Newbie questions

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hi all,

I just purchased my WSM (already dented the cover, doh!) and I had a couple of questions.

1) I am using Kingsford briquetts and I am having a problem of ashes dispersing in the smoker when I add new coals or wood chips. The ash might be going on the food as is seems to permate the bullet chamber. Would wood briquetts be a better solution for this?

2) Heat control. Argh!!! I am learning to use my smoker by smoking Salmon filets (work my way up to ribs and pork butt). My goal is to get the WSM to 150 degrees for a long slow smoke. My first couple attmepts had the temperature at 200-220. I figure I must start with 1/2 chimney of coals and add three every 30 minutes. Is there a general method for heat control when using kingsford briquets and a weber charcoal chimney? (i.e. 1/2 chimney == 150-170, full chimney == 200- 230).

p.s. I still can't beleive my luck that I found a place with other people using this smoker!
 
Well you could find a couple of screen door handles and bolt them to the main chamber using the existing holes. Then you can carefully pickup the main chamber and place it on the ChrisA recomended large drip pan and attend the fire without problem. You could also just open the door and take care of business and not worry about it. Many succesful WSM cooks do just that. A pair of long quality salad tongs helps in that department. Really low temps and you are flirting with danger unless you have cured your salmon before cooking. If you have and only if you have cured the Salmon first then low temps are a result of less fuel. If you don't know what curing means and are not 100% sure you are not going to kill yourself then try Jim Minion's Salmon recipe which is top notch and normal WSM temps will work.
 
Go to Tip's & FAQ section of this website and you may find your anwsers. It's helped me. Take care !
 
150*F is a hard temp to hold in the WSM. The cooker naturally wants to run above 225*F.

You might take a look at the Smoke Dried Tomatoes topic which demonstrates a 150-160*F fire for up to 24 hours. Using that method you won't have to add more briquettes during the cook. Just scale back the amount of charcoal used. It's basically just the Minion Method with the vents barely cracked open.

Have fun experimenting,
Chris
 
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