Newbie looking for tips on using the WSM


 
J

JasonMG

New member
Hi All, I am looking into purchasing a 14" WSM but would like to get some input on what all is involved before I take the plunge. I am mostly interested in trying some brisket and pork butts.

Does anyone have tips on what accessories would be considered absolutely essential? This is for basic, backyard smoking...I'm not trying to win any BBQ championships. I know I'll need a chimney starter as well as some digital thermometers. Anything else that would be considered a must-have for a first-timer just getting started?

As far as thermometers, it doesn't appear that there are any built-in ports for running them into the smoker. What is the best way to go about this? I have read where some folks drill holes in the side to run their thermometers. Is it necessary to somehow suspend the thermometer inside? I'm assuming I can't just lay it on the smoking rack? I guess need at least 2, for each smoking rack...do I also need thermometers IN the meat that I'm smoking?

Gaskets? I have read varying opinions. Some have said their WSM worked fine without gaskets, others said it was impossible to control the temperature without adding gaskets to the door and lid. Is there a consensus here? If so, what gasket(s) work best?

Wood chips? I read on one site that for some meats, wood chips aren't necessary as the coals produce enough smoke, but I thought the whole point was to get the flavor from the wood. If using wood chips, is there a standard amount to use? Is it possible to use too many and ruin the taste? Do you just toss the chips on the coals? Mix them in? Some swear by soaking the chips first while others say that is the worst thing you can do.

Coal arrangement? It seems Kingsford blue is the consensus best coal to use, but I've read all different kinds of ways for arranging the briquettes. Any thoughts here?

Seasoning the WSM? This seems pretty involved, as the one method I read (Harry Soo) involved three stages of seasoning before actually cooking any meat. This would likely take me 3 weeks since I only have Saturdays to do it. Is the Soo method about right for what I would need to do?

Any other thoughts for a newbie (not a professional!) would be appreciated! TIA!
 
JasonMG said:
Hi All, I am looking into purchasing a 14" WSM but would like to get some input on what all is involved before I take the plunge. I am mostly interested in trying some brisket and pork butts.

Does anyone have tips on what accessories would be considered absolutely essential? This is for basic, backyard smoking...I'm not trying to win any BBQ championships. I know I'll need a chimney starter as well as some digital thermometers. Anything else that would be considered a must-have for a first-timer just getting started?

As far as thermometers, it doesn't appear that there are any built-in ports for running them into the smoker. What is the best way to go about this? I have read where some folks drill holes in the side to run their thermometers. Is it necessary to somehow suspend the thermometer inside? I'm assuming I can't just lay it on the smoking rack? I guess need at least 2, for each smoking rack...do I also need thermometers IN the meat that I'm smoking?

Gaskets? I have read varying opinions. Some have said their WSM worked fine without gaskets, others said it was impossible to control the temperature without adding gaskets to the door and lid. Is there a consensus here? If so, what gasket(s) work best?

Wood chips? I read on one site that for some meats, wood chips aren't necessary as the coals produce enough smoke, but I thought the whole point was to get the flavor from the wood. If using wood chips, is there a standard amount to use? Is it possible to use too many and ruin the taste? Do you just toss the chips on the coals? Mix them in? Some swear by soaking the chips first while others say that is the worst thing you can do.

Coal arrangement? It seems Kingsford blue is the consensus best coal to use, but I've read all different kinds of ways for arranging the briquettes. Any thoughts here?

Seasoning the WSM? This seems pretty involved, as the one method I read (Harry Soo) involved three stages of seasoning before actually cooking any meat. This would likely take me 3 weeks since I only have Saturdays to do it. Is the Soo method about right for what I would need to do?

Any other thoughts for a newbie (not a professional!) would be appreciated! TIA!
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1. Can you afford the 18.5" WSM? If yes, buy that instead. I bought the 14.5" and I already have space issues with pork butts. Not sure I'll ever get around to fitting a whole brisket on the thing.

2. There is a silicone grommet built into the WSM for thermometers. It works great. I highly recommend Thermoworks for the thermometers. I have 3 Dots, 2 smoke probes with grate clips, and 3 high temp straight probes for the meat. The displays are large and my place is small enough that I can just look out my back window and see what my temps are at. Your mileage may vary on that and you might want to consider the Smoke which has a wireless component you can bring in the house. EDIT: You'll also want a probe thermometer to check temps in multiple spots and for tenderness I use a Thermoworks Pop but the grand daddy of all probe thermometers is the Thermapen also by Thermoworks. Buy what your budget allows.

