Firing up the WSM with a propane torch & first smoke game-plan tips/suggestions.


 
Rick P

Rick P

TVWBB Pro
I have one of those propane burners, that the Mrs. gave me a few years ago. I've used it a couple of times, over the years, to melt ice and get to get briquettes going in a hurry. I was reading Chris's tips and, under "Firing up the Smoker", and read about Jim Minion using a propane burner by hitting some of the unlit charcoal with the torch to get some of them burning, (I'm paraphrasing here).

Do any of you ever do that? Ordinarily, I wouldn't bother, but since I do have the torch, and it's fun to use, I figured that I'd do it.

Any tips? (other than not setting myself, or my surroundings, on fire?)

I'm going to break in the new-to-me 18.5" this weekend, with a butt or ribs, (haven't decided), and here's the plan:

Fill the charcoal ring with KBB. Blast the center until a few, (8-10?), briquettes are burning, toss in a couple chunks of wood, (making sure at least one is touching the burning briquettes), then add the meat right away, leaving the vents wide open, until it hits 200, then dial the lower vents to about 50%

So....fire away! (pun fully intended)

My biggest questions, to take away from this, are, how many briquettes should I get burning?

How wide should I leave the vents open, (after lighting and during the cook...shooting for anywhere between 225 and under 300...my wheelhouse on the kettle with the SnS has been ~ 240)?

Finally, should I just put the meat on right away, (the way Minion does it in the aforementioned tips page), and dial back the lower vents when the temp hits 200?

This cook will be on an 18.5" N model, with no water in the pan, and the cook temp will be measured at the grate. Only mods are gaskets under the lid and around the door and a notch for temp probes.

Any tips, or suggestions, (other than filling the water pan with anything other than foil...pan has a pinhole leak), would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!
 
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Tony-Chicago said:
Vents at a pencil width, two may even be closed. But you got this.
Click to expand...
Roger that and thanks!

Are you referring to all of the vents, (not just the bottom), and to adjust them after they've been wide-open until the grate temp hits ~ 200?

Thanks, again!
 
Rick, you are on the right track. For low and slow, I light 10-12 briquettes minion method with bottom vents 50% and top vent 100% open. I let the cooker heat up to 200* before putting food on. After that, I check the temp every thirty minutes and adjust bottom vents as needed. I just want temp to stabilize somewhere between 225 and 275, not picky about it. After a cook or two you will have the start-up and temperature adjustment down pat.
 
Colin said:
Rick, you are on the right track. For low and slow, I light 10-12 briquettes minion method with bottom vents 50% and top vent 100% open. I let the cooker heat up to 200* before putting food on. After that, I check the temp every thirty minutes and adjust bottom vents as needed. I just want temp to stabilize somewhere between 225 and 275, not picky about it. After a cook or two you will have the start-up and temperature adjustment down pat.
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Thanks Colin!

I may try that, instead of blasting them in the smoker with the torch. I can always blast them in the chimney.

I'm pretty good with, and understand, temp management, having gained experience over the years on my kettles. Before the SnS, I used the "Smokenator 1000". Trust me, if you can dial in temps with the Smokenator, then I'm pretty sure that you can dial them in with anything! This bullet smoker is brand new territory for me, so I expect a learning curve.

Unless I'm smoking a pre-cooked ham, I'm not too picky about temps either.

Thanks, again!
 
Rick,
I fill the ring as full as possible and then I shoot the propane on one side, that allows the fire to crawl across dunking the cook. I try to catch the temperature before it hits target if you wait sometimes you can go past before you know it. It will fine! Don’t worry, take your time and you will have a delightful time!
 
Colin said:
Yep, you got it! 👍

Oh, be sure to posts some pics of your first cooks, we love pics. 😀
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Will do!
She cleaned up very nicely, (the grease was practically non-existent), so I'll need to remedy that with a nice, slow cook. I'm thinking butt. I have a prime packer brisket, that I got on sale last year, that I'm itching to cook, (I have quite a few under my belt), but I'm holding off until I'm familiar with the WSM.
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
Rick,
I fill the ring as full as possible and then I shoot the propane on one side, that allows the fire to crawl across dunking the cook. I try to catch the temperature before it hits target if you wait sometimes you can go past before you know it. It will fine! Don’t worry, take your time and you will have a delightful time!
Click to expand...
Thanks Man! It's always delightful, when I fire up a smoker!
 
