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first time with new WSM


 
S

steve schroeder

New member
i will be using my WSM for the first time this weekend and cant wait to see how it performs in 25 degree weather.i have always avoided smoking here in WI during the winter months ,but cant wait anymore.smoking an 8lb butt,any advise for first cold weather cook???
 
Wind is more of a factor than cold temps. Irish coffee helps keep you warm when your out checking the cooker.
 
Bob's 100% right! :)

The issue you'll likely encounter with a new cooker in the wind is going through a lot of charcoal fast, not problems getting up to temp, particularly with only one pork butt. I'd start with hot water in the pan if you can, do the best you can to protect the cooker from the wind, and go back and check out all of Chris' other great info on his site, particularly his butt cooks. Here's a link to what Chris says about smoking in the wind and cold. http://virtualweberbullet.com/coldtemp.html
 
thanks for the link.will be checking it out sometime today.i dont think that wind is going to be much of a factor and i might add another butt.can't wait
 
My only recommendation for a first timer chef on a WSM is: Don't expect to set it on 250* and it stay there. It will rise and fall as some charcoal catches and other pieces burn up. As long as your operating between 225* and 275* your cook will turn out fine. I don't even stress if it spikes higher as long as it starts it's way back down. For me this means setting the vents to about 1/2 way open with no water in the pan. ...and most importantly: have fun. Let it do it's thing and you'll be a happy camper. Stress out after every degree of rise/fall and you're gonna be chasing temps all over the place and worry/work yourself to death. I look forward to the photos.
 
steve schroeder said:
thanks for the link.will be checking it out sometime today.i dont think that wind is going to be much of a factor and i might add another butt.can't wait
Click to expand...

You're welcome, Steve. If you get another butt, try to get another one about the same size and that way they should fit nicely on the top grate. In the likelihood they spread out and don't fit, I use both grates on my bullets all the time, no problem. That's what it has two racks for. You'll just use a little more fuel.

Dwain makes a good point about temp ranges. By the way, the Weber gauge will do just fine if you don't want to mess with a remote therm. As long as the needle is somewhere in the gray "smoking zone", you're good. Use the Minion method and try to get at least 200* at the start of the cook. Actual cooking temp will be higher, but the cold meat will make the gauge show lower than actual. That's fine though. You should expect it to rise slowly to your target temp, and if you target 225 and lower and a 8 pounder take 14hr or more. Target 250 and it should be done in under 12. You probably will only need to refill the water pan once or twice at the most, and it's fine as long as temps are good. As long as you keep some water in it and spray Pam in it before the cook, clean up won't be that big a deal.

Looking forward to hearing what you think about it!
 
a quick update......butts on for about 2 hrs now and the WSM is holding solid at 260 degrees.the air temp outside is 16 degrees F.how many hours should i get outta my coal before adding more??i love it!!!!!!
 
Pretty hot for so early in the cook, but that means it'll get done sooner. It's easy to go through a lot of charcoal like that, but thankfully, the door is handy for checking the fire and charcoal is cheap.
 
pork turned out amazing.took about 8 hrs and ten pounds of lump.only used half a dozen chunks of cherry or so.have to figure out this picture thing to show u guys.my wife and son both said its the best i have ever made.love the WSM.Only used an offset chargriller or a homemade unit a friend and i made out of an old water heater(temp control problems)thanks for all the advice.
 
Congrats on the successful first pork butt, Steve! First of many cooks upcoming. Here is some info from the FAQ about posting pics. Hope it helps!


How to Post a Photo
The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board does not provide photo hosting. In other words, you cannot upload photos to our server and include them in your posts. However, you can link photos to your posts from photo hosting websites like Photobucket, ImageShack, Webshots, Flickr, or Picasa.

Here's how to link a photo from Photobucket to your post. The process is similar for other photo hosting websites; see your photo site's Help Page for details.

If using Original Photobucket:

Upload a photo to a Photobucket album.
Mouse over the photo in the album. In the pop-up box, click on "IMG code". This copies the code necessary to link your photo.
Now write your discussion forum post. Paste the IMG code into your post.
When you click Submit New Thread, your photo appears as part of your post.
If using the new Photobucket Beta:

Upload a photo to your Photobucket Library.
Mouse over the photo in your library. Hover over the gear icon in the top right corner of the photo to reveal the Media Links. Click on "IMG code". This copies the code necessary to link your photo.
Now write your discussion forum post. Paste the IMG code into your post.
When you click Submit New Thread, your photo appears as part of your post.
 
2013-03-03165418_zpse54dceee.jpg
[/IMG]heres pic number one
 
Looks fantastic, Steve! Glad you got the picture posting all figured out! Be sure to post pics of your future cooks. :)
 
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