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007bond-jb

Master Chef
Joined
Dec 29, 2006
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The wife got me a 18in WSM for Xmass, Never used one before or paid much attention to questions from others about them. I'm gonna break her in on NYD.

1 Do yall line the bottom of the smoker with foil?

2 How much sand do I put in the water pan?

3 What is the rule of thumb on the vents? Top, Fully open & adjust temp with bottom vents?

4 Why do the instructions read "Add paraffin cubes to the coals to help start em"?
& they say pork butt cook time is 8 to 10hrs? WTF? 2.5 per lb is what I thought or till the bone will twist easily.

5 Will the smoker really hold temp for over a ovenite cook, say 12 hours?
 
JB,

I DO NOT line the bottom of the smoker with foil...that's where the ash is going to fall, right? ;)

If you are doing sand, fill it 2/3 of the way full with playground sand (it is sanatized)

Top vent always 100% open

DISREGARD THE OWNERS AMNAUAL--THROW IT OUT AND ASK QUESTIONS HERE!! :D :D

Depending on outside temps...it will EASILY go for 12hrs...I have gone 18hrs before with some coal leftover!
 
1. I dont. I use water in the pan and line that with foil for easy cleanup..
2. Its a water pan, not a sand pan.. Dont know the answer to that
3. yes
4. cause people are stupid
5. I usually figure on 12 hrs for a but or brisket cook
6. Ive gotten twelve, but if your running wide open, Id say more like 8. Then just add a little charcoal to add more time.. Definitely overnight. It is the proverbial set it and forget it.
 
007bond-jb said:
Got it, Thanks Guys

JB couple words of advice from me, even though you've already taught me everything I know.

1. Use two firebricks in the water pan. Sand will work as well as Greg stated, but he firebricks are easier to deal with in my opinion.
2. For your first couple of cooks, use briquettes and do so until you get to know your cooker. Some burn hot, some burn cold, some leak more than others, some are tight. If you see smoke billowing out of every crack and crevice, don't worry about it. After 10 or so cooks, you will get build up that will help with these issues. But don' worry abou making it airtight, just learn from your cooks how much your bottom vents are open from the get go. If it burns hot, the first couple of cooks, the next cook you will need to close your bottom vents more and sooner.
3. Once you get the hang of cooking with briquettes and you can control your temps, buy an extra charcoal grate and switch to lump. Cross hatch the two grates to keep the smaller pieces from falling through. Lump will give you about 2 cups of ashe after it's burnt, compared to most briquettes.

John, sissy's use water in the pan. Grow up and be a big boy and live life on the edge! Water sucks more than Puff.
 
I'll add.... don't make adjustments too often. It'll take 10-15 minutes for the cooker to "adjust" to your "adjustment. I usually nudge one bottom vent down (say if it's running hot)...wait 15 minutes and then look at the pit temp.
 
JB.. Your first few cooks will run hot till you knock the shine off the inside.

Larry, do you just put two bricks in the pan ? I just happen to have a few fire bricks and that would be easier to deal with then water. I dont use sand because my WSM travels quite a bit and I see that being a bad thing, but bricks might work.
 
Hey Boy..sounds like you musta been a good Boy to get that nice new man toy. I dont own one but know all about it of course:) Use water in the pan and find yourself some Ozark Oak charcoal to fire it up. Get yourself a 55 gal barrel with one solid end to fit down over the top of it. That be the insulator (if needed..most times you dont need it sometimes you do..depends on the weather) and the place where you keep it when not in use. Handles mounted directly below the top barrel ring comes in real handy cuz it do get hot in the insulated mode. Drill a few small diameter holes around the top edge of the barrel so it dont collect rainwater. If you got a stout North Wind or a Tornado with sideways cold rain cook in the barrel. Sit the bottom of the barrel up on a few bricks or rocks so to give it a few inches to draw air from the bottom. Don't use any Cherry Wood. Hope this helps. Happy cooking.

bigwheel
 
007bond-jb said:
The wife got me a 18in WSM for Xmass, Never used one before or paid much attention to questions from others about them. I'm gonna break her in on NYD.

1 Do yall line the bottom of the smoker with foil?

2 How much sand do I put in the water pan?

3 What is the rule of thumb on the vents? Top, Fully open & adjust temp with bottom vents?

4 Why do the instructions read "Add paraffin cubes to the coals to help start em"?
& they say pork butt cook time is 8 to 10hrs? WTF? 2.5 per lb is what I thought or till the bone will twist easily.

5 Will the smoker really hold temp for over a ovenite cook, say 12 hours?

Hi JB.

