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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking. |
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09-17-2016, 11:18 PM | #1 |
Found some matches.
Join Date: 08-08-16
Location: HARRISON, NJ (NYC Metro)
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WSM 18.5 Seasoning?
Hey guys, I appreciate any help!
I'm probably on my 6th cook on my brand new WSM 18.5. So I would think that would be good enough for a semi-well seasoned WSM. But I'm still getting a huge discrepancy between grate vs lid temperature. What I tried: Three babyback ribs ~3lbs each, top grate, for around 2.5 hours using Gary Wiviott's Low & Slow 1 Lesson 3 What kind of fuel: KISS method fire, using Cowboy lump, and 4 pecan / 4 apple wood chunks, full cold water pan, all 4 vents at 1/3 closed What I observed: Lid fluctuated between 200-210F, grate between 280-300 What I used: ThermoPro TP08, BBQ/Oven thermometer on center of top grate with a probe that registers 212F under boiling water End result: tough baby back ribs with very minimal light-pink smoke ring, light smoke flavor My question: Why such a huge discrepancy between grate vs lid temperature? Does it need more cooks to have a better seasoning? And how do I get a much deeper pink smoke ring? It seems to happen at random and I have no idea how to make it more consistent. Thanks!
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Weber 14407001 Kettle Grill, Weber 721001 Smoker |
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09-18-2016, 12:07 AM | #2 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 07-19-11
Location: In the Marsh
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The lid thermometers in the WSM's are notoriously crappy.
Trust your grate temp thermometer. Keep cooking on it. It will only get better with time. Cook your ribs until you can slide a toothpick in with no resistance or until they pass the bend test. Sounds like they needed a little more time.
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"You have never lived until you have almost died". "For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected will never know".-Unknown Vietnam Soldier 22" WSM 22" Weber Gold Weber Smoky Joe Weber Gasser Rec-Tec 590 |
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09-18-2016, 06:38 AM | #3 |
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Join Date: 05-29-08
Location: LaFayette, GA
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A few things come to mind. First off I had all three sizes of WSM's and none of them would get anywhere near 300 at the grate with a full pan of cold water even with all the vents wide open. I used a Maverick and or a Guru to measure grate temps. Second if you cook babybacks for 2.5 hours at 300 they are going to be done or very close. I'm thinking your grate therm is off. WSM lid therms are junk.
If you want more smoke ring and smoke flavor you need more wood chunks. You also need to put the meat on cold, straight from the fridge. Open that top vent wide open and regulate temp with bottom vents. Like Pat said just keep cooking and your WSM will get better and better.
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Lone Star Grillz mini insulated cabinet.Lonestar Grillz 20x42 offset. Broil King Baron Gasser, Vortex and Slow & Sear Plus, Weber 26" Original Premium, Weber Smoky Joe, Cajun Fryer 8-1/2 & 4 Gallon, The Big Easy oil-less fryer, BBQ Guru CyberQ Cloud, BBQ Guru DigiQ DX2, Thermoworks Smoke, Maverick XR-50 |
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09-18-2016, 11:57 AM | #4 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 06-23-10
Location: pa
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The Weber stock terms in the dome are finicky, but they aren't completely worthless, if you think about it, the inside of your wsm has a lot going on and it results in a lot of hot and cold spots. Hot fire, with a pan of water on top, then cool meat on top of that...all inside a compact cooker.....no wonder therms at different places show different readings.....but th reality is that it all works out in the end.......I've found that the Weber therm on my wsm really isn't that far off if you run without a water pan, especially once he meat warms up and things settle down after the first hour or two....as for the smoke ring, after 3 hours with a couple wood chunks i wouldn't expect a smoke ring to be as bold as on a piece of meat that smokes for 8 hours. Also, i think a pan off cold water reduces the smoke ring on shorter cooks, smoke rings occur when the smoke particules react with the cool meat, well if you have a pan of cold water over the fire, a lot of those particulates are going to condense out on the bottom of the water pan before they ever touch the meat, not a big deal on a long cook but a short cook it may make a difference (this is just an opinion I've come up with that makes sense to me, I've been wrong before though lol).....as for your tough ribs, they simply didn't cook long enough. Don't go on time or a recipe that works for someone else, regardless of temp, let ribs cook until they pass the toothpick test and the bend test, trust that and you'll have good results. Good luck with your wsm, they are really great cookers, I love mine.
