Newbie BBQ Method Question.


 
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Rich B.

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Hello,

My WSM is scheduled to arrive on the 4th and I am excited. For my first smoke I am planning to do around 25 chicken thighs. I have mostly been grilling using my old Char-Griller. With grilling you are constantly checking the meat, turning, basting, etc. How often do you check the meat while smoking?
 
Never!!!!

Well, just to turn and baste if neccessary. The secret to the WSM is to leave it alone, unless you have to make some vent adjustments to control temp.

Tho I have not done chicken yet, it is advised to do it at a higher temp. From what I've read, the chicken skin does not come out well with the low and slow method for which this smoker excels in.

Rath *gonna try chicken soon*
 
The joy of smoking is more flavor, less work. Final thought: at the end I advise removing your done chicken for a moment. Remove the center section and then the water pan or just remove the pan. Stir the coals and reassemble without the pan. put chicken skin side down and crisp the skin. Feel free to glaze while doing this. You are just crisping the skin, should not take long. You do not have to do this but some people say the skin is rubbery just smoked. BE CARFUL!!! DO NOT HURT YOURSELF!! DROPPING THE WATER PAN INTO THE COALS IS A VERY BAD THING!!! STEAM HURTS ALOT!! Like I said, no need to do this step if you feel uncomfortable. I see this all the time in on TV and at competitions. My chicken guru does this step, but he has modified his WSM with handles for easy removal. ENJOY!!! Chicken thighs are the excatly right meat for the WSM. The extra fat content helps keep the meat moist. They are done around 180* internal.
 
the less you check on the meat the better itll be....when i grill i always check and check and check..and its pretty much ok cuz the temp jumps back up really quickly...however witht he wsm it takes a while for the temp to get back up to where you had it. and if you had the lid open for a while to much air might have come in and stoked the coals and now your gonna have a spike....dont remember who told me ....but he said.....JUST LEAVE IT ALONE....and as for the chicken skin...i had no prob with cooking it at 225-250 my wife enjoyed the skinn even though it wasnt like grilled...i dont usually eat the skin but it was ok.....just not CRISPY....good luck. i guess its a matter of preference...and be very carefull when moving the hot wsm...that steam is unforgiving......my policy is after a very close call... i dont move the wsm when its hot....done!
Mords
 
Rich:

May I suggest a thermometer. At the very least one should be aware of the internal temps of the WSM (IMHO). If one were to dig back thru the posts (use the Find button and search on "temperature") if my memory serves me correctly, one of the Grand Vizeers(sp?) stated that a dome thermometer is all that is needed. For large pieces, I would recommend a second probe thermo for butts, briskets, etc..

But, for this project, lots of thighs (one of my favorites
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) , I would try to a least keep track of the dome temp. See the Tips and Mods section for more information.
 
Rich B

When using the WSM for smoking (low/slow) try to keep lid removal (checking) to a minimum. On butts I almost always do overnights and start the cook around 7 p.m. I'll let it get stabilized and then spray at about 9 or so. With water in the pan, refill through the door and go to bed. Check at 6 a.m., remove cooking grates to table and replace lid. Spray, flip and rotate from top to bottom. Insert probe therm and put back on cooker. Spray each hour till butt reaches 195.

Paul
 
I agree with the need for a thermometer. I did a very simple modification and it has worked well for me. I drilled a small hole through the rivet in the top vent and inserted a $10 Weber thermometer. I use to stick it through a hole in the vent but this method made it so I could close the vent without removing the thermometer. I got the idea on this site. You can spend all kinds of money and do all kinda of modifications, but a thermometer is almost essential and this one was simple, cheap, and very helpful to me. http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=98110183&f=8680069052&m=2280020152
 
Rich, allow me to put in my 2 cent suggestion. The key(IMO) to good chicken or turkey(I've done both)is to get the WSM hotter than you would normally use it to BBQ with. I find that the 350-375 range is the best. Also, using the standard fire-up method is sufficient although on everything else I use the Minion Method.

Wrap the water pan in HD(wide)foil and do not put water in it! This will allow you to achieve the temps required and will also allow the skin to crisp up on its own without having to finish it on a gasser.

25 Chicken thighs isn't that much so I don't think your smoke will be very long(maybe 4-6)at all. Hook yourself up with a weber replacement therm at the HD for $10 and jam it in the lid hole to get your smoker temp. Then get an instant read therm to check the temp of the chicken. This will allow you quick info and lessen the time the lid will be off.

Remember, with smoking, its not about time, instead, its about patience...BBQ is done when it's done. While some BBQ takes substantially longer than other BBQ the good thing is that it will all taste great and you will be able to impress your friends and neighbors beyond measure. Expect to have BBQ early and often for everyone...people might even ask you to cook something for them for their functions!! What a comliment that is
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Good Luck and rememebr that we are here to help you during you learning curve. You wont meet a better bunch of guys and girls than you will right here!
 
Can't remember where I heard this but "If you're lookin you ain't cookin". That's the part I hate most about the WSM. You have to leave it alone. I'm one of them guys that sits in front of the fireplace with a poker constantly poking the logs. Sometimes I even light them....lol
 
Hi There Rich, I'm pretty new to smoking myself (been grilling forever though) and the folks on this forum have been great.

This is nothing like grilling so leave the lid alone!

I've been using a wireless thermometer this summer you might want to think about one. On a grill I \pretty much know by instinct when something's done. Smoking is a whole 'nother story.

Last July 4th I smoked a duck at about 250. The skin was soft. I crisped it up over a gas grill. Another member of this forum suggested I could have crisped it by breaking down the middle section of the WSM and grilling directly over the coals for a few minutes.

You might want to try this?
 
just remember guys.. if your going to be removing that water pan....be very carefull!!!!
many close call have happened with that...and some not so close ones.....but hey Duck?! i havnt had that in a while...maybe ill make that tom.....I LOVE THIS PLACE...HEHE
later guys
Mords
 
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