Popping the WSM'S cherry.

Virgin run on the Weber Smokey Mountain The Butts were supposed to be on around 7am, never got on until 10- doh. I rubbed them down @ 2am with a light mustard slather and Emerils Original Essence. I have been searching for that first perfect sounding rub for days and still sit without one, stupid.

I'm using Royal oak wood charcoal and 4 pieces of Hickory (wish I had some cherry and apple). I loaded up the charcoal ring and tossed on 12 kingsford to start it. Temps came up to 200 within minutes so I shut down 2 vents and kept one open 100% untill it was at 240 and then shut the 3rd one down 3/4

The weather couldn't be any better with temps in the 70's and light winds. How often does that happen:-D

I have a foiled 14" clay saucer sitting inside the stock foiled water pan.

Temp at the dome is locked in @ 260- with 2 vents totally closed and the 3rd just cracked a little. I'm just using a cheap masterbuilt thermo clipped on through the top vent for now. When I checked it in boiling water it was just over 210 so that is pretty good I guess.

I have a new cheap Taylor (that checked in at 210 in boiling water) digital thermo from Target I will stick in a butt at about the 5 hr mark I guess? I probably could have the taylor checking the grate temp but said fark it:?:

Now I'm debating if I should look for a basic basting sauce to use later into the cook? To foil or not to foil? To drink a beer or not to drink beer? such decisions:lol:

I will keep ya updated.

That sounds like a great plan, Mark! Throw in listening to Bob Uecker and the Brew Crew to top it off.

Oop's. I just read the back of Emerils essence and it says to mix 1 part brown sugar to 3 parts essence, I never did that lol.

Do you think it's worth adding another layer of rub with the sugar on top or just leave it be?

Thanks

Thanks for the advice, HM. Live and learn is right.

Holding rock solid at 260ish with all the bottom vents closed.

Took a peek and inserted the thermometer. 136 degrees in the smaller butt on the left at 3 hrs. Is there a need to rotate them, or just turn them so the other edge is closer to the hotter outside part of the smoker?

Thanks!

Good luck Hydramax and enjoy!

I was going to inject one of the butts like you but could not find the injector. I can't believe how fast and easy it was to get up to temp. I filled the ring with lump, dumped on about about a dozen lit Kingsfords on top, assembled the smoker, added the meat, closed it up, and within minutes it was already at 200 and climbing so I shut the two vents that were exposed to the incoming wind and left the other vent wide open until I hit 240 at the dome and then shut that one down 3/4 and she settled in to around 260. I'm now at 4 hrs with all the bottom vents closed and it's in between 250/255 at the dome through the top vent.

Only thing I'm worried about is how long of a burn time I will get. I filled the ring but didn't really pack it in there to tight, but didn't just do a dump it in fill either. I used 4 chunks of hickory and it was producing a light smoke out the vent for the first 2.5 hrs, now nothing. I have no clue if thats normal and a good thing?

edit: I peeked into the ring and seen 2 of the chunks hadn't really ignited yet so I moved one over the lit coals and it's lightly smoking again. Not sure if that was right or wrong but it is what it is now.

Good Idea, I think I will try one in foil and vice versa. Would I be better of foiling the larger or smaller butt? I think I will try basting the other one after I foil the other.

Thanks again, Harbor. I think I'm going to leave well enough alone on even foiling one of the butts and basting or mopping of either. Just going to concentrate on temp control and see how they turn out keeping it simple the first time.

The one butt I have probed is at 151 5.5 hrs in. The smoker is chugging along rock solid just a hair over 250 for the last hr and a half.

Pretty darn Impressed to say the least with the WSM, it was truly a set and forget basically all day. I upped the temps toward the end to try and speed it a long. Temps were reading 196/7 in most spots I checked when I pulled. The probe could be inserted into the meat like butter except for the butt in the second pic. That front left corner was really tough and hard to insert the probe but the rest of it was done so pulled it anyways. The Butts are foiled, wrapped, in the cooler and on their way to my brother in laws place to pull in a hr. Big group of out of town people are in town for the Harley 105th Anniversary Celebration.

I would have liked to have a little more time especially to rest the meat but I think it will be pretty good, I hope!

Here is a couple pics of the Butts just off the WSM to be wrapped.

Ooops, 2nd Butt. Tomorrow I'm going to try my luck with 3 racks of spares.

Good luck (I don't think you will need it) and have fun tomorrow, Hydramax!

Thank's so much for the help everybody