Disappointed with 1st smoke


 
P

Paul Brown

New member
Hello:
I had my first smoke on my new WSM 22.5". Things did not go as I had hoped. After 5 to 5.5 hours, the ribs and chicken were not done. I had 3 slabs on the lower grate and a 6lb chicken on the top. I started with a full-to-the-brim Weber chimney of briquets with the vents full open and 2 gals of water in the pan. The outside temp was upper 60s with a little wind. I was in the shade throughout the cook. After it got to around 260 I cut the vents back to about 30%. About 1.5 hours into the cook, the temp was down to 220 and dropping. I had to add another half chimney of lit coals to bring the temp back up. In fact I had to add fuel a couple of times during the cook; the temps did not want to stay above 230 for long. I don't understand, I thought the big benefit of the WSM was that I could have long cooks with minimal fooling around with the fire. Also, when I added fuel should I have put in unlit or lit coals. After reading all the success stories on this forum I am feeling rather disappointed. Any advice?
Thanks,
Paul
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Paul Brown:
After it got to around 260 I cut the vents back to about 30%. About 1.5 hours into the cook, the temp was down to 220 and dropping. I had to add another half chimney of lit coals to bring the temp back up. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You never mentioned if you opened the bottom vents back up (I'm guessing you probably didn't). You always leave the top vent 100% open, period, but by regulating the amount of air getting to the fuel you control your fire temp that way. If you were full-to-the-brim in a 22.5 that fire should have lasted a lot longer. Sounds to me like not enough air.

The trick I've found is you get the coals going (via the Minion Method) and then immediately assemble the smoker and put the meat on. Catch the temps on their way up. I go by grate temp using an original ET-73 and once the grate hits about 210 or so I start dialing back the three bottom vents until the temps stabilize (give it about 10 minutes at each setting, tops). If it drops I give it more air. Eventually I'll find the sweet spot for 240 +/- 10 degrees on the grate.
 
Thanks Pete: Actually, I did open the vents to about 60% (the bottoms, the top was always full open) and kept opening more as I went to keep the temps above 220. But, Like I said, I had to add more fuel because the temps went down below 220 and pretty much stayed there even with the vents at 100%. The temps only came up when I added more lit coals. It would stay up for 30 min or so then head back down. How do I do the minion method? Thanks,
 
Did you only use one chimney full of briquettes? That's not nearly enough, and if they were fully lit then I'm not surprised that you needed to add fuel, especially using the 22.5 WSM.

You probably should have gone with a standard start, which means a full chimney of lit, followed by a full chimney of unlit and your smoke wood before assembling your smoker. I did something similar to cook 6 racks of ribs yesterday and I easily got 6 hours of cook time @ 250 deg without having to add any more fuel.

Don't get frustrated, read up on the cooking topics on this site and keep experimenting.
 
Two questions:
How did you start the fire initially, and:
Did you use hot or cold water?
Two gallons of cold water, plus the cold meat uses a lot of BTUs.
The Minion method is to fill the chamber with unlit 'coals and wood, then start 15 or so 'coals umtil they are going well, and dump on top of the cold fuel. This results in a longer and slower temp climb, and steady burning.
Finally, what kind of 'coals did you use?
 
I don't think a chimney full of briquetes will get you very far on a WSM smoke. I load mine up all the way then kill the vents when the food comes off. Seldom have a problem with low temps. I also don't use water but a clay dish.
Keep playing. You will find what works for you
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by ToddP:
Did you only use one chimney full of briquettes? That's not nearly enough, and if they were fully lit then I'm not surprised that you needed to add fuel, especially using the 22.5 WSM.

You probably should have gone with a standard start, which means a full chimney of lit, followed by a full chimney of unlit and your smoke wood before assembling your smoker. I did something similar to cook 6 racks of ribs yesterday and I easily got 6 hours of cook time @ 250 deg without having to add any more fuel.

Don't get frustrated, read up on the cooking topics on this site and keep experimenting. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thanks Todd:
Do I dump the unlit on top of the lit?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mike Hartwell:
Two questions:
How did you start the fire initially, and:
Did you use hot or cold water?
Two gallons of cold water, plus the cold meat uses a lot of BTUs.
The Minion method is to fill the chamber with unlit 'coals and wood, then start 15 or so 'coals umtil they are going well, and dump on top of the cold fuel. This results in a longer and slower temp climb, and steady burning.
Finally, what kind of 'coals did you use? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Mike:
I started the chimney with starter cubes and used cool water. I used Kingsford. I've heard that you should not put unlit coals in the smoker with the food because the chemicals in the briquettes will flavor the food. Is this untrue?
Thanks,
Paul
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John Frailey:
I don't think a chimney full of briquetes will get you very far on a WSM smoke. I load mine up all the way then kill the vents when the food comes off. Seldom have a problem with low temps. I also don't use water but a clay dish.
Keep playing. You will find what works for you </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
So John: You don't use the Minion method, you just put in a lot of briquettes? How many lbs?
Thanks, I appreciate your comment.
Paul
 