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Two 22" weber kettles, 18" weber smoky mount'er, Weber Genesis silver.. |
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09-18-2016, 01:18 PM | #5 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 07-09-15
Location: Pensacola, FL
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I don't even bother looking at the dome thermometer anymore I just use a Maverick to monitor grate temps, it's usually about -30 degrees off but there have been times it was off as much as -70.
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09-18-2016, 02:53 PM | #6 | |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 07-14-06
Location: Wyocena/Pardeeville, WI
Name/Nickname : Clark
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Quote:
Try cooking without water in the pan. I use 4-6 crushed aluminum cans in the pan and cover it with a layer of HDAF. My WSMs get 4 chunks of smoke wood. They're about the size of my fist. I get a great smoke ring and great smoke flavor. Too much smoke and your meat can get bitter.
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Clark My Boys: Joseph (EI); Andrew (EE); Daniel (EE) My Toys: 10 WSMs (B, C, E, DH, DA, EZ, DZ, EO, DU, DR); 5 - 22.5" Bar-B-Q-Kettles; 2 - 18.5" Bar-B-Q-Kettle; 4 WGAs (EZ, DE, N, B); 2 SJPs ( DR, DR); 2 Smokey Joes (A, K); Brinkman Cimmaron. "For when democracy becomes tyranny, those of us with rifles still get to vote" |
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Thanks from:---> |
09-18-2016, 06:30 PM | #7 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 03-17-12
Location: Shreveport, Louisiana
Name/Nickname : Mike
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Agree with what other's say about top vent. The dome stat is good at a glance to see if the temp is rising or falling in the rig but that's about it.
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Cooking Equipment: Weber WSM, Weber GA, Weber Spirit E-310, Weber 22" OTG Charbroil Oilless Turkey Fryer Wife LuzziAnn 1956 model. Ink Bird IBBQ 4T Wi-Fi Temp Monitor, Superfast LSU Purple Thermapen & ThermaPop, Party Q Ink Bird Sous Vide, HF Flame Thower My Motto these days is "Low Stress, Low Drag". The Artist Formally Known as Toast |
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09-18-2016, 07:15 PM | #8 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 09-26-12
Location: Locust Grove, GA
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I have an older WSM 18.5 that was made before Weber put a thermometer in the lid. Mine has a TelTru in the dome and it still measures considerably different than the Maverick probe on the grate especially when I first put the meat on. The gap eventually gets smaller, but it is never the same. I don't worry about it because it's just back up for my grate probe with I'm doing a long LNS. When I do ribs or something like that, I just use the dome thermometer and it gets me close enough. I use a clay saucer inside my water pan covered in foil instead of water. It is just as stable without the messy clean up. I also have Nomex gaskets between the sections and the door seals. Since I made those mods, I have zero problems with temp control.
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OK Joe, KJ Classic, KJ Jr, WSM, 2 -Performers, 2-OTG, mini WSM, Summit 420, Q100, and Schwenkgrill |
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10-02-2016, 12:09 AM | #9 |
Found some matches.
Join Date: 08-08-16
Location: HARRISON, NJ (NYC Metro)
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Hey just wanted to thank everyone for the advice. Was away on vacation but was finally able to apply these techniques on a spare rib low & slow cook. Will open another topic for critiques. Thanks!
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Weber 14407001 Kettle Grill, Weber 721001 Smoker |
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Newbie, seasoning, smoke rings |
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