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Hang it with the WSM

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    Hang it with the WSM

    A little background as I started with a Weber 22 inch kettle. My venture into the low and slow methodology was with Brinkman also known as ECB and then I tried a cheap offset smoker. While I was able to cook some decent ribs, I quickly realized that these two were a dead-end. After reading the good advice on the Amazing Ribs site, I ordered the Smokenator 1000 and a Party Q. This was beneficial, but limited, so I moved to the WSM 22 inch.

    The WSM is a great piece of equipment. But, my brisket was lacking. After learning about UDS via You Tube and reading the various articles on this web site, i.e., reverse flow and the review of the PBC, I thought that hanging meat in a vertical cook environment might be a way to "kick my brisket up a notch." While Weber has a smoking rack, it is in my opinion too flimsy to support the likes of a brisket or four or more racks of ribs. The PBC seemed to be the next step: however, I am too old and frugal to drop $300 on a "maybe." I decided to alter an old Weber grate as a test. With the help of my neighbor, who has an arch welder, I was able to fabricate a circular hanging bar 5 inches above the original grate. (see Pics below) The added inches keeps those larger briskets a few inches above the hot charcoal. With some hooks found on the Internet, I was now able to hang brisket vertically in the WSM. My first cook was a 12 pound packer from COSTCO trimmed to about 10 directly over the charcoal (no water pan or heat shield). The drippings from the meat hit the hot coals and are vaporized keeping a moist environment in the cooking chamber. I used the Party Q, as always with the Weber, to maintain 275 degree cook. After two hours the brisket had a good color and I sprayed it with apple juice and BBQ sauce mix and every hour there after.. With hinged top it is easier to partly open that heavy lid and get a good-quick spray without too much temperature change. It reached 165 in 4 hours. AT that point the hanging grate was switched to the standard grate, after a foil wrap the brisket went back in the WSM until it reached 200 F, which took 65 minutes. The foiled brisket was wrapped in a towel and place in the Coleman. After 3 hrs. we ate the best brisket that I have ever cooked.. My wife, who is very picky about her Que, said "it was as good as or better than any she had tasted in the Austin, TX area." (We have not endured the 3-4 hour wait for Franklin's BBQ and never will.) The burnt-ends were also great. The next cook was spare ribs (4); began spray after 2 hours and very 1/2 hour thereafter until done, total time 4 1?2 without a wrap during the cook. After removing from the grill, the ribs were basted, wrapped in foil and rested wrapped in a towel in the Coleman for an hour, Again, great ribs according to my neighbors.
    ​I have cooked two brine-split chickens and a couple of tri-tips. Removed the tri-tips when they reach 120 F; rested for 10-15 minutes, then to the grill for a reverse sear on each side with a final temperature of 140-145 F.

    I found virtually no difference between the hanging grate or the standard grate when cooking pork butt, whole turkey or whole chicken.

    All of my cook times have been consistent with fzxdoc's extensive PBC cook times. I find this posting a great planning guide for cooking multiple meats and veggies, Great Post!

    What stared as a "hopeful" experiment has turned into onr og those "eureka" moments that has extended my capabilites with the WSM and gave me the brisket that I have always wanted to cook. With these shared experiences and accumulated data it can be hypothesized that the vertical hanging cook method is superior for amateurse, like me, when cooking meats with a long axis, i.e.,briskets, ribs and split fowl, with a lesser to no advantage for those meats that are rounded in nature--pork butts, whole fowl, etc. Those of you with a PBC have and are leading the way and hopefully this shared corporate experience will continue to shed light on better way of doing what we all enjoy--cooking some Q

    Some pics
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    #2
    That is so cool!

    Comment


      #3
      Wowzers! Awesome first post! Welcome to The Pit RPG! When you have a moment please read my Welcome Letter as well as my Tips post. Tip #1 is especially super awesome as it will show you how to complete your signature. Huskee also has a great write up on how to post photos but it seems like you already have that figured out.

      I'm really liking what you've done with your WSM. That is some serious ingenuity!

      I also think you are onto something regarding your conclusions on which meats are the most improved from hanging. We could use some input from PBC owners.

