Newbie with a 18.5...some questions


 
RaymondSeward

RaymondSeward

New member
Hi folks
I took the plunge....followed Harry Soo's seasoning tips and now want to do some ribs. But have a few questions before I do 'em

1. During my seasoning stage I did not get a lot of smoke. The first go round I used 4 chunks of mesquite about tennis ball size. These chunks were completely dry. Second time around I soaked the chunks overnight....even weighted them down....still not a lot of smoke...is this normal? Most other smokers I have observed copious amounts of smoke.

2. I kept the dome temp at 275 as Harry suggested....but it took fussing with vents every 15 minutes. I started out using a 5/16" dowel as a gauge for the bottom and the top vents. From there I adjusted the top vent only using 1/4" and 1/2" dowels as the gauges. As time went on I opened ONE vent only on the bottom. I kept the temp on the dome thermometer 275 +- 10 degrees or so for the duration. I made small adjustments each time and waited the full 15 minutes before making another one. Should I expect to have to check every 15 minutes to adjust the temp?

3. Do you wait to get the temperature up to 275 before putting the meat in or should I put it in from the get go?

4. Should the meat be room temp before putting on the grill?

5. Any recommendations for brand to buy on the wood chunks?

It was breezy both times and outside temp was about 65. I used Kingsford briquettes in the blue package. I have the Maverick Et 733 on order and it should be here tomorrow. My Weber came with a temp port and silicone insert so I guess I don't need to make any modifications to it.

Thanks for any help or insight you can provide!
Ray
 
Welcome to the forum Raymond!
Much expert Pit Master than me will ansewr to you. But I give you my opinions.
1) you should not look for billoing white smoke. Never. It brings you to oversmoked food. And believe me, you will taste it. You should look for the blu thin smoke, almost invisible but still smelled. If you put your hand out the up vent for seconds and smell it, you will feel it. You can't see gut there is. No necessity to soak chuncks.
2) the dome T is something not relayable! Fortunately the Maverik is coming and you can trust it ! I don't understand if you have used water or not (i believe Harry Soo does not use it). W/o water T control is much more difficult but within 10 degrees I can't see any problem. I always close 2 bottom vents and partially the third one and move a little the top vent.
3) i put the meat in when the 22 WSM is at the T i'm looking for.
4) i always move from fridge to WSM.
5) no help
6) the 2014 WSM has the grommet for probes. You are lucky.
 
Thank you Enrico....no water was used as Harry Soo recommended. I'll try your method with the vents....BTW, I have friends that live in Luca. Not sure if that is close to you or not.
 
I never do my ribs that high - 215Fin the Cookshack (3:45 cook) and 225 in the WSM. My first rib cook which turned out fantastic IMHO was based on http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/rib4.html except my own rub. I use water - I find it much easier to moderate the temps and less vent fiddling. I usually go fridge (rub the night before) to smoker. I wait on the WSM till the temp comes up; follow the directions in the link I posted. AS for wood, I've bought some of the Weber stuff in the past. Did not think much of it. Last smoke of ribs used sugar maple from WalMart - "Nature's Grilling". Was really good.
 
Thanks Tom...did you fill the bowl to the top with water ? Did you have to add water and lastly did you cover the bowl with foil? I'll try the sugar maple...Thank you again!
Ray
 
I filled the bowl about 3/4s full. No need to add during the cook. I did cover the bottom of the bowl with foil but was surprised at how little the foil was dicoloured; but I'd still cover it if only for faster clean up. And I think one could leave the foil on for a couple cooks.
 
1. You are looking for "thin blue smoke" if you see a ton of white smoke you have a "dirty fire" and your food will not taste great. Trust me you can over smoke food and its not good.

2. Did you use the minion method? I always leave the top vent 100% open. you want smoke to pass over your food then leave the cooker. I always suggest using the minion method. I typically light 20-30 briquettes in a chimney when its this hot outside.

3. I wait until my temp is holding at my target temp prior to putting on food. I know others dont do that but I do.

4. Some meats can be left to room temp. Some food that is dangerous. Pork and chicken shouldnt be left out at room temp. I normally leave beef out prior to cooking.

5. No suggestion. I normally cut and dry my own.

If you have any other questions ask or shoot me a private message! good luck!
 
