Got a Weber Smokey Mountain! have a few questions....

boblloyd91 · Jan 4, 2017

Hey, I lucked out and was able to get an 18.5" WSM on sale. I'm super excited. I have a few questions before I season it this weekend that I hope someone can help me with.

1. About how many charcoal briquettes do I need? I'm gong to be doing the minion method, so I won't be doing them all at once, however would it take half a regular sized bag? Or more total?

2. One thing that made me decide on this smoker was how economical it was when it come to fuel and holding heat. having said that, how long would it take before I have to add more fuel?

3. I'm guessing wood chunks are the preferred way to add wood, but does anyone ever use wood chips on this? I ask because I still have a fair amount of wood chips I need to use up.

I appreciate any input!

tropics · Jan 4, 2017

boblloyd91 said:
Hey, I lucked out and was able to get an 18.5" WSM on sale. I'm super excited. I have a few questions before I season it this weekend that I hope someone can help me with.

1. About how many charcoal briquettes do I need? I'm gong to be doing the minion method, so I won't be doing them all at once, however would it take half a regular sized bag? Or more total?

2. One thing that made me decide on this smoker was how economical it was when it come to fuel and holding heat. having said that, how long would it take before I have to add more fuel?

3. I'm guessing wood chunks are the preferred way to add wood, but does anyone ever use wood chips on this? I ask because I still have a fair amount of wood chips I need to use up.

I appreciate any input!

Make a basket for the charcoal. Fill it and light from one side it will burn for a long time. (edit) I forgot they have the ring LOL

when done shut vents it will go out,and you use whats left next time.

You can use the chips spread around in the coals.

Richie

gmc2003 · Jan 4, 2017

Chips will burn really quick. You'll use allot of them.

-chris

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 4, 2017

I fill my charcoal ring. When I am done I shut all the intakes and exhaust tomanuff the fire out.

Next time I use the WSM I shake the ash add more charcoal to the old and go again.

Chunks will work best for you. Chips just burn up too fast. You may have luck putting the chips in foil poke holes in the foil and place on the charcoal. Even spread throughout you won't get much smoke from the chips. They burn up too easily.

joe black · Jan 4, 2017

Welcome from SC. It's good to have you here on this really great site. Case has you right on point.

SmokinAl · Jan 5, 2017

Welcome to SMF!

This is how I fill my WSM.

Mix the charcoal & wood together & light about 12 briquettes.

Put them on the pile & it will burn for 18-20 hours without adding any more wood or charcoal.

Minion method 4.jpeg

SmokinAl
Jan 5, 2017

Good luck!

Al

bena · Jan 5, 2017

SmokinAl said:
Welcome to SMF!

This is how I fill my WSM.

Mix the charcoal & wood together & light about 12 briquettes.

Put them on the pile & it will burn for 18-20 hours without adding any more wood or charcoal.

Minion method 4.jpeg

SmokinAl

Jan 5, 2017

Good luck!

Al

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 5, 2017

To add a little fuel to the fire I use what is termed the "side light" method.

Open all of your vent wide open. Fill your basket full of fuel and wood then light the fuel through one or more than one (for hotter smokes) of the lower vents with a propane torch. Initially I will torch until the pit temp is 25°-30° degrees above my desired pit temp. Shut off torch. The pit temp will fall considerably. Once it has stabilized torch again. This time only go 15°-20° degrees above pit temp. Shut off torch. Allow pit to stabilize. If you are 15°-20° below your targeted pit temp allow the pit to come up by itself. Slowly close lover vents to stabilize pit at temp where you want it. Leave top lid vent wide open always when smoking. When you're done smoking close all vents to snuff it out. Next smoke shake out and dump ash. add new fuel to spent fuel.

In my 14.5" I have had 16-18 hour burns using this method and 24 hour + in the 18.5". With this method all the energy (heat) stays in the smoker. With the minion method you loose some of the energy (heat) by starting the fuel outside the smoker. Which is why I get longer burn times than those using the minion method.

