Just picked up a Smokey Mountain..what do I need to know..tips, tricks?

[indy82z]

I have about 30 Weber grills, a UDS and an offset but never had a Smokey Mountain until now. What can you tell someone who has never used one? I was thinking of doing a pork butt on it tomorrow..water in the pan, no water? What parts from a 18.5 grill are interchangeable? Are any of the grates? The one I have is looking pretty beat up..

Thanks in advance..

Tom

[MrHoss]

Your upper grate is interchangeable with any grate from an 18. I believe the bottom grate is a smaller diameter though you may be able to twist in a standard 18 grate. Go with no water in the pan but foil it to make clean up easier. Using water in the pan will get you no bark. If you must use water do so after a good bark has formed. Go with about 18 lit briquettes or the equivalent amount of lump to start. Leave all vents on the bottom open till you get to about 30f shy of your target temp then go with one vent open.

[Kgo]

I get bark with water?

[CharliefromLI]

If you use a UDS, a WSM will be a peice of cake.

[jd]

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[Troy]

you can get bark with water in the pan.

WSM is super easy.
fill the ring with unlit briquettes, toss on a few chunks of fruit wood.
add 8 lit briquettes to the middle, assemble the mid and lid.
Leave one vent open on bottom, leave top vent open.
When the white smoke turns to thin blue, put your meat on.
If your temp goes over 250, close the bottom vent halfway.
If it goes below 200, open it up more.
make adjustments in 30 minute increments and write them down somewhere so its easy to spot temperature trends.

[Harbormaster]

Congratulations on grabbing one of the best backyard BBQ pits made Tom.
Lower cooking grate and charcoal grate are not the same as the ones from an 18.5" kettle.
I learned to cook on the WSM using water, but if you've cooked on a UDS you may not need to. Foil the inside of the water pan whether using water or not. If no water, a few golf ball sized foil balls in the pan before you foil will help keep the rendered grease from burning.
Catch your temps on the way up. Using the Minion Method, start your fire with the top vent and all three bottom vents wide open. When it gets within 20* of target temp, close the lower vents 2/3 by either leaving each vent 1/3 open or close two all of the way. Always leave the top vent 100% open.
If you use lump, you need to pack it in tightly like your doing a 3D puzzle. The fewer air gaps the better. If you're using K blue briquettes, you will need to see a psychiatrist and send the WSM to me. Trust me, there are FAR better fuels for the WSM.
Don't take the lid off until you're getting close to start checking for doneness. If you're lookin', you ain't cookin'.

[charred]

another vote for a foiled, empty water pan!

[indy82z]

Awesome...thanks guys..sounds pretty similar to what I do with my UDS so hopefully it will be a breeze..

Thanks!!!

[iCARRY]

I got a 22 this year. I foil the my water pan. I use kingsford blue. I fill my ring, light about 30 coals, dump right into the center and let it go till about 30 degrees of my target temp then cut all bottom cents to 1/2 open. Then I monitor closely.


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[CharliefromLI]

Everyone has there opinions on charcoal but my experience with KBB in my WSM is that it produced way too much ash that chokes the fire. I used to use trader joes I haven't seen any lately so I'm going for Stubbs or lump on my next cook.