First Smoke on my WSM 18"


 
M

Malvin C

TVWBB Member
Planning on doing my first smoke on my new-to-me WSM 18". It'll be a couple racks of baby backs and some bone-in/skin-on chicken breasts. Planning on running with a 2/3 full load of charcoal and some apple wood and maybe a couple hickory. For the ribs, I'll likely do 3-1-1 method at 225*. It's what I've done with my verticle gasser and works for me. For the chicken, I'm lost. Based on what I've read, I plan on brining and then applying a light rub and putting those on around the 3 hour mark when I foil the ribs and letting them go for about 2 hours until they reach 165*.

Does this sound like a reasonable first time approach?
 
Your plan for the Ribs sounds spot on. If it were me, I'd finish the ribs and put them to rest. I'd pull out the diffuser (bowl) stoke the charcoal (might have to add) open the vents fully and cook the chicken on the highest heat you can get (probably around 350) The chicken might take an hour and an hour rest for the ribs will be just perfect
 
I agree with Chuck can't beat high heat chicken on a WSM with the juices hitting the coals but with chicken up so high the flames can't scorch it, creates a great taste.
 
Thanks for the input. Quick question. When doing the chicken as described above, is it safe to leave the wood chunks on the coal to provide some smoke flavor for the chicken, or are they likely to catch fire and burn?
 
Malvin C said:
Thanks for the input. Quick question. When doing the chicken as described above, is it safe to leave the wood chunks on the coal to provide some smoke flavor for the chicken, or are they likely to catch fire and burn?
Click to expand...

The chunks are fine from a safety standpoint the only word of caution is that poultry needs way less smoke then pork does. All thinks being equal I'd do chicken while the ribs rest as noted above. If you absolutely can't cook separate due to time constraints,then try to put the chicken on the outer edge of the grate(s) as there is less heat deflection from the water pan there and thus higher temps (which are better for chicken)
 
My experience is poultry needs it's own attention from other meats. On the wsm it needs higher temps. I've tasted brisket that tasted tainted by chicken. Kind of grilled chicken smoke taste if that makes sense. Hard to explain but that's all i tasted on the brisket for smoke flavor.
 
let us know how your chicken comes out Malvin!

Last summer I was cooking a lot of whole chicken for one of my dogs. Long story short, she had health problems and the vet we used said to feed her a lot of protein meat, so I was brining and smoking whole chicken for her to last for a few days (we ate em' too!) Weber sells an expandable smoking rack for the 18" and 22" WSM's. Here's some chicken done on my 18 incher, using Weber's rack

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these cooks with the 18" WSM were done without the water bowl in place...IOW, cooked right over the coals and wood chunks

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we got the hooks from the Pit Barrel Cooker folks

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I can't comment on smoking the chicken with ribs...never tried that

If it involves charcoal and chicken, you've got a winner on your hands no matter what=:)

I'm itchin' to try my hand at rotisserie style Weber Performer cooking. I have the motor, spit, hooks from a gasser...all I need is a ring
 
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