Notes from first cook on my 22" WSM


 
G

Greg Powers

TVWBB Super Fan
Started early Saturday morning with a 12# packer, trimmed and marinated over night.
WSM filled with lump and started with half a chimney of Kcomp, mesquite for smoke. I'll use less next time as it tasted a little oversmoked to my wife and I, but our guests loved it!
The water pan started out foiled and empty but my temp got high and I got nervous and put water in it. I picked up a couple clay saucers yesterday for next time as the water limited the bark (at least that's what I'm blaming it on). I had an Auber ATC hooked up and had to keep playing with the vents to keep my target temp as it would go low, then high. I think once the smoker gets 'gunked up' it will be easier to control. I had the smoker blocked off as much as I could but we had 25+ mph winds all day which probably didn't help much.
I was spending a lot of time inside watching storm reports and would go out to check and the temp would be as much as 30° off so I picked up a cheap baby monitor yesterday so that I can make adjustments sooner if needed in the future.
Looking forward to next weekend, we'll be doing a brisket on it for a competition!
 
If you have an ATC hooked up ther is utterly no need for water or for clay saucers. Using a heat sink with an ATC is contraindicated and can be detrimental. The problem you experienced is that you lit the cooker (using half a chimney of lit is lighting the cooker) rather than letting the ATC do it.

Use maybe a half dozen lit coals, 10 tops. Have your lid vent ~50%. All lower vents should be closed except, of course, the one for the blower.
 
Thanks Kevin.
I put the smoker together and turned on the ATC as soon as I dumped the lit coals in and let the controller bring it up to temp. The problem could have been that my top vent was still wide open. I'll start at half next time and see what happens.
Greg
 
And use much less lit. The ATC is not 'bringing the cooker up to temp' with that much lit - the lit is. This can be a problem and is very likely the reason for the temp swings.

ATC's work by fanning he flames, so to speak, allowing the unlit to slowly light from the air blown in. As the ATC senses the temp rise it should blow less often and for less time. This is how it controls. Having too much lit to start, having a heat sink like water or ceramic, having other vents open, can all mess up the ATC's ability to control the come-up and maintenance of the temps.
 
So you're saying it's not like my pellet cookers where I just turn it on, set the temperature and it does the rest? Just kidding,
this is my first ATC so I really do appreciate your help in shortening my learning curve with it. I believe it will be a really handy accessory once I learn how to use it properly.
Thanks again,
Greg
 
Cook #2 started off much better. I used a 1" piece of fire starter stick and as soon as it was burning good I assembled the WSM and the ATC. It held within a few degrees of my target for 6 hours. Then I checked my charcoal and the temp started rising. I thought; no big deal since I had the door open it got a little extra air and would go back down. About 45 minutes later as the temp was still climbing my darling wife pointed out that I did not get to door completely closed
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In my defense, it was 5am and dark out
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A side note on the baby monitor, the Auber never alarmed while we were trying to sleep, but the monitor did pick up sirens from the fire station a block away, motorcycles leaving the bar nearby and people talking....
 
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