WSM 14.5 and the snake


 
P

PaddyD

New member
Hi

I cooked a pork butt on my WSM 14.5 yesterday and tried using the snake method. The top vent was always fully opened, the water pan was half filled with boiling water, and the bottom vents were half open. All started well, 225 on the nose, but temperatures started to drop and so I opened the bottom vents fully, but I couldn't get the temp back up. The snake was made up of Weber Long-lasting briquettes and was about 3 briquettes in cross section. The briquettes seemed to get fully ashed over before the next briquettes lit. Eventually, I switched to the minion, dumping a fresh mini chimney of lit limp on top of the unlit briquettes, and we got there.

Has anyone else tried the snake on the 14.5 WSM? Or is it best to stick with the minion? The reason I tried the snake was that I find temps are difficult to keep low with the minion.

Cheers

PaddyD
 
I've used the snake in the 14.5 for smoking bacon.
In this case, it was good for very low temps.
Anythings else... I'd fill the charcoal ring & MM start.
 
Hi Paddy.

I use The MM all the time on my 14.5". And although I use Aussie Heat Beads, I have used Weber LL Briqs, with similar results. Get yourself a regular sized baked-bean/soup tin, cut off both ends. Put it in the middle of the charcoal ring & surround the tin can with unlit briqs, all the way up to the top of the charcoal ring. Next fully light 10-12 briqs and put them in the tin-can. Gently lift and wiggle the tin-can, using a pair of pliers/channel locks leaving the lit briqs in the vacated space. I've got over 11hrs steady temp burn time this way. Hope this helps.

ps. Make sure you wear gloves when removing the tin-can. It gets HOT!

pps. I've never done the snake on my 14.5".
 
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IMO, the snake should be reserved for the grill when doing low and slow cooking.

In both my 14.5 and 18.5 I, too, use the "tin can minion" method. In the 14.5 I use 8 briquettes and in the 18.5 I use 12. I typically cook at 275 degrees and have no problem maintaining that temp throughout the cook. I always fill my charcoal ring completely with Kingsford Original.





I use a IKEA silverware caddy as a mini-chimney to light the small number of coals. I drop one Weber starter cube in the bottom, light it, then carefully place the number of briqs required on top of the flame. I also use my Performer gas ignition like I do a regular chimney on occasion:



Then just pour the lit coals from the mini-chimney into the tin can. Use gloves, of course. Then, with a pair of water pump pliers I just slide the tin can up and out leaving the lit coals in the center. Easy/peasy! Be sure and have a safe place to lay the chimney and tin can to cool.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
I'll add the last picture here (limited number of pictures per post):



Right after I take the food off, I shut the smoker off. After it cools, I save all of the used coals for my grills. Even tho' the whole charcoal ring is loaded, nothing is wasted.

Keep on smokin'
Dale53:wsm:
 
PaddyD said:
…………..The reason I tried the snake was that I find temps are difficult to keep low with the minion.
Click to expand...

I forgot to answer this part of your question. Once the lit briqs are on I leave all the vents wide open, & assemble the cooker with the meat in. When my target temp is within 20-30 degrees away, I close all the bottom vents to about 25% open, top vent wide open throughout the cook. I find it easier catching the temp on the way up than trying to bring the temps down. If the temps start to climb you can always throttle back the lower vents some more.

ps. Robert has shown my previous explanation perfectly in pictures.

pps. IMO the 14.5 seems a liitle small to utilise the snake method. Perfect for a kettle though.
 
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Thanks everyone for the answers. I'll try the tin can minion next time, and try to catch the temperature on the way up. Probably easier to do with the meat in already. I have tried to do it without the meat, and the temperature rises much quicker than the charcoal responds to the closed down vents.

Out of interest, do you all use boiling water in the pan, or do you use sand, brick etc? I've always thought that sand, brick etc just delays the gradual increase in temperature whereas water should always act as temperature control just so long as there is some water left.

Thanks again.

Paddy D
 
PaddyD said:
……..Out of interest, do you all use boiling water in the pan, or do you use sand, brick etc? I've always thought that sand, brick etc just delays the gradual increase in temperature whereas water should always act as temperature control just so long as there is some water left.
Click to expand...

I don't use water. I have foiled terracotta pizza plate that sits where the water pan is. No problems with temp control. And you don't have to mess around with greasy water afterwards.
 
im a snake fan with my mini-wsm. Im still working out the kinks with KBB but have loved it with stubbs, which i find burn cooler. with KBB i put a baseball sized rock in the middle and chunks on the bottom touching the rock which is what gets air first in the mini. then a couple layers of briquettes in the basket on top of the chunks and about 3/4 of the way around the basket. thats leaves plenty of room to start the snake. i put the chunks on bottom so the air coming in lights the chunks first not the KBB which light really efficiently and tend to spread quickly if they cover the entire bottom of the basket. I put two briquettes flat down on the bottom at the start of the snake and use 6 well lit coals to start those two and the beginning of the snake. in my cooker this produces a cooler fire that i can burn with the top fully open and the bottom full to 3/4 open holding 250 really well, whereas i have to cook with the bottom barely open with a MM fire. more airflow makes a cleaner fire and more fresh smoke in my experience so far.
 
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