Using the lower grate on the WSM


 
R

Rene Roy

TVWBB Fan
I have the Nu-Temp thermometer with two probes..Right now I use one of the probes for the lid temp...so if I want to smoke using both the upper and lower grate...where do I put the second probe? In the smallest piece of meat? does will the lower grate cook the food faster? HELP
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I'm new to all of this, but I've found that the lower grate cooks slower. I recently smoked two butts that were very close in weight. Even after placing the smaller butt on the lower grate, it still needed at least an hour more in the WSM than the butt on the top rack.

Probes? I have the dual probe ET-73. I clip the cooker probe on the top grate and the meat probe in the meat on the top rack. However, I also have another single probe wireless unit that I place in the meat on the lower grate.
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Probes everywhere.

I'm wondering if it would be easier to simply smoke two butts on the top rack while leaving the bottom rack empty? I know you'd miss out out the drippings from the top butt, but I didn't notice any difference in taste or texture in my last smoke using both grates.
 
In typical operation, with water in the pan, the upper grate will be several degrees warmer than the lower-- often by 10-15°. To even out cooking time, it's usually best to put the larger cut on the warmer grate. I think, at some point, regardless of which one you choose to monitor the progress of the cooking, you're going to need an instant read to spot check the other. I'd put it in the smaller, and use the instant read on the larger as the smaller nears doneness, but it's kind of a toss-up, really.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I'm wondering if it would be easier to simply smoke two butts on the top rack while leaving the bottom rack empty? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
If the butts are near enough in size I usually do them both on the top as it makes getting to them easier. If the weight disparity is greater I put the smaller on the bottom. The placement of the butts as well as the probe placement is, as Doug says, a toss-up. You'll need to check temps of both one way or the other near finish so whatever seems to make sense is fine.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RB Jr.:
I'm wondering if it would be easier to simply smoke two butts on the top rack while leaving the bottom rack empty? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I'm not a big fan of using both racks unless I have to. It's the one thing I never liked about the WSM. Getting to the meat on the lower rack after the probes are in place and the top rack occupied is troublesome. I'd put both butts on the top rack depending on their fit. If the butts are touching or too close to the edge (which is usually the case with larger butts) then I'll wind up using both the top and bottom racks.
 
Gee, am I the only one that sees the obvious solution to this? The bottom shelf is supposed to have a packer brisket on it, with the two butts on the top shelf!
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Which is exactly what I'll be doing tomorrow night starting around 7pm. Long live the BOB cook!
 
Todd I like your plan.

We use sand in a Brinkman pan which seems to make the lower shelf get more heat and is about the same as the top shelf.
 
The only time I use water is when I am using the bottom grate. My food always gets dried out on the side facing the sand from the radiant heat. I bolted on a grate above the top grate to use if I need more room.
 
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