Hello. Well after the fourth cook I'm having issues with controlling my temps to stay at 250. The first cook was chicken and I just wrapped the water bowl in foil and let her go wild. Second cook were some baby back ribs and this time I went out and got the 14 inch terra cotta saucer, but still couldn't hold the temps down. Third cook were some spare ribs and again it was running too hot. Friday night I decided to cook a 10 lb. Pork shoulder and again I was only able to keep the temps to about 270 with all bottom vents closed. Top vent completely open. All 4 cooks when done all vents were completely closed (including the top vent) to extinguish the fire only to find nothing but ashes left. I always fill my ring to the rim with k blue bag, use the minion method with about 12 lit coals to get it going. My questions to the more experienced, do I need to give it more time for the wsm to seal and sit correctly? Do I need to add water to the pan? Do I need a new unit? I have a wsm 18.5 and I'm using a taylor digital thermometer at the top grate level to monitor my temps. Any suggestions, or am I just being impatient? Thanks...
Should I use water?
- Thread starter OGonzalez
- Start date
Rich (Big Rich)
TVWBB Member
I have the bigger WSM, all cooks i do low and slow,250 or less,i put a little more than half a water bowl of hot tap water,and find it holds temps well with bottom vents barely cracked open.Others on the board do well with no water,but the water as a heat sink works well for me for lower temps.You may possibly have a out of round condition,as for shutting down the wsm i take off the middle section and put the lid off my 22 inch grill on the bottom bowl.Others will chime in here shortly,but first i would recommend water in the pan for lower temps,its how the WSM was designed.Good luck,Richard
Mike Willis
TVWBB All-Star
My experience is that you need water in the pan if you want to keep temps down in the 225-250 degree range, just as Big Rich states. It will be a (much) longer cook, so you'll have to keep an eye on the water pan as well as the fuel consumption.
Hope this helps....
Hope this helps....
MKEvenson
TVWBB Wizard
OGonzalez, welcome to the group. Sounds like you are leaking air. Check your door fit and check for roundness of the sections. New WSMs do run hot at 1st. I would use less hot coals and close your vents down about 50 degrees before you reach your target temp. You can probably run one or two bottom vents at about 10-20% open for those low temps. I don'tuse water , but many do and it also will keep temps lower.
I agree with Mark here.
I'm also curious as to how you handle your bottom vents while coming up to temperature. Assuming you have the air leak fixed, I'd recommend you leave all three bottom vents 100% open while the cooker is coming up to temperature. When temp gets up to about 210-225, close down all three vents to about 10% and you should be able to achieve 250 fairly easily.
Thanks to all. I will check for an out of round condition later on tonight when I get home. The door seems like a nice tight fit, but the mid section and the base do rock a little. I tried turning the mid section to see where it will sit better, but I still got the same results. Time to pull out the measuring tape and see what I discover.
Fyi- when I do light the wsm using the minion method all 4 vents wide open and withing 50 degrees from target temperature I shut 2 bottom ones completly and leave the 3rd about 10% open. Top always open.
Again, thanks to all whom have responded. Will post what I find later.
Fyi- when I do light the wsm using the minion method all 4 vents wide open and withing 50 degrees from target temperature I shut 2 bottom ones completly and leave the 3rd about 10% open. Top always open.
Again, thanks to all whom have responded. Will post what I find later.
I'm right there with you Mr. OGonzalez. It's an adventure learning how to tame the beast! I have to say that I am winning though. The eating has been great even if it wasn't perfect. Smoked food rocks!
I picked up an 18.5 model around Christmas. I have eight cooks in. I cooked the first four without water in the pan. Two chicken cooks and two turkey cooks. The water pan was foiled only and had a shallow bowl formed in the top of the pan. I was constantly tweaking the vents down to 1/16th and 1/8th inch openings trying to get the temp to hold at 250 degrees. A lot of the time I couldn't get it under 280 without just closing all the bottom vents and waiting. So for my last four cooks I decided to try putting water in the pan. Two more chicken cooks and two pork loin back rib cooks. I found that I could control the temperature way easier with water in the pan. Using lump charcoal I have been getting about 5 hours a cook without more than tweaking one or two of the vents to more than 1/2 closed.
I too wanted to be doing pork butt cooks by now but have decided that I have a lot to learn, and need to slow down and do a lot of cooks in the two to five or six hour range (chicken, turkey, pork loin back and spare ribs), learning till I get the hang of this. The water pan with water in it for me has been good for this. After I get good at these cooks then I am going to learn how to do the longer cooks by experimenting with the water pan being empty, fire bricked, filled with sand, etc.
I studied again tonight. Lump charcoal, full ring, minion method, water in the pan, hickory smoke wood. Once the cook was under way, 250-260 was held with two vents 1/2 to 2/3rds open the other open full (I could have dialed them in to a much lower temp) 2 hours later I pulled the chicken off and devoured it with the family (BBQ bliss!).
