I'm new to the WSM
- Thread starter FrankL
- Start date
Frank H
TVWBB Gold Member
How big a shoulder you smokin , bro? If its not too large , you might get by with 8 hours or even less.
You ran outta fire doing ribs? I find if I pack my WSM chock a block full with charcoal I can do 10 - 12 hours at 250 or so.
I mean , I know a lot of guys add charcoal if need be....you gotta lift the body off and pour in some more....not my favorite task , but it's doable. You can add charcoal thru the door too , but that's a PITA....
You ran outta fire doing ribs? I find if I pack my WSM chock a block full with charcoal I can do 10 - 12 hours at 250 or so.
I mean , I know a lot of guys add charcoal if need be....you gotta lift the body off and pour in some more....not my favorite task , but it's doable. You can add charcoal thru the door too , but that's a PITA....
Bob Bass
TVWBB Gold Member
Good information above! With 1 butt you should easily get 13 hours on a single load. FWIW, starting with a completely full charcoal ring, the Minion method, a foiled water pan (no water), 250 deg AT the grill, you should make it through the full cook without having to add any coals.
Someday I've got upload a picture of the coals left from a recent cook. 2 butts and 1 large packer. Approx 31 pounds of meat on a WSM 22.5. Still had 1/2 ring left after shutting it down
Someday I've got upload a picture of the coals left from a recent cook. 2 butts and 1 large packer. Approx 31 pounds of meat on a WSM 22.5. Still had 1/2 ring left after shutting it down
Danny B (Albany GA)
TVWBB Fan
Try using Stubb's briquettes instead of Kingsford blue bag. They seem to burn longer, hotter and with less ash. They don't have as strong of a chemical smell either.
Curt Davis
TVWBB Super Fan
I place one chimney of unlit and one chimney of lit kingsford competition briquettes. Approximately every 3hours I throw in a couple of handfuls of unlit coals while wearing welding gloves. This gives the unlit time to light. I have not noticed an odor with the unlit kcomp yet.
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
Very good idea to start with a lot of lit at the start for a sooner, cleaner burn. I usually start with a lot more lit, but usually use lump for the unlit. Anyhow, I lit a ring of KComp with a couple dozen lit last night and there was STILL charcoal smoke and odor an hour later before I went ahead and put the butts and wood in. Won't do that again!
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
Refueling is no big deal, and if you cook a lot of meat you'll eventually have to, anyhow. I hot squat the 18.5 but let the water pan get fairly low first, particularly with a full cooker. The door on the big 22.5 is big so I just load through it.
Curt Davis
TVWBB Super Fan
I have not noticed a smell with my unlit. I will keep a nose out for that. I do love the large door. Do you poor lit through the door from a chimney starter?
Greg Powers
TVWBB Super Fan
I've not had to add charcoal (lump) to my 18.5" yet, for the 22.5" I use a fireplace shovel to add more coal. Easy-peasy
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
It doesn't matter if you can't taste it, but last night I didn't need to smell it, or want to, for that matter. It looked pretty strong, but I didn't add wood until later when adding meat, so I knew that wasn't it. I only smelled to make sure it wasn't grease smoking somewhere in the bottom, or steam from the pan. Sure enough, though, it was charcoal.....and nothing like the smell or smoke from when I refuel with some lit over unlit lump. That smells sort of like wood smoke, but anyhow, I just use a regular sized flathead shovel with my 22".
Only reason I started with such a small amount (24) of briquettes was that I wanted to milk this cook out for supper the next night, but I could've packed the lump in nice and tight in much less time than the hour I spent waiting for thin blue charcoal smoke before putting the meat and wood on. The two roughly 8lb butts were done in 15.25 hrs, cooking at an avg of no more than only 210, one to a grate in my 18".
Dave Alvarado
TVWBB Super Fan
Another thing to note is that the outside air temp affects how much fuel it takes to keep your smoker at your target temp.
If you pile the charcoal up as high as you can and don't use too many lit coals, you can get a really long burn out of a WSM if it's not windy and it's warm out. If conditions are bad, you might struggle to get 8 hours out of a load of charcoal.
If you pile the charcoal up as high as you can and don't use too many lit coals, you can get a really long burn out of a WSM if it's not windy and it's warm out. If conditions are bad, you might struggle to get 8 hours out of a load of charcoal.
I put a coffee can in the middle and filled unlighted charcoal a round it. Put hot coals in the coffee can and then removed it.
And I still only got 4 hours out of the burn.
The temp stayed right at 225 the whole time. What am I doing wrong. I want to try a pork shoulder.
I have a WSM 22.5. Really like the grill.
And I still only got 4 hours out of the burn.
The temp stayed right at 225 the whole time. What am I doing wrong. I want to try a pork shoulder.
I have a WSM 22.5. Really like the grill.
Andrew John
New member
Are you piling it in there pretty deep? Using briquettes in my 22.5 I fill the charcoal ring all the way, mounded, a full 18 lb bag. Then I nestle in my wood chunks, make an indent in the center, pour 1/2 to 1 chimney of lit briquettes in the center. I can get 16 to 20 hours in mid summer running at about 225 degrees without adding more, but will need to knock the ash off the coals or stir after 14 or 15 hours. In cold weather, rain, or when windy I might have to stir at 11 or 12 hours and add more briquettes, but can still get there with an addition of a handful or two of briquettes.
Not sure why you would only get 4 hours, are you filling the ring up all the way.
JimmyE
TVWBB All-Star
Totally agree with Andrew. I can get 10-12 hours running at 250 (perfect temp IMO) and I use Kingsford Blue bag.