Charlie L
TVWBB Super Fan
This was my third cook my Craigslist WSM.
They first was a quick wide open high heat cook just to break her in.
The second was a pork butt & 2 racks of STL's using my PitmasterIQ 110.
Last night was my first temp control cook without the pitmaster.
I usually get most of my ribs and butts from BJ's but our membership expired so I've had to look closer for alternative meat sources.
There is a higher end local grocery store chain that some good quality meat but their regular prices are high, so its not ideal. If you can get something on sale you get good quality meat and competitive prices.
This week they had fresh STL Spares for $2.99/lb which is what BJ's charges for cryovac'd spares.
I grabbed a rack to try. I wanted to cook before the sale ends tonight so if they were good I would stock up while they're on sale. I threw on the 22 last night. Starting ribs at dusk in November isn't ideal but this was a test cook and I was most of the meat would get vacuum sealed and frozen for later use.
My rib cooks have gotten a bit shorter lately. I like cooking at 275 I've found its low enough to get the needed breakdown but I can do ribs in less then 4 hours and butts in about 8 at that temp, plus if 275 works for Aaron Franklin and Harry Soo then I think it will work for a backyard noob like me
I really like Aarons PBS/youtube videos as I think they are simple to replicate with great results.
I was doing my STLs for 2 hours unwrapped, 1:45-2 hours wrapped, with a quick 10-20 unwrapped crisp up afterwards. I was getting good results but I felt the 2 hours in foil at 275 was overkill and racks fell apart so on my last cook I cut wrap time to one hour and put out some great ribs in about 3 hours. Last night I attempted to copy that cook. The only variable being that prior cook was starting ribs in the middle of a butt cook so smoker was already to temp for hours already. This cook was starting from cold.
Of course I got stuck at work to make a late start even later, took rack out of fridge to bring to room temp. and got 20-25 coals started fast my latest coal start technique: Place two mini weber chimneys over the performer gas assist burner.
While chimneys were lighting I filled the Charcoal ring with unlit stubs and some left over lump from my last cook. since this was a 4 hour cook I only filled about half a ring of coals which I packed together in the center of the ring.
Starter Coals were all lit in about 6 minutes. Since I was putting meat sooner then later on this cook I threw smoke wood in with the unlit coals in the chimney. This heated the wood faster and got the cleaner smoke going sooner. I put the lit on top of the unlit and assembled the smoker to preheat.
Came inside and rubbed ribs. After 20 minutes of preheating, the cooker was at 180 and rising so I put the meat in. When the cooker hit 225 I shut one vent, when It hit 250 I shut the second, and when I reached my goal of 275 I shut the third vent half way. Since this was my first vent control cook on the WSM I was ok with a slow climb as I knew I could easily overshoot temps with 25 lit coals to start and only one rack of ribs. I would rather start slow and catch on the way up. besides cooking at 225 or 250 wont hurt meat it would only slow my cook down slightly. It probably took an hour or so to reach 270 but the temp held stable within 10 degrees of target with no adjustment required. near the end of hour two temp was up to about 290. A bit high but well within my acceptable range if 275 is target.
I wrapped ribs in foil and last open bottom vent was closed down a little more to about 1/4 open. It sat in the 270s for the next 60 minutes while ribs cooked in foil.
At the one hour mark, I used the toothpick test and the ribs were close but weren't quite probe tender yet. Not a shock since I wasn't starting these ribs at 275 as I had done on the last cook, I started these at lower temp while cooker rose. Since I am working on getting away from FOTB anyway I decided to give them 10 more minutes in foil and then I unwrapped, sauced and left them back on cooker unwrapped for another 20 minutes for sauce to set. Meat on Cook time was still only 3 1/2 hours.
I pulled ribs and left to rest on counter for 20 minutes.
The rack was split up and cooled for vacuum sealing but I took a slice off the ends to test the meat and was really happy with results. Really nice smoke ring (forgot pic), good tenderness, not FOTB but still tender, and the flavor was very balanced, smokey from wood, sweet from sauce, but some heat from the rub.
Great REPEATABLE results from a hands off cook with quick easy set up and short cook time. Cant ask for much more.
Happy I was able to maintain temp with almost no adjusting mid cook.
I think total cook time with prep and clean up was under 4 hours wire to wire! Even on a busy weekend that time frame makes using the smoker very doable.
