First cook... need some help, realtime thread!


 
C

C.Rhoden

New member
Hi folks, well... I'm officially 2:45 mins into my first smoke/cook. Doing a 7.8 lb pork butt on a 18.5 WSM on loan from a family member who wasn't using it. My target temp for the cook was 225-250 degrees for 10 to 12 hrs, but at this point the WSM has settled in @ 275 degrees. Where the lid rests on the lip on the body I seemed to be getting alot of leakage from that area and not alot from the door. I have the top and all 3 bottom vents closed and this is the best I can do for now.
I'm thinking I need to invest in some gaskets for the access door and something for the lid where it sets on the main body in the very near future.
Anyone have any input... any help? Is my cook already screwed cooking at that temp?
 
You don't want to close down the top vent. I have in the past closed to the top to 1/2 for short time periods late in the cook to bring temps down a bit.

275 is fine. Your cook will be fine. Gaskets are not needed. Perhaps you are a little out of round. If the WSM is relativly new, then some cooks will give you the gunk to seal the lid if it is not out round.

Relax, have a cold one, and enjoy the PP
 
3 hr mark... here are my food/cooker temps thus far:
1 hr-115/279
2hr-144/270
3hr-158/273

Jeff, thanks for the info... my point was that w/everything closed, I still have enough leakage/airflow that it's parked @ 270 degrees. I know ideally your supposed to leave top vent open and control temps w/3 lower vents, but this thing is so leaky that I have no temp/airflow control at all. This unit has no mods of anykind to it, and my new ET-732 so far is working like a champ. What's the rule of thumb for charcoal to amount of meat your cooking?
I'm expecting to hit the plateau at anytime now...
 
Those temps over three hours don't sound like too much air leakage, but then again, I haven't seen what you are dealing with. Unless you are using water in the pan, then you are HOT ! How did you fire up the weber? 15 lit on a ring of unlit (minion) is plenty if using an empty water pan. If going that route, then shutting down 25-30 away from target helps. Once it runs away from you, it can take some time to bring back down.
 
Pork butts are very forgiving and I cook mine between 275-300 with great results. Sounds like you are approaching the dreaded and feared "Stall"......don't be scared :eek: the stall is when all the fat and connective tissues break down. You could foil if you like when the butt is in the 160's or you could just keep her going till the internal is 190-200 for pulling...............enjoy your cook, everything sounds like it is going fine!! :wsm:
 
Checked/filled the water pan at about 4:05 mins into the cook. Lost about 25 percent of the water since the cook started, maybe ever so slightly less.
Jeff-maybe what you said... yes I am using water in the water pan, but I may have used too much charcoal. When I started I filled up the ring to where almost all the top and bottom rows of holes were covered. I'm thinking maybe that's were most of my problem is from? I basically did go minion method w/10 lit briquettes on top of two "full rings" of unlit briquettes... that was probably too much huh?
 
No, the unlit was not too much and 10 lit was good. When finished, you should be able to extinguish with shutting all vents and re-use the unburned. But not if you have air leaks. It does sound like running those temps with water in the pan that you are correct with air leaks. Alot of people who run water can't get above 230 sometimes.

good news is that 275 is a great temp for pork butts and you will not be disappointed.
 
Those temps look fine, and I generally run hotter with an empty water pan for butts. Nothing to worry about!

Temperature is as much a function of the number of lit coals as it is air intake; but if you only started with 10 lit then that is awfully hot -- I'd probably use a little less than half a chimney for a cook at that temp. in my 18.5. This may sound like a dumb question, but how much smoke is leaking around the bottom of the lid or out the door? Maybe something was bent a little moving it.
 
Update-
5 hr-176/261
6 hr-181/257
7 hr-183/235

ok... temp has really come down from the 270'ish mark. Temp spiked about 20 degrees after I topped off the water pan earlier, then came back down then dropped all they way to where it is now. Interesting... anyhow, Jeff-thanks for the reassurance, my plan is to let the meat temp ride to 190-195 degrees. Jon Des-most of the leakage I could see early on when most of the smoke was coming from around the area where the lid lays on top of the main body, on that seam. I'd say I had double the amount at least more than was coming out of a fully open top vent before I shut it down to keep it from getting any hotter.
 
Sorry guys... 12 hrs 10 mins, final meat temp was 194. I'd say it was good to good+, but not great. I'm looking forward to getting better and learning more! Thanks to everyone for thier input! Sorry... I have pics and a short vid, I just need to learn how to post, dangit!
 
Hi y'all,
Tomorrow I'm smoking a 22 lb brisket which will also be my first cook on my 22.5 wsm.
I normally marinate before smoking, but I'm gonna use a rub which will also be my first use of a rub.
If I'm not mistaken.. the water pan on the 22.5 wsm holds 3 gallons?
Should I use cold water first then hot if I need to refill?
I'm too excited!!
I will post pics as I take them.
 
I would start with hot water - no sense using up perfectly good charcoal to heat the water.

A 22 pound brisket sounds like a great excuse for buying a 22.5 WSM, why didn't I think of that ? Good luck !!
 
I had leaks at the top of the door, but my new toy kept an even 245 all through the cook...
I had the top vent opened and the back vent opened about a quarter of an inch with the other 2 vents closed...
I had no charcoal left after the cook, but I am 100% happy with my new toy... can't wait do a 16 pound turkey.
 
Hey,
Thanks.. The brisket came off the smokey falling apart... so tender and moist.
Unfortunately is was devoured even quicker.
 
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