Live Cook - Learning a 22in Weber

[ShadowDriver]

Happy Saturday, folks.

After an eventful night including high winds, a house alarm, and a visit from the local Po-Po, I'm ready to get back to smokin' some meat!

I'm completely new to this Weber 22in Kettle... so, fire/heat management is very different and a learning experience.

I had a good amount of KBB left over from last night's steam & potatoes when I opened the grill this morning. Added some more KBB, a couple of extra chunks of hickory and hit the small corner with the lawn torch. Pretty soon, she was heating up through 200F.

I went inside to work on the ABTs. Good Lord Almighty, the jalapeños 'round here are HUGE.

Can't have a first smoke on a cooker without at least one fatty!
Decided to use some Wicken Yanks Savoury (that made the journey from Japan), and some Adkins Western Barbecue Seasoning (that I randomly picked up at Albertsons).

The temps here are amazing. It's in the mid 70s... and it started out in the lower 60s this morning. That said, I need to hydrate.

I'm running around 300-325F on the indirect side of the cooker right now... so I'm pretty happy. The ABTs should be getting a bit more heat to crisp up that bacon. Am running behind on getting this rack of ribs on to cook, though.

Decided that cooking a whole rack of spares is just one too many changing variables for one cook... trimmed down to St. Louis instead.

More soon.

 

[landarc]

Looking good.

Those jalapenos look about normal to me

 

[Fwismoker]

Right on Marc! Love to be tipping one back with ya brother!

 

[lastmajordude]

Looks great!!.....kind of funny....I’ve got a BubbaKeg and a Jambo stick burner under my cooking shed.....but just me and missus today so the smoke is rolling out of the ...WEBER!!! Have a great cook!!

 

[Queencity]

Looking good there! I'll be using my new new 22.5 copper kettle tomorrow doing some wings for the bengals game

 

[16Adams]

Smoke On....

 

[ShadowDriver]

Those jalapenos look about normal to me

I'm sure they do on this side of the Pacific, but when we could get 'em in the commissary on Okinawa, they were about 1/3-1/2 the size of these babies. Guess that's why I'm still amazed at just how big (and inexpensive) they are.

Love to be tipping one back with ya brother!

Enjoy, Keith. I've moved onto an IPA, and thought about you when I popped the top. Enjoy your weekend!

...but just me and missus today so the smoke is rolling out of the ...WEBER!!!

I've been impressed with how "user friendly" it is thus far. It's done well with direct and indirect heat... as a "grill" and as a "smoker."

I'm no brainiac, but with just a little research and some firebrick, I've managed to build a setup that's holding a pretty solid 315-340F w/o intervention on my part. I just went and added another chunk of hickory to get some more smoke... that's about it!

BREAK BREAK

ABTs finished up nicely. Love using the exhaust on the lid to direct heat and smoke where I want it. Took a couple over to our next door neighbors (the guy with the killer BBQ chicken). Fun to see their eyes light up.

Fatties are off to rest. Finally opened up enough room to put the rack of St. Louis spares on.

Good thing I'm cooking a little hotter than normal, as it'll help catch me up on timeline for dinner!

Back to the ND vs. Nevada... game(?). Go Irish!

 

[dadsr4]

I'm sure they do on this side of the Pacific, but when we could get 'em in the commissary on Okinawa, they were about 1/3-1/2 the size of these babies. Guess that's why I'm still amazed at just how big (and inexpensive) they are.



Enjoy, Keith. I've moved onto an IPA, and thought about you when I popped the top. Enjoy your weekend!



I've been impressed with how "user friendly" it is thus far. It's done well with direct and indirect heat... as a "grill" and as a "smoker."

I'm no brainiac, but with just a little research and some firebrick, I've managed to build a setup that's holding a pretty solid 315-340F w/o intervention on my part. I just went and added another chunk of hickory to get some more smoke... that's about it!

BREAK BREAK

ABTs finished up nicely. Love using the exhaust on the lid to direct heat and smoke where I want it. Took a couple over to our next door neighbors (the guy with the killer BBQ chicken). Fun to see their eyes light up.

Fatties are off to rest. Finally opened up enough room to put the rack of St. Louis spares on.

Good thing I'm cooking a little hotter than normal, as it'll help catch me up on timeline for dinner!

Back to the ND vs. Nevada... game(?). Go Irish!

You seem to be aceing the kettle cook.
If you do decide to try untrimmed spares sometime, set up your coals to one side so that the thickest part of the slab is closest to them. In this case, that would be to the right, where the ball of foil is.

 

[ShadowDriver]

If you do decide to try untrimmed spares sometime, set up your coals to one side so that the thickest part of the slab is closest to them. In this case, that would be to the right, where the ball of foil is.

Good lookin' out... I definitely want to give that a shot... just need to cut down the amount of "other stuff" that also need space in the cooker at the same time. Ha! Duh. :tsk:

 

[4ever3]

Looking good!

 

[SmittyJonz]

Looks Good. :thumb:

 

[SmittyJonz]

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=129246

 

[ShadowDriver]

Thanks, Smitty.

Is Adkins no longer your go-to brisket rub/seasoning?

Do appreciate the link to a multitude of suggestions for indirect cooking on this kettle. I've only browsed through a few of them, but the options appear to be nearly endless.

 

[ssv3]

At least it's looking good now brother. That beer! :thumb:

 

[Stingerhook]

Looking just fine Marc.

 

[jsperk]

Looking good. Dang those abt's look awesome.

 

[Titch]

Those jalapenos look big to me.
You dont muck about much,its all looking good

 

[dadsr4]

 

[THoey1963]

Looks like a great day Marc, well, except for that team you are rooting for (GO BLUE!). :mrgreen:

Those poppers looked great and I am sure those ribs will turn out the same...

 

[ShadowDriver]

Those jalapenos look big to me.

Good! Nice to know I'm not smoking crack over here...

Some nice pig honey going on here...

Using the toothpick test on this end. Still has some time (makes sense, as it's only been about 3 hours on the smoker) left to go.

About to pop the clutch and shift into a new gear with this interesting ditty from Santa Fe...