Diffuser Question


 

BGunning

New member
Hey Everyone, wanted to run a recent Mini-WSM experience by you all to see what your thoughts were. On Thanksgiving I was asked to cook some ribs, 3 slabs of baby backs to be precise. Set up was a 8" foil wrapped terracotta diffuser on a rack resting on bottom of pot, and then I opted to also use the steamer insert as well. On the lower rack resting on steamer insert I had a rib rack containing ribs. On upper rack I had the remaining pieces of rib that wouldn't fit and a fatty. What I experienced was an inability to get the cooker above 160 as measured by my Maverick thermometer, by the dial thermom that I installed also indicated temps well below what I desired. After all but giving up on the thing I removed the steamer insert and moved the ribs to the top rack and moved fatty and rib pieces to a gas grill that I had nearby. It seemed that my temperature problems solved themselves when I did this, but I am trying to determine what it might have been. Do you think it was:

A) The removal of the steamer insert

B) The transfer of the ribs to the top rack

C) A and B

Reasoning behind using both steamer insert and terracotta saucer was that I had never used both racks before and part of me feels like the 8" diffuser is too small so I was trying to avoid burning food on lower rack.

Thanks in advance!
 
Hey Everyone, wanted to run a recent Mini-WSM experience by you all to see what your thoughts were. On Thanksgiving I was asked to cook some ribs, 3 slabs of baby backs to be precise. Set up was a 8" foil wrapped terracotta diffuser on a rack resting on bottom of pot, and then I opted to also use the steamer insert as well. On the lower rack resting on steamer insert I had a rib rack containing ribs. On upper rack I had the remaining pieces of rib that wouldn't fit and a fatty. What I experienced was an inability to get the cooker above 160 as measured by my Maverick thermometer, by the dial thermom that I installed also indicated temps well below what I desired. After all but giving up on the thing I removed the steamer insert and moved the ribs to the top rack and moved fatty and rib pieces to a gas grill that I had nearby. It seemed that my temperature problems solved themselves when I did this, but I am trying to determine what it might have been. Do you think it was:

A) The removal of the steamer insert

B) The transfer of the ribs to the top rack

C) A and B

Reasoning behind using both steamer insert and terracotta saucer was that I had never used both racks before and part of me feels like the 8" diffuser is too small so I was trying to avoid burning food on lower rack.

Thanks in advance!

There are a lot of variables, did you cut out the bottom or drill holes? The hole drillers often have problems with higher temps temps. From your description the diffuser seems too low, I have a charcoal grate in the indentation for the tamale insert, then the foil wrapped Terra cotta pan then a wsm rack sitting directly on top of the Terra cotta. I drilled the top rack 4 1/4 inches down. I did ribs today and had no problem getting steady 225 to 250. I don't have a charcoal grate yet which should also help with air flow.
 

 

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