1st cook with WSM.

Tatanka · Jan 31, 2016

Well, today was the day to try my new Weber Smoky Mountain 18.5" cooker/smoker with a pork shoulder/butt. After reading a lot I considered filling the water pan with water since they tend to run hot until used a few times, but decided instead on an inch of sand in the bottom with foil over it.

The first photo is of the handsome new tool about 3 hours into the smoke. Heeding the recurrent advice, including Harry Soo's, I didn't open the WSM for the first FIVE hours. Meat thermometer in the top vent ran about 40-50 degrees higher than what the on-board thermo said. Top vent wide open and only one of the lowers cracked a tad, ran steady at 245F on the grill thermo. I was skeptical about all the hubbub about how these things hold steady temp. Not no mo'!

The second photo is right before I wrapped it for a final hour in the smoker. Temp jumped up on me after I'd put the lid back on, so I closed the vent that was cracked, and the temp never did go down. What's amazing is that even now, 2-1/2 hours later the smoker thermo has only dropped 25 degrees since I shut it down. As amazing to me is that after 2 hours of resting the meat temp has only dropped from 180 to 165. I'm gonna let it rest another hour before unwrapping and doin' a pull...I'll post a photo of the meat then.

tb80 · Jan 31, 2016

Looks great. Looking forward to the finished product. Congrats on the new WSM.

blazinfire · Jan 31, 2016

nice looking butt ya go there :whoo:

How did the sand work out? Its suppose to help keep temps low right? Can't wait for results. I'm sure you will love with WSM! I've cooked in some pretty intense weather this winter. Very pleased!

Tatanka · Feb 1, 2016

Say! Nice pork roast!

Yep, major fail if the objective was pulled pork. Chopped pork? No sweat! Let me grab my meat cleaver!

Two things I plan to do as a result: 1. Fill the water pan per Weber's instructions for at least a few cooks, until there is more creosote built up in the unit; I used 1" of sand in the bottom this time, and 2. Get a freakin' good thermometer (meat and air probes).

The spread between the WSM's on-board thermometer and the meat thermometer I stuck in the upper vent averaged about 50 degrees over the smoke. Clearly, the meat thermometer was closer to the true temp, since the shoulder was up to 160F internal at the end of only 6 hours, two hours earlier than expected. And then I think I really killed it when I wrapped it and put it back in the smoker for the final cooking. Well, the dam smoker wouldn't cool down after the top had been off, even with every vent closed.

Well, like every would-be cook/pitmaster, I'll eat my mistakes with zeal, make adjustments and eventually produce stuff like the best I've ever had. "Line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, there a little."

Still love the WSM; just need to dial things in. Next effort will be a brisket.:wink:

foam2 · Feb 1, 2016

A lot of good things to build on from your first outing with the new toy...
First, as you mentioned get a good thermometer. A maverick 732 or 733 will be really helpful for you to monitor what is going on and help dial in temperatures and help with how long things will take at certain temperatures.
I typically foil butts when they hit an internal of 165 which is typically four hours in cooking between 250-275.
For meat doneness, you want to probe the meat and it should feel like butter. If it is firm you want to let it continue cooking until it is tender.
Although your door looks like it is sealing well and again the stock thermometers are not very good, check the smoker for leaks as you could be sucking in air which could be the reason your smoker was still running close to your original temp after shutting it down for a few hours.
In terms of water, it really isn't needed. It may help stabilize temperatures on a low and slow but I haven't used water for years and haven't looked back.
Check out the weber virtual bullet website - there's a lot of good tips and tricks on the wsm there.

COS · Feb 1, 2016

Good looking pork. I was skeptical about the long burn times also till I got a kettle, it's true. Just dial it in. One thing I say is try another pork butt or ribs before a brisket, till you figure your cooker out.

USMC · Feb 1, 2016

+1 on COS's comment. Get that WSM gunked up seasoned with a few butts and nekkid fatties first before trying a brisket. Your temps are always gonna spike when the lid is off. Just try to not have it off for too long and I wouldn't worry with choking it down as long as the temps are not spiked too high. It should settle back down within a reasonable time that won't have much effect on forgiving meat like a butt. If you like steady temps look into getting a temp controller. I have the IQ 120 for my WSM and my temps are more stable than the oven in the house. Good luck with your WSM. It's a very versatile little smoker! Mine has performed excellent for everything I've ever thrown in it!

cheez59 · Feb 1, 2016

Great looking first cook. If you want pullable pork you have to cook until the bone wiggles. It has been my experience that the bone doesn't wiggle until the internal temp is at least 195-205. I like chopped better than pulled so I take the butt off at 185-190.

thesemicullen · Feb 1, 2016

Like a few other folks have said, don't cook to a temp, cook to feel. When your temp probe slides in like it's going into warm butter, it's ready.

KevinJ · Feb 1, 2016

Like said above get you a Maverick ET-732 or 733, it makes monitoring your cook so much easier. You can set the Temp high/low alarms and a food temp alarm when I'm using my WSM I have a target temp but as long as it's 15+/- I just let it roll.

blazinfire · Feb 1, 2016

Hey Sliced pork is always fine! Did it still taste good? If your making pulled pork Just let it ride for longer. So far the few butts I've cooked probed tender anywhere from 195 on.

I've done several cooks on mine now, and It runs better each time I cook on it. The first few cooks was rocky trying to learn the cooker.

I still vote for just covering the top of the water pan with foil. I know I can maintain a solid 275 through most of my cook this way. During the warmer months it might be different!

I really don't have a reason to use water in the water pan. I pretty lazy and the mess it creates annoys me. LOL. I'd like to see what results you get with using water in the pan.

Once the pit gets up to temp I'll shut all 3 vents down half way and see where the smoker stabilizes. Then I'll slowly shut two vents down while controlling with one. Seems to me its a little different each cook depending on weather/wind.

Good Luck, Just takes some time to learn once you get the hang of it, its smooth sailing after that!

1st cook with WSM.

Tatanka

Knows what a fatty is.

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tb80

Take a breath!

blazinfire

Babbling Farker

Tatanka

Knows what a fatty is.

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foam2

Full Fledged Farker

COS

is one Smokin' Farker

USMC

is one Smokin' Farker

cheez59

Quintessential Chatty Farker

thesemicullen

Full Fledged Farker

KevinJ

somebody shut me the fark up.

blazinfire

Babbling Farker

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