Please note that I run all my pits dry. There is no water or other liquid in the water pan. The only exception to this is when I make Chef JJ's Smokey Au Jus. When I leave the water pan in the smoker (low temp indirect smokes below 285°). I foil it for easy clean up that is it.

27132445801_e17e7382fa_k.jpg

dirtsailor2003
Jan 5, 2017

Here is a shot with the body removed to show how this works. You can see that you do need to take care to line up the holes in the ring with the vents. This is not an issue if using an expanded metal basket.

17103186739_37582cfa56_k.jpg

dirtsailor2003
Jan 5, 2017

That is a fully loaded 18.5".

Mini-WSM set up for lighting

16787743127_58a3c6e2af_k.jpg

dirtsailor2003
Jan 5, 2017

16369467753_d9df98e5f3_k.jpg

dirtsailor2003
Jan 5, 2017

martyn c · Jan 5, 2017

Got my WSM for my birthday,yesterday, have seasoned it by burning it empty twice, hope that's enough, have just filled the ring with briquettes and have but a 4 lb brisket on, am sitting back to watch what happens

cecil · Jan 5, 2017

boblloyd91 said:
Hey, I lucked out and was able to get an 18.5" WSM on sale. I'm super excited. I have a few questions before I season it this weekend that I hope someone can help me with.

1. About how many charcoal briquettes do I need? I'm gong to be doing the minion method, so I won't be doing them all at once, however would it take half a regular sized bag? Or more total?

2. One thing that made me decide on this smoker was how economical it was when it come to fuel and holding heat. having said that, how long would it take before I have to add more fuel?

3. I'm guessing wood chunks are the preferred way to add wood, but does anyone ever use wood chips on this? I ask because I still have a fair amount of wood chips I need to use up.

I appreciate any input!

1. The amount of briquettes may depend on the length of the cook. For a short cook I fill the ring from half to #/4 full, I use the Weber chimney to light the charcoal. I turn the chimney over and fill the bottom of the chimney then pour out and fill the top part with that amount of briquettes. Seems to be the right amount for better temp control.

2. Depending on the amount of charcoal I have gotten ten to twelve hours on the cook with one load before adding fuel.

3. Wood chunks are preferred but if you have chips you can mix.

Good luck with your WSM, I love mine. Only wish I would have got the 221/2 inch..

smokin jay · Jan 6, 2017

I light the wsm like Al does and have all vents on bottom wide open and top vent wide open. I let the smoker get to 180* then shut down two bottom vents and one vent about a quarter of the way open. Top vent wide open entire cook. It settles in around 240-270 10+ hours. Hope this helps.

forvols · Jan 6, 2017

I have a WSM 22" and also a lot of chips. I line one of the charcoal baskets from my weber 22" performer with foil and fill with wood chips and set that on top on hot coals in the WSM when smoking. Once my chips are gone I will cut hick/oak/apple from my property in chunks to smoke with. I did a 13lb batch of summer sausage in my WSM recently(my first run at SS). Temp control and the snake method worked out very well. Started at 120* to dry, bumped to 140* and smoke for a few hours then to 170-180* to finish at internal temp of 152-155. Outside temp that day was low 30s and mostly no wind. So Im sure that helped a lot with the temp control. Big thing I have learned with the WSM is make vent adjustments then get it some time to react. I have smoked plenty on my WSM but the sausage deal low temps starting out had me alittle concerned in temp control. WSM came through it will do low temp drying/cooking. Hopefully my next sausage run will be as good(or better).

dave17a · Jan 8, 2017

Think it was Craig on here, and I do yhis method is put a 20 oz. or so soup can in the middle of ring and pour charcoal around it. Light little less than half in chimney and pour in soup can when ready. Pull out can with pliers. Inside out burn. Full basket can go 12 hrs. or so at 225 to 250

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