As a new smoker owner I have a few questions, some are probably stupid, but here goes. 1) is it necessary to season the smoker before the first cook? 2) is the weber smokey mountain smoker's built in thermometer accurate, or do you recommend an oven thermometer on the grill as well? 3) explain the whole allure of brisket. I have had smoked brisket and of course it's great, but brisket can cost more than what I normally consider a better cut of meat. Why is brisket preferable over better beef cuts. Thanks to all, I am sure more questions will follow in time. Great website!
multiple questions from a newbie
- Thread starter P.Jean
- Start date
Larry D.
TVWBB Emerald Member
1. No, I see no reason to do so. Some people feel that the WSM cooks a little hotter when new, but that's no reason to waste charcoal by burning it without any meat inside. You can't "season" porcelain the way you do cast iron, as far as I know. 2. My WSM is older, and doesn't have the built-in thermometer, but even if it did I would prefer to monitor my temperature where the meat is, rather than up in the top of the lid. You can probably get good results either way, as long as you are consistent, but it just seems more logical to monitor the temperature that the meat is actually being exposed to. If you do decide to monitor the temperature at the grate, use a thermometer that does not require opening the lid - like a Polder, or Maverick. 3) My one attempt at brisket could have been used as a door stop, so I won't even try to address that subject.
As far as the built in therm. is concerned I'd buy a good one and use that as a guide. You can test the thermometer in boiling water or ice for accuracy of readings. Brisket is good for a change. I really like the smell of pork butt cooking in the morning. I make brisket for friends and giveaways to family. Not much of a beef eater BUT there are those occasions when it sounds awfully good
.The High heat method makes brisket so easy.
Welcome to the board. For what it's worth, here is my two cents:
1) You don't need to season the smoker. As Larry said, you may find that the temperatures may run a little higher until you get a nice layer of greasy goop covering the insides.
2) I have an older model WSM, so I had to install my own thermometer. If you are concerned about the thermometer's accuracy, remove it and do a 'boiling water test' Here are instructions for doing so:
Testing Thermometer for Accuracy
For keeping track of temperatures during long cooks I use a Maverick ET-73 remote thermometer. It allows me to track both grate and meat temps and warns me if either temperature strays outside the range that I have specified. I love it.
3) Brisket- There is no doubt that a well prepared brisket is delicious, but there are other cuts of beef that I would rather eat on a regular basis. I think that the allure of brisket is the challenge that it offers in it's preparation. You can't just slap a piece of brisket on the smoker and walk away. It is probably a bigger test of a cook's skill than any other cut of meat.
And that's my two cents.
1) You don't need to season the smoker. As Larry said, you may find that the temperatures may run a little higher until you get a nice layer of greasy goop covering the insides.
2) I have an older model WSM, so I had to install my own thermometer. If you are concerned about the thermometer's accuracy, remove it and do a 'boiling water test' Here are instructions for doing so:
Testing Thermometer for Accuracy
For keeping track of temperatures during long cooks I use a Maverick ET-73 remote thermometer. It allows me to track both grate and meat temps and warns me if either temperature strays outside the range that I have specified. I love it.
3) Brisket- There is no doubt that a well prepared brisket is delicious, but there are other cuts of beef that I would rather eat on a regular basis. I think that the allure of brisket is the challenge that it offers in it's preparation. You can't just slap a piece of brisket on the smoker and walk away. It is probably a bigger test of a cook's skill than any other cut of meat.
And that's my two cents.
1) Nope.
2) I find mine always be about 25-30 degrees off. I field tested the bastard in the boiling water test too - it read accurately then - but every cook it constantly reads low. I put a Polder therm in the top vent and it's always hotter. Just to make sure it wasn't the Polder, I've used two other temp gauges and they read hotter as well.
If you search the forums for thermometer, I'm sure you'll turn up a lot of discussions about the WSM therm - when I ordered mine, I camped out on the site here and read all I could. That's where I ran across the info that the temp gauge is probably off.
3) That's a matter of personal taste, methinks. Brisket is one of my absolutely favorite meats. Sure there are better cuts, but I find brisket to be one of the best tasting cuts when properly prepared.
2) I find mine always be about 25-30 degrees off. I field tested the bastard in the boiling water test too - it read accurately then - but every cook it constantly reads low. I put a Polder therm in the top vent and it's always hotter. Just to make sure it wasn't the Polder, I've used two other temp gauges and they read hotter as well.
If you search the forums for thermometer, I'm sure you'll turn up a lot of discussions about the WSM therm - when I ordered mine, I camped out on the site here and read all I could. That's where I ran across the info that the temp gauge is probably off.
3) That's a matter of personal taste, methinks. Brisket is one of my absolutely favorite meats. Sure there are better cuts, but I find brisket to be one of the best tasting cuts when properly prepared.
Just to comment on the brisket thing. Depending on where you are from, brisket might actually be a "cheap" cut. The idea being that BBQ helps turn a cheap piece of meat into something succulent and highly priced (same said for pork shoulder)
Now... if you are Canadian then it's the same price as Top Sirloin or better. Try to look in your area for butchers or packers that might be able to shave a couple $/lb off the usual retail rip off.
Now... if you are Canadian then it's the same price as Top Sirloin or better. Try to look in your area for butchers or packers that might be able to shave a couple $/lb off the usual retail rip off.