      Comment


      • rpg421
        rpg421 commented
        Editing a comment
        Thanks for the advice and comment. While sample is small I think the science of the hang will hold true.

      #4
      There definitely is something to hanging meats. This was my first experiment with hanging in WSM.

      Comment


      • rpg421
        rpg421 commented
        Editing a comment
        Looks like you like hanging the long items also. Looks like a good set of ribs!

      • Huskee
        Huskee commented
        Editing a comment
        That's a great way to PBCify the WSM.

      • Ernest
        Ernest commented
        Editing a comment
        I love hanging. I even tried hanging a red snapper.
        That did not go well.

      #5
      Originally posted by Pit Boss View Post
      Wowzers! Awesome first post! Welcome to The Pit RPG! ... snip ...

      I'm really liking what you've done with your WSM. That is some serious ingenuity!

      I also think you are onto something regarding your conclusions on which meats are the most improved from hanging. We could use some input from PBC owners.
      Yes this IS really ingenious!!! Everyone will want one of those now!

      I think hanging ribs and brisket are really cool and it makes cooking them easier on the PBC... but turkey, butt, whole chickens are pain to hang in my opinion... as far as how the meat turns out hanging vs not hanging, I probably dont have enough experience to answer that properly.

      Comment


      • rpg421
        rpg421 commented
        Editing a comment
        Agreed, hanging the "football" shaped is a pain with no upside.

      • Ernest
        Ernest commented
        Editing a comment
        Whole chickens are too easy to hang. Gotta place the hooks through the neck, hook em outward.

      #6
      Very nice first post. Or ten thousandth post for that matter.

      Comment


        #7
        Man, that is awesome...."All Around Vertical Convection Cooking".....that is the key.

        Comment


        • rpg421
          rpg421 commented
          Editing a comment
          That is my observation also. I think may come to the same conclusion as you did, Thanks for the comment.

        #8
        Nice! Great stuff.

        Comment


          #9
          Another advantage of my craycort grate is I can hang and cook flat on the Big Worm.


          Comment


          • rpg421
            rpg421 commented
            Editing a comment
            Do you have enough clearance between the hanged meat--ribs and brisket? As the depth from the standard grate and the charcoal basket is 20 inches, I did not think there was enough for either without splitting the brisket and the ribs. That is why I chose to raise the bar. Your thought and experience.

          • Ernest
            Ernest commented
            Editing a comment
            I haven't done brisket but ribs have way more clearance than my PBC.

          #10
          Very nice! I use an ugly barrel when I hang and I have to watch carefully because there is no water pan.

          Comment


          • rpg421
            rpg421 commented
            Editing a comment
            I do not use water pan either when doing a hang cook and have not had any problem, but I kept the temp at 275 or below. I will admit that I have no experience with a UDS. No matter what you use for a hanging cook, it is so much fun with better results for those meats with a long axis.

          #11
          Great Work! Someone's going to start selling your design of the hanging rack. Thanks for the info.

          Comment


            #12
            The Smoke EZ comes with a hanging rack very similar to the one you constructed rpg.

            Click image for larger version

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            Comment


              #13
              Awesome post! This is one of the few areas I would change on the PBC, a dome hood and an extra 3" of vertical space. Now if I can just figure out how to get all of the meat I hang to fit on the grate I will be in good shape.

              Comment


                #14
                Wow what a post for a new member. I have to tell you that you just helped me make a decision. I have a WSM and thought my next step would have to be a PBC. And like you I am too old and frugal to pull the trigger. I have already called my brother in law about getting his welder ready. I can not see the pictures well enough to really tell but I was thinking that you welded the device to a cooking grate that fits your WSM and then cut the grate out in the center. Part of the grate that is left sits on the WSM just like it always did for a perfect fit. Is that what you did? Welcome to the Pit we are really glad to have you.

                Comment


                  #15
                  Fantastic post but it's not helping me in my PBC Vs. WSM assessment! I'm tossing up between the 2 and as much as I love the 22.5" WSM I'm really keen on the PBC just because of all the rave review it's getting. Why do I have to choose!

                  Comment

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