JMSetzler
Babbling Farker
I finally had a day off so I unboxed my new WSM 18" and put it all together. It took about 15 minutes to put it together and went without a hitch. It was packaged very nicely and came with a cover in the bottom of the box. I decided to fire it up and see how well it worked and maintained temperature.
I loaded up some charcoal with the intent of using the Minion method to create a long burn.
I let the charcoal burn in the chimney for about 15 minutes before I dumped it in.
I put it all together and then dropped my Masterforge digital thermometer probe through the top vent hole so I could monitor the temps with a digital thermometer as well as the onboard Weber temp gage. I also put a gallon of water in the water pan.
The smoker came up to temp in 10 or 15 minutes, and the Weber temp gage stayed fairly close to my digital probe. The Probe was reading 10 degrees or so higher than the Weber gage but they were right on with each other at various stages in my test today.
I knew I was gonna be hanging out for a long time so I poured myself a small glass of homebrewed American Amber Ale to help me whittle away the time...
Shortly thereafter, I decided to have a homebrewed Oktoberfest. The time passed much more easily
Several hours into the test I decided I might as well toss something on the grill for dinner, so I fried up some bacon to put in a macaroni and cheese dish that I figured I'd toss on the smoker...
Here's the mac and cheese ready go to on the smoker at about 225 for an hour or so...
And here's the finished product It was tasty...
The data I collected on time/temperature is as follows:
1:50PM - 225 degrees
1:55PM - 250 degrees
2:00PM - 255 degrees
2:05PM - 253 degrees
2:15PM - 258 degrees
2:20PM - 262 degrees (closed the vents down a little at this point)
2:40PM - 252 degrees
3:00PM - 258 degrees
3:10PM - 258 degrees
3:25PM - 253 degrees
3:45PM - 256 degrees
4:15PM - 262 degrees
4:25PM - 268 degrees (shut the vents down a little more here)
4:30PM - 252 degrees
4:45PM - 235 degrees
5:00PM - 222 degrees (opened the vents back up a little)
5:15PM - 224 degrees
5:35PM - 225 degrees (left to go to the grocery store here)
7:35PM - 206 degrees (opened vents back up a little more here)
7:50PM - 235 degrees
8:10PM - 238 degrees
8:35PM - 232 degrees
8:50PM - 225 degrees
9:00PM - 225 degrees
9:35PM - 238 degrees
10:00PM - 232 degrees
10:20PM - 227 degrees
10:35PM - 226 degrees
10:50PM - 224 degrees
Here's what was left in the charcoal grate after 9 hours of operation. Based on what I see here I probably could have gone for another couple hours maybe?
The questions I have after today's dry run are as follows:
#1 - What's the best way to run a digital temperature probe into the WSM? I ran mine through the top vent holes.
#2 - What's the best way to add charcoal when needed for a very long cook? Should the charcoal be added cold or already burning? What's the best way to put it in the bin through the door without stirring up a bunch of ash?
#3 - What's the best way to add water through the door? I'm imagining that I might need some sort of watering can with a long spout on it to get it in there and not allow water to get into the charcoal...
I gotta find the answer to the last two pretty soon... I have been volunteered to cook a brisket for Mother's Day...
Cheers and thanks for reading
I loaded up some charcoal with the intent of using the Minion method to create a long burn.
I let the charcoal burn in the chimney for about 15 minutes before I dumped it in.
I put it all together and then dropped my Masterforge digital thermometer probe through the top vent hole so I could monitor the temps with a digital thermometer as well as the onboard Weber temp gage. I also put a gallon of water in the water pan.
The smoker came up to temp in 10 or 15 minutes, and the Weber temp gage stayed fairly close to my digital probe. The Probe was reading 10 degrees or so higher than the Weber gage but they were right on with each other at various stages in my test today.
I knew I was gonna be hanging out for a long time so I poured myself a small glass of homebrewed American Amber Ale to help me whittle away the time...
Shortly thereafter, I decided to have a homebrewed Oktoberfest. The time passed much more easily
Several hours into the test I decided I might as well toss something on the grill for dinner, so I fried up some bacon to put in a macaroni and cheese dish that I figured I'd toss on the smoker...
Here's the mac and cheese ready go to on the smoker at about 225 for an hour or so...
And here's the finished product It was tasty...
The data I collected on time/temperature is as follows:
1:50PM - 225 degrees
1:55PM - 250 degrees
2:00PM - 255 degrees
2:05PM - 253 degrees
2:15PM - 258 degrees
2:20PM - 262 degrees (closed the vents down a little at this point)
2:40PM - 252 degrees
3:00PM - 258 degrees
3:10PM - 258 degrees
3:25PM - 253 degrees
3:45PM - 256 degrees
4:15PM - 262 degrees
4:25PM - 268 degrees (shut the vents down a little more here)
4:30PM - 252 degrees
4:45PM - 235 degrees
5:00PM - 222 degrees (opened the vents back up a little)
5:15PM - 224 degrees
5:35PM - 225 degrees (left to go to the grocery store here)
7:35PM - 206 degrees (opened vents back up a little more here)
7:50PM - 235 degrees
8:10PM - 238 degrees
8:35PM - 232 degrees
8:50PM - 225 degrees
9:00PM - 225 degrees
9:35PM - 238 degrees
10:00PM - 232 degrees
10:20PM - 227 degrees
10:35PM - 226 degrees
10:50PM - 224 degrees
Here's what was left in the charcoal grate after 9 hours of operation. Based on what I see here I probably could have gone for another couple hours maybe?
The questions I have after today's dry run are as follows:
#1 - What's the best way to run a digital temperature probe into the WSM? I ran mine through the top vent holes.
#2 - What's the best way to add charcoal when needed for a very long cook? Should the charcoal be added cold or already burning? What's the best way to put it in the bin through the door without stirring up a bunch of ash?
#3 - What's the best way to add water through the door? I'm imagining that I might need some sort of watering can with a long spout on it to get it in there and not allow water to get into the charcoal...
I gotta find the answer to the last two pretty soon... I have been volunteered to cook a brisket for Mother's Day...
Cheers and thanks for reading