Going to head back to store today to grab another rack or two for the freezer before the sale expires.
They first was a quick wide open high heat cook just to break her in.
The second was a pork butt & 2 racks of STL's using my PitmasterIQ 110.
Last night was my first temp control cook without the pitmaster.
I usually get most of my ribs and butts from BJ's but our membership expired so I've had to look closer for alternative meat sources.
There is a higher end local grocery store chain that some good quality meat but their regular prices are high, so its not ideal. If you can get something on sale you get good quality meat and competitive prices.
This week they had fresh STL Spares for $2.99/lb which is what BJ's charges for cryovac'd spares.
I grabbed a rack to try. I wanted to cook before the sale ends tonight so if they were good I would stock up while they're on sale. I threw on the 22 last night. Starting ribs at dusk in November isn't ideal but this was a test cook and I was most of the meat would get vacuum sealed and frozen for later use.
My rib cooks have gotten a bit shorter lately. I like cooking at 275 I've found its low enough to get the needed breakdown but I can do ribs in less then 4 hours and butts in about 8 at that temp, plus if 275 works for Aaron Franklin and Harry Soo then I think it will work for a backyard noob like me
I really like Aarons PBS/youtube videos as I think they are simple to replicate with great results.
I was doing my STLs for 2 hours unwrapped, 1:45-2 hours wrapped, with a quick 10-20 unwrapped crisp up afterwards. I was getting good results but I felt the 2 hours in foil at 275 was overkill and racks fell apart so on my last cook I cut wrap time to one hour and put out some great ribs in about 3 hours. Last night I attempted to copy that cook. The only variable being that prior cook was starting ribs in the middle of a butt cook so smoker was already to temp for hours already. This cook was starting from cold.
Of course I got stuck at work to make a late start even later, took rack out of fridge to bring to room temp. and got 20-25 coals started fast my latest coal start technique: Place two mini weber chimneys over the performer gas assist burner.
While chimneys were lighting I filled the Charcoal ring with unlit stubs and some left over lump from my last cook. since this was a 4 hour cook I only filled about half a ring of coals which I packed together in the center of the ring.
Starter Coals were all lit in about 6 minutes. Since I was putting meat sooner then later on this cook I threw smoke wood in with the unlit coals in the chimney. This heated the wood faster and got the cleaner smoke going sooner. I put the lit on top of the unlit and assembled the smoker to preheat.
Came inside and rubbed ribs. After 20 minutes of preheating, the cooker was at 180 and rising so I put the meat in. When the cooker hit 225 I shut one vent, when It hit 250 I shut the second, and when I reached my goal of 275 I shut the third vent half way. Since this was my first vent control cook on the WSM I was ok with a slow climb as I knew I could easily overshoot temps with 25 lit coals to start and only one rack of ribs. I would rather start slow and catch on the way up. besides cooking at 225 or 250 wont hurt meat it would only slow my cook down slightly. It probably took an hour or so to reach 270 but the temp held stable within 10 degrees of target with no adjustment required. near the end of hour two temp was up to about 290. A bit high but well within my acceptable range if 275 is target.
I wrapped ribs in foil and last open bottom vent was closed down a little more to about 1/4 open. It sat in the 270s for the next 60 minutes while ribs cooked in foil.
At the one hour mark, I used the toothpick test and the ribs were close but weren't quite probe tender yet. Not a shock since I wasn't starting these ribs at 275 as I had done on the last cook, I started these at lower temp while cooker rose. Since I am working on getting away from FOTB anyway I decided to give them 10 more minutes in foil and then I unwrapped, sauced and left them back on cooker unwrapped for another 20 minutes for sauce to set. Meat on Cook time was still only 3 1/2 hours.
I pulled ribs and left to rest on counter for 20 minutes.
The rack was split up and cooled for vacuum sealing but I took a slice off the ends to test the meat and was really happy with results. Really nice smoke ring (forgot pic), good tenderness, not FOTB but still tender, and the flavor was very balanced, smokey from wood, sweet from sauce, but some heat from the rub.
Great REPEATABLE results from a hands off cook with quick easy set up and short cook time. Cant ask for much more.
Happy I was able to maintain temp with almost no adjusting mid cook.
I think total cook time with prep and clean up was under 4 hours wire to wire! Even on a busy weekend that time frame makes using the smoker very doable.
Going to head back to store today to grab another rack or two for the freezer before the sale expires.