Experiment my friend. Please let me/us know what you have learned.
Good eating!
Ken
I picked up an 18.5 model around Christmas. I have eight cooks in. I cooked the first four without water in the pan. Two chicken cooks and two turkey cooks. The water pan was foiled only and had a shallow bowl formed in the top of the pan. I was constantly tweaking the vents down to 1/16th and 1/8th inch openings trying to get the temp to hold at 250 degrees. A lot of the time I couldn't get it under 280 without just closing all the bottom vents and waiting. So for my last four cooks I decided to try putting water in the pan. Two more chicken cooks and two pork loin back rib cooks. I found that I could control the temperature way easier with water in the pan. Using lump charcoal I have been getting about 5 hours a cook without more than tweaking one or two of the vents to more than 1/2 closed.
I too wanted to be doing pork butt cooks by now but have decided that I have a lot to learn, and need to slow down and do a lot of cooks in the two to five or six hour range (chicken, turkey, pork loin back and spare ribs), learning till I get the hang of this. The water pan with water in it for me has been good for this. After I get good at these cooks then I am going to learn how to do the longer cooks by experimenting with the water pan being empty, fire bricked, filled with sand, etc.
I studied again tonight. Lump charcoal, full ring, minion method, water in the pan, hickory smoke wood. Once the cook was under way, 250-260 was held with two vents 1/2 to 2/3rds open the other open full (I could have dialed them in to a much lower temp) 2 hours later I pulled the chicken off and devoured it with the family (BBQ bliss!).
Experiment my friend. Please let me/us know what you have learned.
Good eating!
Ken
You've gotten some really good advice. I just wanted to add that you shouldn't need water, but it definitely is a quick fix if you want some cheap insurance. The big drawbacks versus the terra cotta are a) you can run out of water, and b) it won't work to stabilize a high heat cook, because it's doing its job by preventing it...
I'm an abject rookie compared to the pros who have already offered advice, but I did something with my new 18.5" that worked well for me.
Most here believe that no "seasoning" is needed for the new smoker, but I saw some sense to it, and did a modified version of that idea that served me well.
I fired up the new WSM with a nearly-full load of charcoals trying my hand for the first time at the Minion method. After the smoker was up to 325 degrees with all the vents open, I let 'er rip for about an hour to burn of any oil or paint residues (probably unnecessary).
Then, I did an initial cook of four mojo criollo leg/thigh quarters (modification of Wiviott's "Low and Slow" book recipe). After 90 mintues, the thighs measured 165 degrees... and they were GREAT!
Finally, after the chicken was done, I closed the bottom vents down to 1/8 open, and let the smoker stabilize at about 250. Then, I took the wasted skin and fat Id' trimmed and saved from 8 thigh quarters, and a 3x4" chuunk of salt pork that had been in my freezer too long, and tossed them on the top grill. About 4 hours later, when I was too tired to stay awake, the thermometer still read 225.
Then next morning, the fire was out, the scraps had rendered down to a handful of inedible crisp things (dog LOVED them!), and the grill had a nice coating of deposits all over the inside that sealed all the smoke leaks, and left me with what appears to be a well seasoned smoker.
I've been using a foiled water pan, foiled clay saucer, and no water. So far, it looks like I am able to "dial in" steady temps of 225-325 and hold them at will. I think the air control came out good because of my "seasoning" experiment... but no matter the explanation, I love my new WSM!!
Most here believe that no "seasoning" is needed for the new smoker, but I saw some sense to it, and did a modified version of that idea that served me well.
I fired up the new WSM with a nearly-full load of charcoals trying my hand for the first time at the Minion method. After the smoker was up to 325 degrees with all the vents open, I let 'er rip for about an hour to burn of any oil or paint residues (probably unnecessary).
Then, I did an initial cook of four mojo criollo leg/thigh quarters (modification of Wiviott's "Low and Slow" book recipe). After 90 mintues, the thighs measured 165 degrees... and they were GREAT!
Finally, after the chicken was done, I closed the bottom vents down to 1/8 open, and let the smoker stabilize at about 250. Then, I took the wasted skin and fat Id' trimmed and saved from 8 thigh quarters, and a 3x4" chuunk of salt pork that had been in my freezer too long, and tossed them on the top grill. About 4 hours later, when I was too tired to stay awake, the thermometer still read 225.
Then next morning, the fire was out, the scraps had rendered down to a handful of inedible crisp things (dog LOVED them!), and the grill had a nice coating of deposits all over the inside that sealed all the smoke leaks, and left me with what appears to be a well seasoned smoker.
I've been using a foiled water pan, foiled clay saucer, and no water. So far, it looks like I am able to "dial in" steady temps of 225-325 and hold them at will. I think the air control came out good because of my "seasoning" experiment... but no matter the explanation, I love my new WSM!!
