New BBq'er, lotsa questions !!!


 
S

Stuart Osterweil

TVWBB Fan
First of all, what a great site this is, with an overwhelming amount of useful info. I've read and learned so much already, but still have many questions.

My WSM should be here any day (along with the chimney starter) and am excited for my first smoke !

Couple of questions:
1) I live in central New Jersey, and was wondering were to get lump coal, I have never noticed it it any stores (though, maybe cause I wasn't looking for it)

2) Also, do you suggest I get my wood from Home Depot/Lowes, or are those an inferior commercail types of product ?

3)"Will I need a temp guage for the WSM, it doesn't seem to come with one ? What kind do I need ?

4) Do you put water in the water pan when you cook Pork butts. To me, you wouldn't want the moisture, but what do I know ?

5) Hypothetical question: I want to serve pulled pork for a Saturday dinner at 6 pm, when do I start them, very early morning stuarday, or late friday night ? (assuming 2, 6 lb butts)

If overnight, and without a "guru" type temp controller, can I expect a steady temp from the WSM ?

6) and many more questions that I will think of...

Thanks to anyone for their time and effort at answering my questons.

As I said, I am very excited to start smoking and learning..
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Stuart Osterweil:
First of all, what a great site this is, with an overwhelming amount of useful info. I've read and learned so much already, but still have many questions.

My WSM should be here any day (along with the chimney starter) and am excited for my first smoke !

Do what Konrad said and search. But here are some quick answers.

Couple of questions:
1) I live in central New Jersey, and was wondering were to get lump coal, I have never noticed it it any stores (though, maybe cause I wasn't looking for it) Walmart carries some. And if you have grill stores around they probably do. If there is a BBQ Galore, they will carry lump.

2) Also, do you suggest I get my wood from Home Depot/Lowes, or are those an inferior commercail types of product ? If you buy smoke wood in plastic bags from those places get it out of the bags ASAP. That stuff is usually not completely aged and can mildew.

3)"Will I need a temp guage for the WSM, it doesn't seem to come with one ? What kind do I need ? Yes. For the cheapest, buy a weber replacement therm and measure through top vent. For being able to check your temps from inside, get either a NU-Temp or a ET-73.

4) Do you put water in the water pan when you cook Pork butts. To me, you wouldn't want the moisture, but what do I know ? Water or sand in the pan. The water isn't as much for moisture as it is for temp control. It will never get over 212*. If you use water, consider getting a Brinkman charcoal pan to use as your water pan. Less refills.

5) Hypothetical question: I want to serve pulled pork for a Saturday dinner at 6 pm, when do I start them, very early morning stuarday, or late friday night ? (assuming 2, 6 lb butts) Late Friday night. Start around 8 or 9. Have a small cooler to put meat in when it comes off cooker to keep meat warm.

If overnight, and without a "guru" type temp controller, can I expect a steady temp from the WSM ? WSM is rock solid on temp control. Just check water and coals before retiring.

6) and many more questions that I will think of... Fire away. We love to answer questions.

Thanks to anyone for their time and effort at answering my questons.

As I said, I am very excited to start smoking and learning.. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
Stuart--Welcome.

As Konrad says search around the forums by clicking the Find button (right above your name at the top of your post). Also, clicking the Cooking tab at the top of this page will take you to a recipe (and other types of info) page where Chris gives loads of specifics on everything you need to know at the outset (e.g. yes, you use water in the pan with butts).

I'd recommend starting out with Kingsford charcoal instead of lump while you're learning the nuances of smoking with the WSM. (I prefer Kingsford for long cooks regardless.) Smokewood from Home Depot or Lowe's is fine--try to get the chunks, not chips, if you can--though chips will work.

Get a metal candy or deep-fry therm for the WSM's lid. The kind with the clip that allows you to clip it to a side of a pot on the stove. You can bend the clip to hold the therm in one of the lid's vent holes. You'll want a therm to check the internal temps of your meats as well.

The butts I'd do late Fri night--you do not need a Guru for long cooks--because it would give me time to get them going, get the temps stabilized, and go to bed. When they're done, probably 10-12 hours later I could (aas you'll see in the recipes) wrap the in doubled HD foil and stash them in a cooler to stay hot for quite a while. You'd want to do this anyway for at least an hour--two is better--for the butt's juices to re-distribute; makes for a better, more tender, and more flavorful end result. Starting them the night before gives you plenty of time for this resting phase and time to get your side dishes together, and the adult beverages chilled before you pull the pork and serve.

