just got a wsm and need some help


 
S

scott harlan

New member
ok, i have a couple questions. and this is definitely the place to come for smokey mountain info so i ask the experts. first i need a mat for my deck. is the kind of mat that absorbs heat necessary, or do i just need the type that is almost felt like, to keep my deck clean. any advice there is appreciated. i've used it once to make a wonderful pork butt, and my next cook is going to be ribs. normally i buy baby back's but due to pork spare ribs being on sale, that's what we purchased this week. my question is, is it really necessary to trim them to st louis style? i saw the video on here on how to do it, but is it really necessary, or should i just throw the spares in there as is? any advantages or disadvantages to either way? thanks in advance for pointers.
 
Welcome scott,

Home improvement stores sell specific mats for use under grills. They're heat proof up to a certain temperature. You can use that or use a concrete flagstone/tile or just a simple metal drip pan like you'd put under a car engine.

You definitely don't need to trim spares st louis style but it doesn't take very long at all and imo greatly improves the final product.

Many guests don't expect ribs to have all the cartilage and connective tissue you get at the top of an untrimmed spare rib.

Also, you can smoke your trimmings and save them for either yourself or for use in beans or stews or stocks at a later date for great flavor.

Good luck!
 
Do, however, make sure you remove the membrane from the back of the rib. Depending on where you bought it it may be removed already, or you may be able to ask your butcher to do it for you.
 
It's easy enough to do two slabs, one trimmed and one not, and see what your personal preference is.

Agreed on the membrane, although it's easy enough to remove. Just need to get a corner up with a fork or butter knife, grab it with some paper towel and pull. If you don't use the paper towel it's hard to get a good grip on it.

Re: decking - the heat shield on the bottom of the unit seems pretty effective, but I have no idea how much heat trex can take...
 
Grill Pad is what I use under my WSM. Available at Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware etc.

It is a good idea to protect the surface below: hot embers can fall out of vent holes, get flicked out while adding/stirring coals, and there is also the bbq goo which drips out and runs down.
 
There are no holes in the bottom of the cooker. I've had neither grease dripping nor falling coals. My cooker is on a wood deck with nothing between it and the cooker.

Oil drip pans from auto parts stores are cheap, heat resistant and moisture proof.
 
The one review said it is very thin, and the wind will easily lift up a corner, and with no mention of any fire rating ( that I read ) that could cause a problem.

Tim
 
I use an oil drip pan, mostly because I've occasionally dropped a small ember when dumping the lit coals (lump) into the WSM. I don't think I've ever had an ember fall out of the WSM (and I have the old style without the heat shield). It also gives me a convenient place to set the lid without worrying about grease stains on the deck.
 
I do keep a small sheet of Galvanized Steel under my WSM. I have the old model 18", and sometimes I have had small drips of grease come out of the bottom vent. Truly you don't need much, but better safe then sorry.

As for the ribs, really people trim for presentation more then anything. Most people are just used to eating ribs that only have the rib bone and not the cartilidge and stuff thats attached. Personally I trim and smoke the trimmings for use in chili or fajitas. Lots of good meat there, but it's just that you have to work a bit for it.
 
i think i will just pick up a drip pan at the auto parts store, thanks a lot guys. and dave from denver, glad to see there are people in colorado that know how to cook low and slow. they made me feel at my local bbq shop like i was crazy looking for anything other than a big green egg. apparently they think weber smokers are only for those in alabama, tennessee, and texas. seriously, the guy who owned the smoker shop had never heard of a weber smokey mountain. they must only be popular down south he told me. lol, thank goodness for internet ordering.
 
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