# weber smokey mountain smoker



## mattyoc20 (Oct 12, 2013)

Fairly new to the world of smoking.  I got the weber smokey mountain smoker and have used it about a dozen times or so. Anyone else find that it cooks quicker than others?  I know they say 1.5 hours per pound but my meats have cooked a lot faster than that all the time. Did a 9 lbs pork butt the other week and it only took 10 hours.   Nothing I've cooked came close to the 1.5 hour mark


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## bama bbq (Oct 12, 2013)

What temps are your cooks?  I cook in the 250 - 275* range and do get done a bit sooner than those using 225*.


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## hambone1950 (Oct 12, 2013)

Hey Matt 
I think that  1.5 figure is a real ballpark type figure that's meant to cover tons of smokers and tons of temperatures that people smoke at. My WSM typically likes to run at 225-250 with a few little dipsey doodles up and down thruout the cook. I'm sure some people with electric or pellet smokers might be cooking at much lower temps , which is certainly going to translate to longer cooking times.
I've never really calculated the pounds to time ratio of my cooks , but I do know that the brisket I did was a little under an hour per pound...but it was a small brisket.
The WSM is a great smoker. I have really enjoyed mine.


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## mattyoc20 (Oct 12, 2013)

I really enjoy mine as well. As to bama bbqs question I typically smoke everything around 225. I don't like going higher than that.  I also typically don't do anything over 10 lbs and that's on the high side for me.  Thanks for all the help guys


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## themule69 (Oct 12, 2013)

Matt have you checked the temp of your gauge?

Happy smoken.

David


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## mdboatbum (Oct 12, 2013)

Check the temp at grate level with a calibrated thermometer. Something is off. A 9lb butt shouldn't be done in 10 hrs at 225.


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## mattyoc20 (Oct 13, 2013)

I have checked all my gauges several times


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## mattyoc20 (Oct 13, 2013)

We will see what happens today putting a 9 lbs pork butt and 6 pound brisket on today


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## bama bbq (Oct 13, 2013)

mattyoc20 said:


> We will see what happens today putting a 9 lbs pork butt and 6 pound brisket on today


We look forward to your outcome.  I gotta agree that a 9lb butt shouldn't be done in 10 hrs at 225.  Oh and don't get too wrapped around the axle with Hambone's high level technical terms like "a few little dipsey doodles up and down thruout the cook".  LOL


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## mattyoc20 (Oct 13, 2013)

Pork butt in @ 5am this morning temp at 225 already ay 155. Does tha seam normal?


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## mattyoc20 (Oct 13, 2013)

Checked the temp gauge on the smoker with my meat thermometer and everything checks out. I am hoping to pull the butt off at around 4-5 tonight but want it to be done to early


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## mattyoc20 (Oct 13, 2013)

Also not sure if it matters to much but I'm using yhe Weber Smokey mountain 18.5


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## bama bbq (Oct 13, 2013)

Everytime I do a pork butt it takes a very predictable "S" curve to completion. Your cook is normal on any pit. It seems like it will straight line to completion but mine never has. Here's what I mean:



Note that I am cooking at a higher temp that your 225*. At 225* your stall will probably last longer than my slow climb to completion. Don't panic and bump up the temp. Just let it ride and your patience will be rewarded.


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## mattyoc20 (Oct 13, 2013)

Bama bbq thanks for the unput I truely do appreciate it


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## bama bbq (Oct 13, 2013)

Just be sure to post the outcome and keep a log for what you did so you'll have a reference for any changes you wanna make. We look forward to your photos of the success!


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## mattyoc20 (Oct 13, 2013)

Will do pork butt is at 195 right now going on ten hours. Like I said before the 1.5 hours per pound rule has never applied to any of my smokes. Not sure why. As for the log, I started one a few weeks ago to track my smokes.  Thanks again for the help


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## mattyoc20 (Oct 13, 2013)

Just pulled the Butt off at 205.  took about 10 hours 15 minutes.  Why does it cook so quick?  the brisket is holding fast at 170 right now i put that on about 9:20 this morning?  Pork is resting in the cooler pics will follow


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## hambone1950 (Oct 13, 2013)

Bama BBQ said:


> Everytime I do a pork butt it takes a very predictable "S" curve to completion. Your cook is normal on any pit. It seems like it will straight line to completion but mine never has. Here's what I mean:
> 
> 
> 
> Note that I am cooking at a higher temp that your 225*. At 225* your stall will probably last longer than my slow climb to completion. Don't panic and bump up the temp. Just let it ride and your patience will be rewarded.



