WSM temp

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date

 
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Guest

Guest
Here's the story: The cooker rarely reached 225 in the dome and I had to add fuel several times throughout the day - once having to bravely lift the body while my girlfriend added a full chimney of lit coals. I started with a full weber chimney and dumped in the cooker when grey, and filled the chamber to the top with unlit coals. I think my first mistake was assembling the cooker before all the coals were completely grey, and my second mistake was not waiting for the cooker to get completely hot - adding the meat shortly after assembly (three 6-7 lb pork butts...two on bottom and one on top.) The temp at the top of the cooker lowered to around 240 after putting in the meat which was fine, but 2 hours later it had dropped to 200, at which point I starting lighting more coals in the chimney. This was something I hoped to get away from and why I retired my ECB. I also monitored the temp on both racks - they hovered around 185 most of the day - but never made it above 210 until I added the full lit chimney of coals 7 hours into the cooking session. Though it was a little windy most of the day, the vents stayed open 100% all day too.

End result -

Cook time: Almost 12 hours - meat from upper rack was 182 degrees when I removed it. I wrapped two in foil and put in a cooler, and left the other one out to rest before pulling. The best I had ever made - the last two ECB sessions resulted in good pork but had to chop it.

Any pointers for the next run?
 
Next time you intend a long cook, use the Minion method and you won't have to add coals. You described using the standard method which is fine for cooks lasting less than 6 hours, but not for 12 hour cooks.

With the Minion method, fill your charcoal ring with unlit briquettes. Add 20-40 (I usually go with 30) lit coals on top. Assemble the WSM, add water (if using water), wood, and meat immediately. Keep bottom vents open 100% to get the temperature rising. You can begin to close the vents as needed to control the temperature rise. I usually have to keep my vents open 100% until the dome temp reaches 200 +, then I begin closing them gradually and they usually end up at about 10-20% open by 240 degrees. (I keep my dome temps at 240-260) It should take 30-45 minutes to be on temp. If you close the vents too much, too soon the temp rise will stall. I have tried closing my vents to 50% as soon as I assemble, but each time I've done that my temps have stalled and I have to reopen the vents again to get the temps to start rising.

Every WSM is different, so use what works for your particular WSM. For instance, I have never gotten my butts above 195 in less than 2 hours/pound. More often, its closer to 2.5 hours/pound.
 
The now-legendary Minion method will solve your woes, m'dear. Dump your 15 or so hot coals on TOP of the charcoal ring full of unlit fuel, rather than having your hot coals on bottom and your unlit on top, and you won't have the refueling problem. See the section from the front page of TVWB titled something like Firing Up the Bullet for the details.

My very first WSM cook was a brisket and butt overnighter, and I followed the Minion instructions faithfully. For someone that was used to cooking briskets on big ol' hulking offsets and an ECB, that lil' ol' WSM was almost like setting a kitchen oven and walking away. <big grin>

Keri C
Smokin on Tulsa Time
 
That definatly sounds like a plan - going to try a brisket this weekend and do an overnighter. The butts were pullable cooking to 182 -should I go for 190 the next time...was afraid they would be dry.
 
I'm an Okie, bred and born, thus I had never done a butt before the WSM. Lots of briskets, ribs, poultries, etc, but never a butt. I was a little concerned about dryness too, but I was determined to get that temp to at least 190, and preferably in the 195-200 range. Dryness was definitely not a problem, and when that thing was done to perfection, it just sort of collapsed in on itself. I am now completely unable (or shall I say unwilling) to cook a butt or brisket without the other, though. Position that butt on the top rack and the brisket on the bottom, and allow the butt to baste the brisket through the entire cook. YUM!!!

Let that brisket get up to about 188, checked in several places going sideways through the flat, then pull it and wrap it in foil for an hour or two, wrapped in heavy towels and tossed into an empty ice chest. That resting time will make for a VERY happy brisket that, if you're lucky, will have developed a waba-waba kind of motion when you poke at it, and you can sit back and rake in the compliments. /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Do I speak true, oh ye who are more wise in the ways of smoke than I?

Keri C
Smokin on Tulsa Time, and making herself hungry...
 
That's funny - was born in Memphis and have never had brisket so I'm looking forward to it.

You should make a run down there next year for the Memphis in May BBQ contest - one of the best parties in the land!!
 
Another tip to consider: when cooking butts leave out the water in the pan. Yup, just leave it empty.

The butts have plenty of fat to keep the meat very moist and less fuel is required to maintain the 225 - 250 temps. Never had to foil or finish in the oven when using this method.
 
David,
I have cooked several butts w/o the water pan at all. And yes, the fire wants to run hotter. This method requires a lot more attention to the temp and the bottom vents, and I have to keep them closed or barely open a lot of the time, but I have been able to keep the temp around 230 for the entire cook. It helps to keep the WSM out of direct sun. The fat dripping on the coals adds a nice flavor. Sure, it's not the healthiest way to go, but it sure does taste great!
 
When cooking butts, I do away with the water in the water pan, but I fill it with sand.
 
David, yes omitting the water will make a hotter cook, but that can be advantageous. We had a helluva winter this year in New England and each time I tried an overnight cook (with water) of butts/brisket I could never get the temp of the meat up to where it needed to be since I ran out of fuel sometime during the -20 degree F night. The reason: I needed to keep the vents open 50% to maintan a 240 temp with water in the pan.

I then thought that if I could stretch out the fuel consumption (by keeping the vents in a more closed position) for the necessary 12+ hr I could get the meat to the temp I needed it to be.

It worked and I have not used water since.

I only need to crack 2 or 3 vents 25% open (or less) and I can run at 250 for 15+ hr. I cooked a butt Sat nite/Sun AM and I had cooking-like temps for 20+ hr. There is plenty of fat in the butt/shoulder so drying out or overcooking is virtually impossible. Try it!! /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

 

Back
Top