14 WSM Pepper Stout Beef

[HankB]

Chosen for the inaugural cook on my small WSM. It's a great recipe and I have a Dutch oven that's a perfect fit in the 14. I'll use the DO for the second part of the cook. Also the top grate is a good fit for a 4.5 lb (2 kg) chuckie. 



About half an hour into the cool it looks like the cooker is holding 250°F with one bottom vent open.

[pbe gummi bear]

That looks real nice, Hank. I can't wait to see the finished product.

[Bbqmiller]

Keep it coming Hank. Love to hear what others are experiencing with these little cookers.

[Weber MD]

Lookin' good Hank.  Can't wait to see how it turned out.

[Kilted_Griller]

Excellent so far, Hank!! Can't wait for the final results!

[HankB]

Temperature performance on the first cook was not stellar. It started out at about 290°F and dropped to about 275 after three hours (from when the meat went on) which is OK. The meat was about 145°F IT at that point - about 20° short of the target. I opened a bottom vent (two open.) Then added some fuel. Then opened another bottom vent. Then added more fuel. The temperature  continued to slump, probably because ash was clogging the space below the charcoal grate. It stubbornly refused to get hotter, settling around in about 250. That would be good for low 'n slow but I wanted about 350 for the PSB once it goes into the closed Dutch oven so it is now in that oven thing in the kitchen. I'm letting the cooker go just to see if it holds 250 or continues to drop.

That was earlier. The PSB is doing well in the oven (and at this point there would be little benefit to live fire cooking.) I'm getting ready to shred it and reduce the liquid to acceptable levels for serving.

Right now the cooker is at 176°F eight hours after the meat went on.

[1buckie]

Was going to say, maybe it would benefit from some kind of ash diffuser cannister like folks make for the tamale pot mini's, but then saw in Bbqmiller's turkey thread that the vents are at the side........how did the ash look all the way at the end?

I remeber reading that people will jiggle or thump on the bigger WSM's to get the ash to knock down & get better airflow.....don't know much about these, but except for the ash deal, a nice size for a lot of items......

[HankB]

Here's the beef!



I think this one is at its most photogenic when it is first placed in the Dutch oven with the peppers and such.

...how did the ash look all the way at the end?

I'll have to look when it is out. It's still cooling off.

I remeber reading that people will jiggle or thump on the bigger WSM's to get the ash to knock down & get better airflow.....don't know much about these, but except for the ash deal, a nice size for a lot of items......

I did some thumping and jiggling and stirring the coals with a poker. I even pulled the ring out to see if that would make a difference. I might try different fuel or better sealing. Usually a loose fit results in excess temperature but perhaps the small WSM responds differently. My other WSMs have a bead of high temperature silicone around the bottom edge for better sealing.  I'll be studying this to see what the key is to getting the best results out of it.

[pbe gummi bear]

Hank, are you accounting for the sunlight? It tends to heat up a wsm pretty well on it's own which may coincide with the steady drop you are seeing. I have a really hard time getting my 1880 past 275F. At that point I need to keep the door open and have a bigger smolder underneath.

[HankB]

Hank, are you accounting for the sunlight? It tends to heat up a wsm pretty well on it's own which may coincide with the steady drop you are seeing. I have a really hard time getting my 1880 past 275F. At that point I need to keep the door open and have a bigger smolder underneath.

Sun never seemed to be an issue with the bigger cookers. I need to remember that the smaller cookers have proportionally more surface area than their larger cousins.  I suppose it is simply a matter of learning the tool. Like they say "You didn't think it was gonna be that easy, did you?"

[Kilted_Griller]

Fantastic post, Hank!!! Thanks for the details!

[1buckie]

Here's the beef!



I think this one is at its most photogenic when it is first placed in the Dutch oven with the peppers and such.



ANOTHER TWO.....yes TWO, for "Just a Picture I Liked".............

.........esp. the second one !!!!

................Man that stuff looks good !!!

The wife & I passed over both some big flat chucks & some lamb chops the other day......thinking "we shouldn't spend, we shouldn't spend", but that would garner several high end large meals.................extremely well done, my man !!!!

Suppose the wrangling of the machine will get sorted out soon enough.......

[Bbqmiller]

Was going to say, maybe it would benefit from some kind of ash diffuser cannister like folks make for the tamale pot mini's, but then saw in Bbqmiller's turkey thread that the vents are at the side........how did the ash look all the way at the end?

I remeber reading that people will jiggle or thump on the bigger WSM's to get the ash to knock down & get better airflow.....don't know much about these, but except for the ash deal, a nice size for a lot of items......

On my first cook the ash did fill up the space beneath the grates (using briquettes) - my first cook I didn't start with enough lit briquettes so it took some time to get up to temp. The ash was still far from impeding any vents. The second cook I used lump and the space was only about half full of ash (this was a longer cook). I lit up about 2/3 mini chimney of lump, and the cooker went right up to 265 or so. The first two cooks I used water in the pan. On my next cook, I will try lump with no water - I think it will be able to hit 325 or so. Lump may be the best for high temp and reducing ash production.
Mike

[HankB]

On my first cook the ash did fill up the space beneath the grates (using briquettes)

I looked at it today and found that the ash was about an inch over the top of the charcoal grate. I think it was smothering the fire. I was using Royal Oak briquettes and it looks like it produces a lot of ash. I may give lump or coshell a try next time.

[pbe gummi bear]

On my first cook the ash did fill up the space beneath the grates (using briquettes)

I looked at it today and found that the ash was about an inch over the top of the charcoal grate. I think it was smothering the fire. I was using Royal Oak briquettes and it looks like it produces a lot of ash. I may give lump or coshell a try next time.

Try minion method with the lit at the bottom. This doesn't cause the ash to snuff the charcoal as the cool progresses.