A slight taste of burned rubber


 
I think there is a lot to be said for the just let it be approach. If you close all the bottom vents and leave the top open and there is water in the pan, it will stabilize. It may not in 10 minutes, but it will. A brief spike won't hurt your food. I think that causes less harm than a complete vent close--there are nasties from burning wood/etc that need to get out of your grill.

If it's driving me totally nuts I will add some cold water to the pan or the frozen brick that I keep in the deep-freeze just in case.
 
You don't want to do that. It wouldn't crack, but you wouldn't be actually lowering the temp. The fire would remain just as hot, just your temp reading would go down. Once you shut off the hose, it would be right back up. Plus and more important, you would be risking getting water into the wsm and messing up your charcoal - possibly ruining your entire cook. Just not worth it in my opinion. I don't think it would crack it though. I've had it rain on it and it didn't crack.
 
You might also try allowing the meat to come to room tempreture before putting it in. If the meat is too cold, the smoke will condense on the surface and sometimes cause an off taste.
 
If cooking in the middle of a snow storm (like I have several times, as I'm sure many others have) is any indication, spraying water on the outside of the WSM will accomplish next to nothing.
 
Tormond,

In reading through the string of emails, I can only offer perhaps using a sweeter wood with Pork. I have had great success flavoring with a mix of cherry, apple, and white oak. Generally if the wood is strong and has excessive bark it could change the flavoring of pork that is not so desirable. I use the stronger woods, mesquite and hickory on beef.

My two cents…

Mike
 
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