How long to bring your WSM up to temp?

[Eric Michaud]

I have been reading posts on various smokes and found most of you guys take a lot longer to bring your WSM up to temp. Is this by design? Is it bad to bring the temps up quickly? Just threw a 10 lb butt on and had my temp up to 250 in about 20 or 25 minutes which is normal for me. I take the next 30 minutes or so to stabilize where I want it depending on what I am doing. Just curious to hear your thoughts.

Thanks,
Eric

 

[Eric Michaud]

I guess I don't mean "bad". I mean is it better to bring it up slowly?

 

[Jerry N.]

The only reason I've heard people talk about bringing the temp up slowly for is so you don't overshoot your target temp and have to wrestle with the WSM to get it under control. I've never heard bringing temp up slowly associated with how the meat will turn out. Personally, I'm with you. I get up to temp pretty quick and then shut my lower vents and hold temp at target. Never had a run away temp experience.

 

[Dave Russell]

No advantage to bring temp up slowly, unless you want a better smoke ring on a HH cook, and that's what you're gonna get anyway with the MM method to reach 300*+.

I use water in the pan with the MM since it's efficient, but I now use a propane torch (just a cheap weed-burning torch) and my notes from Friday's day cook was that I lit my charcoal in three spots at 4:15 and had my two butts (7.6 and 7.7lb) on by 4:45. I clipped my probe parallel to the grate with the tip between the butts, but on the underside of the grate. I reached 225* by 5:00, 235* by 5:30, and 250* by 6:30, which was my target temp to make sure supper wouldn't be late. Water in the pan makes overshooting temps actually pretty hard at the start of the cook, so I don't shut my vents back any until about 25* or so of my target temp at the very earliest, and sometimes I'll wait til it reaches temp. No big deal. Temp adjustments are easier than with a clay pot base.

 

[ScottE]

If I overshoot my target temp, I will add the meat and back off the dampers and the temps drop down. It is probably better to bring the pit up slowly because it takes alot more time to bring the temp down due to the WSM's ability to hold temps. I always try to start my cooks a little early so I don't have to rush my cooks.

 

[Bill S.]

I use MM with 12 lit coals, a few more in the winter. Two vents open until it reaches around 225 and then close one and half close the other. I've run into trouble overshooting my target temp of 250. My smoker tends to run away if it gets up around 280-290 mark. So I prefer to bring it up slow, takes less than an hour. I just prepare the meat while it's coming up.

 

[Mark Evenson]

I open her up till I get within 50 degrees of target, then start closin' her down. I add my big meats as soon as the hot coals hit the cold, makes for better smoke ring. Takes about 30-45 min for HH, less for L&S

 

[Eric Michaud]

Thanks for all you feedback. I just wanted to make sure I was not missing something. I do the same as Mark and add the meat right away. I used a foiled pan only so that also makes it easier to bring it up. Haven't had any problems over shooting so all is well. Thanks again.

 

[Dave Russell]

Originally posted by ScottE:
If I overshoot my target temp, I will add the meat and back off the dampers and the temps drop down. It is probably better to bring the pit up slowly because it takes alot more time to bring the temp down due to the WSM's ability to hold temps. I always try to start my cooks a little early so I don't have to rush my cooks.

With the MM no reason for a target temp before putting the meat on, Scott. Just light and load and if you leave some unlit spots for your wood they won't smoke so bad at first.

 

[Larry D.]

Originally posted by Dave Russell:

With the MM no reason for a target temp before putting the meat on, Scott. Just light and load and if you leave some unlit spots for your wood they won't smoke so bad at first.

What Dave said. I have the meat on the grate before I add the lit coals... dump the lit coals, set the body of the WSM on the base, and off we go.

 

[Dave Russell]

Originally posted by Larry D.:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:

With the MM no reason for a target temp before putting the meat on, Scott. Just light and load and if you leave some unlit spots for your wood they won't smoke so bad at first.

What Dave said. I have the meat on the grate before I add the lit coals... dump the lit coals, set the body of the WSM on the base, and off we go. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sounds like something one of you empty-pan-foilers would do...

..Just kidding, Larry

 

[Tim Quon]

Start up using MM with all vents wide open. When the temp hits 200 I close the lower vents all down to 25% opened. Then I tweak to hit my desired temp. Usually cooking in about 15-20 minutes. Works all the time for me. No water for me. Just a couple of foil wrapped fire bricks.

 

[Larry D.]

Originally posted by Dave Russell:


Sounds like something one of you empty-pan-foilers would do...

..Just kidding, Larry

I'm a Piedmont Pan person (WSM pan mounted on top of an ECB pan).

 

[Dave Russell]

Originally posted by Larry D.:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:


Sounds like something one of you empty-pan-foilers would do...

..Just kidding, Larry

I'm a Piedmont Pan person (WSM pan mounted on top of an ECB pan).

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Piedmont pan person you are! I might try the opposite again sometime, but there's no gap around the edges: It's my ECB pan INSIDE my '09 Weber water pan. The fit is perfect and everything, but I don't know what good it would do.