First Cook on Assassin 28

kevinbglenn

kevinbglenn

Is lookin for wood to cook with.
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Here is my first cook on the Assassin 28. I did two boston butts, two racks of spareribs, and a whole pork loin. Only got picks of the butts. The Assassin was easy to run and maintained temperature very well. One big difference cooking on the Assassin verse the 22 WSM I had been using is the amount and rate at which it burned through wood chunks. Also, I did not use the water pan that came with the Assassin for this first cook but I will use it this weekend on the next test cook. Got to get this baby figured out before our next competition at the end of September.



Ready to wrap after 5 hours of smoke



Ready to rest

 
Butts look good. How did everything taste compared to cooks on the WSM? What temp, time, and about how many chucks did you end up using? Curious because I am contemplating a gravity fed step up from BGE. Thanks!

Bill
 
Very little difference in the taste. The bark is a little more char like on the edges with the WSM. I guess this is due to more direct type heat running up the side. They cooked about 1 hour faster on the Assassin than on the WSM. I used about 10 to 12 chunks of wood over the five hours of smoke time. These were 10 pounds butts trimmed down. Cooked 5 hours in smoke and 3.5 hours wrapped in foil for total of cook of 8.5 hours.
 
Looks good, called Assassin last week and talked to Jeff about the Assassin Grill, I also asked if they were coming out with something smaller than the 24 for the backyard enthusiasts. Said they are coming out with a 17 soon for under 2K, looking at the grill and a couple of other cabinet smokers, will probably add the 17 to the list.

Kevin if you don't mind keep us posted on your upcoming experiences with the 28, I've never cooked on a gravity fed smoker and currently use a WSM myself.
 
'Burnt ends' on ribs or anything else which sits in that space near the edges of the cooker seems unavoidable. I have tried using a piece of aluminum foil on the ends which works a little but I also think all this does impact airflow through the cooker too. I trim sl ribs short but still it's a challenge to cook 4 racks on an 18 inch diameter circle. Considered after market racks, multi level rigs, etc. but think it's time to set up to a larger cooker. Keep us posted on your experiences.
 
When I had my Assassin 28, I tried the water pan once, and never used it again. It didn't really make much of a difference with moisture in the cook chamber. I think that's because it's so far away from the heat source. On a Backwoods or Humphrey's the water is right above the fire, so it gets a lot more steam going. On the Assassin it didn't do much except catch grease.

You're gonna love the smoker, Assassin is the best bang for the buck out there.
 
Right on! Keep using it and the flavor profile will increase as it seasons. I really like using my water pan. Temps seem to recover better and of course adds ambient moisture. I have a strange question for you or anyone that adds that much wood. I use (generally) no more than 6 chunks within the first 4 hours, then let it ride..... Comes out amazing every time! I also prefer Mojobricks for my wood. Mainly due to its clean consistency burn. Anyway just curious.
 
I use 4 fist size chunks within the first 2 / 4 hrs. I don't use the water pan either. Gravity Feds tend to hold moisture pretty well as it is. Congrats on the new cooker I sure do love mine!
 
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