weber smokey mountain smoker

[bama bbq]

Glad it turned out well! Congrats!

 

[mattyoc20]

Just want to throw a shout out to bama bbq for sticking threw this with me your input was truely a big help. Thank you

 

[steve carpenter]

I've only done pulled pork on my WSM once, but it seemed to take a lot longer than that. I think my temps dipped once when I wasn't paying attention for a while. I was using lump and I think the burning portion fell away from the unlit because I was in too much of a hurry to stack it nicely early in the morning.

Question to everyone else......I cooked a 8.5 lb and it took longer than I would have liked. Would getting it cut into two pieces speed up the cooking time?

 

[smokinhusker]

Happy to hear all came out well - a testament since you have no leftovers!!! 

Really sounds like your temps are running higher with the shortened cooking times. 

 

[bama bbq]

Just want to throw a shout out to bama bbq for sticking threw this with me your input was truely a big help. Thank you

Not a prob my friend.  I enjoyed standing with you on this one.  We look forward to many more of your cooks!

 

[redfinjim]

My briskets usually "hold" for about 1.5 hours at 165° before it starts climbing to 180-185 within the next hour.  Then it'll plateau for a bit before hitting 192.  I use a WSM 22.5.  I've got 2 wireless internal temp monitors when I have 2 briskets on each grill level (4 briskets total).  I buy the 9-10 lb. briskets untrimmed.  I do score the fat side with a knife in several places and stick a garlic clove into each right against the meat.  I also stop feeding wood to the firebox (charcoal bed) after about the 5th hour.  I've been told the meat will absorb all the smoke it will absorb after 5 hours.

Do any of you put water in the water pan or do you leave it in only to collect drippings?  I normally do a 1/2 and 1/2 of water and cheap apple juice.

 

[bama bbq]

I use the water pan to hold the terra cotta clay flower pot saucer. I use a drip pan in the water as well when using both racks, and place the drip pan on the lower rack when using the top rack only.

 

[jirodriguez]

Keep in mind that the temps on the racks are different than the temps on the lid therm. The lid therm could be accurate, and still not be giving you your true chamber temps. If you have a calibrated probe therm do the following:

Cut a potato in half and push the probe therm all the way through it so that at leas 1/3 of the point is sticking out the end.

Get your smoker running at 250° according to the lid therm.

Place the probe on the upper rack and let the smoker stabalize at 250° again - wait untill the probe therm stops going up, make a note of the probe therm temp.

Repeat process with the lower rack.

What you will probably find out is that the temps on each rack are slightly different, and that they both vary from the lid. So once you know what the variation is you can then use the lid therm as a rule of thumb guide, mentally adjusting for each rack.

Also keep in mind the WSM cooks hotter for the first 8-10 smokes, once you have a nice layer of seasoning built up it will seal all the joints and openings better and not run quite as hot.

All in all you can't go wrong with a WSM, I have had my 22.5" for several years, I use it year round in all kinds of weather and couldn't be happier!

 

[bugz13]

What thermometer are you using to track the smoker temperature and where are you placing the probe? Can make a big difference.

 

[dumasbro2]

My 22 1/2 dome temperature gauge runs about 15 degrees cooler than the grate temperature. My butts do run close to 1 1/2 per pound at 225 (+/- 10) grate temp. Don't be too stuck on the pound and a half per hour, trust the meat temp and you'll be fine. The last ones I did stalled out at 160 for several hours, then creeped up very slowly. I  ran out of charcoal (normally would have been enough) so after about 15 hours I just finished the last 10 degrees in the oven. Was some of the best butt I've done.