3. You want wood chips and wood chunks. The Virtual Weber Bullet website has lots of great starter recipes that recommend an amount of wood. Adjust to the weight of your meat. I made a 10.5lbs pork shoulder last weekend and did not use enough wood. Because I was used to cooking 8 pounders.

4. I only use Kingsford Blue and for long smokes I use the minion method. For quicker smokes I light a chimney and dump in the coals or a light a chimney, dump the coals, then dump another empty chimney on top of that and wait for everything to get lit.

5. I didn't season my WSM. I just did a big hot load of coals in the empty WSM to burn off any grease or anything that might have got on the smoker during construction, shipping, etc. Everything seems to work fine.
 
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There are no "must have" accessories for a WSM in my opinion. The smoker works wonderfully straight out of the box. You can experiement with automatic temp controllers or a cajun bandit door (2 of the more popular accessories) but they aren't necessary for cranking out good q.

The 14.5 WSM is a great model. As Jim mentioned I'd also consider the 18.5 WSM for the added space. The 18 inch version was the standard (and still is IMO) for many years for a reasonably priced high quality smoker.

As for thermometers, I started with a Marverick 732 off of Amazon through the silicone grommet port. (Wait for a sale if possible)

For the charcoal setup, research the "Minion Method". This is the easiest and most effective way to operate your WSM IMO.

For starters, I'd recommend reading over the summary of Harry Soo's Q&A that is posted in PDF form on the forum. It's where I started when I got my first WSM (have had 4 in total) and I still refer to it to this day.

Good luck with your decision and happy smoking!
 
Like the other guys said, the 18.5" is probably your best bet, if you're only ever getting one AND you cook for more than 3 people. The 14.5" is the most fuel efficient, but lacks space. The 22.5" has tons of room, but blows through a bag of charcoal every smoke. I personally have the 14.5" and love it (I currently only cook for myself and the wife), but I also plan on getting a 22.5" when it's needed. I can fit 1 butt on each rack. Or a small-medium brisket flat. Or about 1 lb of wings per rack (almost touching). Or 1 rack of STL ribs per rack (lying flat, in ).

Other than a digital thermometer (the installed one is rarely accurate) and a charcoal chimney (to avoid lighter fluid), there's not really anything else that is "essential".

If you're buying new, there IS a silicone grommet that has a pinhole for meat-type thermometers and an eyelet to run probe wires through. You CAN leave an air probe on a rack, but it may be getting inaccurate readings from the metal grate. When I haven't had a grate clip, I just used a foil ball or half a potato to suspend the air probe.

I believe the larger WSM you get, the more gaskets become useful. If you get your 14.5" gunked up (it's also the size I have), your WSM will seal fine. Just cook some fatty stuff at first. I started with a lb of bacon. It worked almost TOO well; my lid would get stuck to the middle a lot.

I'd say MOST people use wood CHUNKS, but chips may be fine on such a small smoker. As for soaking, I know I've seen somewhere where a guy dyed water and soaked chunks. He saw that the water barely penetrates the surface. However, that's chunks. Water may be a bit more useful for chips, which would just burn up instead of smolder.

I think charcoal brand just depends on what's available to you and what you like. KBB (Kingsford Blue Bag) seems to be the standard, but I know some guys use lump and like the higher temps, some guys use Stubbs and claim there's less ash, etc.

As for seasoning, I did about 1/3 of Soo's method and it worked fine (lb of bacon). I'm not too sure there would ever be an agreement on seasoning being a necessity. Same with gasket kits. Same with water in water pans. Same with fat-side up or down or sideways or trimmed off. It's up to you.

For me, I always do the easiest/cheapest thing first. If that doesn't work how I want, I try something different.

Good luck!
 
Good advice above. If you want to do briskets, the 14.5 is too small. The lid thermometer is notoriously inaccurate, so some sort of probe system is highly recommended. Start with some pork butts -- they are more forgiving than a brisket.

Main thing is to cook often to get experience, have some fun, cook some good eats and drink some beer.

