• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Good smoker or no?

Champco said:
Most all those shitcan smokers suck but that one you have looks like the real deal. For those who do not know I can explain. Air control. All the other ones I have seen have a wide open bottom. Yours is enclosed. I have not seen them before. Very nice. Question is how does the coal pan look? How is the air flow there??
Click to expand...
Bottom of the WSM has 3 vents like a Weber kettle. The coal grate sits a few inches off the bottom. It has a ring that sits on top of it to keep the coals an inch or so from the sides. That ring is about 4" high so it holds about 3 full chimneys of briquettes. Unlit coal goes on the botton, lit coals piled on top. Above the coals is a pan you fill with water for a heat sink. Above that is a meat grate and a foot above that is the top meat grate. When you smoke you close off the bottom vents to regulate heat. The single top vent stays open.

So there isnt realky a coal pan but a heavy coal grate with a metal ring set on the grate to hold the coal. When filled with a full load of coal it burns for 12-14 hours without adding coal. Wood chunks for smoke (not chips). Hickory, apple, cherry, etc. They still use them in competitions because they just work.
 
Last edited:
Bill S said:
Bottom of the WSM has 3 vents like a Weber kettle. The coal grate sits a few inches off the bottom. It has a ring that sits on top of it to keep the coals an inch or so from the sides. That ring is about 4" high so it holds about 3 full chimneys of briquettes. Unlit coal goes on the botton, lit coals piled on top. Above the coals is a pan you fill with water for a heat sink. Above that is a meat grate and a foot above that is the top meat grate. When you smoke you close off the bottom vents to regulate heat. The single top vent stays open.

So there isnt realky a coal pan but a heavy coal grate with a metan ring set on the grate to hold the coal. When filled with a full load of coal it burns for 12-14 hours without adding coal.
Click to expand...
You can probably control the heat better by using the top as well closing it part way. For long cooks snake the coals around the sides and use less coals, regulate the air and maybe get 10 hours or so.
I have a CharBroil Kamander. As I got to know it I was stunned how long I can keep a temp.
How hot can you get it??
 
Champco said:
You can probably control the heat better by using the top as well closing it part way. For long cooks snake the coals around the sides and use less coals, regulate the air and maybe get 10 hours or so.
I have a CharBroil Kamander. As I got to know it I was stunned how long I can keep a temp.
How hot can you get it??
Click to expand...
I do sometimes also regulate with the top vent but most times I just use the bottom. I've never cooked hot in it. I would imagine without the water pan it might do 350 or more but that's not what its for. I use the Minion method of charcoaling in this one. I have a regular Weber kettle where I use coal baskets or snake method or Vortex bowl to achieve different burns and temps. I also have an OnlyFire pizza oven for the kettle. That can hit 600-700 inside the oven with some wood splits.
 
Bill S said:
I also have an OnlyFire pizza oven for the kettle. That can hit 600-700 inside the oven with some wood splits.
Click to expand...
Great. I would like to see that. I like cooking wings at 450-500 for 20-25 minuts. Makes em real crispy skinned and cooked to the bone, maintains the juices. I found a problem last time I did this. I had the thing wide open with the wings in planning to close off the air at about 425 or so. I got distracted for about 10 minutes. Well I don't have to tell you what happened but I'm going to anyway.
By time I got out there she was belching smoke. Even though I had a stone plate and pan of water infront of the wings they caught fire. The temp gage was pegged at 800 degrees.............

Hoping I could save the wings... some... I closed the air off and waited a couple minutes. Unlatched the latch and.. with the long tongs on the handle I slowly opened the lid. At about 7 inches open the air ignited, so much it still singed the hair on my arm while I shut it as fast as I could. Not good control with the tongs. I went in and got the gloves on and again slowly opened it a couple inches and waited and again the air ignited. I waited a few more minutes but I wanted those wings off now!! I slowly opened it again and even tho it caught fire it was not so robust so i opened it all the way and it cooled down quick.

I did manage to salvage a few bites off the wings. There was meat left on em but it was not worth the time so here's what I did.
I happened to be cooking bones from a rotisserie chicken for some broth. I tossed the burned wings in the pot. It made a great tasting Smokey broth for soup... I have opened the lid above 500 degrees before with caution but never had the ignition, like at whatever temp it was at. Must mind the grill.
 
Champco said:
Great. I would like to see that. I like cooking wings at 450-500 for 20-25 minuts. Makes em real crispy skinned and cooked to the bone, maintains the juices. I found a problem last time I did this. I had the thing wide open with the wings in planning to close off the air at about 425 or so. I got distracted for about 10 minutes. Well I don't have to tell you what happened but I'm going to anyway.
By time I got out there she was belching smoke. Even though I had a stone plate and pan of water infront of the wings they caught fire. The temp gage was pegged at 800 degrees.............

Hoping I could save the wings... some... I closed the air off and waited a couple minutes. Unlatched the latch and.. with the long tongs on the handle I slowly opened the lid. At about 7 inches open the air ignited, so much it still singed the hair on my arm while I shut it as fast as I could. Not good control with the tongs. I went in and got the gloves on and again slowly opened it a couple inches and waited and again the air ignited. I waited a few more minutes but I wanted those wings off now!! I slowly opened it again and even tho it caught fire it was not so robust so i opened it all the way and it cooled down quick.

