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wittdog

Master Chef
Joined
Apr 8, 2006
Messages
9,860
Location
West Seneca NY
At some point I’m going to do some chicken on the WSM. What is the best way to set up the WSM? I'm looking for amount of charcoal both lit and unlit, water, sand or whatever in pan, dome temp ect. And i'd like a estimate on how long is it going to take to cook? At higher/lower temps.
 
wittdog said:
At some point I’m going to do some chicken on the WSM. What is the best way to set up the WSM? I'm looking for amount of charcoal both lit and unlit, water, sand or whatever in pan, dome temp ect. And i'd like a estimate on how long is it going to take to cook? At higher/lower temps.

Dave, that depends. Are you doing a whole chicken or chicken parts? Do you want crispy skin or does it matter?

A whole chicken will take about 2.5-3 hours and chicken pieces will take about 2 hours if you're cooking low (245-260) but cooking at those temps the skin will be rubbery, which is not a big deal to me. Using that approach use the MM and start of with about 10 lit coals. With sand in the water pan.

If you want crispy skin, leave the water pan out and start with 1/2 chimney full of lit coals on top of a small bed of unlit coals. A whole chicken will take about 1.5 hours and chicken pieces will take about 45min to 1 hr cooking in the 325-350* range.
 
wittdog said:
Thanks guys how much does the temp variance between the two grates effect the cooking time?

Without the charcoal bowl you will want to rotate the grates half way through the cook. With the charcoal bowl and sand the temp with vary about 15* less on the bottom grate than the top. No need to flip in this case, the top grate will cook a lil' faster but not much.
 
Finney said:
I use everything (but not at the same time) water, sand, empty, and no pan. It all depends on what I'm cooking and what I feel like doing.

That's because you can't remember what you did the previous cook! :bar: :bar: :bar: :bar: :bar: :taunt:
 
Finney said:
I use everything (but not at the same time) water, sand, empty, and no pan. It all depends on what I'm cooking and what I feel like doing.
Whould you care to elaborate a little more on the madness that is Finney.
 
wittdog said:
Finney said:
I use everything (but not at the same time) water, sand, empty, and no pan. It all depends on what I'm cooking and what I feel like doing.
Whould you care to elaborate a little more on the madness that is Finney.

I think what he's saying is any method will work, it depends on what you feel like doing.
 
brian j said:
[quote="Larry Wolfe":tv8srtmm]
wittdog said:
Finney said:
I use everything (but not at the same time) water, sand, empty, and no pan. It all depends on what I'm cooking and what I feel like doing.
Whould you care to elaborate a little more on the madness that is Finney.

I think what he's saying is any method will work, it depends on what you feel like doing.
bingo![/quote:tv8srtmm]

Right. 8-[
Oh, forgot to add Guru with just crinkled up foil in pan.
I usually use sand or water, but every once in a while I want that "Traditional" NC BBQ flavor and you just have to cook over the coals with nothing between them and the meat so the fat can drip down on the coals. Clean up sux though.
 
Finney said:
Right. 8-[
Oh, forgot to add Guru with just crinkled up foil in pan.
I usually use sand or water, but every once in a while I want that "Traditional" NC BBQ flavor and you just have to cook over the coals with nothing between them and the meat so the fat can drip down on the coals. Clean up sux though.

:bbbat: :bbbat: :bbbat: :bbbat: :bbbat:
 
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