New 18" WSM!!

[fzxdoc]

With that new WSM, you'll soon become the new Harry Soo of Amazing Ribs! JK .

I'm eager to hear about your first cook, Mark.

Kathryn

[Smoker_Boy]

With that new WSM, you'll soon become the new Harry Soo of Amazing Ribs! JK .

I'm eager to hear about your first cook, Mark.

Kathryn

Whaddya mean, just kidding??

Whole chicken tomorrow for the inaugural cook.

[ecowper]

you know the rule .... pictures or it didn't happen!

[fzxdoc]

Well, actually, I guess I wasn't kidding. Watch your back, Harry Soo, Mark is gaining on you!!!

K.

[Smoker_Boy]

fzxdoc - LMAO!!!
I appreciate the vote of confidence.


Now - where did I put that charcoal??

[Smoker_Boy]

I've been doing a lot of reading in the WSM section and 1 thing has stood out very clear:
Do not skimp on the charcoal on your first cook.

I've got KBB and Jealous Devil.
I'm gonna use the Jealous Devil.
An entire charcoal chimney worth.
That oughta do it.

I've used Harry Soo's method of keeping 1 lower vent open and regulate using the top vent.
This works quite well.

I ran across an article on the InnerWebx from some guy who says you don't have to season,
regulate using the bottom vents only, blah, blah, blah.

Buddy, if Harry Soo says to do it, I'm going to do what he says.
Harry beats guys running $15,000 Jambo's with $400 WSM's.

I'll let y'all know how it goes.
And assuming I can remember, pictures.

[Smoker_Boy]

Note To Self:

Self,
Go put the camera on the kitchen counter.
Do it right now.

[ecowper]

I learned how to set up a WSM from Harry Soo. You're on the right path.

[Henrik]

Congrats! That is a rock solid cooker, and at a very good price. Great deal!

[Smoker_Boy]

Thanks!!
I can tell I am going to enjoy this.

[Smoker_Boy]

Well, the initial chicken cook went very well.
(sorry I forgot the pics)

A slight issue getting the temp where I wanted it at first, but I got that corrected.
The temp held rock steady after that.

I have been grilling chicken for my wife for 42 years.
Her verdict?

"This is the best chicken you have ever made".

I'll take it.

[ecowper]

Awesome, glad the WSM is working well for you! Still not sure if it is a real cook, or not, though ;-)

[Henrik]

Well, that just says it all. Such a good deal (and chef+cooker)! But I'm with ecowper - with no photos, did this cook actually occur IRL? Lol!

[drobinson]

I endorse Porkies advice regarding installing lava lock gasket---i have used it on my Weber kettle also. Happy smoking!!

[Smoker_Boy]

drobinson - My hinge/gasket kit should be here tomorrow.

[jfmorris]

Wow! You just got a pellet cooker, now a WSM! What's happening up there in Ohio?!?!?

Glad to see you found a good boy on a great cooker, and have already put it to work! A WSM is a cooker I've always wanted on my patio, but at this point, I'm cooking less and can't justify anything beyond the 5 cookers already in the backyard!

[Smoker_Boy]

'cause my wife said I could!

[TripleB]

When I was running my 18.5" WSM, I invested in the Hunsaker steel rib hanger. I thought it worked well. Hanging ribs similar to hanging ribs in the PBC. Give it a look.

[Smoker_Boy]

When I was running my 18.5" WSM, I invested in the Hunsaker steel rib hanger. I thought it worked well. Hanging ribs similar to hanging ribs in the PBC. Give it a look.

I have seen those.

Let me ask you something:
What is the advantage of hanging the ribs vs laying them on the top grate of the WSM??

[TripleB]

Volume - I believe you can hang more ribs than you can laying them on the top grate. Not a lot of room on the 18.5" WSM due to the circular grate. You'd have to cut the ribs to make them fit.
Taste/tenderness - not sure if there is any difference.
I also got the diffuser plate. Not sure if that comes with the rib hanger or not. It has been a long time since I used my WSM for smoking meat.

[ecowper]

I believe that most people with a WSM 18 who cook ribs coil them to fit if they don't have something like the rib hanger setup.

[Steve R.]

Capacity is the main reason for the hanger. But it also allows you to cook the same number of racks without cutting them in half. It's also great for whole turkey and chicken. Hunsaker makes a really good one.

[Smoker_Boy]

Today, Prairie Farms Baby Backs.

And yes - pics:
There Panhead John - I fixed that for ya:


...

[Panhead John]

Your time stamp is off a by a month…and a year. Please make corrections as I am easily confused enough as it is. 🥸

[Smoker_Boy]

This actually hasn't happened yet.

[Steve R.]

Can you look up my profile and take a pic of it? If I'm "In Memoriam" I'll just go ahead and live it up for however long I have left.

[Smoker_Boy]

I obtained a Party Q unit from a member here (thanks klflowers ).

I got it installed on the WSM yesterday.
I decided to mount it on the door so I didn't have to drill any holes in the main body.

For the test, I filled the ring about halfway and set the unit for 235 degrees.
What a wonderful product!!
It held within 5 degrees at the cooking grate for 7 1/2 hours!!

EDIT: I do put a piece of foil on the lower grate and no water pan.

[klflowers]

Glad it's working for you

[bbqLuv]

Dar She Blows

[jitsntricks]

Congrats on your new cooker and at a great price! Also, following Harry Soo on anything to do with the WSM is gold.
Although it needs some sprucing up, I love my 18" WSM! Enjoy!

[Smoker_Boy]

Congrats on your new cooker and at a great price! Also, following Harry Soo on anything to do with the WSM is gold.
Although it needs some sprucing up, I love my 18" WSM! Enjoy!

Thanks man!!

Yeah, we really love this cooker.
And if Harry Soo said he wiped snot on the grates, then that's what I would do as well.

So much so that I'm probably going to sell the new Traeger Pro 22 I bought a few weeks before I scored this WSM.

[jitsntricks]

Right on! Enjoy, it's a good little cooker! Of my 3 (WSM, PBC, UDS I made) I use the WSM the most, but each cooker has it's strengths. WSM I used for most things I want to cook low and slow, PBC and UDS is hot and fast or ribs.