Question For Experienced Folks


 

Rusty James

TVWBB Emerald Member
How long does it take to properly season a new WSM before it makes great pork BBQ?

I've had my 18.5" model for almost two years now, and I seem to have dialed-in the right kind of charcoal, wood, and wood placement that makes some of the best Q I have tasted so far.

Now, I have the 14.5" little brother, but I haven't been able to match the flavor output of the bigger model yet. Granted, I've used briquettes-only for everything cooked in the smaller WSM - up until today when I used lump for the first time. I pulled two butts about midnight, and as the wife tasted them, she said they still don't taste quite the same as the butts from the bigger smoker.

I can’t confirm if she’s right or not, so I wrapped the meat in foil and placed them in a warm oven to sit overnight (something I always do with butts). I’m hoping the seasonings and smoke will continue to meld overnight, and produce the desired results.

Anyone else (that owns two smokers) ever experienced this?

One other thing, the 14.5" WSM tends to run a little hotter than the bigger model. Today, it fluctuated between 265° to 325°. The center section also has a slight rock to it, but I can't see any smoke coming out between the seal.
 
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I'm not sure how long it took -- maybe a year -- but there are a few things i've picked up on that help: cook some stuff that splatters such as bacon, don't clean the inside walls, only wipe the mating surfaces between the lid and body. Maybe others will chime in for more tips.
 
I'm not sure how long it took -- maybe a year -- but there are a few things I've picked up on that help: cook some stuff that splatters such as bacon, don't clean the inside walls, only wipe the mating surfaces between the lid and body.

Meaning, it took that long to find the flavor you were looking for?

Maybe I could smoke another round of fat back, or, as you say, some bacon.

Agreed about not cleaning the inside walls.

As for the center section, I guess I need to check the outside diameter and look for imperfections that may be causing the rocking motion. I checked a few display models at local stores, and they had no such behavior, although the rocking motion may have zero to do with my issue.
 
No. I mean it took that long to build up a really good seasoning. I can now very precisely control temps with very little effort which allows me to concentrate on the flavors I want. I start with tried and true recipes from experts. I now can deviate to dial in for my family's preferences.
 
Can smoking at elevated temps (265° to 325°+) affect the flavor of smoked foods? Seems like I remember Harry Soo talk about maintaining temps in the 225° range.
 
Hanging around here for awhile taught me that everyone's smoker runs a little bit different, they all have there own quirks.
Now I know how my 18.5" WSM behaves compared to my 22.5, but that's only in temp control, amount of fuel etc.
Flavor is the same on both, so something is going on with you.
Like you said take a break, let the meat relax overnite and see if your senses were jaded from the nite before.
You can make good BBQ from 225-325++:)

Tim
 
+1. Some foods I like medium heat, some I like low n slow. Take brisket for example, some like it low n slow but I prefer higher heat. I prefer ribs low n slow but some here crank up the heat. YMMV
 
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I tasted the end results this morning after shredding the meat, and while it was good, it wasn't quite the same as the last few batches from the 18.5" smoker (my wife concurs with this).

Outside of the elevated heat issue, I don't know what I'm doing different. There was a mild to moderate breeze which prompted me to use my reflective wind screen (reflective bubble wrap type stuff), and that probably kicked the heat up a bit.

I'll say one thing, the 14.5" WSM seems to be very heat efficient. Maybe I should play with the bottom vents since I'm not one to fiddle with vents much.
 
"Now, I have the 14.5" little brother, but I haven't been able to match the flavor output of the bigger model yet. Granted, I've used briquettes-only for everything cooked in the smaller WSM - up until today when I used lump for the first time. I pulled two butts about midnight, and as the wife tasted them, she said they still don't taste quite the same as the butts from the bigger smoker. "

So did you always use briquettes on the bigger smoker? Cause if you did switching to lump is one variable.

Tim
 
So did you always use briquettes on the bigger smoker? Cause if you did switching to lump is one variable.Tim


No, I started with briquettes (Kingsford) on the 18.5" smoker, and had trouble keeping temps above 200° ~ 225°. Lump charcoal pushed the temps to a 250° ~ 275° average, and I've been satisfied with that so far.

