Hey Folks! I just added a WSM (18.5in, I think - not entirely sure - picked up a floor model sale at HD for about 75% off - so no exact info on it and a bit of rehabbing needed) to my collection, so I will likely be hunting around through this part of the forum and bugging you guys with some questions. Open to some good ideas on a christening cook for it. Likely won't use it to hang stuff, as I already have a PBC. Its one of the models with the hole for a grommet (see rehabbing, fun $2 and 5min fix). Not opposed to doing some upgrades that make the whole experience better.
Yeah, I think it was about..$113? Stopped me in my tracks, lol. I like the chicken idea, always do the AR Smoked turkey recipe, so a chicken in it might be good practice. Watching the Harry Soo video is on my to do list - the open bottom and control with top makes my head hurt, but clearly he knows what he's doing (at least better than me, haha)
Nice find! I have a couple 22's and once you get the fire management down the rest falls into place. Look up Harry Soo's donut method for starting your fire. Works every time for me. I keep my vents wide open until temp hits within 20 degrees of where I want to be. Then choke bottom intakes down to .25/.30 open and keep the top vent fully open. I then adjust the top vent if needed to keep the temp where I want it. Another suggestion would be pork ribs and keep the cooker anywhere between 250-275. Have fun!
Ribs would be a nice classic start. I like the idea of choking down the intakes, I think that might be the issue with my PBC throwing weird smoke at times. I'll check out the donut method for lighting it. Thanks!
John "JR"
Minnesota/ United States of America
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A friend of mine has a WSM and he replaced the door and added a gasket to his and I know that helped to stabilize the temperatures. Those are great smokers, you will enjoy that a lot. Especially if you are a fan of the PBC.
3 things stabilize temps and you got two of them. The 3rd thing is getting the inside nice and gunked up. Until that happens, the WSM is reflective and gets heat spikes.
Ha! This is the exact reason I gave my buddy for declining to do one of my annual smoked turkeys on it this year. Won't be enough time to gunk it up right.
Weber Smoky Mountain 18” and 22”
Weber Smoque XL w/ front and side folding tables
Weber Genesis E-430 (came with the frame kit).
DigiQ fan controller (WSM 22” has the attachment)
Turkey fryer (2)
Maverick ET-732 (2)
Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-less Turkey Fryer, Bunk Basket (2)
SouthwestDisc 18" Cooking Disc
Have the 18.5” and the 22” and love them both. The 22” came with the fan controller attachment on it so I use the DigiQ to control temps.
I bought the 22” from OfferUp so it came with the lid hinge and casters on the legs which is nice. I keep saying I’m going to do it to the 18” but I haven’t.
The 22 didn’t have a temperature probe grommet so I did add that earlier this year.
bbantel I had the 18” first with no casters and I didn’t think it was a big deal until I bought the 22” with them. Very happy with the casters on that one. Capacity is the main reason for the 22” it works pretty much the same as the 18” other than the fan controller.
The 18” was a screaming deal but the 22” wasn’t as much and yet I’ve never had any regrets.
Yeah, I saw a local sale of a lightly used 22 for $250, took a lot of willpower to not pull the trigger - but anything I can do to not expedite a divorce (lol). I was just talking to a buddy the other night, if the 22 was anything like the 18, it might pose a decent threat to my XL BGE as top dog. 18 can't quite get there, for capacity reasons.
I've had a 22 for about 15 years, great smoker and still smoking strong! Operated a BBQ restaurant on a FEC 120 for several years, so I'm not opposed to pellets. Just saw the 18 at HD yesterday at $113, bought it today, too good a deal to pass up. I work at HD, and I guess they're clearing them out everywhere. I get it, they don't sell well. Pellet smokers move like crazy. Nobody wants the labor that the WSM's require. The quality of the food is as good as it gets though. Two WSM's and a performer, yes, I'm a Weber guy.
Hey, Ken riverken! Enjoyed your business back then! It's different being out of pellet biz. I do use my Webers often (2 22" kettles, 14" WSM and a Jumbo Joe). Glad you're hanging out here! Did you keep your 120?
Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
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Once you get used to the WSM you'll love it. Ser it and let it run. I don't have any mods for mine except I have the Arbor Fabricating coal basket with the minion starter basket
I have the 18.5” and love it. I put a lid hinge on it. I also bought the aftermarket door and the Arbofab basket & minion starter. It works fantastic. I glued 2 pieces of 3/4” plywood together trimmed them to 24” square and put 2” casters on the cords and bolted the base to it and have a great roll around smoker. It’s a great smoker!!
Great source for everything Weber. Even modifications. Not sure if they still post it or not (have not been on that site in a long time), but when I got my WSM 22" and 18" I did modifications. Added wood handles, metal handles on the middle section for easy lifting, rolling casters on the bottom feet, lid hinge for easy opening/closing, grommet for cords (but they come with that now).
I have a 18" WSM and I added handles also. Found ones on Amazon that screwed on through the existing holes for the grate brackets. Works great when it is time to add charcoal.
So the first cook was Last Meal Ribs (had to) and I will say...not an easy cook. Sorry, no pics.
As simple as the minion method is, it didn't work well for me. Not giving up on it, but hard to keep 225+ temps. Really not sure how I feel about the open bottom, control with top vent - again not giving up but seemed hard to dial in. Open to any approximate top vent settings to hit 225 (I know milage may vary).
In other news, I couldn't help myself - started with a couple mods. Gasket material for the lid and door (I know about the Cajun Bandit door, not pulling that trigger yet, and yes the bottom gasket for door wasn't necessary, but made me feel more compete). Also added a Chicago deep dish pan to replace water pan and move the ash catcher back to the bottom.
Now I'm gearing up for a pork butt in the WSM this weekend.
How much charcoal?
Lump or Briquettes?
What brand?
How many lower vents open?
About how far open were they?
About how far was the top vent open?
What do you mean by "225+"? Were you higher or lower than 225?
Where were you measuring the temperature?
Using the top vent is a little touchy if you have the bottom vents open too far.
I usually run mine no more than 1/2 open.
If still too touchy, then I close the bottoms some more.
And don't screw around with the vents constantly.
Set and forget for awhile.
Lastly - have you watched Harry's videos yet?
I mean, this is all the guy uses to win championships.
Lastly lastly - You did a good job applying the gasket material.
- Kingsford Blue Bag
- 3x100% open - which unless I misunderstood is what harry said to do
- top vent, varied 10-100% open
- temp at the top and bottom cooking grates were typically 200ish
- brand new thermopro multi probe digital therm at the grates
- yes I watched the Harry video here and other places.
I have the same questions as Smoker_Boy. The WSM can be a pain to master - it took me several cooks without help to master it. I chased temps for a long time. Now I start it with all vents wide open, but when it gets to ~125 I start closing them. I close the bottoms to about half and leave the top vent wide open. When it gets to ~175, 180 I start inching the top closed. When you overshoot on it it is difficult to get the temps back down. I adjust with the top vent only, mostly because i am 6-6 and adjusting the bottoms mid cook is a pain. I use KBB almost exclusively because that is what I learned with. I monitor temps on the top grate. And I have pretty much ditched the water pan.
Last, 225 is not the gospel. Learning that helped a lot. Now I usually run between 225 and 275. I get it stabilized in that range and let it run.
I used about half a chimneys worth of lit coals, made the little volcano/ring - which is in line with almost everything I read/watched on the minion method.
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