why wait?


 
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Rick H

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I notice that some of ya'll are always talking about waiting for the WSM to get up to temp. After learning that the smoke ring is entirely formed at temps < 145 degrees, I came to the logical conclusion that exposing the brisket to smoke for as long as possible at lower temps would yield better results. The most simple method I have come up with is to fill up the charcoal ring and start using the Minion method, the only difference being that some of the lit charcoal is concentrated in the center of the ring. A large piece of dry wood (I prefer pecan in a 6" to 8" long piece) is placed on top of these coals in the center. The smoker is then assembled with *cold* water in the pan and the meat put on without waiting. The vents on the bottom are left *fully* closed. It takes quite a while to get up to temp, and about seven hours before it falls back below 200 degrees and the vents have to be opened some. Smoke is visible for hours. Doesn't seem to take any longer, my 13# brisket last weekend came off @ 11 hours and I was wishing I had pulled it just a little sooner. I get a solid 1/4" to deeper smoke ring every time. Since I have been smoking at night, this method lets me get a decent amount of sleep since the WSM won't need checking for six to seven hours. I have tried several variations of this method, but it is easiest and yields the best results as described above.
 
Rick
I have been using the same method for some
time now and agree with you. WSM doesn't produce a smokering as easily as an offset would and this method helps greatly.
Jim
 
I'm always interested in hearing how people tweak the basic methods of using the WSM to improve their results. Sounds like you've arrived at a good method for enhancing your smoke ring.

As to the question "why wait?", I think most people wait because that seems to be the "conventional wisdom". Most of the info you read in books and on the Internet says to bring the meat to room temp and put it in a cooker that's come up to cooking temperature, so that's what people do. I also think people are concerned about the internal temp of meat staying in the "danger zone" for more than a couple of hours. Finally, there are some who don't care how big a smoke ring they get, especially those not involved in barbecue competition.

So Jim, do we label this "The Modified Minion Method" or "Minion Method II?
wink.gif


Regards,
Chris
 
Jim, do you leave the bottom vents closed as Rick described? I've always left them open at first, thinking I'd get the charcoal and wood off to a "clean" start.

Thanks.
Steve
 
No, I try to always leave one of the bottom
open some, even if it's only a crack.
Smoldering of the wood will cause bitterness,
if you are using a stronger flavor wood it is
easier to have a negitive result.
I do add the hot coals, wood, waterpan and meat and then let the temp take it's time.
I still shoot for the internal temps to get to 140* within a 4 hour period. This really
need when cooking poultry.
Jim
 
I only use this for brisket. Pecan seems to burn "cleaner" than other woods used in smoking, and I admit that my experience is pretty limited with anything other than pecan. I've tried just about everything but everybody (in my house) seems to prefer the pecan. In general I've found it very forgiving and difficult to "oversmoke" with.
Since I've just moved to Tennessee after 25 years in Texas, I guess I'm going to have to take a stab at pork butt.....
 
I have always done it this way, but a word of warning.....a cooker full of meat and cool temps(under 60) will NOT get up to temp with only 15-20 lit coals!!

I ruined a batch of ribs the first time I really loaded the WSM. I had 10 racks of ribs, 5 on top and 5 on the bottom in rib racks. Adding this much cold meat and outside temps in the upper 50's, the ole WSM never got to 200 after several hours!! This was with the bottom vents wide open(plus my unit leaks like crazy anyway!). I ended up dumping in a full chimney full and then struggled to get to 230! 10 hours later...still no pull back!!

I now use a FULL chimney of coals when I load 'er up like that.

Stogie
 
I tried this today,with a slight variation,
instead of a coffee-can I sat my chimney in the center& lit it right there surronded by unlit lump(mine`s thinner & taller than the weber chimney,so it worked out well).

Temp was 250 b4 i added boiling water,wood chunk & meat. Now 15 min later it`s 230*@vent & rising,and it`s smokin`like Bob Marley,Charlie. Thanks for the tip.

Best wishes,

Theo B.
 
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