Oklahoma


 
JimMilton

JimMilton

TVWBB Member
Just bought a used 22 inch WSM on FB marketplace. Upgrading with a hinge and door from Cajun Bandit, and a vortex fire box from Hunsaker. I'll be spending some time this weekend cleaning it up and getting it going. This site has some good tips. Thanks!
 
Should I put my hunsaker vortex coal basket on the factory coal grate or let it rest on the bottom of the WSM?
 
JimMilton said:
Should I put my hunsaker vortex coal basket on the factory coal grate or let it rest on the bottom of the WSM?
Click to expand...
Jim - This photo makes it look like Hunsaker wants you to remove the charcoal grate - it looks like they provide a round, solid plate that the rest of their apparatus sits on in the bottom of the WSM. I'll be very interested in your thoughts on this modification. If you don't have experience cooking on the 22" WSM, it's generally a little hard to get it into that hot and fast cooking zone (over 275F) even with taking out the water pan and adding a diffuser plate (I tried the fire dial). The latest notes I've read on that topic indicate the vent holes in the lid are too restrictive even when they're wide open, so in order to get to higher temperatures, you have to either modify the 22" WSM by adding another vent which requires some skill, or by finding a way to keep the lid partially cracked.

I also recommend using a pork butt for the first cook..... Pulled pork is delicious and it's relatively hard to mess up. Run your WSM between 225 and 300, wrap it tight in foil when the butt temp is 170 ish, check it for "probe tender" at about 200F, leave it in the foil/at cook temperature until the probe insertion is very smooth and has very little resistance. Check in 3 or 4 places. Once you're there, take it off the heat, but leave it wrapped and in a cooler or warm oven for an hour or so, then shred and serve.



hunsaker.jpg
 
I'm seasoning with spray oil and hasty bake real wood charcoal. All vents open. Smoke is running a light, faint color. Edit: still learning temp control. Closed vents and will see what happens.
 
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Usually when you're having issues with getting up to temp, it's because you didn't light enough coals to start with (the opposite also applies). I also adjust for weather conditions (windy days make temp control pretty hard). I'm lighting up my WSM in a little while and I'll share some photos. Just doing some chicken halves....
 
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