What meat would be good for my first smoke on the WSM?


 
K

KevinK

TVWBB Member
I am looking forward to my first cook on the WSM (used a Brinkmann for several years).
I have looked at the Basic Barbecued Chicken or Pulled Chicken Sandwiches in the cooking section but wondered if any of you may have some other suggestions.

Any input is appreciated!
 
Since you are not new to smoking, just to the WSM, I'd pick something I'm comfortable in making. EX: If I made a lot of pulled chicken on my Brinkman I'd start with pulled chicken. It would be your "benchmark" to learn your WSM.
 
There was a really good discussion about this a few weeks ago. You can find it here here.

I'd do straight up chicken - whole, halved, butterflied, whatever, just to get the running of the thing down (super easy, btw).

Then I'd move on to pork butt. It's just as easy as chicken.
 
Thank you for the suggestions, they are both helpful.

I did do a lot of chicken on the Brinkmann because it was tough to keep going long enough for anything that took any amount of time. I am looking forward to having a cooker that will burn for an extended amount of time and that is easy to reload.

Adam, thanks for pointing out the previous thread...somehow I missed it.
 
If you are ready to get onto something longer I would go with pork butt. It is a great long burn with great end results. It is a staple at our house. If you end up being like some who has problems keeping temps down on the first cook or 2 like me. It won't matter a bit. Actually it may help. I couldn't wait for my first long cook to come off of the wsm. I was going out and looking into the top vent over the last 3 hours of cooking and checking temps every half hour.
 
I agree with Jeff. Pork butt is the way to go. First time using the WSM you may have trouble controlling temps. Butts are very forgiving. After my first cook I was able to control temps and moved on to ribs and turkey. Good luck.
 
I got my WSM for Christmas and have used it twice since. Did baby back ribs the first time, two butts the second time. Chicken may be "easier", but theses are the two items I consider true blue BBQ, so I had to do them.

I didn't really have any problems. The ribs were slightly undercooked and a little tender because I forgot to factor in temperature differential between the lid and grates. They still turned out excellent other than being a little tough. The butts I did an all nighter for my second smoke ever. After temps stabalized after about an hour and a half I went to bed and woke up 5 hours later to check on em.

I really feel pretty comfortable using the WSM after only two times.
 
Originally posted by KevinK:

I am looking forward to having a cooker that will burn for an extended amount of time and that is easy to reload.
Click to expand...

The best thing about the wsm is the extended stable temps you can get from it. You should make sure you pack the ring full and try not to have to reload. That makes things a lot easier. I have done butts many times and have not yet had to reload. Look into the Minion Method and ways to cook without water. That extends cook time a lot.
 
Originally posted by Thom H.:
Meatloaf!
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That is a great idea. I completely forgot about meatloaf. I guess I need to make one.
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Probobly one of the shortest cooks you can do but definately a great idea. I really need to make a meatloaf.
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For a short cook you can't go wrong with meatloaf. For a medium cook, you would do well picking spares. And for a long cook pork butt would be a good choice.

It all depends on how much time you want to spend. Certainly the longer cooks will allow you more of an opportunity to mess around with vent adjustments, grate temps and the joys of filling the water pan.

The bottom line is no mater what you choose to do, you will find the WSM makes excellent BBQ!!

As a side note, have no fear of the colder temps we seem to be getting, the WSM will do it's job. My first cook was a butt cook for the superbowl 2 years ago. I actually had to shovel out my WSM...it was covered in like 2 feet of snow.
 
Thank you all for the great suggestions. I think it will be a pork butt (although the meat loaf is tempting). I also agree with Lucius, I think chicken would be easier but I would like something a little more traditional (can chicken be considered 'non-traditional'?).

I am anxious to cook something that takes an extended amount of time so that I can see how easy it really is with the WSM. I am also looking forward to not having temp spikes because of a lack of vent control (Brinkmann).

John, I live in a cold climate as well, did you add extra charcoal at the beginning of your cook or did you have to add any during the session?
 
Hey Kevin. I also just upgraded from a Brinkman to a WSM, and let me tell you that you can actually sleep now!!!! I just did my first cook two weeks ago, did two butts, and once the temps stabalized where i wanted them it was smooth sailing from there. I trusted the WSM and was not let down. Went to bed and checked the temps in the morning and let me tell you they were within about 5-10 degrees of where i left them! Its a whole different world cooking on the WSM! Good luck!
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Windy City Smokers
 
Kevin:
I really didn't see much difference between the consumption on the first cook and other cooks done in warmer weather. I went with the suggestions in the cooking sections and I was fine. Depending on how big the butts are, you may need to add more charcoal at the end of the cook. If you see that your temps are struggling towards the end, just add 20-30 more briquetts. I ususally don't light them before putting them in.
 
Pork Butts are the very most forgiving. I keep trying to ruin one, but as long as I slowly get to 190 degrees, they always work out. I've completely abandoned the practice of turning or flipping them. I don't do jack, and they turn out. Greatest thing for a beginner to do is to good a couple of butts using the "Minion Method" to light the smoker (just use that way every time anyway), and try not to overcompensate the vents...be subtle. Start wide open till you come to temp, then shut down two completely and keep one half open...check in an hour, and if the temp is holding at 225-245, go to sleep and check it 8 hours later. Pull at about 12-15 hrs. I don't even measure temp anymore...they're done after 15...just poke them to see if they're fall-apart soft.

Good luck.
 
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