WSM 22.5 and Temp Gauge issues: First Cook

[jet_olson]

Hey All, just joined Amazing Ribs as i got a WSM 22.5 for Christmas. So hello all! I am doing some ribs and chicken today on my WSM and the first 2.5 to 3 hours went perfect...held temps in the 225 - 240 without any handling. In my 4th hour, my digital temp (Ivation 2 probe) all of a sudden kicked up into the 375 - 400 range without warning and my WSM temp gauge said it was only up to 260...So I had a discrepancy and shot my instant read thermometer through the rubber grommet and it concurred with the ivation digital temp. So really 2 questions...

1) keeping the vents where they were I would anticipate the temps over time would drop. Granted i was using the minion method and some unused charcoal had just caught fire.

2) is the WSM analog temp gauge that unreliable? I had read that I should count on 10-20 degree swings between this and a digital however I had discrepancies over 100 degrees.

Any feedback here would be appreciated. And again, Hello to All as this is my first post.

-Smokey O

[lschweig]

A hearty welcome from Illinois. Alas I have no experience with a WSM.

[DWCowles]

Welcome jet_olson where did you have the bottom vents set at?

[Shane Rakow]

Welcome to the Pit, Smokey O!

[fuzzydaddy]

Welcome jet_olson! We'd love to get an intro from you over in the Introduce Yourself channel when you get a minute. Thanks!

[Mr. Bones]

Howdy, jet_olson !
Without more specifics, or bein' there, all I can do is look at some likely causes:

• food dripping into yer fire, causin' flareups
• wind picked up dramatically from when ya' started, stokin' up yer fire quite a bit
• fire itself caught quite a bit more than it was, due to way it was built, or a chunk o' smoker wood gettin' rowdy

...Just a few of the 'Usual Suspects', from offa th' top o' my head. Combinations of them happen, as well.

Welcome to th Pit!!!

I can't speak to th' discrepancies b'tween yer thermos...
Hope yer food came out great, post us some pics...

[PaulstheRibList]

jet_olson , have you cooked on your WSM again since the 2nd?

How about a boil test on your Maverick temp probes?

Did you see anything different going on in your firebox? More charcoal lit? Did a big section of wood lite?

[SoCalTim]

Have you properly seasoned your WSM? You need to build up a layer of (for lack of a better term) food gunk inside the cooker. If you haven't done this you need to cook some fat and let that baby go for a few hours. May I recommend you going to the Amazon site and put WSM in the search box. Click on Reviews, the first comment that comes up will be Harry Soo, his post will guide you thru the process. Tim

[Nate]

Welcome from Indiana.

[Jeff_Carley]

Great question. Take a watch at the WSM master on this. He points out early on that he has to "break in" his WSM and form a "crust" on the inside of his pit before the heat stays consistent throughout the whole cook. He speaks directly to the issue you are having. Good sruff.

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/grad-school-seminars-with-pitmaster-professors-aa/10576-harry-soo-on-getting-the-most-out-of-your-weber-smokey-mountain-runs-1-24-05

[SoCalTim]

Jeff_Carley ,Hey brother, I took Harry Soo' BBQ class twice, the man knows what he is talking about. The quality of my BBQ grew by leaps and bounds after spending time with him.

[Jeff_Carley]

that is an opportunity that I would jump at. bet it helped tons. and to think, the man started off winning big his first time out off a dare. too funny

[jet_olson]

Thanks for all the kind "Welcomes" and to sum it up I have cooked again on my WSM...multiple times and have never had that happen again. The one thing I think it was, was that my digital temp gauge was on the edge of the rack and it was getting direct heat at the edge over the water pan...Thanks again for all the links and suggestions...glad to be part of a great community. cheers!

[clkq4]

This was from a chicken cook on Saturday. I had 4 chicken halves loaded on my top grate. As you can see, my Chef Alarm was showing about 80 degrees more than the dome thermometer.

[Danjohnston949]

jet_olson, I don't have a WSM but I do use Weber Kettles and I continually Make the Same Error? I think it is do to My Old Timers acting up! If I open the Lid to check on or reposition something and put the Lid back on invariably it is Mispositioned! The Temps will go Nuts, a Real PMO! I almost have Myself trained to Double Check!
Welcome to "The Pit"! You are Now Enrolled in the BBQ Univ.! Attendance and Participation are Mandatory!
Enjoy "The Pit"!
Eat Well and Prosper! From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan

[ecowper]

I have seen, once in a while, major temp spikes happen on my WSM 22.5 .... my experience is that it is either fresh wood/charcoal catching fire (I use Soo's donut, mostly) or the water pan running dry. The water pan is a major heat sink and once the water is gone, there is nothing absorbing, and slowly redistributing, all the heat from the fire chamber.

Welcome to the pit and the world of the WSM :-)

[jet_olson]

Thanks all for the responses. It helps! Now if i could only find a cover for my smoker since putting a new thermometer on the top.....any suggestions? (its bigger than the original and the old cover wont fit....)...Ill be posting some mods as well including casters, gaskets and a new door. I have to say the gaskets worked brilliantly.

[jfmorris]

Curious as to why you bothered with another analog thermometer, since those bimetal thermometers are inherently inaccurate. I replace them on my Weber kettle and Genesis every few years, as they are good ballparks for when the grill is hot enough to start cooking, but the temperature on those is not worth looking at during the cooking if you have a good digital probe.