Observations...


 
T

Tom Ferguson

Banned
I've been cookin' with the WSM for about a year now. Greatest little cooker on the planet as far as I'm concerned. And this website is the greatest resource for cookin' on the WSM.

One of the most important things I've learned over the past year is to be prepared before you begin each cook. Have a plan: know what goes where and when; if you have to swap meat between the top and bottom grates, do you have the proper work area ready? Etc... details. For me it makes me more confident, and the more confident I am at the beginning of each cook, the better things turn out.

Well, Friday I learned another lesson: Be prepared for when things go wrong. And, maybe more important, Know your cooker.

I've really never cooked without the ET-73. Big mistake. Friday, the pit probe on the ET-73 went on the fritz. So, okay... I'll use my dial thermo with the 6 inch probe through the lid vent. No problem... except I was never smart enough to find out what the lid temp is when the grate is at a certain temp. Really dumb. So I spent some time figuring this out using the other probe on the ET-73.

I had a rack of spares, a rack of beef ribs, and a brisket flat on the cooker, and thankfully they came out great, mostly because I was using the WSM. Very forgiving cooker.

Moral of this story is to become as familiar with your cooker as you can. If you use the "gadgets" (ET-73, BBQ Guru, etc.) be sure to learn how your cooker reacts when these aren't available. I guess you should be able to tell when a butt or brisket is done by look and/or feel too, in case all your therms are busted... but, for now, that's over my head.
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Tom
BBQ is an art and takes a mind set that is about adapting to condititons. Your post shows that you get it. The fun part is you never stop learning.
 
Your story is apt.
If you rely on gadgets (and there is nothing inherently wrong with that) it's worth checking them out often to make sure they're working correctly. Even a plain-Jane thermometer can quit or lose it's calibration or develop a thin veneer or deposits on it: just enough to throw it off. It only takes a few minutes to do a boiling water therm check before a cook.
When you hit various target temps in a cook (the temp you foil, the temp you pull, et.al.), use your fingers and a fork to feel the meat. Remember that feeling (or make a note). It won't take long to learn the feel of different meats at different stages.

(Btw, the Kamado Atlanta thing is a bit weird but still pending. I'll let you knop if (ever) it works out.)
 
Funny you should mention that Jim! i just posted this in my post about my roll this is what i said about you guysss

"You know, i gotta give you BBq Dudes and Dudettes big props!!! This whole smokin thing is such an art.. its not an exact science, and to the ones that master it...WoW! you guys are great"

Its true...you gotta be prepared for everything...and to you "smoking buffs" Kudos to you!
 
Every good plan has a backup. I like having a $9.95 instant read Taylor...when you know your equipment like some do and you know the feel of the meat thats all you need...I wish I was that experienced.
 
Yes, indeedy! There's no substitute for experience (and of course, the vast experience of others you can tap into on this board). And when all else fails, trust yer WSM. It seems to know what it's doing.
 
If there is one thing I do religously, just in case, is to test my lid thermometer. I do this about every other cook.

If I know that lid therm is at 240-250, then no matter if every other gadget goes dead, then I know that my temps will be OK at the grate level. Won't know what they are exactly, but they're definitely in the neighborhood.
 
Yeah well personally guys I don't cook with any *gadgets* of sort besides a therm. for my pit temp and a therm. for my meat temp. Don't need anything fancy shmancy. Just the way I am. I may someday get a remote therm. though.


Big Al
 
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