I did manage to salvage a few bites off the wings. There was meat left on em but it was not worth the time so here's what I did.
I happened to be cooking bones from a rotisserie chicken for some broth. I tossed the burned wings in the pot. It made a great tasting Smokey broth for soup... I have opened the lid above 500 degrees before with caution but never had the ignition, like at whatever temp it was at. Must mind the grill.
Click to expand...
You can make a Vortex bowl by cutting the bottom off a stainless dog food bowl. Bowl goes in center of Weber with a chimney full of coal and wings placed around the outside of cooking grate.
 
Well today I added locking caster wheels to the smoker. The legs didnt have much of a foot on them to drill a 3/8" hole for the casters...and not much more than tack welds holding the bottom plates on. Instead I drilled right in front of little triangle foot and used a large washer to clamp it down by the caster nuts. Me backbone appreciates getting it up off the ground a little more too. Dont laugh either... thats the only wood I had and I dont do wood...now give me metal and I'm good!

I also got two grommets with a slot and a hole through them. The slot for running the whole probe and wires through and the hole is sized so you can poke just the prob itself in the hole for watching the internal temp. I put one on the right side and one in the back. The front probe works but is off about 15 to 20 degrees lower.

Next I want to put on a piece to hold the probe unit away from the smoker and have it fold back when not in use so the cover fits over it. The unit has a magnet and a tab that flips out with a hole in it...but I think it gets too hot attaching right on the smoker. Maybe one of those hinged latch things for padlocking a door or something.

upload_2022-6-15_20-7-25.jpeg
 
OK guys...my son is coming up from MD in a couple weeks and wants to have a smokeout and then have some meats to freeze and take back with him.

I havent done any long haul smokes yet so I need some advice on timing this out. I want to preferably get two smallish size butts vs one large one...a brisket..and possibly ribs will be involved. What would your process be in order to eat around say 6pm at the finish line? Stacking order matter?..like ribs on top..then brisket then butts?

From what I've gathered...pork runs about 2hrs@lb..brisket at 1hr@lb. Ribs are easy enough..I've done them enough at roughly 6hrs. Being new to me smoker I still dont know if I can trust it to let it go unattended for like an overnight smoke.
I'm going to do some meatloaf this weekend to dial in keeping the smoke box going at low temps. This lernin' is so much better than skool wuz!! :beerchug:

Lemme hear how you would go about it and your experience.
 
I've never done a big load of multiple meats on my WSM, but based on the number of butts, ribs, and briskets I've done, I would estimate that the duration of the cook will depend on the sizes of each cuts. The more meat you cook at the same time the longer the cooks will be for each piece because each cut will be a separate heat 'sink' in relation to the others that your smoker has to heat - so using a "x hrs/lb" rule of thumb may need to be adjusted upwards.

Stacking would be for preference for what fat/juices you want dripping down on the lower cut. Some people may not want pork juices dripping onto their brisket - just saying, so your suggested stacking sounds good.

If you have the luxury of time, can you cook the butts ahead of time then start the brisket really early (or the night before) and adding the ribs last to get to 6pm?

Pulled pork is probably the most forgiving for cooking ahead. I'd also build in some time margin to your cook to allow for serving at 6pm - bbq is done when it's done. And resting/holding meat done early will be a whole lot less stressful than meat that is stubborn.

Just my 2cents worth.
 
Time per lb is a loose guide, it's done when it's done. Temp you like but better to the tenderness you want.

If you can fit it all at once go ahead but the brisket will take the longest then the butt then the ribs. Place by temp. Brisket at hottest point or not depending on your experience and comfort. If you're new then put the butts in the hot spot.

I cook hot, well above 225, but that's a whole nother topic. Anyways.

Don't need to go overnight. Cut big brisket in half. Start early morning, 3-4am based on weights. Or do the briskets and butts the day before.

Another tip. Go early and cooler the briskets and butts. Both will rest in a cooler for hours with no issue before serving.

Good luck with the cook.
 
I’d go with smaller meats to avoid stalling - brisket <10 lbs and a boneless butt cut in half. If either stalls double wrap with foil or butcher paper which some say maintains the bark better. Wrap the butt and brisket in a couple bath towels and rest in an ice chest 3-4 hours.
 
Myself and several friend's attempts to cook pork butts, timing for late afternoon meals, all ended up served in darkness or the next day! :(
 
I understand the time/weight is just a ballpark estimate...and especially with that much meat at once. Good point on the meat dripping on the other...not that any of us would care that much. I guess I could also separate the flat and point on the brisket to help with time.

I am hoping to find small butts (because I dont like big butts anyway ;) )...didnt think about going boneless. I have the butcher paper cuz we love the bark...and the cooler is ready to go. I've been reading that some will rest their brisket for like 10 hours or so. I wont be doing that..it means it has to keep at food safe temps too. I see my son once or twice a year anymore so I dont want to use up our time on cooking.

Ha Jimbo..thats probably what it will end up like. Both of us are night owls anyway...hell my screwed up sleep cycle is going to bed around 3-4am and getting up around 8-9am anyway.

I was just playing with the smoker and it seems the best way to keep the temp stable and the smoke going is to get a pile of charcoal going and add the wood to that. I kept it at 250 with the burner at the lowest setting and the heat from the wood/charcoal burning adding the heat. Fine tune that with the vents.

I appreciate it guys...I'll let ya know how the meatloaf turns out. :beerchug:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom