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Eric, your method of charcoal lighting sounds fine. I personally don't light a full chimney at start-up, but there's nothing wrong with it. There are almost as many different ways of lighting the WSM up as there are people using WSMs, and what's important is that what you do works for you. If...

One thing I've learned on this site (and you'll hear this alot around here): The meat's done when the meat's done. The timeline is just a guide. If you think your therm is off, test it by placing it in boiling water and see if it reads close to what it should. You can also use a glass of ice...

From what I did read, I agree that the lessons are solid and are a great starting point for new WSM users (like myself). There's no debating that; Gary knows what's he doing, and he's translated that into the lessons really well, I think. I'm not trying to debate wether the lessons are good/if...

I only have an 18" OTS, so I couldn't easily get the dimensions I need from a 22" kettle or a smokey joe, but now that you mention it, it'd be nice to have my WSM in there too. I could have them right next to each other, with workspace on either side. That's not a half-bad idea, and something...

Gotcha. I won't say his site offended me, because it really didn't, I just didn't care for his tone in the articles. If that's part of his schtick, well, more power to him. I can see how he'd want you to do what he says in the lessons and not add other stuff into them, but I feel he could...

Steven, I must say that I agree with you. While I do not own the book, I did pay a visit to his site where he had five easy lessons for mastering the WSM. (I can't find the link to it now for the life of me). When I read his site, I felt he came off as high-minded and preachy. I felt that he...

I don't know if there is a True Value hardware near anyone on this board, but the one near my house sells them for $3.99 a box. I picked up two just last week.

Tiling it is a great idea, Jay. Thanks! I'll get dimensions tonight or tomorrow night and start drawing up the plans shortly after. Once they're done and I have the thing built (to make sure the plans work and there's no glaring holes I'm overlooking in them), I won't mind sharing the plans...

Phil, the only problem with stainless steel is that no one I know has tools that can work with it. My dad has a fully functional woodworking shop in his basement where I could go to create this. I imagine the hole will need to be quite large to fit the kettle into the tabletop, and I have no...

Thanks Kevin! I'll try to snag my wife's camera and take pictures as I attempt this process for the first time. I'm getting really excited to get this started!

OK, I'm getting a pork belly tonight, and my pink salt should have already arrived at my house sometime today. I intend to put the cure on this Thursday, and smoke in on Saturday the 6th. I do have a question though: What's the rind I hear everyone talking about? Is it easy to identify? If...

I'm thinking of making a wooden worktable for my 18.5" OTS. I'm thinking of something similar, but slightly different, to the Performer. What I want to do is have a hole cut in the left-hand side of the table that my OTS settles into. If I do that, I can remove the legs and the crappy ash-pan...

Kevin K. directed me to this site awhile back when I was doing research on peppers. Hopefully it helps!

Thanks for your help, Kevin! You've helped me out before, and I really appreciate it now. Hopefully in a few weeks (after getting the ingredients and the meat) I'll have my own bacon. This is something I've been wanting to do since before I got my WSM, and I'm excited to get it started.

Do you mean to use the dextrose in place of the maple sugar, Kevin? I searched the site you provided for maple sugar (I'd like to stick to the recipe for the first time, at least) and found this. Will this do the trick? Is this the maple sugar I need, or will I be better off with something...

I'm looking at making my own bacon, using this thread as my basis. I have a question about pink salt. Is this pink salt what I'm looking for, or do I need some other brand/kind? I don't want to waste my money on something that might not be what I need. Thanks in advance for the help...

A 10 lb butt? That's huge! The biggest I've been able to find in my area is 5.93 lbs, but most average less than a quarter pound in either direction from 5 lbs. Where'd you find that sucker? If I could get bigger butts, I would. It sure looks good, I can't wait to see how it comes out.

I would also advise giving hickory a try. I only use mesquite for quick cooks like steak, as I have also heard it can leave a bitter taste on longer cooks, although I've never tested that theory. I will also use oak only on beef; I tried it on ribs once and didn't like how it came out. I will...

Those look great, Brian. What kind of rub did you use on those?

I'm divided on the water pan issue. I use water as a heat sink, and the bigger pan has come in handy, especially on my overnight butt cooks. But, as others have noted, I sometimes have trouble getting the charcoal to fit under the waterpan, which is a big negative. Overall, I would say the...