WSM Tip

watertowerbbq · 04-10-2010, 02:24 PM

I've been cooking with a WSM for quite some time now and learned something today that might help someone else out, so I thought I'd share it.

I've been working on my competition ribs now for quite some time and have been struggling. After a lot of practice and talking to some other cooks, I was beginning to wonder if I was cooking at too low of a temp. While I was wondering about the temp, I had an idea and it turned out to be true. Here is what I learned.

I had been cooking 2 racks of ribs on my 18 1/2" WSM with my DigiQII Guru attached near the edge of the rack. I did this to keep it out of the way of the ribs. Although the Guru was set at 250º, the temperature at the center of the grate was about 225º. It seems obvious now why that is happening but at the time, I didn't realize it. I should mention that my setup has a water filled water pan.

So, at least with the way I've got it set up, I can see 25º temp difference on the top shelf between the edge of the grate and the center of the grate.

Anyway, thought it might help. Ribs are in the smoker and the full experiment should be complete in about 4 more hours.

bigabyte · 04-10-2010, 04:25 PM

Yep, I knew that, but thanks for sharing because there are people out there who may not know that. The heat comes up along the edge of the WSM, and food placed on the edge of the grate will cook faster, or even burn if you are not careful.

zydecopaws · 04-10-2010, 07:02 PM

Yep, temps at the edges are always higher than those in the center, even when you don't have water in the pan. As Chris said, that's how the heat circulates in a WSM...

Rookie'48 · 04-10-2010, 07:40 PM

Ditto - that's something worth remembering.

Jeff Selle · 04-10-2010, 09:10 PM

Thanks watertowerbbq... I usually put the rack thermometer in the middle and put my meat probe in the middle of the ribs too... I was thinking about moving them to the outside, but now I won't...

The problem I have been trying to solve is overcooking the ends of my rib racks. The bones are falling off the ends before the racks are done in the middle... this seems to occur more dramatically when I use my Stoker.

I bought some ribs today and I plan to wad up tinfoil and press it between the waterpan and the wall of the smoker just below the ends of my ribs ... my theory is the tinfoil should divert the intense heat away from the ends of the racks and I hope this will give me a more even cook...

Anyone else having this problem? Anyone have a solution?

watertowerbbq · 04-10-2010, 09:23 PM

And it worked!

Jeff Selle · 04-10-2010, 09:28 PM

Nice!

swamprb · 04-10-2010, 09:51 PM

Probe holders RULE!

GreasePig · 04-10-2010, 11:00 PM

Cool device swamp!

I too have singed the edges from time to time. Especially when I load it up too full (which I always seem to do)

Nice tip!

Rookie'48 · 04-10-2010, 11:27 PM

Day-um Matt, you've got some serious pull-back going on. Those are some nice lookin' bones right there!

whodeyQ · 04-11-2010, 08:07 AM

nice looking ribs, I drillled a hole through one of the screws that hold the upper grate and stuck a 12" deep fryer thermometer through that. I'm not sure how accurate it is.

04-10-2010, 02:24 PM	#1
watertowerbbq is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 11-07-07 Location: Ankeny, IA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	WSM Tip I've been cooking with a WSM for quite some time now and learned something today that might help someone else out, so I thought I'd share it. I've been working on my competition ribs now for quite some time and have been struggling. After a lot of practice and talking to some other cooks, I was beginning to wonder if I was cooking at too low of a temp. While I was wondering about the temp, I had an idea and it turned out to be true. Here is what I learned. I had been cooking 2 racks of ribs on my 18 1/2" WSM with my DigiQII Guru attached near the edge of the rack. I did this to keep it out of the way of the ribs. Although the Guru was set at 250º, the temperature at the center of the grate was about 225º. It seems obvious now why that is happening but at the time, I didn't realize it. I should mention that my setup has a water filled water pan. So, at least with the way I've got it set up, I can see 25º temp difference on the top shelf between the edge of the grate and the center of the grate. Anyway, thought it might help. Ribs are in the smoker and the full experiment should be complete in about 4 more hours. __________________ Matt Head Cook Water Tower BBQ Coming this Fall.......BWS Extended Party! BWS Competitor (sold 2012) WSM - 18.5" - 2009 (sold 2011) WSM - 18.5" - 2004 (sold 2010) Superfast Orange Thermopen KCBS CBJ, Railroad Detective Last edited by watertowerbbq; 04-10-2010 at 02:58 PM..

04-10-2010, 04:25 PM	#2
bigabyte somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 05-10-06 Location: Overland Fark, KS Downloads: 1 Uploads: 1	Yep, I knew that, but thanks for sharing because there are people out there who may not know that. The heat comes up along the edge of the WSM, and food placed on the edge of the grate will cook faster, or even burn if you are not careful. __________________ Chris Baker For great food and and an even better time join the BBQ Brethren Throwdowns *First ever recipient of the Silverfinger Award!* Yes, I own a whole bunch of BBQ crap also. *Certified MOINK Baller & IMBAS Certified MOINK Ball Judge #0003 - Get your MOINK Certification today!* The Secret Squirrel Society doesn't exist - Zero Club member

