Beginner of all beginners


 
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Brad Chopp

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It all started a few months ago. My wife and I went to a BBQ competition here in Madison, WI and were hooked. We had to get into smoking. Well, with yesterday being my birthday it was a no-brainer what I wanted to do with my B-Day money?buy a smoker. After heavy research on the web, it was obvious that the WSM was the best around. This forum backs it up and then some. That said, I have a few simple questions for anyone who would like to help.

1) Water Bowl? What else can you put other than water in the water bowl? Marinades?

2) Minion Method? What the heck is the minion method?

3) Fuel? I have read a few people talk about different fuels. Does this refer to the different kinds of wood chips, or different types of charcoals?

4) Wood Chips? Am I correct that you can put dry chips on the charcoal, soak the chips in water then put on the charcoals, or you can put the chips in the water bowl? Is this correct?

5) Temperature Control? This is all controlled by how open, or shut, the vents are. Is this correct?

Thanks for your time, more beginner-type questions are sure to follow after I make the big purchase.

Brad
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Brad Chopp:
[qb]1) Water Bowl? What else can you put other than water in the water bowl? Marinades?
2) Minion Method? What the heck is the minion method?
3) Fuel? I have read a few people talk about different fuels. Does this refer to the different kinds of wood chips, or different types of charcoals?
4) Wood Chips? Am I correct that you can put dry chips on the charcoal, soak the chips in water then put on the charcoals, or you can put the chips in the water bowl? Is this correct?
5) Temperature Control? This is all controlled by how open, or shut, the vents are. Is this correct?
[/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>1. Of dubious value, but some people swear they taste a difference.
2. A way of lighting the cooker for an extended cook.
3. Charcoal-- briquets or lump.
4. Wood always goes on the fire, not in the water pan. Chunks are better than chips, and soaking them is not generally necessary.
5. Open vents = more oxygen = hotter fire. Closed or reduced vents = the opposite effect.

Try out the Search function for a more in-depth discussion of the Minion Method, or easier, the article on Firing Up the Bullet in the Tips & Mods section of the website (top navigation bar).
 
What Doug said. plus . . .

I wouldn't bother with any flavorings in the water pan. At least not to start with. I tried this a couple of times with my old ECB and ended up with no added flavor. Stick with water or sand.

Control the temp using the vents, especially the bottom vents. Leave the top vent wide open unless there are unusual circumstances.

Minion method is great. Easy to use, long cook time, controllable temps. What more could you ask for? Good for long cooks, but I use almost always use it, even for shorter stuff.

Last of all, WELCOME! I try to use the WSM every week. It's fun and the whole family loves the results.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Brad Chopp:
[qb]

1) Water Bowl? What else can you put other than water in the water bowl? Marinades?

2) Minion Method? What the heck is the minion method?

3) Fuel? I have read a few people talk about different fuels. Does this refer to the different kinds of wood chips, or different types of charcoals?

4) Wood Chips? Am I correct that you can put dry chips on the charcoal, soak the chips in water then put on the charcoals, or you can put the chips in the water bowl? Is this correct?

5) Temperature Control? This is all controlled by how open, or shut, the vents are. Is this correct?

Thanks for your time, more beginner-type questions are sure to follow after I make the big purchase.

Brad [/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Brad,

Keep digging around in the site, and you'll get a good education on using your WSM.

1) Some people (myself included) are seeing good results putting play sand in the water pan. Other methods are to leave it dry or not even put it in.

2) The Minion Method is a way of extending the cook time before adding new coals.

3) Charcoal is the main fuel, either briquette or lump. I prefer lump. Wood chips create the smoke while charcoal provides the heat.

4) If you throw wood chips directly on the coals, they'll burn up too fast to do any good. Soaking chips is a way to slow down their burn but I like putting them in a foil packet with a few holes punched in it. Putting the chips in the water pan won't do anything as far as flavoring the food.

5) All your temp control is done by adjusting the bottom and top vents.

Have fun!
 
I can't add anything except to make the plunge (?) and start smokin.

You will be surprised how good it turns out.

Pork Eat World
Sonny
 
The only thing I would add to all this is in respect to the water pan. The water pan is there to help regulate the heat and provide a moist cooking environment. In some cases you may want to leave it empty to get a hotter cooking temp. I do this with chicken. I leave the pan in and foil line it to catch the drippings. This will usually result in a temp range of 300 - 350.
 
Brad, hello from Lodi, WI! I used my WSM for the first time two weeks ago(with a pork butt), it turned out great. I missed the BBQ competition in Madison, but my travels and watching too much of the Food Network got me hooked on BBQ.

I printed out the instructions for firing up the WSM, monitoring temps, etc. from the site... you can't go wrong. Attempting baby-back ribs today. I bought my WSM from Amazon and it sat for two weeks before I used it. Don't let this happen to you! Just jump in and start Q'ing. Mike
 
Brad,

Hi and welcome to our world! Just a few things to add to what has already been said.
The Minion Method was the brain child of our resident "Q" guru Jim Minion, he is a wonderful resource and will often respond to posts with recipes and techniques. He has a special way of dealing with wood chips in a smoker if chunks are not available to you...soaking the chips in water, enclosing in a foil pouch, poking some holes in the top and placing over the coals. If you want, I'm sure you could find the thread through a search.
The debate over lump vs. charcoal briquettes comes up occasionally. Those that use lump coal tend to use that exclusively. Lump tends to burn hotter and some contend make it harder to regulate the temps. Lump however, tends to burn longer than charcoal... Of those of us who favor charcoal, Kingsford appears to be the overall favorite brand.
As far as liquid in the water pan...it stands to reason that since the water or other liquid can't penetrate the surface, the only benefit if any would be from the outside of whatever your smoking. Water is used for temp regulation not moisture as the tenderness of the smoked product comes from the long and slow cook, keeping this in mind, you now understand why some people choose sand instead of water for temp regulation.
Most people that use sand, only use sand, but recently Jim Minion, who uses both water and sand depending on the cook explained why and when you might use sand vs. water. I may be butchering this explaination but I'll try to put it in a nutshell...the longer the smoke, the hotter the sand gets...so for shorter cooks, the heat of the sand may increase the overall temp in the smoker. In longer cooks when the temps seem to lag a bit, sand may help to maintain the heat.
BTW, if you haven't seen the many posts on lining your water pan with foil...it will save a lot of cleanup time, just remember to use the wide foil that will completely cover the pan. Using two smaller strips of foil will cause the water to seep underneath and just make a mess.
Your gonna have so much fun! This site really changes the learning curve in smoking and will make you a superstar among your family and friends. Enjoy!
 
Brad,

A couple more things...someone said earlier to use the top and bottom vents to control temps. I have never used the top vent for that purpose. Control your temps from the bottom vents and think of the top vent as your exhaust and leave it open at all times, IMO. Secondly, relax and have a good time!
 
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