First smoke on my new WSM and it WASN"T love at first sight.

[Dustin Dorsey]

I used to start out with as low as 12 on the 22.5 WSM depending on the weather. More charcoal will get you up to temp faster. Using less allows you to more of a window as you have to wait until more charcoal in the bowl gets lit to get you up to temp. Make sense? Once you get a better idea of what you need for a certain temp you can start out with more charcoal lit from the beginning. Like others have said, catch the temp on the way up. I usually leave the vents open and start shutting the bottom ones down when I hit 200. The 22.5 likes to run hot so I would have usually 2 vents completely closed and one open a sliver. With beef ribs, I suggest running hotter. The bones will protect the bottom of meat and you'll render more fat at 275 to 300. More airflow will give you less smouldering chunks.

If your temp massively overshoots don't be afraid to cut back the top vent some. I would never got past half and usually open 75% makes a big difference on that. Ideally, you run with the top full open.

 

[noboundaries]

22.5" WSM owner here. Beef and pork, below. Poultry, all vents full open for hot fire. 20+ hot briqs fine for poultry.

Full ring of charcoal. Bury wood chunks in the charcoal. They preheat and carbonize more efficiently. When the smoke is over, shut all vents. For next smoke, knock the ash off the used charcoal, refill with new and bury new wood.

Don't hurry the start. 8-12 lit briquettes for a 225-250°F chamber. I dry smoke. No water.

Set bottom vents at the start at 1/8" open. Top full open. Slow start = slower fire ≈ easier control later. My starts are rarely less than 90 mins.

Chamber temp will drop once cold meat is loaded because the meat is a heat sponge. The fire is unaffected. Chamber temp will rise as the meat warms.

Enjoy.

Ray

 

[fxsales1959]

22.5" WSM owner here. Beef and pork, below. Poultry, all vents full open for hot fire.

Full ring of charcoal. Bury wood chunks in the charcoal. They preheat and carbonize more efficiently. When the smoke is over, shut all vents. For next smoke, knock the ash off the used charcoal, refill with new and bury new wood.

Don't hurry the start. 8-12 lit briquettes for a 225-250°F chamber. I dry smoke. No water.

Set bottom vents at the start at 1/8" open. Top full open. Slow start = slower fire ≈ easier control later. My starts are rarely less than 90 mins.

Chamber temp will drop once cold meat is loaded because the meat is a heat sponge. The fire is unaffected. Chamber temp will rise as the meat warms.

Enjoy.

Ray

thank you john

 

[chopsaw]

I have a 14 , so not sure how much some of my advice applies to an 18 , so I'll leave the above advice stand as what you need . Great info there in my opinion .
I will share this :
Before your next cook or sometime soon , fasten the charcoal ring to the charcoal grate .
That way when all is cooled down , you can lift the ring and grate together . Shake the ash and small pieces of charcoal into the ash pan and dump it . The useable charcoal stays in the ring .

I light my 14 like this . This came from another member and it works great . Top vent is closed to trap the useable heat . Once lit , top vent open . Torch is burning , and lighting that section of charcoal .

 

[noboundaries]

thank you john

You're welcome, Pete!

 

[normanaj]

Much like chopsaw I too am a 14 owner.

Like others I put a small soup can in the middle and basically line up my briquettes in an "orderly" fashion around the can with a few small wood chunks mixed evenly throughout. After getting about a 1/2 dozen briquettes fully ashed over I place them in the can and carefully remove it. I start with all vents wide open until I approach the desired temp and then close the bottom vents to barely being open...each cook is different so there is a learning curve. Top always wide open and no water in the pan.

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

My 18.5 WSM took a few tries to get it, and me, dialed in. Unless I'm only doing a 3 lb or so pork butt, I always use a full ring of unlit like others have said. I keep all vents wide open until I get around 50, or so degrees from target temp, then I start closing the bottom vents. These things do take some practice for sure, but once you figure it out, they make some outstanding Q. The only time I use water in the pan is in late summer here in TN when the outside temp is friggin crazy. I've put a grate probe on when I light the ring, and it already showed 110° when I put the lid on. Another trick that seems to work is a clay plant saucer wrapped in foil. They are a pretty good heat sink, and super easy to clean.

 

[chopsaw]

I only run one bottom vent cracked after it gets to temp . The other 2 are closed . Top full open . I use the bottom vent that's closets to the burning charcoal . Lid vent is 180 across from the bottom vent .
I know one thing , I need to get my WSM out and cook something .

