New to Board & WSM


 
Status
Not open for further replies.
W

William Pidgeon

TVWBB Member
Just purchased this smoker and will attempt to smoke 3 lbs of ribs(pork) & a beef shouder roast of approx. 3 lbs. any suggestions - purchased some hickory & cherry wood and split them into chunks. any help would be greatly appreciated
 
William

Welcome to the site and congratulations on your purchase. I think you'll be very happy with the WSM.

I don't know if you got BB ribs or spares and there's a difference in prep'n and how long you can expect the cook to take. I suggest you go to the homepage and read up on cooking methods for the two types of ribs. Also look at tips and mods and read about the methods of firing up the WSM. I prefer the MM even for the shorter cooks because it's easier to control your temp on the way up. You do use more fuel, but much can be reused for a future cook. I would start with water in the pan and keep it full. That will keep your heat from getting out of hand. I use a plastic watering can with a curved spout to refill through the access door.

You can test your ribs for doneness by seeing when the meat recedes from the bone 1/8 to 1/4" and then use a toothpick between the bones for tenderness. It should go in easily.

I'm not familiar with the beef shoulder and maybe someone else can give you some thoughts. If it's a pretty lean piece of meat it may not be well suited for low/slow.

If you have questions during the cook, don't hesitate to post. Someone will probably give you a quick reply

Enjoy your cook.

Paul
 
Welcome William, Your'e off to a great start just being here....you will find tons of info.

Hickory and cherry sounds great...try some pecan if you can find it, I think it has an awesome flavor. (Pecan is in the hickory family...not as strong)

Just my 2 cents.....
 
William,
Welcome to the site. You made an excellent choice by deciding to go with the WSM. I agree with Paul as far as going to the "Tips and Mods" link and read about firing up the WSM. I will tell you though, I would not use the owner's manual method (also described in "Tips and Mods") because coals have to be added every hour or so. However, once you read and if you feel comfortable with either the standard or MM it should be okay. The MM is very popular and widely used by most on this site. It does seem that with this your first cook, either the standard or MM would work. If you already have a recipe for your ribs...there is at least one recipe for ribs (BRITU) which can also be found on this site. Are you using briquettes or lump charcoal? Information I gave was based upon my experience using Kingsford briquettes. Hope you have many sucessful cooks using the WSM.
 
Welcome to the wonderful world of the WSM and TVWB! You'll find lot's of good articles on this site, as well as VERY helpful folks on this board.

My immediate advice:

-Read the article on the Minion Method, it's all I do now for getting the Kingsford going good.

-Read the article on 3-2-1 ribs, that's the only technique I use now for both competition as well as for friends/family.

-For ribs, I only cook ribs by themselves. If I'm doing a bunch o beef or pork, I do those as a group since they take about 2 hours per pound (like for brisket or pork shoulders).

-Don't be afraid to ask questions, but do a search for topics just before you ask. There's a good chance that a topic has been discussed in great detail before.
 
Thanks for the info! I have read the VWB sites and will be looking into them further. I wonder if any of you have a simple favorite rub for either beef or pork. thanks
 
William, CLICK here for some of the best rub you'll get your hands on. Many of us have gotten the rub...also ask for a free sample of the #2 rub in the comments section. Be sure to pick up a pair of the gloves while your at it!

Look at the outstanding rub thread that is on the board right now...you'll be ordering by the end of your read I bet!

Congrats on the WSM purchase...buy the best and only cry once!!
 
William, I second the Pecan wood it's very good. I also would recomend the texas bbq rub. the #2 rub (brisket blend) is awsome. the gloves that they sell are very nice for handling hot meat(pulling pork). Do'nt be afraid to ask we were all newbies once. Later Bryan
 
Well I smoked 2.5 lbs of ribs & a little over 3 lbs of beek shoulder and everything came out great! I may cut approx. 1/2 hour off the spare rib time next smoke around ( a little too charred). used cherry & 1 piece of hickory for smoke. Will try cutting a big turkey in half and smoke it next week (only because we have three in the "fridge")-any suggestions?
 
I typically do 12-pounders, but according to discussions here, a 20-pounder will fit in the WSM (first concern). A low & slow cook, however, is not recommended-- too much time in the "danger zone" between 40 and 140*. Turkey is best done at 325-350*, and you can achieve this in the WSM with an empty water pan and a full charcoal ring of coals lit standard method.
Brining the bird would be a plus, too. You need to take the internal temp to 160* in the breast (170* in the thigh)-- resting it for 20 minutes before carving will allow residual heat to bring the temp up to 165/175*, and retain juices. My guess would be to allow 4 to 4-1/2 hours to reach these internal temps, cooking at 325-350*-- my 12-pounders are usually done in 3.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

 

Back
Top