First Smoke ever this weekend. Several Noob questions


 
B

B Harper

TVWBB Member
FedEx and UPS got frequent visitor points this week. My new grill pad, 18.5" WSM, chimney starter, ThermoWorks pocket thermometer, and copy of Low & Slow are all here. I put the WSM together last night, but won't be able to use it until Sunday though. I was thinking about trying a chicken and some ribs this weekend to get the hang of things. Few questions on that. Chicken should go on bottom grate so it doesn't drip on ribs right? Also is it better to split the chicken or do it beer can style?

For the fire, I'm thumbing through Low & Slow and he says use lump and you'll only get about 5 hours. Is that really correct? That seems short. Would I be better served to just go with briquettes the first few times. I really don't care about price. Just would like to know about ease of use.

Unrelated question about Boston Butts. I keep seeing 4.5 lb bone in Boston Butts at Publix. I was under the impression that 7-8 lb was more common. What is the ball park cook time on a 4.5 lber?
 
I think most guys start off with briquettes - I know I did. You get the feel for the cooker and then go from there. I started out using Kingsford but now I use a mix of Stubbs briquettes and Royal Oak lump. Lump does burn faster than briquettes but you should be able to get more than 5 hours if you use good quality lump and set it up correctly. Experiment a little - see what works for you. Its all a matter of personal preference. Good smokin'...
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If you are using 250ish range with lump or briqs you should get more than 5 hrs. Some get 7, some get 16.

I think Briqs burn more consistently and at a lower temp so it might be a bit easier for a newbie doing low and slow. But no biggie either way.

Butts are an easy cook but the time they take to cook can vary widely. In other words cook till its done and don't worry about anything else. One thing that is hard for new butt cookers is it looks burnt and overcooked and they want to pull it but its still undercooked. It will get tender eventually you just have to trust it. 195 internal temp is a good general guide to check on the tenderness. Butts have a wide window for when they are done so don't stress it, it won't dry out.
 
Yeah i get the concept that you are really overcooking the meat to break down the connective tissue to make it moist. So I know to leave it on there until it is done. I guess where i was going the the question on butts is if I don't want to fool with a 12 hr overnight cook on a 8 to 9lb butt can I get a 4.5 lb one to shorten the cook time. Is that something that could get done in the 8-10 hr range?
 
Yes.. Get yer temps up @ 260-275 you should be close to a buck and a half an hour.
Are you going to run wit water or an empty foiled pan?

Tim
 
Prob with water until I get the temp control down pat. Not really experienced with charcoal either so it should be an adventure. But hey, I guess I'll never learn unless I try.
 
Chicken & Ribs. Great start. One challenge with doing both at once is that low heat chicken, while looking great due to smoke, has useless rubbery skin, split or beercan. Lately, I smoke the ribs at 250F, foil and hold then crank up the WSM for the chicken at 350F or higher with a full chimney of lit. Chicken is usually done in an hour and and the ribs, while sometimes deemed overdone by purists, still fall in the range of great to eat. As you play around with ribs you can pull them earlier to foil, hold and finish on your grill (or even WSM if you can keep it hot) to keep your bark firm and still leave a little chew.

Lump vs. briqs? All preference. Depending on amount used and proper ring packing you can easily get 12hrs+ from a full ring during a normal cook (i.e. - no major wind or other external factors, like looking at your meat every 30 minutes
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) Some get lots more than that.

Regardless, best advice is not to sweat the cook. BBQ is meant to be long and lazy. I spent too many early cooks running around trying to get too much going at once. A low fire burns long. Enjoy the process.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by James Harvey:
One challenge with doing both at once is that low heat chicken, while looking great due to smoke, has useless rubbery skin, split or beercan. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You think the skin would crisp if I pull the chicken before done and put it in my gasser @ a higher temp?
 
I think it would. I put it over hot charcoal and that works. I think you're looking for 350 to 400 degrees but I hope someone with more experience chimes in.
 
B,

If you're new to charcoal, the single most important thing to remember (and you probably already know this, but just in case) is more air = higher temp. Closing vents does not"trap heat" and make it hotter (that's what I thought when I first started 13 years ago). It cuts down oxygen, and makes the fire cooler. More air- which will be a combo of how much the vents are open, and how fast the air is moving- means a hotter fire. The hotter and windier it is, the more you close the vents to keep the same temp.

You didn't ask about that, but I just thought I'd pass it along, since I didn't really get it, until my brother in law explained it years ago.

Chicken over or under ribs doesn't matter as far as safety. You are cooking both to safe temps (I presume), so drippings aren't going to contaminate anything. I'd put the chicken on the top grate, because you'll probably take it off sooner, and if you're using water, the top grate will be a little hotter (though not much).
 
Not to hijack the thread but Matt brings up an interesting point for renewed discussion. Do you place chicken on top over ribs, butts, brisket etc...? I don't mix much these days but in my head I would do chicken on the bottom grate for perceived safety (even if unwarranted). I don't think I want chicken drippings on my "meat" but I don't have an issue with "meat" drippings on my chicken.
 