04-10-2010, 07:02 PM	#3
zydecopaws Babbling Farker Join Date: 01-14-09 Location: Battle Ground, WA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Yep, temps at the edges are always higher than those in the center, even when you don't have water in the pan. As Chris said, that's how the heat circulates in a WSM... __________________ [B][URL="http://noexcusesbbq.com"]No Excuses BBQ[/URL][/B] [I][COLOR=Red]BBQ, no excuses! Who cares about the weather?[/COLOR][/I] [B][COLOR=Blue] MOINK Ball Wizard and ALF Award Recipient[/COLOR][/B] [SIZE=2]Webers up the wazoo, a bunch o' Pyromids, Bubba Ho-Keg, and [URL="http://noexcusesbbq.com/archives/2987"]the CrockaQue[/URL][/SIZE]

04-10-2010, 07:40 PM	#4
Rookie'48 Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 11-12-06 Location: Des Moines, Iowa Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Ditto - that's something worth remembering. __________________ Dave Compton KCBS MasterCBJ # 22569 KCBS BoD Judges' Advocate Possibly the only judge ever to get an award from a bunch of cooks UDS 075 UCB WSM and a bunch of other stuff. The above post is only my opinion - mine & mine alone.

04-10-2010, 09:10 PM	#5
Jeff Selle Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 03-02-10 Location: Post Falls, Idaho Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thanks watertowerbbq... I usually put the rack thermometer in the middle and put my meat probe in the middle of the ribs too... I was thinking about moving them to the outside, but now I won't... The problem I have been trying to solve is overcooking the ends of my rib racks. The bones are falling off the ends before the racks are done in the middle... this seems to occur more dramatically when I use my Stoker. I bought some ribs today and I plan to wad up tinfoil and press it between the waterpan and the wall of the smoker just below the ends of my ribs ... my theory is the tinfoil should divert the intense heat away from the ends of the racks and I hope this will give me a more even cook... Anyone else having this problem? Anyone have a solution? __________________ 2 Weber Smokey Mountain 18.5 & 22.5 w/Stoker Pre-1979 22.5-inch Red Weber Kettle Pre-1979 18.5-inch Red Weber Kettle 1993 & 1998 Weber Performers Grill Dome Kamado smoker 18-inch El Cheapo offset smoker (CharBroil) 4X8-foot trailered Santa Maria Grill Coveting a Weber Ranch Kettle Yellow splash-proof Thermapen Member of PNWBA/KCBS/West Slope BBQ Association

04-10-2010, 09:23 PM	#6
watertowerbbq is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 11-07-07 Location: Ankeny, IA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Success! And it worked! __________________ Matt Head Cook Water Tower BBQ Coming this Fall.......BWS Extended Party! BWS Competitor (sold 2012) WSM - 18.5" - 2009 (sold 2011) WSM - 18.5" - 2004 (sold 2010) Superfast Orange Thermopen KCBS CBJ, Railroad Detective

04-10-2010, 09:28 PM	#7
Jeff Selle Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 03-02-10 Location: Post Falls, Idaho Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Nice! __________________ 2 Weber Smokey Mountain 18.5 & 22.5 w/Stoker Pre-1979 22.5-inch Red Weber Kettle Pre-1979 18.5-inch Red Weber Kettle 1993 & 1998 Weber Performers Grill Dome Kamado smoker 18-inch El Cheapo offset smoker (CharBroil) 4X8-foot trailered Santa Maria Grill Coveting a Weber Ranch Kettle Yellow splash-proof Thermapen Member of PNWBA/KCBS/West Slope BBQ Association

04-10-2010, 09:51 PM	#8
swamprb somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-27-06 Location: Bothell WA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Probe holders RULE! __________________ Brian - Left Hand Smoke BBQ PNWBA 2010 Team of the Year BGE's/WSM's/BWS Gater/BDS Clones/Weber Performer w EZ-Que/Cajun Bandit/Rib-O-Lator Test Pilot/La Caja China/BBQ Guru/Weber 1000 RK Drum Coffee Roaster Follow Left Hand Smoke on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/pages/Left-H...462391?sk=wall KCBS CBJ/PNWBA CBJ www.pnwba.com

04-10-2010, 11:00 PM	#9
GreasePig is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 07-02-09 Location: Fayetteville, AR Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Cool device swamp! I too have singed the edges from time to time. Especially when I load it up too full (which I always seem to do) Nice tip! __________________ The beatings will continue until morale improves!

04-10-2010, 11:27 PM	#10
Rookie'48 Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 11-12-06 Location: Des Moines, Iowa Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Day-um Matt, you've got some serious pull-back going on. Those are some nice lookin' bones right there! __________________ Dave Compton KCBS MasterCBJ # 22569 KCBS BoD Judges' Advocate Possibly the only judge ever to get an award from a bunch of cooks UDS 075 UCB WSM and a bunch of other stuff. The above post is only my opinion - mine & mine alone.

04-11-2010, 08:07 AM	#11
whodeyQ Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 03-17-09 Location: miamisburg ohio Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	nice looking ribs, I drillled a hole through one of the screws that hold the upper grate and stuck a 12" deep fryer thermometer through that. I'm not sure how accurate it is. __________________ 18.5" WSM, 22.5" Weber Kettle, Weber Sprint 210, (2) UDS , KCBS, CBJ, orange Thermapen

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