First Cook - Rusty Interior??


 
B

BrianS

New member
Hi All - first post and first cook on my new WSM. The cook went well, although I may have questions later. Biggest concern now is, after extinguishing the coals and cleaning up the next day, the interior of the cooker was quite damp (I suppose due to the water pan), and seemed to be a rusty looking coating on the interior to the center section.

Is this smoke residue or rust? I wouldn't expect the porcelain to get rusty, but I am a bit worried.

Any advice for a new guy?

Thanks,
Brian
 
WHat were you cooking? WHen I do ribs (especially) the fat seems to aerisolize the rub and you get a reddish coating on everything.
 
It was a small pork butt - 3 lb., about a 6-hr. cook. Your comment makes sense, and is a relief! Thanks for the reply.
 
Brian,

Does the interior look like Eugene's in this thread ?
If you were to run without water, that rust colored coating will not appear.
Although the 'manual' states the WSM is a water smoker, it works excellent as a non-water smoker.
It is suspected the water is more for temperature control than anything else.
 
Thanks Bob. Yeah, that's exactly what it looked like. So what is it??

Also, I'm intrigued by the idea of cooking without water. Can you point me to a thread or threads where I can learn more about this? For instance, does temp control become more difficult?

Thanks in advance,
Brian
 
Hi Brian,

Cooking without water has multiple benefits. Beside the creation of a nice 'seasoning' on the WSM insides, you end up using less charcoal.
Some have gone waterless from the very start with no temperature control issues. All depends upon how much fresh air leakage your WSM has.
Once the WSM is relatively tight, due to a tight fit initially or with the addition of that 'seasoning' coating, temperature control is extremely easy.

There are multiple threads discussing cooking without water. The process is simple, if you follow just a few steps.
Of course... no water ;) Most will also foil their water pans. Many will wrap both the bottom and the top in foil. This is what I do and am happy with the results.
When wrapping in foil, the top wrap is more of a top cover than an inside wrap. Leave a depression of an inch to a couple of inches so that oil from the cook can accumulate there.
The bottom wrap is more for your cleanliness than anything else. Once a cook is done, remove the top and bottom layers.

Do you already use the Minion method ? If so, you're most of the way there to carefree temperature control. When cooking without water, the number of lit coals determines
the temperature range you intend to cook at while the number of unlit coals determines how long you can maintain that temperature range.
 
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Bob - Yes I used the "Mini" Minion Method, as described here: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/fireup2.html

As it happened, I probably should have gone for the "full" Minion, since I found I had to add charcoal after about 4 hours (had the charcoal ring about half full.) Nevertheless, I am amazed at how well the WSM 18.5 maintains at about 225 degrees.

I really appreciate the helpful tips!! Looking forward to my next cook.
 
Thanks again Bob. One last question and then I will quit bugging you! The page you directed me to refers to using no water when cooking at 325-350. How challenging is to get down to the 225 range with no water?

Brian
 
That's not rust. The deposits just look different with water. I have some trouble getting down to 225 over long periods of time without water. I've put the gasket kit on my smoker and the cajun bandit door which has made it lot better. I still have to completely close the bottom vents and partially close the top to run that low sometimes. If I'm from 225 to 250 though I'm happy.

I still run without water just for easier cleanup. Cleaning out the pan is a pain. Finding somewhere to dump the pan is a pain with dogs around, lol.
 
Brian I don't do water in my mini or 18.5 with that said I'm 2 for 3 on my new used 18.5 (2nd cook had a load of really damp charcoal) and with the two good cooks had no trouble holding 225 -240 for the entire cook. With the mini I've never had any trouble holding 225 with out water.
By the way Bob gave you some great advice on foiling the water pan Even I learned something today. I've been foiling the bowl all the way to the bottom, not like Bob said to just cover the top with a shallow depression, I was going through tin foil at an alarming rate, Duh.
 
Thanks to all of you for helping out a new guy. Very helpful advice. I'm thinking I'll try a cook with no water, and see what happens.

This is a great forum, very helpful folks! Thanks again.
 
Hello, Everyone:

Here's Weber's response to my inquiry --

"Thank you for contacting Weber. The buildup is a combination of humidity and smoke, and nothing that will hurt the performance of the grill. The appearance of grease on the interior surfaces of Smokey Mountain Cookers is frequently misdiagnosed as rust or corrosion.

The condition can develop with just one use of the smoker, and food does NOT need to be cooked for it to appear, as the vapors from burning charcoal and wood can produce the effect on their own. "
 
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/faq.html#rust

"The cooker has a porcelain enamel finish that will not rust. The rust-colored residue is smoke-laden moisture that deposits inside the lid and dries. It can be washed or brushed it off as part of your normal cleaning routine. Photos 1-2 show the lid before and after cleaning with a stiff bristle brush and water from the garden hose."
 
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