Happy Thanksgiving (it's November, it still counts) ! So the family decided that it would be a BBQ Thanksgiving , and yours truly was tasked with making 3 racks of ribs --- easy peasy, or it should have been. Approx 3 hours into the cook, I noticed the temp (which was holding at around 235 or so .... all good) is starting to go down . Open the vents more ... still going down -- not usual for me !! So I open the door to look in there, and sure enough, about a quarter of the coals on the far end of the bowl had not lit --- somehow the minion mehod didn't work ......has NEVER happened to me before. I have had such a good experience with WSM on both ribs and brisket using the minion , so this threw me . We recovered , Thanksgiving survived , but there was smoker stress . Any of this ever happened to you ?!?
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All the time on my Keg.
I have to be two steps ahead of this smoker at all times or it'll reach up and bite me. -
You have any insight on why or when that happens ?!? I pride myself on getting temps set and just walking away , only to check the thermometer a couple once every 30 - 45 min in a 6 hour rib cook .....most of the time I don't ever open the door to the WSM -- just very ego deflating.Comment
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Every once in a while something odd happens. I could try to guess why that happened, but it's probably pointless. Maybe too many lit coals at first, causing the vents to need closed down a touch too much which eventually snuffed it out...or not. Once in a while I have the opposite problem, my temps want to run high and shutting the vents down doesn't do much good until long after it should've. Lid seated well, usual number of coals lit, etc. Hard to say why there are those outliers here and there, but a good pitmaster can adapt and it sounds like you did!Comment
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Hard to say, mighta been some dampish briqs, I dunno....
I'd not take it too personally, Amigo!
Sounds like ya Done Fine...
Jus Carry On.
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That's a good word Bones & Huskee ..... but you know, that's part of the fun of doing it the old-fashioned way. I learned to maybe check the coals mid-way thru --- not a huge sin if you glance in there. Who knows, may never happen again, but I learned to smoke my way thru it (that could have been done better as well, but we made it work --) Those would NOT have been competition ribs, but fortunately for me the wife and kids don't have the same high bar some of us do. Onward and upward --- for Christmas, we go for it all with the turkey and everything with it.Comment
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For the most part anytime I run my WSM , anything can happen. Most times it just runs fine, as soon as i’m comfortable with it. Something goes wrong. Then I have to figure out how to get through the cook. Sometimes the oven can bail u out. Most of the smoke flavor is in the beginning. I like the house smelling like a BBQ joint, my wife not so much. Try not to stress. We all do. It’s BBQ, doesn’t have to be perfect, just good. Sounds like u did good.Comment
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