Just got a WSM. Advice appreciated


 
G

GSchleich

New member
Hey guys. New to the forum, not new to bbq. Been bbqing since i was 18, im now 27. I just sold my Traeger and, after tons of research, purchased the WSM.
Right now is my first Que on it. Im using both racks and water. Ive got bacon and bacon wrapped hot dogs on the lower section and 3 tri tips and pork ribs on top. So far so good. Im aiming for at least 6 hours for the ribs and tri tip.
Ive read all the upgrades and mods and so far , i agree it needs the seal kit. It leaks a ton from the lid. But somehow, its maintaining 225 with little to 0 variances in temps. I already love that. Im also using the minion method.

Couple questions though.
1) I only use built in thermometers for a ballpark idea of temp. In my experience, they can be off more than 50 degrees plus or minus. Whats weird with the one in the WSM is it seemed to work fine untill about an hour into my cook. Now i have to tap on it for the needle to move. Its also showing a lot of condensation inside it. I dont see why its sticking an hour from being new. This just seems poor quality to me. Any ideas as to why there is water inside?
2) I did do a first burn on it last night. I read it wasnt necessary, but i do it anyways. Also gave me a chance to learn my new bbq. Well today when i tryed to fit the chamber on the base , i had difficulties lining them up. It seems as though the chamber warped slightly causing it to not just slip into place. I had to actually line them up and press the chamber down for it sit securely. I have read that this isnt a bad thing and it helps to seal the grill. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance. Also, ill post my results later tonight when the food is done. So far, i already like this bbq better than the traeger i had.
 
I hate to double post, but i cannot see the edit button from my phone. Sorry.

But i just realized i have another question.
I checked out my meat and notice the side facing down is clearly more cooked than the meat facing up. In my experience with indirect heat, it isnt necessary to flip the meat. Is that not the case with the WSM? Seems like they should be flipped.....

Edit:: just found the edit button lol
 
Welcome aboard. You're off to a good start. Like any other cooker, the more you use the WSM, the more you'll understand it. It's a marvel of simple engineering, but sometimes you have to bend it to your will. Yes, It maintains temperature like a champ. But, you probably don't know what that temperature is by reading the lid thermometer. I had an old "pre-gauge" WSM and just clipped a candy thermometer in one of the top holes, with the probe end hanging inside the lid. It was fairly reliable. Most everyone uses some sort of digital probe on the grate near the meat for accurate temp.

A snug fit is desirable and many owners use a nomex gasket. Or you can just wait for the bbq gunk to build up and provide a seal. You may have noticed that the forum is split into two camps: water, and no water. You can get good results both ways. I'm in the water camp, with minimal or no wrapping. Try cooking both ways and see what you like.

Enjoy your new cooker.
 
Welcome to the WSM owners club. I've never saw a need for gaskets, but that could be due to my inexperience. I've only had a WSM for ten years, so I am still learning. :) I use a Maverick on the grate to measure temperature, and I find my lid thermometer to be fairly close (within 50 degrees). If you need to tap on it to update the temp, it sounds like it may be defective. You could be cooking hotter than you think, and perhaps that is why you find the need to flip stuff on tbe bottom grate. It is very common for condensation to develop in the WSM thermometers.

Did you light it using the minion method? If so, how many lit coals did you use? I find that 15 to 20 is plenty.
 
You found the edit button! Great. In the same area (edit), you can delete the post as well--if you want to that is.
 
Depending on the meat, I often turn what I am smoking. I do what the meat tells me not necessarily what worked in the past or in the cook books.

Mike
 
I just got rid of my Traeger a couple of weeks ago and I'm with you on the WSM being the better of the two, no comparison in my opinion. If it's just leaking around the lid that's pretty normal for what I've seen and read, they will seal up better after use just as long as it's not leaking around where the sections fit together, even my door leaks a little but a piece of foil fixed that and I can still open it up if I want. Yep, the stock therms can be off and yes they do collect condensation I've replaced mine 3 times all at Webers expense and finally just started using a Maverick.
 
I've done the Nomex gasket mod as well as the Cajun Bandit door. It did cut down a lot of the leaking but I do still get some. If when you shut down the smoker and close off the vents the fire goes out your unit is tight enough.
 
I would give you WSM a few cooks before you decide to install a gasket kit. When it gets gunked up the seal gets better.
I was still getting a bad seal and I installed the gasket. I am glad I did it.
 
GSchleich said:
I hate to double post, but i cannot see the edit button from my phone. Sorry.

But i just realized i have another question.
I checked out my meat and notice the side facing down is clearly more cooked than the meat facing up. In my experience with indirect heat, it isnt necessary to flip the meat. Is that not the case with the WSM? Seems like they should be flipped.....

Edit:: just found the edit button lol
Click to expand...

and you are using water in the pan? I can't say I've ever had that problem. I generally put the fat cap down just in case, but I still can't say I've seen a big difference.
 
Best advice I got was experiment to see what works best for you and have fun. You can cook almost anything in the WSM. Sometimes a mistake works out for the best.
 
That dome is much hotter or cooler than you think, that's why you have uneven cooking going on get a grate thermometer even if its a cheapo
 
I have my WSM for a year now and I was debating the gasket kit and never did install it and I hold temps no problem and I don't rely on the dome thermometer and with a Maverick ET-733. Hope that helps some.
 
Weber should have very good customer service so if your lid or middle warped, call customer service and they may send you out a new one. Same thing with the thermometer if it's not working right.
I didn't have to do any sealing with my WSM but it could be that I don't notice or care; my temps run steady and the food cooks great so if there's some leakage, I don't see that it hurts. But yours may leak more than mine.

I don't normally have to turn my meat. Make sure you use the water pan correctly so you don't scorch the meat. There are plenty of suggestions, from filling with water, or sand, or a clay pot saucer, or foil balls. Just make sure you have something to buffer the heat.
 
Everything seemed to work out ok.
I figure ill take the suggestions above and wait to seal it.
As for the warping, it seems to fit just fine again. Maybe it went back to shape?
This thing does produce some good meat, seems i need to cook on it more.

One last question. It held steady temps at 200-250, depending on where i put it. My tri tip was supposed to be an 8 hour cook and it ended up being done in 3. Oops. How do you guys suggest i keep temps at 160-180? The vents were almost closed to maintain 200. And yes i use water....for now.
 
GSchleich said:
Everything seemed to work out ok.
I figure ill take the suggestions above and wait to seal it.
As for the warping, it seems to fit just fine again. Maybe it went back to shape?
This thing does produce some good meat, seems i need to cook on it more.

One last question. It held steady temps at 200-250, depending on where i put it. My tri tip was supposed to be an 8 hour cook and it ended up being done in 3. Oops. How do you guys suggest i keep temps at 160-180? The vents were almost closed to maintain 200. And yes i use water....for now.
Click to expand...
Here is a link on how to cook Tri Tip and I'm not saying it's the only way but it's worked well for me and I grill Tri Tip a couple times a month.
 
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