1st, 2nd, 3rd Smoke...hmmmmm


 
D

Dan Hewlett

New member
Hi all...

I have been thinking of smoking meat for a few years now.
My wife finally purchased the 22.5 Weber Smoker for my b-day and I coudn't take the smile off my face!!!

First go was ribs....very over cooked and dry. I followed these online steps outlined pretty close...
Second go...ribs again...wanted to prove to myselfe I messed up...same set up and same result....

Third go...6 pound Brisket...research showed 1.5 hours per pound at low 230 in temp....
very very dry and over cooked again...

I guess I am just very frustrated...my idea of smoked meat was this:

1) extremely jaw dropping taste
2) meat falling off the bone
3) moiste and tender meat that made you close yours eyese and shake your head with joy!
4) Destroying the neibourhood with more of an incredible smoking smell that would bring everyone over in an insant

Maybe my expectations were a bit much?

I keep hearing and reading about all the great things with this but I havn't had a great start....

Guess I am just asking for a bit of encouragment...

Am I doing this all wrong????? Or were my expectations a bit hight???

Looking forward in hearing from you all!!
 
Your expectations seem reasonable to me.

That said, everything takes a bit of practice. Cooking by time doesn't work very well with big hunks of meat. Do you have a thermometer for measuring internal temperature of the meat, and are you using it to determine when the meat is ready ?

If not, that's the first thing you should change
icon_wink.gif
 
Dan, your expectations are not too high. Were you able to ride your bicycle like a big kid the first time you tried it? Course not, me neither.

It takes practice, and above all, remember that it's not done till it's done.

To build your confidence, I would suggest cooking chicken at high heat.

Pieces, quarters, or halves...doesn't matter.
Rubbed or not, doesn't matter.
If using quarters or halves, dislocate the knee joints by bending the wrong way so they will cook better.

Place a full Weber chimney of lit charcoal in the bowl, then cover it with another full chimney of unlit.

Cover the water pan with foil all over, DO NOT put water in the pan for this cook.

Wait till all coals are ashed over, then toss on some Pecan, Oak, Hickory or wood of your choice.

Place chicken on top grate, skin side down.

Assemble WSM, all vents wide open for entire cook. No need to monitor any temps this time.

Cook for 20 - 30 minutes, then turn chicken over.
Check for done beginning 15 minutes later by piercing the thigh and looking for clear juices.

Piece of cake! Lemme know how your next cook turns out.
 
It takes patience and a lot of trial and error. I'm no expert, but I've had a WSM for almost 2 years and I've gotten pretty good at smoking meats. And anybody that knows me will tell you - patience is not something I have in abundance at all. But I still have learned to be PATIENT when it comes to this smoking meat thing. And if I can do it - ANYBODY CAN!!!


My one piece of advice - don't follow your recipes as if they are the bible. Its done when its done. Use the recipes and instructions you have as a guideline - but don't bet the farm on them. You'll see, after a while you will find our own style and what works best for you. Then your meat will be the best because it will be the way YOU want it - not the way the guy who wrote the recipe wants it. Patience my friend - PATIENCE!!
 
No problem at all with your expectations. 8 months ago I was where you are. The advice others have given you is dead on and the information on this board should help a lot. I use the "find" function a lot to read threads about what I'm trying to learn.

For me the pork butt is the easiest to get right and I am still waiting for my first good Brisket. Hang in there and you'll get it right.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John Bridgman:
Do you have a thermometer for measuring internal temperature of the meat, and are you using it to determine when the meat is ready ?

If not, that's the first thing you should change
icon_wink.gif
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

A good thermometer is your "man in the pit" so to speak.

-mike
 
That built-in Weber thermo has been reported to read 50-70° lower than grate temps. So if your using that you were prolly closer to 275-300° @ your grate. Nothing wrong with those temps (that's what I use) just means your meat will be done much sooner.
I agree that a meat thermo is nice to have for big cuts. And I would recommend you use a turkey fryer therm clipped into the top vent. That should give you a reading of 10-15° higher than grate temps.

Tim
 
Dan,

I'm in the same boat you are. I recently just bought a 22.5 wsm and I'm coming from a cheap Char Broil H2O smoker.

My results were less than desierable. I was at the book store one day and saw Gary Wiviott's book "Low & Slow". Reading that some people don't like his writing style, I spent a few minutes and read a chapter. It's set up in five lessons. He starts you with chicken and ends with pulled pork.

The thing that I really like about this book is that he centers around the wsm. He also show you how to set up a cook for an off set smoker and your kettle grill. He goes over the minion method with diagrams and is very specific about the order of doing things. He says that his approach is "low tech" The only specialized equipment that he recommends that you buy is a good digital thermometer. I have seen that suggested from other people in this thread already. If you ask me, this is the book that should be bundled with the unit as the manual.

Coming from a gas grill to a charcoal smoker has been in interesting adventure. I have thrown out my share of meat however, it gets better with each smoke that you do. Hang in there, it will get easier. Have a good one...

Spencer
 
Dan I'm thinking your ribs and brisket were underdone and that's why they are dry. Were the ribs fall off the bone or dry and tough? Was the brisket dry and stringy or dry and firm? Cooking times and temperatures are a guideline only, the only way to tell done is by texture using a probe.

Practice makes perfect
 
Is it fair to say that what *really* matters is texture, but (a) that takes a while to learn and while you're learning temperature can be a big help, and (b) even when you can judge texture reliably it doesn't hurt to check the temperature to make sure it's in the safe range ?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John Bridgman:
Is it fair to say that what *really* matters is texture, but (a) that takes a while to learn and while you're learning temperature can be a big help, and (b) even when you can judge texture reliably it doesn't hurt to check the temperature to make sure it's in the safe range ? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

True. And a meat therm can get you into the ballpark on big cuts of meat like brisket or butts(as long as you don't foil).
But the OP mentioned ribs twice, that's one that I never temped,I just go by color and tenderness with a probe.

Tim
 
Hey Dan,

Don't give up yet! What temp and how long did you cook your ribs? As others have mentioned the therm. on the WSM is not that accurate. If mine reads 250 I know that it is really around 280 - 290 grate temp. That's a big difference. Brisket is really tough to nail too, I have only done one so far and mine was about as dry as it gets..Maybe try a butt next? They are very forgiving and hard to mess up!
 
I really have to say I'm a bit overwhelmed with the responses so far!
I see that this is a very tight specialized group that certainly love to smoke!!
Everything everyone has said is great and I will use the advice given....
Coming from the bbq to the smoker has been a bit of a change to say the least!
I will continue to tweak things up and move forward taking notes as I go on!

Start a bit more on the basics and then move it forward!!

Thanks again all and look forward to posting my success in the future!!!
 
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