Smokin' a shoulder on the mini-wsm today.

[1buckie]

Both ends is for Hot & Fast....hi-heat....ask me how I know this.....

I'd say fish....Hmmmmm..One stripe down the middle & the fish to either side.....

,....now, let's see what does that leave?
.....veal, goat, octopus, yak?

I'll get on some kind of a burn scheduling chart of sorts.....

[Bman]

So, next time, I am going to try

Fewer dry chips or maybe use some chunks
Leave the bottom vent open all the way (right Bman??)

The only time I run with the bottom vent wide open (while smoking) is during chicken (pieces or 1/4's) so I can eat an hour later.  Otherwise for a pork butt, the bottom vent hovers around 1/4 open and rolls around 265 +/- for 10ish hours.  Haven't done ribs on the mini as I'll fire up the WSM if I'm doing 3 racks (or Performer for a single)

For the fire aspect of things, I treat the mini just like the full sized smoker.  I'm a fan of the coffee-can-center-hole Minion Method.  I usually add a chunk or 2 of smoke wood on the bottom, add charcoal, and top with a couple more chunks.  For the mini, I'll fire up 10 briquets and dump them into the coffee-can (then remove the can)  I'll put the lid on the bowl (sans pot) to get the pit fire rolling along while I get the meat & ET-732 all probed up and ready to go.  After ~15 minutes, I'll move the lid to the pot and set the pot on the bowl.  Now it's time to kick back and relax --- which is what Q'ing is all about. 

Here's what the big boy looks like just before game time.
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