In the middle of a 8 hour smoke


 

Dustin Flavell

TVWBB Pro
Alright need some advice. Not the first time smoking but only the second time on a WSM. Temps have been killing me today held at 220 for about 4 hrs. Then about 195 there after. Added a full load and roaming around 235. Internal temp of the pork shoulder and brisket is at 165 and rising very slowly. Keep pouring the coals to it? What's a good internal temp. 195 and have for dinner tomorrow? Thought I would fight too high temps not to low. Anyway what do you all think. Have breakfast for dinner and brisket in the morning :)
 
What's your target temp for cooking? How much coal to do have left? I would cook until probe tender or 195-198
 
Sorry probe tender not probe temp chubby fingers...
Dustin,

Excellent on choosing 'probe tender' rather than some temperature !
After this cook, it might be interesting to discuss how you set up the 'fire' and how you are setting your vents...

Bob

ADDED : Opps. Misread you post. Thought you were cooking to Probe Tender. Probe Tender, where you physical test the meat for tenderness, is when you can slide something such as the probe of a instant read thermometer in to meat and it goes in as if sliding into soft butter. This can occur at a completely different internal temperature than you have seen or will see between cooks. AND is the best method to determine tenderness.

Bob
 
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This is good stuff thank you! I checked the temp about an hour ago and the probe was tough to push through. Based on smoking with my log smoker before this tolde the meat was not done. Bob I like probe tender this makes a lot of sense. Okay as for what I did I did one full round of coals in the chimney and another unlit in the smoker with a couple large sticks of lump coal. Brisket up high shoulder down low. Water bowl full work warm water to start. Up to 185 internal temp now. Cooking at 235 again. Thinking more coals for this long a smoke?
 
Add more if you need too.
I have done 12-14 hour smoke on my 18.5 WSM. Didn't have to add any more charcoal but weather is a factor sometimes.
 
So you had 2 chimneys full of charcoal? One lit and one unlit? That's not enough. When I started using the WSM, I wasn't starting with enough unlit and had to add more during the cook. Especially for long cooks like pork butts, running out is a pain. My suggestion - fill the charcoal ring with unlit and leave a shallow void in the center. Fire up 25 charcoal briquettes and dump them in the void. It'll take a bit to get up to temp, but it'll maintain for a LONG time. Plus, having water in the pan is sucking up the fuel left & right. Water boils at 212 degrees, so the pit temps are staying low because the water in the pan is forcing it. I no longer use water.

Another thing to consider is the temps you're reading. Are goi going off of the dome thermometer? I've found my dome thermometer is decoration and a probe temp unit (Maverick et-732) is much more useful/reliable. I've had a 50 degree difference between the dome & cooking grate temp.
 
Chad, dude this is killer information! I'll try your charcoal method next smoke. I can't believe how much charcoal these WSM take! Anyway great info all appreciate the everything. Close to 195, but temp. Probe still doesn't slide like butter. Oh and totally agree on the lid thermometer being decoration. Taking temps at grill level. Probe in a hunk of potatoe and still low... Getting close to din din time. This place is the best!
 
Dustin,

Hope everything ended up well for dinner.

As you grow with use of the WSM, you'll use methods that are not common to a log smoker. For instance, in a log smoker all heat source material will be burning at once and you keep adding fuel as you go. In the WSM, you fill the charcoal ring with unlit charcoal then add a little burning charcoal to the top so the charcoal burns slowly from the top down (minion method). This results in long sessions without having to add additional fuel. Also, you are using water which is an excellent heat sink... yes, it keep the temperatures down and constant but at a big price... charcoal usage. That is why many of us do not use water. We keep the water pan in place as a heat deflector, but without the water.

Bob
 
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Hey Dustin, sounds like you a quickly gaining experience. Btw, on the low temps, i just wanted to make sure that you are keeping the top vent open at all time and if you want higher temps that you also have the bottom vents open at a level that gets you to the temp you want. If you are still fighting low temp with all vents fully open, it might be the charcoal (is it damp? what brand?). Or as mentioned above you can put less water in the pan.
 
Dustin,

Hope everything ended up well for dinner.

In the WSM, you fill the charcoal ring with unlit charcoal then add a little burning charcoal to the top so the charcoal burns slowly from the top down (minion method). This results in long sessions without having to add additional fuel.

Bob

Bob, dinner end up being real good just on the late side. Sounds like I. Need not be a cheapskate and filler up with fuel.

By the way, you ever log any time in Rancho Muerita? Had a real good friend in grade school that went by your name.
 
Hey Dustin, sounds like you a quickly gaining experience. Btw, on the low temps, i just wanted to make sure that you are keeping the top vent open at all time and if you want higher temps that you also have the bottom vents open at a level that gets you to the temp you want. If you are still fighting low temp with all vents fully open, it might be the charcoal (is it damp? what brand?). Or as mentioned above you can put less water in the pan.
James , had the top vent wide open the whole time. Didn't use the bottoms much until I lost the heat and then wide open. It was a cool damp unseasonally drizely day yesterday. Used kingsford charcoal the standard blue...heard their competition charcoal is bigger and burns longer with more consistent heat. Think ill try them the next time and save the blues for grilling
 
Hi Dustin,

Glad the food turned out well.... just chalk it up to low and SLOW ;)
Although I've visited some individuals (business) in the Rancho Murieta area, never spent much time there.

"...filler up with fuel" That's the key !

Bob
 

 

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