Greetings all!
I've recently purchased an 18" WSM, which I'm hopefully going to put into service for the first time on Sunday. I'm moving up in the world after four years of smoking on a Weber kettle.
I've done research, here and elsewhere to select my set up and plan my strategy--there's a lot of information out there! I think I'm going to be happy with the choices I've made, but I'd love to have the experts here eyeball my game plan to be sure I'm on the right track.
Below is a description of my set up and then some questions that I have about the best way to proceed with a cook. I realize that there are plenty of ways to get the job done--and also that my approach will probably evolve over time. I'm just looking to get a warm fuzzy that I'm not making any conceptual errors with my initial strategy:
Set Up: WSM 18" modified with a Cajun Bandit door and a 16" terra cotta plate from Home Depot replacing the water pan and lower cooking grate. I also have a second charcoal grate to form a grid below the charcoal. For temperature control, I've got a BBQ Guru Cybercook WiFI--after four years of fiddling with the vents on my kettle, I'm ready to be a little lazy.
Game Plan for a Ten Pound Pork Shoulder: Fill the charcoal bowl. Remove enough to half-way fill my large Weber chimney, forming a depression in the middle. Once the chimney is lit, pour the lit coals back into the depression and assemble the cooker. Once the acrid white smoke subsides and the BBQ Guru has the temperature steady at 225, place the meat on the top grate. Wait for a few hours. Check for bark. When bark has formed, spray with water every hour until meat is ready.
Questions: Besides just looking for any fatal flaws in my above set-up and plan, I've got a few questions...
Thanks folks...I apologize if any of this post seems crazy or naive, but I'm just looking to be sure I'm on the right track before firing things up.
I've recently purchased an 18" WSM, which I'm hopefully going to put into service for the first time on Sunday. I'm moving up in the world after four years of smoking on a Weber kettle.
I've done research, here and elsewhere to select my set up and plan my strategy--there's a lot of information out there! I think I'm going to be happy with the choices I've made, but I'd love to have the experts here eyeball my game plan to be sure I'm on the right track.
Below is a description of my set up and then some questions that I have about the best way to proceed with a cook. I realize that there are plenty of ways to get the job done--and also that my approach will probably evolve over time. I'm just looking to get a warm fuzzy that I'm not making any conceptual errors with my initial strategy:
Set Up: WSM 18" modified with a Cajun Bandit door and a 16" terra cotta plate from Home Depot replacing the water pan and lower cooking grate. I also have a second charcoal grate to form a grid below the charcoal. For temperature control, I've got a BBQ Guru Cybercook WiFI--after four years of fiddling with the vents on my kettle, I'm ready to be a little lazy.
Game Plan for a Ten Pound Pork Shoulder: Fill the charcoal bowl. Remove enough to half-way fill my large Weber chimney, forming a depression in the middle. Once the chimney is lit, pour the lit coals back into the depression and assemble the cooker. Once the acrid white smoke subsides and the BBQ Guru has the temperature steady at 225, place the meat on the top grate. Wait for a few hours. Check for bark. When bark has formed, spray with water every hour until meat is ready.
Questions: Besides just looking for any fatal flaws in my above set-up and plan, I've got a few questions...
- About how long will the bark take to set, generally? And is spraying every hour after that a good interval?
- Should I do anything to my terra cotta plate before using it in the cooker? E.g., scrub it? Coat it with anything? Cover it with foil?
- Is it necessary to do a dry run to remove residue and/or season the cooker first? I had planned to do this, but weather has kept me from being able to get it done, and I'm eager to get started.
- I was planning on buying the CyberCook Mini App to connect to my BBQ Guru. Does anyone have any positive or negative feedback on using that app? Or does anyone have any suggestions for any other app to connect to the BBQ Guru?
Thanks folks...I apologize if any of this post seems crazy or naive, but I'm just looking to be sure I'm on the right track before firing things up.
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