Long cooks on a WSM 22"????


 
DBono

DBono

TVWBB Super Fan
Hi All How do you guys/girls get the 22" to go for 8 hrs? This morning I gave it a test before trying an over night..Filled the ring almost to top had a can in the middle, removed the can, added 6-8 lit coals, 4 chunks of hickory.
Had to add more charcoal KKB after 5 hrs, temps were dropping..For the most part temps were from 250-275.Going to see how long it goes now that I've added more coals at 1 pm.
I do have a 3.5lb pork shoulder on it, from 8 am, also put a rack of St Louie on at 1, when the new coals were added.

I would really like to get a good 8hrs of cook time without having to add more coals.I've read some get as as much as 10-16 hrs one load. I'll seattle for 8.:)

Thanks Dan

PS The top vent was fully open and only 1 bottom vent was open.
 
I let my 22 WSM ride for 20 hours of wich 17 hours at 225F and 3 hours at 250F for a 14 lb butt.
It was August in Rome really hot day and night but always 20 hours !!
I use ATC.
I don't use water in the water pan.
I start my fire with a thorch right in the middle of the ring and let it come to cooking Temp in 1-1,5 hours.
I usually do overnight cooks during the winter with no problem at all. From 10 to 13 hours at 250F for briskets. Non problem.
 
DBono said:
I would really like to get a good 8hrs of cook time without having to add more coals.I've read some get as as much as 10-16 hrs one load. I'll seattle for 8.:)


PS The top vent was fully open and only 1 bottom vent was open.
Click to expand...

Are all of your coals burning until they turn to ash? I was having a problem with wet charcoal my first cook and it was the coals.
 
Hi All I don't have a ATC..Coals were mostly ash..This WSM 22 is bascially for over nights cooks..I do have a stick burner for when I want to tend to a fire.
Would be nice to put a packer or a butt on at mid night and let it cook thru the night and be ready for the next day either for lunch or dinner.:)
THanks Dan
 
I've gone 14 hours without adding lump but I did have to stir it towards the end. Do you use water in the pan? If so, you'll get a lot more life out of your lump without it.
 
You should easily get 8. On a summer night I ran mine for 24 hours on a full load of KBB. Now if you have a lot of dampness you might have too much ash not fall through the grate and that can smother your fire. Generally a few taps on the legs of the WSM will let it fall through or a gentle stir. You just don't want it going up in into the food. If your food is wrapped by then go to town. Usually though I don't have to do that until very late in a cook if at all.
 
Your results may differ but l use the snake method. Start at 9 o'clock and go to 5 o'clock. Top vent fully open and bottom vent open 1/8" each. 225 deg to 250 deg. If you need it hotter open to 1/4" and add to 6 o'clock.
 
With my WSM22 I usually can get 12 to 15 hours at 225*. I always use water in the pan and the minion method with a full ring of KBB. I probably use only about 10 - 15 lit coals in the center of the ring and maybe 6 chunks of smoke wood mixed in with the KBB. I do however use an ATC so 2 of the lower vents are closed and the ATC controls the 3rd vent. The top vent is always fully open. I did have similar results before I had an ATC. Good Luck.
 
Hi All
Next time I'm going to try this..Just light the coals from one side. Would I a get alonger burn using lump?

Thanks Dan
 
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The prevailing wisdom is that KBB will give the most consistent cooks. I however have never used lump in my smoker. I do use it in my Performer from time to time and it works well. Lump tends to burn hotter and as a result not really as long.

A question Dan, just looked at the pic you posted and that doesn't look like a WSM. Are we talking about a WSM or a different smoker?
 
Just finished up a 17-hr cook for 4 Butts. It kept going for another hour or two after I took them off. I fill the entire charcoal bin with at least 1 bag of Kingsford blue. Then pat it down so that you don't have too many gaps. Lit about 1/3 of a chimney and when ready, placed on top of the coals. I kept the mid section off for about 5-min so the coals can get up to temp. Put it all back together and once I hit 200, kept the top vent open 100% and the bottoms about 1/8". It rose to 225 before I put the meat on. No water in the pan and it never fluctuated. It's a great smoker, gotta love those long cooks!
 
