My First Smoke


 
J

Jeff Bray

New member
Hello All, I just purchased a 18.5 WSM and had my first smoke yesterday. I cooked a Beef Tenderloin 4lb, Pork Butt 4.5lb and a Pork Tenderloin 2lb, I filled the chamber 3/4 full and lit around 20 coals and put them on. My temp went to 235 and pretty much stayed there throughout cook. After 3 hours everything was done to my surprise as I thought this may take 6-8 hours. Did I do something wrong? or is this about right?

Jeff
 
Every smoking session will be different. Don't forget bbq is ready when its ready.....:)
 
The only problem was that I invited people over for 6pm but was ready at 4pm...was my temp to high? was the pieces of meat small hence the fast cook?

Jeff
 
was that butt pullable after 3 hours? i can't see how it got done in 3 hours with such a low temp. Your lid temp might be off. I know mine is off 60 degrees. So if my lid temp is at 235 it is really at 295.
 
Jeff, that would generally be considered overcooked for the tenderloins and way undercooked for the butt. How did you like the results?
 
Oh Really, I thought they where ok but not great, the beef tenderloin I pulled at 150, it was good, but not a lot of smoke taste and no smoke ring at all on anything. Maybe my temp gauge is way off? What should the butt be pulled at?

Jeff
 
Jeff Bray said:
What should the butt be pulled at?

Jeff
Click to expand...

Jeff,
You should pull the butt off when it becomes tender, not at any specific temperature. Although, most find butts getting tender around 200 degrees, give or take 10 degrees. Also, no two butts will reach tenderness at exactly the same temperature. HTH.
Bob
 
I typically for the the 8-10 pound butts, but 12 hour smokes is my norm. I start checking for doneness when the internal temps get to 190 degrees. By checking, I mean taking a skewer stick and seeing if it slides into the butt like a hot knife through butter. If there's resistance - it ain't done.

You say there wasn't any smoke ring. Not surprising with a short cook, but what charcoal & smoking wood are you using?

As Big Mike said, my dome thermo is also way off and merely just decoration.
 
Jeff,
I also finished my first smoke with three Pork Butts and I to pulled the Butts off to early....Meat was not that tender....Cook and learn... Pulled one butt at 174, the other two hit 184, but not tender....
 
Well I guess I know for next time, one of the great things about this site is learning from people who are experienced!! Thank You.
I use Kingsford original with Hickory wood chunks.

Jeff
 
I am smoking some chicken wings right now, I'll let you know how it turns out. I'm not to sure my wood chunks are that great, after about an hour of smoking they are all black and not smoking what so ever!!

Jeff
 
Hi Jeff,

Wishing the very best in your cook today. May this cook deliver delicious chicken wings and a smile on the partaker's faces ! :wsm:

About this time last year, I purchased multiple large (and I do mean large...) burlap bags of smoking woods from a well respected supplier in a neighboring city. One large bag of Coastal Red Oak for cooking Tri-Tip. One large bag of Apple for butts and ribs. One large bag of Pecan for use as my base wood for all cooks. Initially all three different woods did their thing wonderfully. Great taste and smell. Over time I noticed that great taste and smell was not as evident as before. A couple of months ago, that great taste and smell was totally gone. Also noticed they were more prone to burn faster than originally seen. What I had done was purchase great woods in a quantity that far surpassed my actual usage. The woods had lost their distinctive qualities since they were no longer fresh. I have since purchased some wood chunks, also from a well respected supplier, that are indeed fresh and a delight to use. Incidentally, this supplier even goes so far as to suggest placing their wood chunks in the refrig to help maintain the freshness !

So I guess the question to you should be... how fresh was the hickory ?

Bob
 
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I'm not to sure, I bought a bag from Lowes last week, who know how long they were on the shelf! I wonder if there is a date on the bag?

My chicken wings sure turned out great today!!

One more thing, when shutting down wsm do you close all vents including top or leave top open?

Jeff
 
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Jeff Bray said:
My chicken wings sure turned out great today!!
Click to expand...

Excellent !!! I assume that you, the pitmaster, had an enjoyable experience also, as it should be.

Good question on the bag dates. Never looked for a date when we used to use store bought wood. Guess the best is to buy from store that has a good turn over rate. One thing that does help is placing your chunks in the charcoal rather than on top. That would naturally slow down the wood's combustion process.

ADDED: Yes. Close all vents, including the top. With a new WSM that hasn't developed a good layer of 'gunk', it may not fully work. It will in time.

Bob
 
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