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Hi Tommy
So I guess I'm ok with the smoke I'm getting....It makes sense to me that you would leave the top vent open...how do you normally set the bottom vents?....It would seem that the bottom vents do all the temp controls
As to the Minion method....my understanding with respect to that is having a crater in the center of the coal....then dumping the hot coals in the crater. The way I did mine was to put enough coal in to fill the fire ring halfway....without the crater and then dumping 1/2 a chimney of hot coal in the center....the hot coals spread out but I ended up with about an 8 hour burn at 275.
Thank you for your help!
Ray
 
I always leave my top vent 100% open. I want the smoke to go over my food and out. No lingering. Depending on what temp I am trying to achieve I light 20-40 kingsford briquettes. I always use the doughnut minion method. I don't care if I am smoking for 3 hours or 12 hours I use it. Obviously for shorter cook I use less unlit briquettes. I stack my unlit briquettes in a doughnut shape and pour my lit coals in the middle. Once lit coals are in I assemble the cooker and leave all of the vents 100% open. I watch the fire and when my cooker starts getting to my target temp I start closing my vents. Lets say I am shooting for 250 and my smoker temp reaches 220 I will start closing vents. As it gets closer to 250 i'll close the vents more and more until the smoker equals out to my target temp. I try not to ever have to close my vents all the way. When my smoker is stable I put the food in. Once food is in and temp is stable I rarely touch it. Stays pretty close to target temp like a champ. As they say there is more than one way to skin a cat...
 
Yes Tommy...there is more than one way to skin a cat....I like to know them all :-) .... and with practice I will find my method..... Thank you for all your help!
 
RaymondSeward said:
5. Any recommendations for brand to buy on the wood chunks?

It was breezy both times and outside temp was about 65. I used Kingsford briquettes in the blue package. I have the Maverick Et 733 on order and it should be here tomorrow. My Weber came with a temp port and silicone insert so I guess I don't need to make any modifications to it.

Thanks for any help or insight you can provide!
Ray
Click to expand...



~~~For some of your smoke wood, try to buy oak from a local tree expert, the kind of outfit that removes trees from properties. usually they will sell firewood and if your area has an abundance of oak, they'll likely sell it inexpensively, and split, but ready for a fireplace and not your smoker so you'll have to cut it down from there, but worth it

We heat our house in the winter with nothing but wood. Sometimes I buy my wood form the local guy (lives a mile down the road) or like this past spring, I had enough fallen trees on our property, we cut them ourselves then rented a splitter

Sometimes our local tree guy will get a job and score some nice smoke wood like hickory, and sell it on the side to people that want smoke wood, both amateur and pros, so it would be worth your while to see what wood you can source locally, you might even get some free

When you handle the probe wires on your Maverick, make sure you don't pull the wire stressing where the wire goes into the probe...it's an epoxy joint so handle with care. When you pull the probe from your smoker, through the grommet, hold onto the wire with one hand and pull the wire with the other, so as to protect the probe

Some use and like the cheesy batteries that come with the Maverick. I'm using Energizer batteries (AAA). I've read where some have had the batteries draw down while the units sit idle. I've not experienced that with my Maverick. I leave the batteries in and all is well

hope this helps:)
 
Got a couple of thoughts on this. I took Harry Soo's class so I have a little insight and have tried most his techniques on my 22 WSM. As for the new smoker and not much smoke to start I too had that with my 14.5 new out of the box. Not sure why but little smoke the first couple times I used it. That changed after the fourth go around my 22 did it from day 1 but I did get it used... I'd wait, and do wait until the smoke is all but gone. Thin blue smoke is good. Can't really see it but your cooking.

Personally I foil the pan but temp. Fluctuation is a little more prevalent foiling. Unlike Harry's advice I too go wide open on the top vent and use the bottom vents to control temp. And yes you will have to fidget with them a bit but then the temps. will settle in.

I always pull my meat out of the fridge an hour or so before placing on the cooker and my theory is get your WSM up to 300 (if cooking at 275) before placing meat and adjust vents as needed to get it too desired cook temp. Never rely in the dome temp. it's not right.

As for wood can't help you there. I live in oak country and have more than I know what to do with. For fruit wood I visit orchards and get the trees they plan to pull out. Have had good luck getting cherry, apple and peach. Have to take the whole tree but worth it if you have room for the little branches and can burn or dispose of easy.
 
Hi Jake
Thanks for your insight....I'll check with a tree guy for wood...never thought of that. And too late (sigh) for the advice on the probe.....but I was able to fix it tho'......and did change the batteries like you did....
Ray
 
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