Wife Surprised Me With A Weber Smokey Mountain, Looking For Best Tips

[kenrobin]

When I decided that I wanted to get serious about smoking meat, I bought myself a WSM 18. I had zero experience and even less knowledge about temperature control. After a few months of disappointing cooks, I got frustrated and sold it. Years later that decision remains my biggest regret in BBQ. Since then, I've amassed a nice collection of cookers including a LSG 20x42 and Weber Summit Kamado but the large WSM 22 always catches my eye. It just looks so bad ass..... every few months I'd check Craigslist and Facebook hoping to find one for sale.

Two days before Christmas, my wife told me to go to the front door where I was stunned when I saw an Ace Hardware delivery truck unloading a brand new assembled WSM 22! Last week was our 30th wedding anniversary but we always consider our gifts to be part of Christmas.... everyone knew the smoker was coming while I was clueless. Totally shocked.

I want this experience with the WSM to be the complete opposite of my first. I know there are plenty of Smokey Mountain experts here who can share tried & true best practices.

• Should I use the snake method or another method for charcoal setup?
• I've always considered the WSM to be a briquette smoker, is it OK to use lump?
• Water in the bowl or no water?
• Any advice for seasoning it?
• Are there any "must have" mods?

Because my first go with the WSM was a failure, I have mostly avoided posts and videos about the WSM so I'm feeling like a newbie all over again but I'm super-excited to learn this smoker!

[CaptainMike]

Here's the best tip I can give you: Keep that wife of yours because she's a...well... a Keeper!!

Looking forward to seeing your cooks, and Merry Christmas, Ken!

[kenrobin]

Absolutely Mike! She has always supported my BBQ interests. Has never fought me on buying a new smoker..... she even encouraged me when I told that I wanted to buy a 2nd Hunsaker drum smoker. I hit the jackpot when I met her! Merry Christmas!

[Duanessmokedmeats]

I was going to suggest giving her a big hug and kiss.

[ecowper]

Answers to questions

Should I use the snake method or another method for charcoal setup?

Best charcoal setup for the WSM 22 is Harry Soo’s Donut …. Fill the charcoal ring full, pull out 25 briquettes from the center, light them in a chimney, dump back in the center, assemble the WSM.

Note: too many lit briquettes and you won’t be able to keep the temp under control.

I've always considered the WSM to be a briquette smoker, is it OK to use lump?

I’ve only used briquettes in my WSM 22. Lump seems too uneven to me to work well.

Water in the bowl or no water?

For low and slow cooks …. Brisket, pork butt, chuck roast, ribs …. I run water in the bowl. For hot/fast cooks, no water …. Things like turkey, chicken, that sort of thing.

Any advice for seasoning it?

1. Light a full Weber charcoal chimney, dump in the fire ring, open the vents wide and cook it hot as you can.
2. Next, do that same thing and cook fatty stuff …. Bacon, sausage, chuck roast. Again, nice and hot. Eat the meat, it will be good. The goal is to get the inside of the WSM gunked up with fat and smoke.
3. Now, set up the WSM for a long cook and cook a pork butt.

Are there any "must have" mods

Single best mod is a hinge for your lid. Next best is the Cajun Bandits door and the Cajun Bandits charcoal ring. Others will have their own faves!


How to set the fire up for a 10 hour cook




The hinge!!!!




Ain’t that upgraded door purty?

[barelfly]

As kenrobin states - this is straight gold right here! This is why this place rocks!!!!

[Sid P]

I think that about covers it.

[Sweaty Paul]

That is an awesome write up. Thanks for sharing and I don't even have a WSM!

[Purc]

The late Phil Rogers aka Phil n Florence on YouTube did every mod known to man to his 22" WSM. He had all the Canjun Bandit accessories and then some of his own. Arbor Fabricating makes upgraded charcoal baskets you may want to consider. Troy Smith aka T-Roy Cooks of YouTube also has done a number of mods to his 22" WSM.

[kenrobin]

Awesome, thanks for the tips Purc

[marshall]

Congratulations on the new beautiful smoker, I have both the 22in and 18in and love them both. I can lock in a temperature for 10 hours easy on the 22 in .
Here is my answers to your questions that have worked for me.
-charcoal setup, for long smokes I always and only have used the minion method and harry soo donut method as they have worked perfectly for me over the years. In addition to that , the wsm is versatile, I take the water bowl out and put fully light charcoal in and cook wings and other stuff hot and fast. This gives it a great flavor cooking over the coals.
- I have used lump same as charcoal with fine results although lump does vary more in burn time and temp by nature of the product.
- I use with and without water depending on my cook, a lot of times I leave an empty bowl in for heat deflection if I’m doing say chicken or turkey with skin on.
-I never really seasoned mine , I just started using them. But many people suggest cooking fatty items like bacon to season, you will get easier temp control after several cooks as it seasons.
- my opinion there are no mods you absolutely need, however I would say the lid hinge was a fantastic upgrade for my 22 , makes it much easier than trying to find a place to set a big heavy hot lid. I also upgraded the door but not necessary. A lot of people like the gasket seal tape.
I have no upgrades on the 18wsm
hope this helps get you started and hope to see pics of it in action soon!
I’m sure many others will have great input for you as well, fell free to reach out for any other questions you run into!

[kenrobin]

Awesome..... thank you marshall

[marshall]

Here is pictures of the charcoal setup I use for longer cooks(soo donut method). The door upgrade looks cool to, and an action shot!

