1st time on my WSM

[YoMoma]

Finally received my WSM and have it together now. I noticed an oily feeling on some parts and wanted to know the general concensis on if I need to just wash it out with soap and water or fill it with charcoal and heat it up before I cook meat in it.
What are your opinions?

[Cliff H.]

Cook on it man.

[bigwheel]

Aint never owned one of them fancy critters but on most pits of a similar genre lot of the imbred folks start off by swabbing down the inside with cooking oil or spray it down with generic PAM (skip the fire and water pans on that but include the grates.) Put it back together and fill the pans. Put a fire in the hole. When the fire calms down and quits stinking.. cook a split chicken or two..or a butt if you want. Always comes out edible..but in case not your neighbors prob like it..lol. After that your fully broke in.

[Cliff H.]

It's enamel coated inside and out. I would do the chicken thing just to see how it handles.

[bigwheel]

Uhhhh ok..did not know that. Thinking that fancy paint job was just on the outside. Ok..I take all this back..follow what it say in the owners manuel.

[bbquzz]

I'm with Cliff. Was the cover in there?

[Bob In Fla.]

Originally Posted by bbquzz

I'm with Cliff. Was the cover in there?

Ditto what Buzz said.

BOB
I miss my WSM

[YoMoma]

Originally Posted by bbquzz

I'm with Cliff. Was the cover in there?

Yes, a very nice heavy duty cover was included.

What temp should I have the pit at? 350 or lower? Planning on doing 2 spatchcock style.

[Cliff H.]

I do chicken at 300

[bigwheel]

Chicken does purty good at 350 in my book. Pork ribs 260...Pork butt 275-300. Brisket 250-275. Good rule of thumb is figger out what the finished temp needs to be..then set your cooking fire 50-60 degrees higher. Comes out about right on everything but chicken. It dont seem to fit the pattern. Not sure it fits ribs either never bothered to check the temps on those or never owned a gauge which was capable of checking em. When them are done is more of a touchy feely thing..lol.

[Cliff H.]

In the days before thermapen's my dad used to cook chicken till the leg bone twisted out of the socket.

[john pen]

Just keep in mind that for the first few cooks, the WSM will run a little hotter than normal till the shiny insides get covered with soot.. Then it will be a bit easier to control and keep the lower temps..

[bigwheel]

That slipping leg bone is a clue its nice and done. For splits I like them to hit 175 in the thigh in less than an hour. Hard to do that at much less than 350 cook temps. Tried at 170 for a while but noticed there was still some risk of a red joint. Might consider 180 for a whole bird.

Originally Posted by Cliff H.

In the days before thermapen's my dad used to cook chicken till the leg bone twisted out of the socket.

[Cliff H.]

I do not cook chicken for large groups any more. The chicken is done at 170-175 but people holler when they see red.

[bigwheel]

I feel your pain on that. Heard of that happening to a catering type chum. It just take one old blue hair to start screaming "raw chicken" then nobody will eat it.