Regarding your question about unlit charcoal adding off flavors to food-
No, it won't happen.
Did you fill the ring with 'coals, or did you just use a chimney full?
A chimney of 'coals is ok for the grill, but you pretty much want a LOT OF FUEL in that 22" pit.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Paul Brown:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mike Hartwell:
Two questions:
How did you start the fire initially, and:
Did you use hot or cold water?
Two gallons of cold water, plus the cold meat uses a lot of BTUs.
The Minion method is to fill the chamber with unlit 'coals and wood, then start 15 or so 'coals umtil they are going well, and dump on top of the cold fuel. This results in a longer and slower temp climb, and steady burning.
Finally, what kind of 'coals did you use? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Mike:
I started the chimney with starter cubes and used cool water. I used Kingsford. I've heard that you should not put unlit coals in the smoker with the food because the chemicals in the briquettes will flavor the food. Is this untrue?
Thanks,
Paul </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hi John,

That's totally untrue. I used to put unlit on top of lit in my offset all the time and never had an issue. The only briquets you CANNOT do that with or those pre-soaked with lighter fluid such as match light. I just did my first smoke today in my 22.5. I filled the ring with 18lbs of Stubbs briquets and 4 chunks of wood, added a 1/2 chimney full of lit, assembled the smoker, added 1 gallon of hot water and smoked 3 racks of ribs and 12 brats with no problem. The only thing I had to refill was the water pan halfway thru. When I pulled everything off I had plenty of fuel left.

Keep plugging at it. You will figure out what works best for you. I would suggest a different brand such as stubbs or Royal Oak or to even give lump a try.
 
Pretty much what Bill said. I don't cook without filling the charcoal ring. Throw your lit fuel on the top of the unlit, I usually use about a 1/3 lit of a Weber chimney for a 250F cook, full for a 350F cook. I use a dry water pan for all cooks, never use water, but that's a preference for 250F cooks but requirement for 350F cooks. Once the unlit get going, adjust lower vents to 1/3 or less to hold a temp. I've cooked 16 hrs at 240-250 using this method. Chris has more info on the main page. The biggest thing with the WSM is playing around until you learn your smoker, each one will cook a little different. But for smoking anything over 1-2 hours you should use unlit with lit on top. Once you're done cooking, close all the vents as it will burn out and you can reuse any remaining unburned fuel later.
 
I would also suggest a great way to get a Minion start is, before putting any charcoal in the ring, put a steel coffee can (label and top/bottom removed) in the middle of the ring. Fill the ring up aboout 2/3rds with unlit charcoal, nestle your smoke wood in there, and cover it over with a little more unlit.

Start 20-or-so briquettes in your charcoal chimney and just as they start to get white around the edges, carefully dump them into the coffee can in the middle. Using long tongs, you them immediately remove the VERY HOT can and safely put it aside, assemble the cooker, water pan (add water if desired), thermometer probes and immediately put the meat on.
 
+1 on the coffee can method - I use it and get a strong, even burn every time.

I like to do chicken & ribs also, but never liked the result when I did them together. So now I'll do the ribs @ 225 for six hours or so, remove them, then get the cooker up to 325 (lose the water, vents wide open, lid tilted) to smoke-roast the chicken. It seems to finish juicier and crispier on the outside.

Good luck with the new toy!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mike A.:
+1 on the coffee can method - I use it and get a strong, even burn every time.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Recently, somebody posted about this coffee can method. He said some cans, coffee or otherwise, don't stand up to heat and when the can is removed from the ring it springs open and will burn the living daylights out of you. He said he spoke from experience. Be careful. All you need to do is leave a depression in the middle of the ring and dump the lit in it. It doesn't have to be all the way down to the grate. Just an FYI. Personally, I don't bother. Just dump the lit on top and spread it around a little. Works just as well. Of course, JMO
 
Keep playing. You will find what works for you[/QUOTE]
So John: You don't use the Minion method, you just put in a lot of briquettes? How many lbs?
Thanks, I appreciate your comment.
Paul[/QUOTE]

Paul, I probably was not thorough enough with my response, or misunderstood what you said. I fill the charcoal holder with charcoal then start about 1/3 chimney of coals. When they are going good I pour them in on top of the full load of coals and watch the WSM until I can stasrt dialing in the temp. Just the basic Minion Method. Sorry for the confusion
 
Paul,
I am a newbie at this so I had to learn somewhere. My cousin recommended a book from Gary Wiviott entitled "low and Slow" - it works superbly - and the first lesson is free online for you to try.
Give it a go - it was gorgeous for me - and Leessons 2 and 3 were even better!
Hope that helps,
Bill
Lesson 1 Low and Slow
 
To all the guys who responded to my post, "Disappointed with my first smoke", Pete, Todd, Mike, Bill, Brad, John, Dave, & Lew, thank you. I've been busy and not had a chance to look at the forum. I did not want you to think had forgotten your for suggestions and advice. Thanks again,
Paul
 
Paul. let me throw in my 2 cents. When I started I had all sorts of weird things happening regarding temps until I read the Minion instructions carefully and actually followed them! The only time I USE less than a full load of briquettes is if it's bacon on a short low temp smoke. (And I've only done that once!)
 
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