New WSM 14.5 first cook help

[JSpradlin]

Hi all! This is my first time writing here. My wife just got me a WSM 14.5 and I am really excited to use it! My past experience grilling has been on my gas Weber Spirit, so I have been reading up on forums for where to start with smoking. I am sure this has been answered, but I couldn't find the thread. But to get started, is it worth it to do a burn off the first time? Or should I just wipe the grates a bit and go for it?

Also, I know that I should stick to more forgiving meats to start with while I learn to dial in the temperature. I live in upstate NY so I am not overly concerned with it running too hot. Any recommendations for the first attempt that are forgiving but don't require quite as much cook time as something like pork butt?

Thanks in advance! This has already been a great resource for me to learn from reading.

 

[Jim C in Denver]

No need to season. Just cook.

Seasoning Your New Weber Bullet - The Virtual Weber Bullet

All about seasoning your new Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker before use. You don't need to season a new WSM before use, but if you insist, here's how to do it.

www.virtualweberbullet.com

Start with some shorter cooks -- like chicken or ribs.

Cooking Topics - The Virtual Weber Bullet

Articles and recipes explaining how to cook barbecue on the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, plus a variety of reference topics and instructional videos.

www.virtualweberbullet.com

 

[Michael Richards]

I have a 14 WSM also and love it, I got mine used so I can not answer the burn in question. First piece of advice go to this sites home pages and read Chris's advice on everything!!! https://www.virtualweberbullet.com
But, the best advice I have to control temps is to use water in the water pan. There are many different thoughts about a heat shield on the forum but to start I recommend using water to help keep temps controlled. Once you get more comfortable with your cooker you can decide if you want to try something else. I also very much recommend using a minion method to start your charcoal. I have used about max 12 briquettes of KBB for a minion method. Let me know if you need more information about that or if you have a already been reading up on it.
As for a cut of meat a pork shoulder is very forgiven with temps even if you get spikes over 300 there is a great chance it still comes out great, but it is a longer cook at least 9 hours at 275 to around 20 hours at 225. Check out a resent thread about a hot and fast pork shoulder.

A bit of frustration...

Fourth cook with a new-to-me WSM 14.5.. first three were pretty good. Since it's the last few days of my vacation, I thought I would pull an all-nighter and do an 8lb pork butt. I fully expected a ten to twelve hour cook, and set myself up to sleep outside (I am a backpacker at heart and sleep...

tvwbb.com

You can always, do Chris's hot and fast chicken

Hot & Fast Chicken - The Virtual Weber Bullet

Hot & Fast Chicken: Tender, well-rendered chicken skin worth eating is achieved using a high-temp smoke-roasting method in the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker.

www.virtualweberbullet.com

But with that no water pan and just let it go. This may be a good option to let it burn off for a while and then through the chicken on. This is good just get you using the cooker, but it not a cook where you are trying to control temps. I started with two racks of back back ribs did a 5 to 6 hour open cook, no wrapping trying to keep the temps around 250 to start to learn.

 

[JSpradlin]

Thank you Jim and Michael for your helpful replies! I just finished my setup and I plan to do my first cook soon. I will reply back with what I end up cooking and how it goes!

 

[AlbertHui]

When I first bought my WSM, I decided to burn through a chimney of charcoal to break it in and possibly burn off any factory oils. Had the empty water pan and both grated in it. After about 2 hours of burn time with the WSM empty, I put a cake pan filled with pecans and a brown sugar caramel sauce, threw a couple pieces of hickory on the coals and made candy pecans. That way I didn’t feel like I completely wasted a whole chimney of coals.