Doesn't seem to "smoke" at lower temps?


 
M

mike rutkowski

New member
I have owned my WSM for over 6 months now and smoked about 10 shoulders with all different recipes and all have come out great!

The thing I have a question about is the cooking temperature. Most people say to smoke in the 225 range but my smoker "looks" like it is smoking best in the 250-260 range. In the lower 200's it doesn't really look like it is smoking much at all.

Thoughts please!
 
Mike, it's entirely possibly that your cooking grate temps are somewhat different than your dome temps, especially considering Weber thermometers on the dome are known to be less than accurate. Before you make any conclusions, a thermometer like a Taylor candy thermometer with the probe thru the vent hole will give you a good reading.

Additionally, if you are using harder wood chunks like oak, mesquite, hickory, they smoke less but last longer. Softer woods like cherry, pecan or peach give off lots more smoke for their size, and this falsely may be giving you the impression that the cooker is hot or not. Actually this is not the case at all.

Try the Taylor since you can pick one up for $9 or so, this tells you the real temp. (And dont just go by how much smoke is pouring out of the vent)
 
The ideal smoke is thin blue or nearly invisible. Do you get a smoke ring? Do you get good, "smoked" flavor?
 
I have been going by the dome temp.

Actually we bought a wireless temp thermometer that measures grate temp and meat temp. I thought it was not correct because it was much hotter than the dome temp.

So do you want to smoke at 225 grate temp or dome temp?
 
Hey Mike,

Most dome temps are not accurate. My grate temp is about 30 degrees hotter then what my dome temp reads. So if my dome temp says 225, I know that it is really about 250-260 degrees grate temp..chances are your wireless temp is pretty accurate at grate
 
Mike, I suppose you must have a therm like a Maverick wireless remote?

Most of any decent sort of device like this will work suitable well. Its an odd phenomenon that the upper deck of a WSM is usually hotter than the lower zone. You'd think just the opposite since the coals are low. But, since hot/warm air rises, make sense that the convection effect makes the top hotter.

Competitions teams usually put the smaller butts on bottom, then larger butts on top rack. This way they will be dont at appx same time.

Anyway, most digital therms are going to be really close to the mark. Bi-metallic therms like your Weber dome, are kind of iffy at best. Trust the wireless and test at the grate since thats what your meats cook at....not the top of the dome.
 
Or vice-versa....if the meat is done to your satisfaction, pick a spot and stick with it.
Meat is BBQ'd somewhere between 220 and 350.
The meat doesn't know or care.
The oft quoted phrase "when it's done it's done" is completely true.
FYI, the temps mentiond in the recipes on the home page are done at the vent, as are most within the threads.
 
I run mine at 225 at the vent (using a maverick probe thru the vent). Seems so smoke just fine for me. I don't try for smoke billowing out of the smoker, just a slight bluish-white smoke drawing out.
 
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