Got my special deal in from Amazon thanks to Bob and decided to try it Sat. with 2 slabs of St. Louis ribs. Obviously, the slabs had to be cut in half as they won't fit the grate and I didn't want to use rib racks.
I did nothing like I normally do. I wanted to give it a good test. No Minion method, no temp controller, and I didn't even stay home to tend the smoker, just told my wife to keep an eye on it. I really expected it to act like all the other new ones I have broken in, temps way too high until it gets seasoned. Not the case. I took the torch and lit some of the lump, closed it up and waited for the temps to come up. They did, past 300. I put the ribs on and the cold meat brought the temps back down. Left all vents open fully until it got to 250 and then shut one bottom vent, the upwind one, and the others I left open about 3/16". Top open 100% entire time. The picture is of it starting to come up to temp.
This little guy held 260 to 270 the entire cook, without any adjustment. I was amazed. Toward the end of the cook when I would open it to check tenderness the temp would rise some, but came right back down to the 260 to 270 range. Next time it will probably run me nuts, but this time was perfect.
To say I was impressed, puts it mildly. Normally it takes at least 10 cooks and lots of gunk inside to get this kind of temp control.
Oh, the ribs were great! Old style, no foil, no honey, brown sugar, or any of that other stuff. Just ribs lightly glazed.
Last edited:
, then plan on doing a Boston Butt for pulled pork, Wednesday. I plan on doing a double cook - a Boston Butt on the Mini-Joe and sitting right next to it, a Boston Butt on the 14.5" WSM. It should prove interesting.
