First Smoke WSM, not very successful

[Andreas1963]

Tried my first cook on my new WSM today. A pork loin cut in half. I was chasing temps for the whole cook. Finally took the meat off at 120 F and finishing in the oven. I'm using Kingsford original blue, started in a chimney until they were ashed over. Three small chunks of apple wood on top. 45 minutes in, temp starts dropping from 275-280, open all vents, temp drops down to 200. Thought I didnt use enough charcoal (used about a third of a bag to start) so I light up another chimney. Put that in, but it didn't look like my original coals were burning. Temp spiked to 300 then steadily dropped again below 200 in about 20 minutes. It looks like my coal is not staying lit! What am I doin wrong?

 

[Fooball]

Is it possible the coals got damp?

 

[DBBQ]

Is it possible the coals got damp?

Exactly my thoughts too.

 

[Shadowdog500]

+1 on moist charcoal. Is the water from the pan somehow getting into the charcoal?

Closing all the vents will smother the fire.

 

[Andreas1963]

The bag ripped open when I bought it, then it stayed in my garage for about a week. So yes, it may have gotten damp from humidity? Would that make that much difference?

 

[Porcine Perfection]

If your fire never got hot enough to evaporate the moisture then it might have. Next cook overshoot a bit then dampen it down to your set temp.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

 

[Fooball]

The bag ripped open when I bought it, then it stayed in my garage for about a week. So yes, it may have gotten damp from humidity? Would that make that much difference?

I learned my lesson down here in the king of the summer humidity states- Florida.

I left one too many bags just rolled up in a hurry on my back screened in porch (no rain hitting) and after a couple days it won't light worth a crap. Gotta use at least 2 sets of crumpled newspaper under the chimney to get it to light, and even then it's slow burn.

I'm used to humidity during the summer. Maybe you get it this time of the year up there?

Try a new bag of coals directly from the store next cook before you get too worried. Maybe that was the problem.

Down here I can save the damp bad bag by leaving it in my 110 degree garage for a week during the summer even though it's humid. Go figure.

 

[Andreas1963]

Well, it didn't turn out too bad! Everyone liked the meat. I think I even managed to get a smoke ring! Took the roasts off the WSM at 130 degrees and finished them in the oven. Family loved it! Made one with an apple/bread stuffing.

 

[KB BBQ]

Looks really good!

Vent adjustments need to be very small, then give the WSM some time to settle in on a temp before making another very small adjustment. I agree that you may have to try a fresh bag of coal. Have fun, it's a great smoker.

 

[Shadowdog500]

That looks like it came out perfect. Meat only takes smoke up until 140°f anyway. No need to add smoke wood after it reaches that temp. Some even put it in an oven after that anyway.

I started with a cheap water smoker where I was lucky to hold within 50°f. The one thing I learned from that is that hitting an exact temp isn’t necessary. Once you figure it out, Your WSM will hold whatever temp you want for hours. But you will still get good food while figuring it out.

 

[Badjak]

Shadowdog hits the nail on the head
I started off by worrying, checking and adjusting temperatures on my 14.5 wsm
These days it's more set and forget!
If you don't get the temps with your new bag of charcoal, then try without water pan, or without water in the pan

 

[TC Smoke & Que]

It can become too easy to over think the WSM. Once I get the charcoal and chunks in the smoker, with a hollowed out center in the charcoal I start about 12 pieces of charcoal in the chimney. Once they ash over I put them in that center, and put the water pan in and fill it with hot water. I keep the damper (top vent) open and the bottom three at about 3/4 open untill I hit 200*, then adjust the bottom vents to about 1/4 open. As I hit my cook temp 225* i will usually close one vent ( direction of any wind) and then let it settle in 15 - 20 mins and start the cook.
I use B&B Oak Competition charcoal briq. Kingsford burns too fast and you have to keep stoking. Also Weber charcoal is a long lasting charcoal.
I adjust my temp spikes by the top damper, 1/4 adjustment and my drops by lower vents, always allowing 15 -20 min for temp to settle in. Dont rely on the thermometer on top, get a remote type for both grate / cook temp, and meat temp, much more accurate.
The cook you did looks good, just keep practicing and you will love the WSM.

 

[1MoreFord]

............... Meat only takes smoke up until 140°f anyway. No need to add smoke wood after it reaches that temp.................

I don't know who started this ole wive's tale but it needs to go away.

Meat takes on smoke flavor until you take it out of the smoke by wrapping in foil or putting it into the oven.

It's the smoke ring that stops formation around 140°F.

 

[Fooball]

I have also heard you need to spritz to keep the bark moist after x hours cook time or the meat won't absorb anymore smoke flavor once the bark has formed and is dry.

I suppose it's up to the palate of the people eating as to spritz or not spritz in that case.

Like a little smoke taste...like a lot of smoke taste? To each his/her own.

 

[Callahan-que]

Another thing that needs to be considered is that any brand-new smoker needs to be cooked on several times before it will seal up and hold temp more consistently.

 

[ssv3]

Another thing that needs to be considered is that any brand-new smoker needs to be cooked on several times before it will seal up and hold temp more consistently.

Rick beat me to it. Needs to season up a little and should be a lot more responsive. I've noticed this with WSM's especially.

 

[Juggy D Beerman]

Fooball, "I have also heard you need to spritz to keep the bark moist after x hours cook time or the meat won't absorb anymore smoke flavor once the bark has formed and is dry."

As long as the meat is exposed to smoke, the meat will absorb it, no matter what the temperature of the meat might be. Some folks claim meat quit absorbing smoke when it hits 140-145F. This is a misconception as the meat will still be absorbing smoke. I would venture to guess this misconception arise from this 140-145F range being the temperature range at which the chemical reaction that causes the smoke ring formation to cease. Even though the meat is warm enough for the smoke ring chemical reaction to cease, as long as it exposed to smoke, the exterior of the meat is still absorbing it.



Two things that spritzing does do to help the meat is it does help keep the bark moist and it does add a flavor profile to the exterior of the meat. On a WSM, spritzing will increase your cooking time as the Bullet will cool off to a certain extent when the lid has been removed while the spritzing is done.

 

[West River BBQ]

I'm a little late to the party but I agree with those who are saying give it some time for the temps to stabilize. I find the 18" much easier than the 22", but others may have better luck than me. My 22" WSM seems to hum along at 250 to 260 degrees but the 18" will work well at higher temps. I'm not sure by your post if you're adding water to the pan, but I ditched that idea early. My advice, get a pork shoulder that will take several hours and let the cooker work around the 250 mark without worrying too much about a little fluctuation. You'll learn a lot about the WSM with each cook.

 

[1MoreFord]

I have also heard you need to spritz to keep the bark moist after x hours cook time or the meat won't absorb anymore smoke flavor once the bark has formed and is dry.

I suppose it's up to the palate of the people eating as to spritz or not spritz in that case.

Like a little smoke taste...like a lot of smoke taste? To each his/her own.

I have no experience here because I don't spritz and I don't use rubs or ingredients that cause heavy hard, bark. Spritzing or anything else that requires opening the cooker considerably lengthens your cook time needlessly.

It's rare that I wrap or pan when I cook.

 

[MustGoFast]

You can get an adaptor and attach a fan control system to the WSM. I ran a stoker on mine for many years before it simple crapped out. Easiest temp holds I ever had.
That said I would second the ppl who said you need some burn in on the WSM.

Scroll to the bottom here to see the old WSM Seasoning recommendation from Slap Yo Daddy BBQ