James,
In the few cases where I've cooked chicken (or turkey) with anything else I've put the chicken on the bottom grate for the reason you mentioned. Also, I don't mind if the chicken cooks at a little higher temps. My bottom grate usually runs about 10 degrees higher than the top.
 
Gary, I find my bottom grate runs just the opposite as long as you are inside the outside perimeter, maybe 10-15F lower than the top. Weird how cookers run.
 
For butts I usually buy ones around 6 or 7 lbs.

I use The Renowned Mr. Brown recipe.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/pork2.html

I follow the recipe pretty closely and it turns out great. You might want to try to select a smaller butt and lessen the cooking time. I usually fix at least 2 butts up to 4 butts when I do an overnight smoke as I'll freeze or give away the left overs. It typically takes about the same amount of time for butts 5 lbs up to 7 lbs and doesn't seem to matter much on time if I have 2 or 4 on the WSM. so I'm not sure you'll save much time.

If you have the time or can go with out some sleep give the The Renowned Mr. Brown recipe a go.

Typically they hit 190 right around 15 hours, I then pull them, wrap in foil and place in a cooler with towels on the bottom of the cooler for 2 hours. They will hold longer than that. I then pull them just prior to serving time.

I usually start getting everything ready 5 hours after the serving time the day before so if you want to serve at noon the following day start prepping around 5pm and get the butts on around 6pm or 7pm. I use the minion method and allow the WSM to burn for about an hour to get the temp stabilized. The temp usually holds well overnight . . . I check it every couple of hours and may have to slightly adjust the vents. Usually in the morning you will have to add more fuel.

Good luck this weekend.
 
So the ribs are on. Having some temp control issues, but kinda expected that from reading this site. Almost smothered the coals once already by closing the vents too much trying to keep the temp under 250. Started with 20 lit coals and a full water pan. Think I finally have everything set. Plan on putting the chicken on for 30-40 minutes and finishing on the grill to try and crisp the skin.
 
Okay the ribs turned out fall off the bone awesome. Better than anything I ever managed on my gas grill (and I thought those were pretty good.) The chicken tasted really good, but the chicken skin was a bust. I smoked that for about 35 minutes and tried putting it on the grill. The skin browned, but still ended up rubbery.

The hardest parts were figuring out how 18" foil was supposed to fit the water pan and temp control for about the first 1/3 of the smoke.

That was easy enough I think I'll try a small butt next weekend.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The chicken tasted really good, but the chicken skin was a bust. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah, that's the holy grail of chicken. It seems you need to make a choice (or compromise). Chicken takes on smoke quickly, so I use some wood, but smoke it hot on my WSM (or indirectly on the grill) to crisp the skin. If it goes low and slow, the fat renders out and no crisp. Try this: briefly (20 minutes or so) marinate the chicken in lemon juice (or other acid, vinegar, etc) and any other herbs/spices you like. Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. Smoke it hot (at least 275, up to 350) with some smoke wood of your choice, and brush with butter or oil halfway through. Should crisp up and be a bit smokey too.
 
I learned about cooking chicken on a smoker -ONCE-. Never again.

Like you, I (and my family) absolutely cannot stand rubbery skin. So I now use either my 22 inch kettle or Bubba Keg grill for chicken.

If I want a juicy, yet rotisserie-like taste then it's the Bubba Keg. But my chicken turns out best when I set up the kettle with 2-zones - 1 side sort of a minion set up, with about 3/4 of a chimney of hot coals poured over a half chimney. The other side (about 60%) with just a drip pan underneath.

I sear the skin for about 3 mins each side, then move over to the "cool" side for about an hour. Before searing I throw on a generous amount of presoaked applewood chips (or about three nice sized chunks). Even though I pre-crisp the skin to a degree, the chicken still manages to have a very nice applewood smoky flavor.

These two methods are the only way I grill chicken, and my family has never complained.

Here's a link to a guy on YouTube using a technique very similar to mine. In fact, I got my idea from him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyxFZN09BZE
 
Congrats on your new smoker B Harper. Over time you will be putting out great food for family and friends, but the key is over time.

One of the best things you have is the Lo & Slow book, and best thing to do now is follow it. It is a great book for beginners. I read on the New WSM Owners Forum constantly where new owners want to jump in with both feet and do multiple food cooks, long cooks, ect. I understand the excitement but that can lead to frustration very quickly.

The book starts you off with chicken and chicken only for a good reason, it is probably the easiest, most forgiving, less time consuming meat it is. The skin did not turn out very well no big deal, just pull it off and the meat is still delicious.

Over a number of cooks play around with the vents to learn temp. control, try a low temp. cook then high, switch between lump and briquetts, use water in the pan then no water, use small amounts of wood then add more to find that perfect combination, use different types of wood, seasonings, marinades. Remember to keep notes on all changes and even include the weather condition.

After this you will know your smoker very well and ready to move on to other meats such as ribs. Then you can get into the fun of things like foiling, when to foil and for how long, to foil or not.

The main thing is don't rush, start with a crawl then you will be up and walking then running with confidence befor you know it. Good luck.
Rodney
 
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