base.(hello quality control) Long story short, call to Weber and 2 days later got three new legs (only sell them in three packs). This will be my first ever smoke job so now on to the main question: I started smoker this morning (minion method) and put on a pork butt (about 6.5 to 7 lbs) The smoker has been at the low side of "smoke gauge" around 210. I just opened a damper a little bit to raise the temp a little more. My meat probe is showing 139 after 2.5 hrs on smoker. does this seem right? I'm reading about some guys on here pulling the pork off the smoker after 8+ hrs with a internal temp of 198, I'm going to hit 198 way b4 8 hrs. I've used my meat probe for prime rib done in the oven and it comes out great so I think the probe is accurate. I know I'll get a lot of feedback so thanks in advance. Sorry if this is in a wrong thread.
 
A couple of things:
1) The temp probe on the dome of the wsm is known to not be that accurate. It will give you a ball park but don't rely on it for accurate readings. The $ you saved on the $99 deal you may want to invest in a nice Maverick thermometer like this one if you want more accurate readings:

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00FOCR4UI/tvwb-20

Link now says it is about $70 but I have seen them cheaper ($55 range)

2) You can't do the math that if the temp went up 20 degrees in the 1st two hours, then over 6 more hours it will go up another 60 degrees (for an example). You may hit a stall where the temp will hold literally for 2 + hours. Then you will freak out (we all have ha ha) and google 100 things. in the end it just has to break that stall and it will creep back up. It may be 8 hours or so by the time you are done. maybe 10. maybe 7. you will get a feel after a few times about how long it takes for you.
 
I did read about the Weber not being accurate but does that mean it reads lower than or hotter than actual temp. I will be picking up another thermometer as I've seen in a lot of pictures and vids people have all kinds of probes sticking out of their smoker. (haha) Thanks about the "stall" info, heard of it didn't know what it meant. Just hoping for some pulled pork that's edible later today. I'll stop worrying. Thanks for the quick response.
 
First thing, welcome to the forum Michael. This is a great place to learn and to share. Everyone here is very friendly and we like to help each other. Don't ever think that your question is dumb because I can guarantee that if you have that question then there are others on the forum that are wondering the same thing so you are also helping others by asking. Also remember that we love pics here.

As for that pork butt, this is my process for cooking them and the same applies to brisket.
You are spot on to use the minion method, we all use it. The advice to get something like the Maverick is also spot on. Gives you a better idea what your temps are. You will probably hit the stall somewhere about 160* to 165*. At this point you have two options, one is to just leave the butt and wait it out, or the second is to foil the butt and that in theory will speed things up a bit. My opinion is if you foil at the stall is that you do save time and I think it will help to keep the meat more moist. That is just my opinion so take it for what it is worth. When the internal temp of the butt hits about 195* you should probe the meat for tenderness. You can use a meat probe or even a toothpick. When the probe goes into the meat like a knife into warm butter you are there. If it does not probe tender, wait 30 minutes and try again. Once it is probe tender, pull the meat off the smoker and let it rest tented until the internal temp is about 179* and then tightly double wrap in aluminum foil and place in a cooler (like an igloo or similar) wrapped in a couple of towels for at least an hour or more. When you are ready to eat, take out of the cooler and pull to your hearts content and enjoy some great Q. Good Luck.
 
Thanks Bob, I did plan on wrapping at 165 due to the "keeping it more moist" factor that I've read about and seen on vid. There's so much info on here and everyone has their own way to do things just want to keep it basic for my first time and tweak from there. I may try to post some pics at some point, but if you've seen one butt you've seen the all. Haha Those picture always make me hungry too!
 
Hi Micheal. Welcome to the forum! There is a ton of great information, and even better people here. TVWBB is where I learned everything I needed to cook some mighty tasty BBQ with my WSM.

As Bob and Keith mentioned, your best bet is to buy a digital thermometer. It's not that the WSM thermometer is that bad--it's about as accurate as any other budget bi-metal thermometer. (When I did the boiling water test, mine was just a few degrees off.) It's more about the placement in the dome. For me, the WSM thermometer reads higher than the temperature at the grate.

Since it's important to read the temp nearest the food, a digital thermometer with a grate probe is your best bet. Most around here use the Maverick wireless. There are others out there like iGrill, Thermoworks, but I like the Maverick because it's affordable, accurate and uses RF instead of bluetooth.

All this being said, lots of people use the WSM built-in thermometer as a ballpark and simply make the mental adjustment by about 10 degrees or so.
 
Thanks for the info Mark. If it reads higher than grate temp, I'm really slow cooking. I may have to open things up a little and bring in a little more air. Thanks again.
 
Excellent advice from Bob. I agree 100%. There is a school of thought for not wrapping the butt claiming that it makes the bark mushy. I wrap mine and haven't found that.



I did this one just a couple of weeks ago. I wrapped it at 165.
 
stage 1 stage 2 stage 3 just wrapped in foil 163 degrees. hope these pics come out. Thanks again guys First three pics from last nite.
 
In the home stretch: going to tent, then wrap and put in cooler. Temp was over 200 and 196 in most spots, by the time I walked into the house it had even dropped a couple degrees.
 
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Turned out great. I'm real critical of myself, so there will be things I do different in future cooks but over all very good eats. Any one on the fence about buying a wsm, just do it! I was going to convert my mini joe to a smoker but for the sale price these wsm are going for why bother with the cost of parts and time to make it. I'm sure the 14.5 wsm covered up some flaws I had in the process today, much like a gasser does for the grilling challenged. But for under $100 + the pig that gave it's life you can't go wrong. Again not happy about the quality issue with one of the legs and me having to call Weber (sure to happen with thousands of parts going down a production line) but overall a great meal (and left overs to come) and thanks to those who posted for my question and thanks to all the other answers I've read on other posts before I started today.
 
Congrats on a great cook Michael. The butt looks great and from everything I see, you did a good job. I'll bet your family loved that meal. Your future cooks will only get better.
 
Outstanding job Michael. I even see a bit of smoke ring. As Bob said with each cook you'll learn a little more and get better.
 
Thanks guys, it was pretty darn good. Just made a Cuban sandwich for lunch with the left overs. Great learning experience, wish I did this years ago. My favorite BBQ joint might not be seeing me for a while.
 
Michael.

We are our own worst critics. Whilst everyone else is going….oooh….aaah…mmmm….yummmy, we're going, "should I have left it longer, should I have crutched it to push it on, is the rub masking the meat etc etc?

No! If everyone is happy, you did a great job. Onward & upward.

Oh, that cook looks splendid. I'd eat that in a heartbeat. Well done.
 
What Tony said is very true. On the last cook I posted (pork loin chops), I kept telling my wife that I thought they were a little dry and I have overcooked them. She told me they tasted great and they were the best pork chops she has ever had. They were great but we always strive for perfection. From the pics I saw, your cook looked wonderful and if everyone else was happy then just go with that.
 
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