1. no.
2. I put ceramic briquettes and heavy duty foil the top. The foil creates a pool for any drippings. Easily replaced.
3. Top always open. I put bottom vents at 2:00, 6:00, 10:00. A regular smoke works at the 6:00 open. If it creeps up I close it slightly. Hot smokes all 3 open, or 2 open. If it ain't getting up to temp, I open the 2:00 a bit until she fires up.
4. No clue. I didn't write the instructions. I start with a self-lighting propane torch, sometimes through the bottom front vent when fully assembled and loaded with lump/smoke wood. Use a thermometer, boy. See my last vid as well.
5. I have to reload with lump, but with briquettes I didn't have to. Lump burns faster and has more air space in it, so I can expect to get 8 hours our of Royal Oak. When re-charging, I take off the top shelf, lift the midsection off, put on ground. Reload, then rebuild. Takes maybe 2 minutes. But, second burn has heat on the bottom, so it can get hot quickly. I use minion method first time around. I pack the bottom ring.

For cleaning, I have an oblong bucket that catches ashes perfectly. Easy clean up.

BUT...I do have a question for the group. How to best clean the grates after using. I usually fire up my Napoleon to burn them clean, but that makes a mess of my Napoleon and it's a bit of a pain. I'm looking for a better method, maybe some oven cleaner sprayed onto them and into some cellophane for an hour, then rinse.

Any ideas?

Oh and I've never needed any insulation or wind protection. Just played with bottom vents to open a second one up to increase temp a bit. And my deck is windy.
 
john pen said:
JB.. Your first few cooks will run hot till you knock the shine off the inside.

Larry, do you just put two bricks in the pan ? I just happen to have a few fire bricks and that would be easier to deal with then water. I dont use sand because my WSM travels quite a bit and I see that being a bad thing, but bricks might work.

Yes John, 2 firebricks side by side, then foil the pan. Your travels are an exact example of what I was referring too!
 
Actually, that's a good point. Do something greasy and take her up hot so you de-shine the insides. Heh.

JB make a video on what you do. I know one person who is getting an 18 in the Spring so I'm sure it would be a great instructional video.

Another tip: I use a gardening trowel for both cleaning out the smoker, and to arrange charcoal. It's a big help.

589073.jpg
 
BeeRich said:
Actually, that's a good point. Do something greasy and take her up hot so you de-shine the insides. Heh.

JB make a video on what you do. I know one person who is getting an 18 in the Spring so I'm sure it would be a great instructional video.

Another tip: I use a gardening trowel for both cleaning out the smoker, and to arrange charcoal. It's a big help.

589073.jpg

Rich, please remove that pic and post immediately..........I immediately think of Steven Raichelin when I see shitt like that. Buy a Billy Bar and tell them I sent you. Good grate cleaner and multipurpose grill smoking tool. If I ever see you post a Paula Dean looking trowl again I'll shoot Puff.
 
I think you mistook me, Mr. Bucket. I meant for the ashes in the bottom after the fire is out. I don't know who Raichelin is.

I will be getting 2 of these for my units. They sell them here in Canada at Ontario Gas BBQ.

How do you use a Billy Bar for smoking? It just scrapes grates.
 
BeeRich said:
I think you mistook me, Mr. Bucket. I meant for the ashes in the bottom after the fire is out. I don't know who Raichelin is.

I will be getting 2 of these for my units. They sell them here in Canada at Ontario Gas BBQ.

How do you use a Billy Bar for smoking? It just scrapes grates.

Not knowing who Raichelin is, is a HUGE benefit on your pate

The Billy Bar is great for cleaning grates, spinning he grate and stoking and moving he coals around. When you're done and the ashes are cool, put them in a flat rate box and send them to Puff.......he hasn't seen ashes in a bit........electricity bill on the other hand........
 
Hey boy just lay them grates direct on the fire for a while hold em with your pliers and give them a wire brushing. That clean and sterilize em up good. I would not invest in gardening tools previously owned by Steven Raichelein. That rich boy done wrote a 10 dollar book on how to cook beer can chicken. Now aint that a hoot?

bigwheel
 
Nick Prochilo said:
The reason they tell you to use parafin cubes is because Weber sells them. Get a chimney.

I got a chimney, Thanks for all the tips, I'm ready to some smoke butt :D
 
Well ok just lay the grates over the part that gets hot. That should work. Supposing hot air also rises in Canada eh?

bigwheel


BeeRich said:
Directly on what fire? After my WSM is done, the fire goes out.
 

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