Newbie Questions: high heat, wood chips, food safety, etc.


 
J

Jon Des.

TVWBB Gold Member
So I just received an 18.5 WSM for a birthday present from my wonderful wife, and am gearing up for a first cook on Saturday. I'm planning to cook 2 butts and a chicken, high heat. I figure the butts will take about 5 hours and the chicken an hour and a half. Here's where I'm lost:

1 - Water or foil in the pan for a 325 cook?

2 - I have a lot of wood chips, but I get the impression that chunks are in order. I struck out at 2 places today trying to buy chunks of apple wood. I have some sassafras, maple, and cherry chunks. Well, they're not exactly fist-sized chunks but more like thick sticks split off logs. Which way should I go?

3 - Since the chicken is going to cook for significantly less time, I assume the smart way is to put it on top and the butts on the lower grate. I guess since any juices being cooked out will be boiling, that there's no risk of cross-contamination right?

4 - What sort of time should I expect to get the WSM set up and up to temperature compared to the kettle?

Thanks for your help! I feel like I'm learning all over again.
 
Jon, First of all, congrats on the WSM! You won't be let down at all by the WSM. As for the questions...
1)I would go with foil in the pan with no water. this will allow you to achieve higher temps and the foil will greatly improve clean up time.
2)I would go with some maple and cherry sticks for the butts,(maybe 3 or 4 sticks 3/4"-1" in diameter and 5"-6" long) and some apple chips or cherry for the chicken. the butts can take a lot of smoke and still taste great, where as the chicken needs a softer smoke (apple/cherry) or it will really overpower the taste.
3)You should be able to use the top grate for both the butts and your chicken. (now hear me out, I'm not crazy) I have never done chicken on my WSM, but going by your time table, you should be able to cook the chickens after the butts are finished, wrapped in foil and blankets, and resting in a cooler. A butt can rest in a cooler (wrapped in foil and towels) for up to 5 hours and still be hot when you take it out. This (resting period) will provide you plenty of time to cook your chicken on the top shelf.
4)set up should take about 10 mins, but thats about all the help I can give in refrence to times as I have only done low and slow cooks on my WSM and have only used the minion method to get up to temp. Sorry.
Don't worry, the butts as they say are bullet proof, and with your experience, the chicken won't give you any problems either. relax and enjoy!
Pics, Pics, Pics...
Hope this helps,
Tim
 
I wouldn't think butt would be tender in just 5 hours unless you foiled them.

1 - No water, just foil the pan.

2 - Maple would be great with chicken. Cherry too. You could wrap the chips in a ball of foil and poke finger-size hole in the top. Still won't last as long as chunks though.

3 - Correct. Not so much that the chicken juices will be 200º+ but that the butt surface, foiled or not, will be 300º+ and will finish 'cooking' anything that lands on it.

4 - 15~20 minutess for coals in the chimney to fully light. 30~45 minutes for WSM to hit 325º. No idea about the kettle since all I've ever done with them is grill.
 
Thanks for the tips. The chicken is off, and the butts are still cooking away at 350. I'll post some pics later in the photo gallery forum.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top