Kenneth Lajaunie
New member
Do you guys put the pot and lid on the lit briquettes immediately or leave the pot and lid off for a while. Or what is your procedure to get to target temp?
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Mini WSM Startup
- Thread starter Kenneth Lajaunie
- Start date
Rob (Allentown)
TVWBB Member
Assembled immediately after placing the lit coals on top of the unlit. Vents wide open. Once it hits 200* I close the bottom vent to 1/2.
Michael Werner
TVWBB Fan
I just bury a weber cube in the coals and light it. No chimney. I wait for that to quit burning to close it up.
Kenneth Lajaunie
New member
Okay, so is meat placed on the grill then with vents wide open or set to your normal settings?
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Rob (Allentown)
TVWBB Member
Yesterday I did a load of skinless chicken breats. Placed unlit coals in bowl with two apple wood chunks. Lit 8 coals and placed on top of unlit. Placed pot on top and let the temp come up to 240* . Loaeed the chicken om both racks and cooked at 270* where it had settled in with both vents wide open.
Kenneth Lajaunie
New member
Great, thanks for replying.
Robert McGee
TVWBB Gold Member
Kenneth;
I have noticed with the Mini-Joe and the 14.5 WSM that they seem to work better when I allow the smoker to come up to cooking temperature (as an example - with ribs and Boston Butts I run at 275 degrees) THEN start shutting the vents down to keep from cooking too hot. With the 18.5" WSM, I have to catch it on the way up to avoid too high temperatures. Just a slight difference in operation of the smokers.
In other word, with the Mini and the 14.5 I go to full cooking temperature before I close down the vents (partially to maintain that temp). I start out with the "tin can minion method" using 8 lit coals in the mini and the 14.5. As soon as I remove the tin can, I close up the cooker. When it hits 200 degrees internal, I put on the meat. When it hits the proper temperature, I start partially closing the vents.
Keep on smokin',
Dale53
I have noticed with the Mini-Joe and the 14.5 WSM that they seem to work better when I allow the smoker to come up to cooking temperature (as an example - with ribs and Boston Butts I run at 275 degrees) THEN start shutting the vents down to keep from cooking too hot. With the 18.5" WSM, I have to catch it on the way up to avoid too high temperatures. Just a slight difference in operation of the smokers.
In other word, with the Mini and the 14.5 I go to full cooking temperature before I close down the vents (partially to maintain that temp). I start out with the "tin can minion method" using 8 lit coals in the mini and the 14.5. As soon as I remove the tin can, I close up the cooker. When it hits 200 degrees internal, I put on the meat. When it hits the proper temperature, I start partially closing the vents.
Keep on smokin',
Dale53
Kenneth Lajaunie
New member
That's pretty much what I have been doing. Thanks for the reply
Rich Langer
TVWBB Guru