See , those little wrinkles in the red and blue lines are what us Atomical  Fizzisizzes call dipsey doodles. :biggrin:


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## bama bbq (Oct 13, 2013)

Hambone1950 said:


> See , those little wrinkles in the red and blue lines are what us Atomical  Fizzisizzes call dipsey doodles. :biggrin:



I hear ya bro! LOL

Why does it cook so quick?  IMHO You HAVE to be cooking higher than 225*.


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## mattyoc20 (Oct 13, 2013)

I've checked it though the temps aren't off I'm positive off that.  The pork butt was off the hook.  My brother said it was the best he's ever had.  The brisket was good.  I've made better.  It came out a little on the dry side.  I'm sorry I forgot to take pics.  I know I'm a jerk.  I can even take pics of.leftoveleftovers bc there isn't any.  Always a good sign I guess.   But thank you all for the help.  This is a great forum.


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## bama bbq (Oct 13, 2013)

Glad it turned out well!  Congrats!


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## mattyoc20 (Oct 13, 2013)

Just want to throw a shout out to bama bbq for sticking threw this with me your input was truely a big help.  Thank you


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## steve carpenter (Oct 14, 2013)

I've only done pulled pork on my WSM once, but it seemed to take a lot longer than that.  I think my temps dipped once when I wasn't paying attention for a while.  I was using lump and I think the burning portion fell away from the unlit because I was in too much of a hurry to stack it nicely early in the morning. 

Question to everyone else......I cooked a 8.5 lb and it took longer than I would have liked.  Would getting it cut into two pieces speed up the cooking time?


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## smokinhusker (Oct 14, 2013)

Happy to hear all came out well - a testament since you have no leftovers!!! 

Really sounds like your temps are running higher with the shortened cooking times.


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## bama bbq (Oct 14, 2013)

mattyoc20 said:


> Just want to throw a shout out to bama bbq for sticking threw this with me your input was truely a big help. Thank you


Not a prob my friend.  I enjoyed standing with you on this one.  We look forward to many more of your cooks!


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## redfinjim (Oct 14, 2013)

My briskets usually "hold" for about 1.5 hours at 165° before it starts climbing to 180-185 within the next hour.  Then it'll plateau for a bit before hitting 192.  I use a WSM 22.5.  I've got 2 wireless internal temp monitors when I have 2 briskets on each grill level (4 briskets total).  I buy the 9-10 lb. briskets untrimmed.  I do score the fat side with a knife in several places and stick a garlic clove into each right against the meat.  I also stop feeding wood to the firebox (charcoal bed) after about the 5th hour.  I've been told the meat will absorb all the smoke it will absorb after 5 hours.

Do any of you put water in the water pan or do you leave it in only to collect drippings?  I normally do a 1/2 and 1/2 of water and cheap apple juice.


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## bama bbq (Oct 14, 2013)

I use the water pan to hold the terra cotta clay flower pot saucer. I use a drip pan in the water as well when using both racks, and place the drip pan on the lower rack when using the top rack only.


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## jirodriguez (Oct 14, 2013)

Keep in mind that the temps on the racks are different than the temps on the lid therm. The lid therm could be accurate, and still not be giving you your true chamber temps. If you have a calibrated probe therm do the following:

Cut a potato in half and push the probe therm all the way through it so that at leas 1/3 of the point is sticking out the end.

Get your smoker running at 250° according to the lid therm.

Place the probe on the upper rack and let the smoker stabalize at 250° again - wait untill the probe therm stops going up, make a note of the probe therm temp.

Repeat process with the lower rack.

What you will probably find out is that the temps on each rack are slightly different, and that they both vary from the lid. So once you know what the variation is you can then use the lid therm as a rule of thumb guide, mentally adjusting for each rack.

Also keep in mind the WSM cooks hotter for the first 8-10 smokes, once you have a nice layer of seasoning built up it will seal all the joints and openings better and not run quite as hot.

All in all you can't go wrong with a WSM, I have had my 22.5" for several years, I use it year round in all kinds of weather and couldn't be happier!


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## bugz13 (Oct 14, 2013)

What thermometer are you using to track the smoker temperature and where are you placing the probe? Can make a big difference.


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## dumasbro2 (Oct 15, 2013)

My 22 1/2 dome temperature gauge runs about 15 degrees cooler than the grate temperature. My butts do run close to 1 1/2 per pound at 225 (+/- 10) grate temp. Don't be too stuck on the pound and a half per hour, trust the meat temp and you'll be fine. The last ones I did stalled out at 160 for several hours, then creeped up very slowly. I  ran out of charcoal (normally would have been enough) so after about 15 hours I just finished the last 10 degrees in the oven. Was some of the best butt I've done.


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