Pre heat WSM?


 
M

Mikey Stazz

New member
Should you always pre heat your WSM before adding your meat? Is it best to add the meat as soon as the coal is fully engaged or should you wait until you hit your 225 - 250 desired temp?

thanks
 
If doing low and slow(for me 275 for ribs and chicken, 250 for brisket and butts) I pre-heat, I throw the meat on when I am 15 minutes within my target. I have done high heat butts and brisket, when doing high heat I assemble the WSM and throw the meat on cold. I want to make sure I get a good smoke ring. Under low & slow I let the meat get to room temperature.
 
I start with the Minion Method and after putting the lit coals on I assemble the cooker and add the meat. That way I can catch the temp on the way up and get it stabilized with the big meat heat sink in there. It makes sense that you can do it either way so you'll probably find that others do it another way.
 
IMO, the best practice is to put the meat on right out of the fridge after applying rub. Then, using the Minion Method. catch your temp range on the way up.
 
If you don't preheat and want to time your cook do you start timing as soon as you put the meat in or when the WSM temp reaches your desired temp? For example, if you are cooking ribs using the 3-2-1 method and you put the ribs in at the same time as you put your lit coals in do you start timing your first three hours at that point or when the WSM temp reaches 225 degrees?
 
No pre-heating here either. Get wsm going by whichever method then assemble & add meat! Then reap the rewards hours later
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So start the clock as soon as you put the ribs on regardless of the temperature. Thanks. Jim
 
I never do except when I do ribs, add two smokin' hot chimneys and wait for that initial temp spike to go away.

Not as much pre-heating as it is avoiding a rib searing!

I guess I'm starting to realize that smoking is not all that dainty of an undertaking.
 
Pre-Heat?!?!? don't talk about Pre-Heat!! You kiddin' me? Pre-Heat?!?!?
<span class="ev_code_GREY">my apologizes to Jim Mora....</span>
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If you notice the thread I started this afternoon you'll see the <span class="ev_code_RED">wrong</span> way to pre-heat a wsm.
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That was for a HH brisket and time was running short. However, I typically don't preheat unless smoking poultry.
 
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