I see Chris has just posted similar answers already but here you go anyway...
 
Stuart
Welcome to here.
Most of your questions have been addressed. I concur emphatically with Kevin's briquette suggestion, the uniform size allows you to get a feel for how the WSM performs; you can hold one thing [theoretically] constant between cooks.
As Chris mentioned about the timing for the butts giving yourself plenty of time will mean you'll actually have dinner on the table at dinner time.
Lastly, I cannot bring myself to buy wood, and I plan in advance. I was dragging maple logs home from behind the train station last year. I found a cherry tree that had been hit by a truck, one that a neghbour was cutting back, and hit up my friends who have fruit trees. You should check out a local U-pick orchard and ask around, there must be plenty in the Garden State, I stayed in Cherry Hill for a month once, I imagine they named it for a reason.

Try this site: pickyourown

enjoy

morgan
 
To all who have replied, thank you very much for your time.

I will definately search around this site, there is just an endless supply of great info here.

I will see if I can pick up any free wood at some of the orchards around me, great idea. I will probably buy a couple of bags of wood from the stores just to get started. Unfortunately, almost every tree on my property is Pine.

I used to cook my pork butts in a crock pot, so sad, so sad !!

"Rest, it's not just for meat !"
 
Stuart
There's nothing wrong with cooking butts in a crock pot, just don't pretend it's BBQ. I'll be cooking some ribs in the oven tonight: I have to use them, they were on sale, I don't have charcoal, I'm watching the boy, and it will be 7pm before I get home. I'll be interested to see how they came out. btw pot au feu made with brisket (not BBQed) a while back was excellent!!

morgan
 
Thanks Keri
That's really weird, I was going to do almost exactly the same:
My rub is slightly different (sub Chinese 5 spice for cumin)
I was going to brown the ribs under the broiler then wrap in foil with apple juice cook for about an hour at a higher temp, glaze and caramelise and serve. Since I'm using an oven I want to see if I can "speed" cook them.

Oh, the BBQ sauce I'm using is homemade, after pulling the meat off the WSM last time I put a tray of plum tomato halves in to smoke so the sauce has a hint of smoke to it.
 
I just want to chime in about the temps question. I remember my first night cook. Of course I do it was just a few months ago. Anyhow I set my alarm every 2 hours to go check the temp and the water. Well it was very steady all I ended up doing was adding water.

Now days I check about 4 hours in to my sleep. If I had bought a brinkman pan (which I still plan on doing sometime) I would probobly just sleep my normal night. I find my temps stay steady for 8-10 hours. That is using Kingsford I haven't tried lump yet. Sams has a good price on Kingsford BTW.

Someone on the forums said bass pro had charcoal/water pan for around $5. I was near one back in November and stopped in. I only saw one charcoal pan and it was the price I remembered. I looked and looked and it didn't look big enough diameter. I eventually said I am only out $5 if it is. I got it home and well it was too small. I am going to just have to break down and order one online.
 
Jeff, sounds like you may have gotten the ECB water pan and not the charcoal pan. Not to worry though, you can use it for other things or take it back. I use one for throwing pulled pork into as I shread it. I've also used it sitting on the lower rack to catch drippings while cooking roast beef to make my au jus.
 
Chris, those are some great suggestions for uses of the pan. I am not going to take it back for sure. It isn't worth an hour drive for a $5 return. I just happened to be near there for another reason and decided to stop and see if I could get a pan. I especially like catching the drippings idea.
 
hey staurt. If you dont mind taking a short drive, the hardware store in point pleasant beach carries lump. point beach hardware on arnold ave.

welcome to the board.
 
Frank,

Thank you very much, that is very generous.

I think I just might take you up on your offer soon.

I want to get some smoke experience first (haven't even used the WSM yet), and then I will contact you.

Once again, thank you for your offer.
 
All Frank's from NJ are so nice! You can also find some lump at these wholesale stores http://jetro.com/stores/stores.htm (call first due to the seasonal issues). Here as well http://www.restaurantdepot.com/Misc/storesrch.asp

Membership is free but you need to be affiliated with a business. It is a great resource for Meat as well... esp. in our area...

PS.. Frank ya got some for me
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A quick comment on lump: A good site with what I think are very reliable reviews on different brands of lump is Naked Whiz. All lumps aren't created equal. It's worth taking a look.
 
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