Alan Bosch
TVWBB Fan
Well, the first cook on my new WSM in done and in the history books. Took a big chance trying this for the first time for a pretty good gathering - especially since they were all in-laws! Twenty-two people in all. It was cold too! High's were expected to be about 20 or thereabouts. I put the smoker into the garage to keep the effects of a good North wind minimal.
Chose to smoke four racks of ribs and a whole bone-in turkey breast. Mixed up a batch of BRITU rub and applied to both - simply because there was so much and I liked the smell. Fired up a full chimney of Kingsford at noon, and when they were all ashed over, dumped into the fire pan and topped off with another chimney's worth of unlit charcoal. Added HOT water to the water pan, put some oak chunks on the fire, and put the turkey and ribs in the smoker. With all bottom vents closed, the WSM stayed between 240 and 265 for the next three hours. At the three hour mark, I opened up the smoker, sprayed the turkey with some apple juice and turned the ribs over and end for end, then replaced the cover. Here is where things got a little loopy... Thirty minutes after replacing the cover, the temp seemed stalled around 220 degrees. (I would have thought opening the WSM would cause the temp to spike...?) I opened all the bottom vents to 1/3, which did little, and thirty minutes later I just opened them all full. This brought the temp up 270, and ran there for the balance of the cook. At 6:30, roughly 5-1/2 hours after the meat first went on, I pulled the ribs from the smoker, but deceided to keep the turkey on for another hour - just to be sure. The ribs were served with stuff others had brought and the turkey was saved to be carved up for sandwich meat on Sunday.
All in all, the cook can be summed up as follows... One of my brothers-in-law told me the ribs were the best he's ever had - bar none. Others commented that they were great, and asked if I would make them for the family reunion slated for June. Sunday, when the turkey was sliced up, a different bro-in-law told me that the turkey and ribs were simply the best food he's ever had off a grill. Needless to say, I'm proud.
My thoughts... I never did get any ribs. They looked terrific coming off the smoker, and smelled great after the sauce was applied. My wife said they were a little pink, which I attribute to the smoke, not being under done. The turkey was very moist, very smokey, and the BRITU rub added a little zing as an exclamation point. When I next do turkey breast, however, I'm going to use the boneless type. Just to cut down on the cooking time.
Good que'n, everyone.
Alan Bosch
Chose to smoke four racks of ribs and a whole bone-in turkey breast. Mixed up a batch of BRITU rub and applied to both - simply because there was so much and I liked the smell. Fired up a full chimney of Kingsford at noon, and when they were all ashed over, dumped into the fire pan and topped off with another chimney's worth of unlit charcoal. Added HOT water to the water pan, put some oak chunks on the fire, and put the turkey and ribs in the smoker. With all bottom vents closed, the WSM stayed between 240 and 265 for the next three hours. At the three hour mark, I opened up the smoker, sprayed the turkey with some apple juice and turned the ribs over and end for end, then replaced the cover. Here is where things got a little loopy... Thirty minutes after replacing the cover, the temp seemed stalled around 220 degrees. (I would have thought opening the WSM would cause the temp to spike...?) I opened all the bottom vents to 1/3, which did little, and thirty minutes later I just opened them all full. This brought the temp up 270, and ran there for the balance of the cook. At 6:30, roughly 5-1/2 hours after the meat first went on, I pulled the ribs from the smoker, but deceided to keep the turkey on for another hour - just to be sure. The ribs were served with stuff others had brought and the turkey was saved to be carved up for sandwich meat on Sunday.
All in all, the cook can be summed up as follows... One of my brothers-in-law told me the ribs were the best he's ever had - bar none. Others commented that they were great, and asked if I would make them for the family reunion slated for June. Sunday, when the turkey was sliced up, a different bro-in-law told me that the turkey and ribs were simply the best food he's ever had off a grill. Needless to say, I'm proud.
My thoughts... I never did get any ribs. They looked terrific coming off the smoker, and smelled great after the sauce was applied. My wife said they were a little pink, which I attribute to the smoke, not being under done. The turkey was very moist, very smokey, and the BRITU rub added a little zing as an exclamation point. When I next do turkey breast, however, I'm going to use the boneless type. Just to cut down on the cooking time.
Good que'n, everyone.
Alan Bosch