Rick,
Case T is a user and promoter of the "sidewinder method" of lighting the charcoal in his WSM 14. Sidewinder is what some call lighting with a touch through one of the wholes in a bottom vent. I searched Case and that teem, but didn't find anything. I know I have read his method in some details a time or two on this site, but can't find it. I have never used it. I recommend you going on a deep dive and see if you can locate it. But if I am remembering correctly his method is to lit from opposite the door side through a bottom vent and then he has a specific way he shuts down the vents to make sure it burns across the pit.
As for when to put the meat on this is one that splits options. I for one let the temps climb with no meat and I DON'T put the meat on until the thick white smoke has burned off and I am getting thin blue smoke, while others put the meat on right after lighting the charcoal. The nice thing in my experience is this change in smoke is usually close to the same time the WSM is hitting temps above 200 so the meat goes on, vents still open, temps drop and then as the temps raise again I start to close up bottom vents to help your WSM find its sweet spot!
There are a lot of great responses to this thread already, from many of the people I learned from also. You got this!
 
Yes, it’s “sidewinder minion method”, pretty much as I laid out. Torch to start one side let the fire crawl across. I used the center hole method a couple of times then, TonyUK suggested the sidewinder to me. I’ve never gone back, it’s just too straightforward. I set it up so my ignition point is where I will set the door then, I can add coal fairly easily if need arises.
This weekend I will be trying Kingsford pro for the first time. I’ll set things up and try to document the set up and steps.
 
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Michael Richards said:
Rick,
Case T is a user and promoter of the "sidewinder method" of lighting the charcoal in his WSM 14. Sidewinder is what some call lighting with a touch through one of the wholes in a bottom vent. I searched Case and that teem, but didn't find anything. I know I have read his method in some details a time or two on this site, but can't find it. I have never used it. I recommend you going on a deep dive and see if you can locate it. But if I am remembering correctly his method is to lit from opposite the door side through a bottom vent and then he has a specific way he shuts down the vents to make sure it burns across the pit.
As for when to put the meat on this is one that splits options. I for one let the temps climb with no meat and I DON'T put the meat on until the thick white smoke has burned off and I am getting thin blue smoke, while others put the meat on right after lighting the charcoal. The nice thing in my experience is this change in smoke is usually close to the same time the WSM is hitting temps above 200 so the meat goes on, vents still open, temps drop and then as the temps raise again I start to close up bottom vents to help your WSM find its sweet spot!
There are a lot of great responses to this thread already, from many of the people I learned from also. You got this!
Click to expand...
As far as putting the meat on, I do the same thing with the kettle/SnS combo. Funny that you should mention that because, thinking back, the smoke did change from thick to thinner as it reached temp. Not quite "thin blue" but not billowing clouds of of white. As long as I'm using the Minion method, some white smoke is to be expected. I've never been one to notice any "off" flavors as a result. Like they say, YMMV.

Thanks for the tips and encouragement!
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
Yes, it’s “sidewinder minion method. Exactly as I laid out. Torch to start one side let the fire crawl across. I used the center hole method a couple of times then, TonyUK suggested the sidewinder to me. I’ve never gone back, it’s just too straightforward. I set it up so my ignition point is where I will set the door then, I can add coal fairly easily if need arises.
This weekend I will be trying Kingsford pro for the first time. I’ll set things up and try to document the set up and steps.
Click to expand...
Nice! I'm looking forward to seeing your results. I use KBB, almost exclusively. I'll buy the pro, occasionally...I'm a cheap bastard, when it goes on sale at Costco or BJ's. I find that it burns a little faster, but it does the job. Thanks, again!
 
Rick Poch said:
As far as putting the meat on, I do the same thing with the kettle/SnS combo. Funny that you should mention that because, thinking back, the smoke did change from thick to thinner as it reached temp. Not quite "thin blue" but not billowing clouds of of white. As long as I'm using the Minion method, some white smoke is to be expected. I've never been one to notice any "off" flavors as a result. Like they say, YMMV.

Thanks for the tips and encouragement!
Click to expand...
I have always used the minion method and it works great. I think the sidewinder is similar. My experience is after that first burn I don't get "bad" smoke. That has also been discussed here a lot, if you are using the minion method aren't you lighting new fuel the whole cook and should get bad smoke? The conversation had gone to sciencey for me and I just know it works for me!
 
Michael Richards said:
I have always used the minion method and it works great. I think the sidewinder is similar. My experience is after that first burn I don't get "bad" smoke. That has also been discussed here a lot, if you are using the minion method aren't you lighting new fuel the whole cook and should get bad smoke? The conversation had gone to sciencey for me and I just know it works for me!
Click to expand...
I agree, there is going to be “new ignition smoke” pretty much until you are getting towards the end of the coals.
I’ve started to use the put the smoke medium under the coals like Harry Soo does (I’ve been using splits on the bottom and laying charcoal atop that and let it go. And, if necessary, I can use a fireplace shovel to add more coal should I need to.
 
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