[kenrobin]

Thanks for the photos!

[Waiting for the Worms]

I'll +1 the hinge, and the doughnut method. For longer cooks I like having a fan and controller to keep the heat steady, but that's just me being lazy. The WSM is not hard to control manually once you learn how your cooker likes to run. As for water or no water, I use a general rule that if I'm running 250° or lower then I use water to help keep things moist. If I'm doing chicken or something else that needs higher heat then I won't use water because it takes a lot of charcoal to over come the thermal mass the water and hit higher temps.

One thing I learned very quickly is to never trust the built in thermometer. Always have an temp probe attached to the grate you are cooking on.

There is a lot of good reading over on TVWBB, so you might want to check that out as well.

[kenrobin]

Sound advice..... yeah, I learned a long time ago to never trust the built-in thermometer on any smoker.

[Huskee]

Yep she's a keeper. Does she give lessons? Asking for a friend.

If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to watch our very first live video interview with Harry Soo - his tips and advice about the Smokey Mountain: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...untain-1hr-24m

[Oak Smoke]

That’s funny! If she does give lessons she’s about to be a busy girl.

[kenrobin]

Huskee she will love that comment 😂
I will check out the interview with Harry Soo.... I took his cooking class a few years ago. Great guy!

[barelfly]

Outstanding!!!!!!

you can send me that LSG since it’s in the way of that WSM

enjoy that cooker!

[kenrobin]

@barefly I have no trouble finding room for another great smoker 😂

[Mosca]

I like that donut method. I use it in my kettle with the deflector.

[RonB]

Congrats on the cooker and the wife.

[kenrobin]

Thanks RonB 👍

[radiodome21]

That’s awesome! I have the 18 inch WSM. I’ve only done the minion method because the snake method looks too time consuming. I use briquettes most of the time because I like the evenness of the cook time since the briquettes are the same size. I only add water when I’m doing briskest because it’ll help keep the temp low but it adds more time to the cook. I too have been debating mods and the
only one I have so far is a pan to go on top of the water pan. Love it. No more wrapping it in foil. Based on what I hear and have seen with my own eyes the most popular mod is a hinged lid.

[kenrobin]

radiodome21 I agree with you about briquettes. I mostly cook with lump but this gives me a great use for all of the bags of briquettes in my garage. I've already decided that I won't be wrapping the bowl in foil like I did before..... ain't nobody got time for that 😂

[Sid P]

Congrats on the anniversary, wife, and smoker, they’re all keepers! It seems like ages since we’ve had some good WSM cooks, so keep us in the loop as you master it, please.

[kenrobin]

Thanks Sid P

[Sweaty Paul]

Congratulations on your anniversary! Also congrats on the new cooker. I know you will enjoy it and learning how to cook on it too.

[kenrobin]

Thanks Sweaty Paul

[BBQandLove]

In my opinion, the lid hinge should be your top mod for the 22”.

I don’t understand the need for the Cajun Bandit door. When I got mine, I put some Lava Lock gasket around the stock door, and around the top where the lid sits. I question even that.

Recently I cooked on 3 22” WSM’s side by side. Everything equal. All measured with ThermoWorks products. One gasketed, two not. No discernible difference.

The obsession with a super tight smoker is weird and counter-productive. As long as the leakage is not excessive, just roll with it. Who cares if a little smoke seeps out around the door? Seepage isn’t bad. I got sucked into this obsession too.

So buy the Cajun Bandit if you want to, but there’s no real need for it. Maybe put that money towards wheels if you need to roll it around. I do, so I added wheels and it’s a lifesaver for me. You may not need them. I also added side handles. A no-no per Weber, but I find them handy on the 22”. Not gonna bother adding them to my 18”.

The other mod I did was added some 7” U-bolt handles to the charcoal grate, so the charcoal ring just fits around them. Sure makes emptying it easier.

Harry Soo or Jim Minion method… both work fine… I’d stick with briquettes, but get good ones. B&B orange bag maybe. As was stated, the water pan for low and slow, and no water for hot and fast. The water pan is part of the design for a reason. Chatting with the engineer that helped develop the 22” helped me relax on this, and just go with the flow.

Bottom line, my recommendation is to, for now keep it simple and focus on the fundamentals and enjoying the smoker. Then start doing mods later if you wish. Except the lid hinge. I’d do that ASAP.

BTW, mind sharing what was so frustrating about the 18”?

That’s awesome of your wife to do that. A good wife is the best thing ever. I got one, and we just celebrated 27 years a few days ago. You’re 3 years ahead of us. Congratulations!

PS. Take a good look at the water pan. Turn it upside down and ask, what does this look like? If you answered “the lid of an 18” Weber Jumbo Joe”, you got it! How cool is that?

[ecowper]

Steve R. Interesting …. I’ve not had that issue.

[kenrobin]

Gold from BBQandLove thank you! I was super experienced when I had the 18 and I fell victim to the chasing temps syndrome. I'm pretty sure this was before I found Amazing Ribs too. Once I understood the mechanics of temp control, I instantly regretted selling my 18.

Interesting observation about the need for the Cajun door, that's good food for thought. I envision taking my WSM places so I like how easy it is to break it down to make it lighter.

[kenrobin]

I'm wondering if adding the hinge will make it significantly more difficult to transport.