Hello from Pennsylvania. New to the WSM and the TVWBB communities


 
Michael Richards

Michael Richards

TVWBB Emerald Member
Hello everyone,
I am Michael, I live in Pennsylvania. I started smoking a year ago when I picked up a letgo cheap offer for a barely used Blinkmann style smoker. I have done a few full Boston Butts, a lot of Half Boston Butts, whole chickens, and chicken parts and that pit. After my last 19 hour pork shoulder cook and feeding my smoker fuel every three hours through the night, I knew it was time to upgrade to the WSM. After ding research I was torn between the 14"or the 18". I was thinking I was going to go with the 18", but while looking I was able to find a great used 14" 5 minutes from my house for half the price of the used 18" WSM's that all would have been at least an hour drive away so I went for it and picked up the used 14". I smoked a whole chicken with the water pan removed three days ago. Right now I have two racks of ribs on the pit with water in the pan. Today's cook had a double purpose, smoke some great ribs and I also want to see how many hours I can get out of a full basket of Kingsford BB today to help me prepare for my first overnighter to do the whole Boston Butt I have in the freezer right now. I am an avid home cook and I have fallen in love with smoking. I have already learned so much from all the post I have read over the last few weeks and look forward to continuing to learn, ask questions when I need to, and hopefully be able to offer up my experience to other in the future.
 
Welcome, Michael! Looking forward to your contributions here! You'll love your WSM in comparison to the Brinkmann. :)

R
 
Rich,
Thanks for the welcome. I am just sitting at the table after eating way to many ribs. They ribs went went on at 1:00 pm and come off the WSM at 6:15. I used a dry rub and a mop throughout the day. Didn't wrap them in foil. The last 45 mins made foil boats and for one of the racks and top that rack with bbq sauce and left the other rack dry. Both were really good. I throw some boneless skinless chicken breast on for the last hour and 15 mins. Chicken was brined and seasoned before put on the pit. Chicken was way better than I expected. I had the temps at 250 for most of the day, but I had the vents completely open for the first hour and the last. Hour and an half of the smoke. The temps were starting to drop the last 45 mins. I think if I wanted to go for a longer smoke, I would have needed to refuel soon. It was a great first attempt with ribs, but not sure about the pork shoulder and refueling for an overnighter. Really thinking about a waterless option. My only regret from todays cook as I sit here now is I did not take any pictures. Rich, look forward to seeing you in the other forums.
Michael
 
That sounds like a really good first session with your new smoker, Michael! Thanks for the update!

R
 
Welcome to the board.

I also started with a Brinkmann, and results were disappointing. My wife's request for brisket after a trip to Fort Worth, followed by a weekend grinding this board, led me to my WSM. Thank goodness.

Of all the many meats I've smoked--pork, beef, lamb, chicken, duck, rabbit, goose, etc.--I don't think I've ever smoked a boneless skinless chicken breast like you mentioned. I've smoked batches of bone-in breasts, and they turned out good.

I have a pack of "just in case" boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer. That sounds like an interesting way to make use of them.
 
Chris,
Growing up ribs were my favorite thing to get when I would go out to restaurants because they were something that we just did not make at home. But I have not had them in years. I know, I know, but my family has been huge fans of pulled pork and pulled chicken. As soon as I got my WSM I knew I was going to try ribs. I was just worried that my wife and kids would not like them so I decided I would also do some boneless skinless chicken breast. I used Chris Allingham's recipe (https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/boneless-skinless-chicken-breasts/) as a guide and then kind of went for it. I ended up taking three chicken breast mixed some colder water and about 1/4 cup brown sugar and about 1/4 cup of the dry rub I made up for the ribs. I let it brine for just under an hour, patted them dry, sprinkled some dry rub on them and put them on the pit with the ribs at 250. At 45 mins I checked the temps and topped each breast with a Tablespoon of sauces and closed the pit, I took the everything off at an hour and 15 minutes, when both ribs and chicken were done. When we use to go to our local BBQ joint many times my wife and oldest daughter would get pulled chicken as they both many times find pork and beef to heavy, so they have been asking me to try to recreate that meal. I did the whole chicken spatchcocked brined and rubbed last week at higher temps and it turned out great, but didn't come close to the BBQ joint. Then I did these boneless skinless chicken breast and they were way better then the whole chicken. I started to cut them and realized I could just pull them with two forks. So much of the flavor got into those little pieces of meat and they were so soft and tender. I only had a few pieces of the chicken because I was going for the ribs, which were so good and man did they take me back to being a kid again. Everyone in the family loved the ribs, but my oldest daughter and my wife preferred the chicken. My wife even ate the left over chicken for lunch as a sandwich the next day which hardly ever happens. It was an unexpected surprise, I was just doing them as a back up when someone said the did not like the ribs, but now my oldest is already asking for me to make "that pulled chicken" again.
Mike
 
20200413_172557.jpg
Chris,
I just pulled these of the WSM at 250 for 55 mins getting ready to pull/cut them now. I torn a piece off to see if there were as good as the first try they are.
G20200413_173525.jpg
I also did a 2 lg London Broil 45 mins at 250 then right over the coals for 12 mins let it rest for 15 mins and cut. Below is both sliced.
20200413_173959.jpg
 
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