RichPB (richlife)
TVWBB Wizard
While most will probably agree that "seasoning" is not needed for the WSM, almost all will agree that after several cooks, it will become coated interally with grease and smoke, less leaky and easier to control -- I call that "seasoning"
.
I still mostly use water (have tried the clay saucer and also nothing) because it just helps with control and, frankly, I want a simple, no hassle cook. It helps to use hot tap water.
Before I ever started, I read somewhere to start with the lower vents at about 25% to prevent runaway temps -- works for me. If you start with wide open vents, you need to watch out for the temps STARTING to rise and then set the vents down. Once you get a good hot fire started, those temps are hard to throttle back -- even though the lid temp may only show 225. Lately I've been finding that to keep a 225 - 250* lid temp, I need to close down the vents to about 10% (though I may need to open them more later).
And watch out for any wind -- it can cause big variations in temp pretty quickly -- especially with wide open vents.
Rich
I still mostly use water (have tried the clay saucer and also nothing) because it just helps with control and, frankly, I want a simple, no hassle cook. It helps to use hot tap water.
Before I ever started, I read somewhere to start with the lower vents at about 25% to prevent runaway temps -- works for me. If you start with wide open vents, you need to watch out for the temps STARTING to rise and then set the vents down. Once you get a good hot fire started, those temps are hard to throttle back -- even though the lid temp may only show 225. Lately I've been finding that to keep a 225 - 250* lid temp, I need to close down the vents to about 10% (though I may need to open them more later).
And watch out for any wind -- it can cause big variations in temp pretty quickly -- especially with wide open vents.
Rich
Ok. All very good advice. Last night at about dark thirty I brought the mid section inside and measured accross and it was off by about an inch. I tried to get is as true as I could. I will try a pork butt this weekend and see if that did any good. I'm off to check the base to see is that is also out of round. The box it shipped in didn't look abused for the cooker to be out of round. Wonder why or how weber's Q.A. dept. let these off round cookers by?
Wayne Dimirsky
TVWBB Super Fan
My 18.5 WSM was also out of round. I got mine last month from Ace Hardware. It was a floor model so I'm not surprised it was out of round.
Weber sent me a new ash bowl but it was out of round also. They sent me another one that was much better.
I just did my second cook on mine and my temps stayed in the 245-261 range for the over four hour cook of BB ribs. I used a foiled water pan with no water and used the minion method with K charcoal. Good luck.
Wayne
Weber sent me a new ash bowl but it was out of round also. They sent me another one that was much better.
I just did my second cook on mine and my temps stayed in the 245-261 range for the over four hour cook of BB ribs. I used a foiled water pan with no water and used the minion method with K charcoal. Good luck.
Wayne
Richard Diaz
TVWBB Pro
Great idea on choking the fire. I smoked a butt yesterday, put her on at 2:30am, went to the beach got back at 3:30pm. At 5:30pm, 15 hours into the cook it got to 174. I had company over so I pulled and chopped. I was at 225 the entire time with the aide of my Auber temperature control. I went to bed at 11:30pm and it was still at 150 on the same load. I will definitely try taking the middle section out next time. I have a 22, they are really efficient when all the vents are closed and you have the blower going. I've never had a 7 lb butt take so long.
To stay on the topic I use water for butts and brisket to maintain temperature control. For ribs it depends on how much time I have, if I have time I will go with water and it will go 4-6 hours with 3 racks at 225-250, without water I can get 3 racks done in 3-3.5 hours in at 275, I start them meat side down then flip them half way through so that they do not burn, I don't foil, if I cook them meat side up and do not flip them they will burn up a little on the bottom as well as dry & char the edges a little.
Richard Diaz
TVWBB Pro
I got my 22 last November, I had 3 mid-sections deliver before I got one that was right. The first was out of round, the second was tight, the third had been chipped, the last was perfect. For the last one I asked that they have someone from QA inspect it before the sent it out. I have cooked on it 8 times since November and I get a lot of smoke coming out from around the lid. My door is pretty tight. I was hoping that be seasoning it and letting the gunk build up it would seal it but it hasn't. I don't know if I'm going to just deal with it or call them about the lid.
RichPB (richlife)
TVWBB Wizard
I have little wisps of smoke coming from around my lid, but it doesn't seem to bother the smoke time or temp control. Very little (if any) leakage at the door. I use caps on my probe ports, so no smoke their unless I have a probe in -- again, no effect on the cook.
By no effect, I mean that temperature control is constant requiring little adjustment after starting and my cook times are what I expect after all the reading I do here. A little smoke leakage is just no big deal.
Rich
By no effect, I mean that temperature control is constant requiring little adjustment after starting and my cook times are what I expect after all the reading I do here. A little smoke leakage is just no big deal.
Rich