low temps

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date

 
G

Guest

Guest
I did my first smoke on my new WSM this weekend. I was already to battle keeping the temps down when I had to battle to keep the temp up. The day was dead calm. I had all the vents wide open, used lump charcoal, two chimneys and struggled to reach my target 250 degrees. I averaged about 220-240 at the lid over a 4 hour cook with the water pan filled. I smoked chicken hind quarters which turned out well but it took 5 hours.

Do you think is was because of the lack of wind? I mean there wasn't a breath of wind all day. The water didn't even boil in the pan. I had as much as I started with (1 gallon tap) after the cook. The charcoal was all gone when I finished up. My last temp reading 15 minutes before I finished wast 212 at the lid. Any advice or observations?

Tim
 
My guess is that you added the water, meat, and started cooking before the lump really got going.

Or, you may not have used a good quality lump and had used too many BTU's before you started cooking.

I dump the lit lump in when the coals are red about halfway up, and some flames are reaching the top of the chimney.

Then I let the lit lump settle exposed for a while before assembling the wsm.

For a high heat cook for chicken or say a turkey breast, I'll light a whole chimney, dump it when it's ready, and add some unlit on top of the lit.

That gets me to 350-375 easily.
 
As Craig asked, did you allow the charcoal to really get going before you loaded it up with the meat?

Did you actually close the vents when you thought you opened them? And or open them when you thought you closed them?

What was the Lump you were using? It also sounds as if you may need more than you used.

The wind should be enough if you have the fire drawing right, it creates its own wind.

Have you checked your thermometer accuracy recently?
 
From what you guys say, I might have put the smoker together and added water too soon. Maybe it wasn't burning well enough yet. I checked my thermometer with boiling water and it's dead on. I left the vents wide open the whole time, thinking with no wind it was going to have to breathe somehow. The air temperature outside the smoker was about 75 degrees.

Let's assume next time I let the lump get started better and only add it when it's fully going and then some unlit pieces over it. Then assemble the smoker and add water, then the meat. What should I expect for temperatures with a full pan of tap water? I'd like to try some ribs next time, but it will take forever if I can't get the temp up. From what I understand the temp at the lowest grate is like 20 degrees cooler than the lid. And it was true with the chicken I smoked. The top rack was close to done but the bottom grate could have cooked another 30-45 minutes. I actually finished it my convection oven, which was cool in the end.
 
I'd like to be around 250 lid temp for chicken but not sure about ribs yet, probably the same, but I'm reading up on it a bit before my next smoke. The next time I do chicken I might try the 350 lid temp with an empty water pan, cook it faster and hotter with the smoke.
 
Tim,

I prefer a high heat cook for chicken. Usually I use the kettle or an offset for those cooks, but I have used the wsm as well.

The skin can be a bit rubbery if cooked low and slow...otherwise it's fine.

If you choose to do a high heat next time, start with a full chimney of hot lump, dump it, spread it out and add a bit more unlit on top of the lit. Do not use water in the pan.

If you are going to do a lower temp cook for ribs, I'd sort of reverse the process. Unlit on the bottom of the chamber and dump the lit on top of the lit.

Again, do not assemble the cooker right away if using lump. I always let the lit settle into the unlit ... exposed for probably 15-20 minutes.

Then add water and assemble the smoker.

Ps- I hope you are using at least a middle of the road lump like Royal oak. Lots of first time lump users start with Cowboy ( I did) and have major burn time issues. Cowboy is a substandard product IMHO, and I'd avoid using it in the smoker.

If you can find a quality lump, you'll be much more consistent with the WSM.
 
I'm using Fire King Lump out of Missouri. The company used to have a web site but it's not working anymore. The bag is plain and about all it says is 100% natural. The smoke shop I buy it at highly recommends it. I haven't looked at or thought about any other kind. If anyone is more familiar with the brand, please weigh in on the talk here.
 
Craig, When cooking at high temps what temps to do you cook the chicken at and how long till they are usually done?<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by craig castille:
Tim,

I prefer a high heat cook for chicken. Usually I use the kettle or an offset for those cooks, but I have used the wsm as well.

The skin can be a bit rubbery if cooked low and slow...otherwise it's fine.

If you choose to do a high heat next time, start with a full chimney of hot lump, dump it, spread it out and add a bit more unlit on top of the lit. Do not use water in the pan.

If you are going to do a lower temp cook for ribs, I'd sort of reverse the process. Unlit on the bottom of the chamber and dump the lit on top of the lit.

Again, do not assemble the cooker right away if using lump. I always let the lit settle into the unlit ... exposed for probably 15-20 minutes.

Then add water and assemble the smoker.

Ps- I hope you are using at least a middle of the road lump like Royal oak. Lots of first time lump users start with Cowboy ( I did) and have major burn time issues. Cowboy is a substandard product IMHO, and I'd avoid using it in the smoker.

If you can find a quality lump, you'll be much more consistent with the WSM. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tim Stalker:
I'd like to be around 250 lid temp for chicken but not sure about ribs yet, probably the same, but I'm reading up on it a bit before my next smoke. The next time I do chicken I might try the 350 lid temp with an empty water pan, cook it faster and hotter with the smoke. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Remember that the WSM is great for low and slow (or high and quick) but not both at the same time, so it pays to think about what you are doing at all times, when I first started I couldn't figure out why my chicken was not cooking as well as the ribs were, but I was adding chicken part way through a low and slow (5 - 6 hour rib cook), and not really thinking about the way the different meats cook at low temperatures (220°-230°).

Once I got some research done on a few web sites, I started cooking the chicken the same time as the ribs, but I also began to do a half chimney of charcoals about 4 - 5 hours in to the rib cook, these are ready to use in the kettle to "finish" the chicken with a glaze of apple juice, or a butter baste over the high heat, and I have had great success with getting crispy skin with a good clean glaze. By starting the chimney an hour before the planned end of the smoking, they are ready in 15 - 20 minuets, I pour them on to only one side of the kettle, and I use the other side as a warmer or safe zone.

If the ribs haven't taken the glaze as well as they can, I will give them time to finish over the higher heat in the kettle too. All in all it turns out to be a great way to finish off poultry skin and glazes on all meat, but it gives you a warming area to keep meat hot without having to foil and keep in a cooler. I use it more for a close timed small event, than for feeding the 5,000.

If you are going to try feeding the 5,000 then foiling and stacking in coolers is the way to go IMO, unless you are serveing bread and fish that is!
icon_wink.gif
 
Paul,

I usually do chicken pieces.

To me, high heat in the wsm is around 375, and maintaining that temp is pretty easy if you start the fuel off right.

I did a 5lb turkey breast in the wsm at the Florida game on saturday, and although I wasn't paying attention to the duration of the cook,I would guess that it took about an 1:40 cooking time.

Chicken thighs usually take about an hour, wings and breasts 30-40 minutes at 350-375.

I prefer to cook at 400-425 though, and maintaning that temp in the smoker is a bit harder than so with the other equipment that I have.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top