WSM Temps 3rd time

[gardenfish]

This is the 3rd time I counted out 100 briquettes in a fuse around the smaller cheap chimney with 60 briquettes lit in the weber chimney. Once again 3 hrs in and temp has held between 217°-225° on the grommet probe.

One thing I found interesting was without paying attention I had the lid exhaust vent over the same side as the beginning of the fuse which was directly opposite the grommet probe. After 1 1/2 hrs the temp went to 212°. I moved the lid around so that the exhaust was on the opposite side of the lit fuse and in 1 minute the temp read 219°. I think that keeping the lid rotated opposite the area of the fuse that is lit will keep the smoke temp a little more even in the WSM. Does this make sense or am I over thinking it all.

Either way the first time I fiddled a bit with the vents but the last two times its pretty much smoking itself.

But I will still take the credit thanks to this AR site.

[grantw]

I just use the straight up dump lit coals on top of unlit, your being too high tech for me. I tried all kind of fancy things years ago. I don't often aim for 225 either though 250 to 275. If your using the dome therm it's wrong, it will be different on different days

[gardenfish]

I have never used the dome thermometer. I have two Mavericks and I probe the meat and the grommet for smoker temps. If you read my last test the grommet probe is in the middle of the two racks. The bottom rack was 5° below the grommet temp and on the top rack it was 5° above the grommet probe. So about 10° difference between the two racks.

So far all the days have been between 100° and 110° so temps are pretty steady. In a month or so it will hit winter temps then they will pretty much be the same 70-80° temps. Here we have summer/winter. I will skip the 1 day of fall and 1 day of spring that we get .

Counting the briquettes isn't really that high tech and its working like a charm.

[grantw]

The smokey mountain does not need fancy techniques to run as designed, it's easily one of the best designed water cookers out there, mine runs as good as my backwoods smoker, I do large amounts of meat sometimes and was going to buy a larger cooker but decided just to get more smokey mountains

[gardenfish]

5 Hrs. in, no fussing, can't get to much better than this

[gardenfish]

6hrs in no fussing, getting ready to wrap.I will wrap at 160-162° to get past the stall. Plus I love the juice it provides .

[grantw]

I prefer wrapping too, you using water?

[gardenfish]

Yes. I put 7 qts of boiling water at beginning. So far this amount has lasted my whole smokes.

One day when I have to see for myself and I have a lot of time I will try one without wrapping.

[grantw]

I just did one unwrapped it stalled 6 hrs, it's was good but honestly I like em wrapped better, I don't care for the leathery bark, didn't mind the bark this time though because I soaked it with hot sauce the Memphis dust, it added a nice heat

[grantw]

I'm interested in the colour of yours before and after wrapped if ya got pictures?

[gardenfish]

grantw Sorry just saw this. Next time i do the shoulder I will do the before and after pictures

[andy barnes]

I LOVE my WSM 22.5" but I detest the water pan clean up so I just line it with foil now a days. Also I cook hot and fast any more so I don't need the water pan slowing me down cuz im not one for 12-14 hour brisket cooks. I contacted Weber to see if they could make a foil pan insert but got no response from them. I am not impressed with the front door integrity but it does not seem to interfere with my cooks. Might as well paint over the dome lid temp gauge...Why Weber wont install a Tel Tru bimetal thermometer is beyond me.

[PaulstheRibList]

Keep em cooking!

Show us some pics of your results