This evening, we ate the two-day old Q (smoked from the little brother) for dinner, and while it was OK, it was still missing a pronounced hickory (and rub) flavor. From now on, I am going to experiment on one butt at a time until I can figure out what I'm doing wrong. I like the 14.5" smoker very much, and it works great for poultry, sausage, dogs, etc., but I'm wondering if I need to create some stinky creosote smoke on purpose (with no meat in the smoker), lol? :rolleyes:
 
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I've only been smoking a few years, but IMO, briquettes versus lump is only a preference, flavor is dependent (a variable of) on the type of wood used, and temperature control is #1 (I prefer low and slow).
 
I have an 18.5 WSM and a Smokey Joe tamale pot "mini". Both are very well seasoned. Using the same fuel (KBB) and smoke wood and same temps there is a minor difference in the flavors. I notice it mostly with pork butts, bacon, pork ribs. I can defrost a bag of bacon cook it up and tell what smoker it was smoked on.
The Mini doesn't get quite as much smoke flavor as the 18.5, I don't know if it's because the coals are closer to the meat on the mini or the draft flows more air. Both work great but there is a difference.
Also like Dwain said don't wipe down the center section, but make sure you wipe where the lid sits on the center section. I forgot to do that after smoking a PB on high heat 325* and when I went to use it again I had to use a rubber mallet to knock the lid lose from the body.
 
I have an 18.5 WSM and a Smokey Joe tamale pot "mini". Both are very well seasoned. Using the same fuel (KBB) and smoke wood and same temps there is a minor difference in the flavors. I notice it mostly with pork butts, bacon, pork ribs. I can defrost a bag of bacon cook it up and tell what smoker it was smoked on.
The Mini doesn't get quite as much smoke flavor as the 18.5, I don't know if it's because the coals are closer to the meat on the mini or the draft flows more air. Both work great but there is a difference.


Thanks for bringing that up, Rich. I've often wondered how mini smokers compared to the WSMs. I hope that doesn't hold true for my case.
 
I started two butts at 12:30pm today, and I am using regular Kingsford briquettes, exclusively, for this smoke along with an extra chunk of hickory (4 pieces total). Temps started out slow and have risen to 250° after three hours. I had to erect my reflective screen shield due to windy conditions, and I have closed off an upwind vent too. I'm hoping the temps stay near the 250° range for a few more hours, but the smoker is catching the afternoon sun, so I'll have to monitor things more closely.

Briefly viewing the fire through the door, it appears many of the coals are yet to be lit - which is good, but it will be interesting to see how the Kingsford ash buildup affects things later on.
 
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Briefly viewing the fire through the door, it appears many of the coals are yet to be lit - which is good, but it will be interesting to see how the Kingsford ash buildup affects things later on.


The fire began to die down at about the 8-hour mark, so after grilling a meal on the kettle, I placed the remainder of the hot coals in the smoker, but I still had to add some lump and a few unlit briquettes to get the temps much above 200°. Ash buildup was already at the bottom of the vents, and I feel that played a role in the reduced heat output.

Nevertheless, temps stayed around the 250° mark for much of the cook, but due to diminishing heat, I had to finish the butts in the oven to reach 205°. All total, the meat stayed in the smoker for about 12 hours before placing them in the oven.

My wife shredded the meat this morning, and according to her, the richness of flavor is still not there compared to the butts pulled from the 18.5" smoker. I tasted it myself, and I agree with her opinion. It's still good eating, mind you, but I guess I'll have to go the nuclear route and place wood chunks on top of the heap next time, or maybe in the center under hot coals and see if that produces the richness of flavor I am looking for. Creosote be cursed, lol.
 
After smoking a whole chicken and some St. Louis ribs today with two large chunks of hickory (on the 14.5" WSM), I'm beginning to believe my hickory stash has lost part of its aroma. In fact, today's smoke had little hickory flavor at all. I have another butt to smoke soon, and I will be doing it on the 18.5" smoker to confirm my suspicions.

If I remember correctly, I had to refill my wood bag with hickory chunks stored outside in a plastic trash can about the same time I received my 14.5" WSM. Maybe that explains some things in question here, but we'll see.
 
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After smoking a butt for a friend, for Father's Day - today, I was told my Q tasted better than a very popular BBQ restaurant. I was aghast to say the least.

For what it's worth, I smoked this Q in the 18.5" WSM instead of the 14.5" model. The bigger unit seems to be more stable temp-wise than the smaller unit, and I think the hickory aroma was slightly better too, although my wood stash will need replacing soon.

Still can't believe my Q beat out a popular restaurant though. Unreal.
 

 

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