<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by timothy:
Right away on both meat and wood.
Tim </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ditto for me
If you are looking for that nice smoke ring. Understand that the smoke ring doesn't add flavor and doesn't mean you are a great cook. It's just pretty, and how cool are ribs that are pink to the bone because the ring has reached that far?
If that's what you are shooting for (a ring is present) then you want the meat out of the fridge and onto the fire for the maximum time until internal temps of the meat is under 140 or equal to 140 degrees. After that ring formation stops. That's the science I have from the experts on this forum and it's been substantiated by a LOT of cooks.
If you are one to want to leave your rub on for hours before the cook do that ahead. I don't anymore as I like the Kevin Kruger method of rubbing and prep as the fire is getting lit. A personal thing, but in the end after years of cooks I find no difference if I leave rub on for hours or if I take the meat out, salt, rub then on the fire. Just my experience and I am not refuting anyone's preference to do other methods. I've tried them, they all work.
But if you want a smoke ring you need the meat internal temp under 140 degrees for the maximum amount of time. It's a balance - don't put it on the fire if you have black smoke would be the rule as that's carbon heavy and no one wants that on their meat typically.
Set the meat out of the fridge on the counter until you dump the lit coals on the fire. I like to wait for the smoke to turn white. Most times that's instant, occasionally I have black smoke first but that is unusual. As long as you have white smoke or blue/white clear you can place the meat on the fire IMHO.
I have done all wood cooks and that's where the concern over black smoke comes from. My horizontal days. If you are doing wood cooks you want the wood down to coals as you start. Lots of folks don't realize that.
In most cases the cooks on the WSM hardly ever see black smoke unless you are overloading wood chunks. Because you are starting with charcoal and not "rendering" wood down to coals. Think campfire cooking.
I do bury wood chunks in the ring of fuel, not necessary but that's what I like to do. I like it to burn later during the cook not so much at the very start. Smoke does help ring formation but not after the meat temp hits 140. On top or buried works. What you want though is to start the fire slow. Minimum amount of lit briquettes or lump (I'm a lump bigot). Minimum because you want a minion start so you don't get the fire hot too quickly you want a slow ramp up to cooker temp target. Which keeps you below the 140 degrees for the maximum time.
Sorry for the long wind.