Jeff
 
Everyone above has it nailed pretty well. The only two cents I could offer is don't get to wrapped up in all the aftermarket bells and whistles available for the WSM. At one time or another I've almost bought several of them, but the more I use it the more I realize I can do without them. As the others have said, my only exception would be to purchase a good thermometer probe. I have several of Thermoworks' products and can't speak highly enough of them. Their Smoke probe is my new best friend for long cooks.
 
Not much I can add to what's already been said. I do have a 14.5 Smokey Joe mini and a 18.5 WSM. There is just two of us so the mini usually gets the call. But with that said if you're going to just have one I would go with the 18.5. Even with that a full brisket is a tight squeeze, a smaller flat will fit on the mini.
I use a Maverick 732 which has both grate temp and food temp with a remote and find it works very well.
 
Jason, the only help I can add is have Patience.

There will be times when you believe it's taking far too long and "should" be ready. Patience ! There will be times when the cook is just not going correctly, according to what you read or heard somewhere. Patience !

Wishing you Enjoyable cooks in your BBQ journey.
 
Arm yourself with the best books and YouTube videos and the vast info in this site to learn about smoking and like Bob Bass said have patience. My poor family endured some pretty pitiful meals before I figured it out. Good luck! Have fun, don't stress. Its all a good time!
 
Thanks for all the great tips! Working on getting a slightly used 18" on Craigslist for $120.

Has anyone had experience ordering meat online? I've looked around in my area in preparation and none of our local stores seem to sell brisket or pork butts, at least not on any kind of regular basis.

I see several places online where you can order the meat and have it shipped fresh. Just curious.
 
JasonMG said:
I've looked around in my area in preparation and none of our local stores seem to sell brisket or pork butts, at least not on any kind of regular basis.
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Where do you live in Maryland? We lived in Montgomery County for 14 years and I shopped at this place routinely. BEST fresh meat I have ever tried. Well worth looking into for brisket and Boston Butt.

http://www.hempsmeat.com/
 
JeffB said:
Where do you live in Maryland? We lived in Montgomery County for 14 years and I shopped at this place routinely. BEST fresh meat I have ever tried. Well worth looking into for brisket and Boston Butt.

http://www.hempsmeat.com/
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Sweet...thanks! I live in Southern Maryland...Charles County. Have looked around but haven't seen any meat markets like that around here. That's about an hour and a half from me, but should be manageable if I plan it out right. Thanks!
 
Do you have a BJs or costco? they carry pork butts.
Also, if you ask your local supermarket, they may be able to get you one without too much of an issue.

I'm relatively new to this too. My big "accessories" and tips
1) put water in the water bowel or something at least. It makes the temperature monitoring pretty simple for those of us who don't know what we're doing.
2) definitely get a chimney. Its not even close. Making getting the fire started super simple.
3) meat probes are definitely helpful, that was my 1 toy I got this month after having it for a bit. I got a thermoworks Smoke. really nice toy and makes temp monitoring easy.
4) windy day you need something to block the wind or else you'll be fighting temps. Last time, I just used some plywood that I put together with zip ties and it worked well.

I didn't season mine, new out of box. It seemed to work just fine. I've only tried ribs a few times, a loin, and a pork butt, so take my advice at your own risk.

I personally think the gaskets and doors and all the accessories are really for the people who are experienced and can really fine tune things to the max since they've been doing it so long or so much, or the people who just have to buy toys for their toys b/c toys are cool. Nothing wrong with either, but I think unnecessary right out of the box.
 
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I'll also join the chorus recommending the 18.5" model. It is the most versatile. I've never owned a 14.5 in once, but I can't imagine trying to smoke a full packer on one. I can barely fit them on my 18.5". For a thermometer, Mavericks are good, but a Thermoworks Smoke would be great. I will come with a clip to secure the probe off the grate. You can also drill a cork and slip the probe through that onto the grate. I just ran my probe cables under the lid and never had a problem. I bought a BBQ Stoker several years ago and it had the grommets, so I use those now. As far as gaskets go, I would do it sooner rather than later. It helps seal up the most leak prone part of these cookers. Plus, your door will eventually get bent, dinged, etc over time and not seal. More door is beat all to hell (been eleven years of ownership) and I probably should replace it with a Cajun Bandit one. I use wood chunks for smoke, with the number depending on the length of cook and what I am cooking. The recipes section of this site is a great place to start.
 
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