Hi That pic was from my old COS..I was just wondering "IF" that might work in my 22 WSM.
Thanks Dan


Bob Ivey said:
The prevailing wisdom is that KBB will give the most consistent cooks. I however have never used lump in my smoker. I do use it in my Performer from time to time and it works well. Lump tends to burn hotter and as a result not really as long.

A question Dan, just looked at the pic you posted and that doesn't look like a WSM. Are we talking about a WSM or a different smoker?
Click to expand...
 
DB.

You could try The Tin-Can Sidewinder.

Courtesy of Enrico.
2aeyoi0.jpg
 
Hi All Fired up the 22 WSM once again..Filled the ring with KBB, temps ran at 275 for only 5 hrs, coals look like they are finished. How do you guys get 10-16 hrs on a full ring?
I have lava rocks in the water pan, with water in the pan will I get longer burn times? I would love to do an overnight with WSM.

Thanks Dan
 
Sounds like you may have some leaks. Any sign of smoke leaking around the door, or any of the joints?
Might need to reshape the door for a better fit and get a gasket set. Mine leaks but I end up with at least one or two vents closed and the other open only a crack.
I struggle to get it down to 225f But can get around 235f. Planning to get a Cajun Bandit door by dropping hints before Christmas.
Lasted 19 hours last weekend .
 
I'm thinking maybe cooking at 225/250 I would get better burn time..I would like to smoke a full packer for and over nighter.
Thanks Dan
 
I get 20 hours out of my 22.5. To be honest I have a good door on it and I did install a gasket kit on it when it was new.

I leave my top vent open and the bottom 3 about 1/8" open after it gets to within 25 degrees of desired temp.

I have a small tire billy from my trucking days hanging next to the smoker and I give the legs a lite tap every hour or so after the first 6 hours.

I use water in my pan and have to top it off during a long cook.

I use a full ring of KBB and start them with a half chimney of hot coals from the center hole made with a coffee can.
 
E Mann said:
Just finished up a 17-hr cook for 4 Butts. It kept going for another hour or two after I took them off. I fill the entire charcoal bin with at least 1 bag of Kingsford blue. Then pat it down so that you don't have too many gaps. Lit about 1/3 of a chimney and when ready, placed on top of the coals. I kept the mid section off for about 5-min so the coals can get up to temp. Put it all back together and once I hit 200, kept the top vent open 100% and the bottoms about 1/8". It rose to 225 before I put the meat on. No water in the pan and it never fluctuated. It's a great smoker, gotta love those long cooks!
Click to expand...

I never had a 22" WSM, but this ^^ is how I did it on my 18" and I would get over 12 hours easy and usually more. I never reloaded and did many butts. To me, the key is loading the ring full (even mounding it), packing the ring tight, not using water, keeping the smoker out of the wind and knowing your thermometer is accurate. If you're WSM isn't tight, then you're probably not hitting your temp accurately either. You may be burning at 300°+. If air leakage was the problem, you'd still hit the right temp, you'd just have the lower vents closed a lot tighter. It wouldn't matter where the air comes from (though you should try to get your WSM as tight as you can - usually the door needs adjusting).
 
Jerry N., when you say not using water, do you still use the empty water pan to sort of shield the meat from direct heat, or do you take the pan out too? What is the reason for no water?
I just got my 22" WSM last week and love it. Smoked an 11 lb flat from Sams (choice) and it turned out great in about 11 hours but I had the same problem as DBono in that I had to add charcoal after only about 5 hours.
I can understand some of the reasons why from reading on this forum and other places:
1. My WSM does leak a lot around the door which is no surprise- I knew it would just looking at it. I have ordered the gasket kit.
2. I used Kingsford Professional briquettes which are like lump charcoal, so it must have burned hotter and faster than the KBB. I like the idea of using this because it's 100% natural. But it sounds like a whole lot of people have used KBB for years with good results, and I assume most are still alive :smilekettle: My thermometer at grate level was up around 290 for the first 4 hours while the one on the lid was around 265 - that was with the top vent wide open and the bottom ones almost closed. So it was a little hi but in the end I think that helped for a shorter cook overall.
3. I used minion method with maybe 3/4 bag 160 bricks, and then poured into a hole I made, in the center, about 40 KBB hot charcoals out of the chimney starter. I think 40 was too many. When you use a coffee can, is the bottom cut out so that you can pull the can out, or do you just leave the can in with the hot coals in it? Probably a dumb question but I am a rookie.
thanks
 
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