no more low and slow/overnight cooks for me:

[mph33]

my experience, my WSM 22 loves 275 degrees and the food comes out great everytime. tried to do a picnic and butt low and slow @ 235 and i wasnt impressed. woke up in the morning to check temps and to wrap. bark looked decent but the meat was like holding a hot softball. there was several over cooked pieces that needed to be chopped. for the most part, the meat(s) pulled well but i wasnt impressed. no more overnight cooks for me. i got the auber temp controller and digital temp probes. 275 and hot and fast is the best way to cook. For me, I'd rather just get up early in the morning and start the cook versus not being able to monitor and hoping that all of my equipment does its job without my help. i guess for overnight cooks, you need to use briquettes vs lump. lump can have some temp swings. briquettes are a lot more consistent but i like the flavor of lump better.

 

[Nuco59]

Some people are big fans of the overnight cook thing- but the appeal has eluded me. I get up very early by habit. I will set up /charge my cooker the evening before- but I have all day to get a cook in if my intent is to serve about 5:00 or 6:00. If my aim is to serve at noon/lunch, I will smoke the meat from - say - 6:00 to 10:00 pm -then pull/ pan/foil and finish in the oven at 170 overnight. In the morning, if it still has a ways to go, kick the heat up to 280 or so until done. Gives time for a nice rest before lunch.

Not really understanding "over cooked" and had to be chopped. Did you have some areas that were just too "barky" and hard? If I'm looking for pulled, I want it fork tender- but not the the point of "mushiness" eh/ 200-202-ish. I do like chopped pork to- but I will take it to about 180-185 and call it done.

 

[jermoQ]

When I had my UDS, I did overnights with it a few times, and I let it roll, thinking I am going to sleep. I never slept good. I understand how your feeling.

 

[aks801]

My WSM seems to work best at 250-275. Sometimes I'll keep it closer to 225 just for grins but it doesn't make an appreciable difference in the result and it just takes longer. So yeah, I like getting up at 5 and getting things going, get the WSM rolling at 250 and put in a packer or pork butt and we all eat around 6PM or so no problem.

That being said, at some point I'll get a stick burner and will have a blast getting it running at 225 and doing the all-nighter thing with a glass of bourbon at the ready.

 

[Mike Twangzer]

I personally just like the H&F method and forget overnight .... as I'm chicken ....

 

[jzadski]

Whenever I did low and slow on the WSM I used the water pan. Hot and fast no. Never had a problem either way with overdone areas on my meat. I do prefer hot and fast. 275 seems to be a sweet spot for me. So I do that on all my cookers now.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

I'm a big believer in low and slow. For overnight cooks I use one of two methods.

My pellet smoker. Rec Tec RT590 and a smoke tube. This way I don't have to worry about temps and I sleep like a baby during overnight cooks. The PID controller keeps the temps to within 5 degrees of set point.

Barring it, I use my 22in WSM with BBQ Guru, water bowl a little less than half full of play sand instead of water, and covered with foil, and running a good lump charcoal made of dense wood like Kamado Joe Big Block or Jealous Devil. I hate the taste of food cooked over briquettes. I close all the bottom vents and just crack the top vent to a crescent. Half moon at most, and light using a modified minion method.

This will keep my temps in the 225-240 range no trouble.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Looks good! Share some photos of the meal.
I’m sure everyone at you dinner will like the pulled pork!

 

[Monkey Uncle]

I use 250 as my "low and slow" temp. I don't have to fool with wrapping, but it gets done a bit faster than cooking at 225. I don't mind getting up early. I usually get the meat on the WSM by 5:00 am, and it's done in time for a 1 hr rest with dinner served around 6:30 pm.

 

[RemoGaggi]

For me, overnight cooks are like waiting for your high-school kid to come back from a night out. Can't relax.

 

[Happy Hapgood]

I'm a big fan of overnight cooks. Especially for brisket. On my WSM 18 I have a Party Q. Once the meat is on if I don't open the lid that rig will run for up to 16 hours if need be. I go 275*F for everything I smoke. When I wake the next morning it's not 274 and it's not 276.



Some lessons I've learned about the WSM are:
1. Keep the top dome vent open only 50%.
2. Keep all vents closed on the bottom except where the ATC is connected.
3. KBB coal burn steady. If you like lump flavor, try a mix.
4. If your lookin' you ain't cookin.


This rig is tuned out. Got to trust your equipment. I am currently using a Ink Bird 4 probe with phone app. I do set Hi/Lo alarms just in case for meat and grill temp.


I will be doing a review this week on the Ink Bird Wi-Fi unit in Q-Talk.


Good luck but don't count out over nighters just yet. Sleep is Goood.