First cook on my New WSM 22

[Up In Smoke]

After getting kind of a late start I got it fired up, filled the water pan and let it heat up. On the menu was Ribs,bbq chicken in two different marinades,and pulled pork with before and after pics. This thing is great I look forward to many more cooks on it.












Before










After







Cooked the pork for 10hrs at 240-250


Finally got the pork pulled close to midnight but it was worth it.

[pbe gummi bear]

Was it brand new? It's nice to see a 22.5" Wsm running steady without mods.

[Up In Smoke]

Yes it was brand new. It ran steady for the first 5 hrs then it seemed to take some work to keep the temp up and steady for the next 5. I think it should get easier the more I use it and get a little more experience.

[HankB]

I think it's great that you filled that thing up! All of that food looks good and I know how good it can taste.

I seem to have to fiddle with mine on longer cooks. Did you use water in the bowl? That helps to regulate temperature but results in higher fuel usage. I always strove to control temperature to make the water last longer and when I could finish a cook with water left in the bowl, I started foiling the bowl and leaving the water out.

[Up In Smoke]

I did put water in the bowl,maybe I put to much in. I used about 3/4 of a 20lb bag which I thought was a little much for 10 hrs. I will try foiling the bowl and leaving the water out next time to see if that helps me.

[HankB]

I did put water in the bowl,maybe I put to much in. I used about 3/4 of a 20lb bag which I thought was a little much for 10 hrs. I will try foiling the bowl and leaving the water out next time to see if that helps me.

I'm not saying you shouldn't use water. I did for a couple years. It's just a trade off because it could increase fuel use. W/out water your temperature could go higher though that is not necessarily a bad thing. Food that cooks well at 225 will still be good at 275. It will just e ready to take off sooner. Lots of guys go "high heat" and get good results. Best IMO to not vary too much from what works for you and it looks like what you did on your first cook worked.

[pbe gummi bear]

Hey, don't forget that the ambient temp drops at night. What kind of charcoal did you use? Lump needs to be packed real tightly to get that 22.5" to burn consistently for long cooks.