 

[HowlingDog]

I will echo the other comments about the WSM. I have an old 18.5 I got from my Dad so it was likely built in the 80's and there are gaps all over so airflow is a bit more difficult to control. Having said that, they are pretty easy to dial in, although it takes about 15 - 20 minutes for the temp to stabilize once any change is made. I use my WSM for overnight cooks and once settled in, the temp barely moves.

My set up is similar to others. Full ring of charcoal with woods chunks buried and scattered:


I make a little indent in the center and add about 20 lit briquettes. I know many use Kingsford Blue Bag but I like the old Stubbs (I think now known as Cowboy) or old Weber briquettes.

I found some close outs years ago and still have a fair amount in the garage.

I do not use the water pan, but I DO use a terra cotta saucer filled with more broken up terra cotta as a heat sink, all wrapped in foil. Sorry no pictures but I can get you one if you want. While water adds moisture, I tend to be clumsy and would spill the water. The Terra Cotta works great to hold heat and keep things within a range.

It takes about 45 minutes for mine to come up to temp and the smoke to settle down. At first, it is pretty dirty but after awhile it settles and will eventually get to that thin blue.

Temp is controlled, as others stated by the bottom vents. Top is always wide open. When mine is humming, the three bottom ones are barely cracked open at all.

I started with pork butt for pulled pork. Very forgiving.



I do my turkeys on the WSM


And cheese:


Have tried jerky once and need to do that again


Don't get discouraged!! They take a little time to learn but once you do, it is a nice new world of smoking adventures!!! Keep it up and have fun!!

Mark

 

[fxsales1959]

I will echo the other comments about the WSM. I have an old 18.5 I got from my Dad so it was likely built in the 80's and there are gaps all over so airflow is a bit more difficult to control. Having said that, they are pretty easy to dial in, although it takes about 15 - 20 minutes for the temp to stabilize once any change is made. I use my WSM for overnight cooks and once settled in, the temp barely moves.

My set up is similar to others. Full ring of charcoal with woods chunks buried and scattered:
View attachment 671470

I make a little indent in the center and add about 20 lit briquettes. I know many use Kingsford Blue Bag but I like the old Stubbs (I think now known as Cowboy) or old Weber briquettes.
View attachment 671471
I found some close outs years ago and still have a fair amount in the garage.

I do not use the water pan, but I DO use a terra cotta saucer filled with more broken up terra cotta as a heat sink, all wrapped in foil. Sorry no pictures but I can get you one if you want. While water adds moisture, I tend to be clumsy and would spill the water. The Terra Cotta works great to hold heat and keep things within a range.

It takes about 45 minutes for mine to come up to temp and the smoke to settle down. At first, it is pretty dirty but after awhile it settles and will eventually get to that thin blue.

Temp is controlled, as others stated by the bottom vents. Top is always wide open. When mine is humming, the three bottom ones are barely cracked open at all.

I started with pork butt for pulled pork. Very forgiving.
View attachment 671472
View attachment 671473

I do my turkeys on the WSM
View attachment 671474

And cheese:
View attachment 671475

Have tried jerky once and need to do that again
View attachment 671476

Don't get discouraged!! They take a little time to learn but once you do, it is a nice new world of smoking adventures!!! Keep it up and have fun!!

Mark

thank you for taking time.
john

 

[fxsales1959]

My 18.5 WSM took a few tries to get it, and me, dialed in. Unless I'm only doing a 3 lb or so pork butt, I always use a full ring of unlit like others have said. I keep all vents wide open until I get around 50, or so degrees from target temp, then I start closing the bottom vents. These things do take some practice for sure, but once you figure it out, they make some outstanding Q. The only time I use water in the pan is in late summer here in TN when the outside temp is friggin crazy. I've put a grate probe on when I light the ring, and it already showed 110° when I put the lid on. Another trick that seems to work is a clay plant saucer wrapped in foil. They are a pretty good heat sink, and super easy to clean.

thankl you

 

[fxsales1959]

You guys are the bomb!! I was overwhelmed with the amount of response on a lengthy whiny post. I've only met a sparse handful in person at the S Florida smoke gathering a few months ago. I am active in other groups for boats, jeeps, and ATV's and this is the most courteous and least snarky of any other group. The thing that sucks right now is... it's only Tuesday, and I've got a big 'ol chunky rack of baby backs screaming my name from the garage freezer.
Oh well, there is a slab of pork belly getting ready for the MB MES30 to make some bacon,.
Thank you again, hope everybody that contributed gets this.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
John