OK... I noticed a couple of common questions among some recent WSM users so I figured I would put together a short thread that will help you get going.
Lay the two sheets on top of each other and then fold along one long edge approx. 1/4", then repeat that same fold 4 or 5 more times creating a multi-fold seam.
Now when you unfold this you have one giant sheet of foil, plenty big for foiling even the 22.5" pan. A tip for foiling: pull the four corners up to form a rough cup shape, then place that shape in the middle of your water pan. Work outwards pushing the foil down to mold it to the water pan, go slow or you will rip the foil. You will have excess when you get to the edges, just fold it down under the rim of the pan on the outside and press it to the outside of the pan.
All foiled and ready to go!
To light it you just get about 10-12 briquets going and dump them on one end in a nice compact pile (tongs work for staking the lit ones). Set your vents as you normally would and away you go. My guestimate is that you will get approx. 2-3 hrs. of burn time with a chamber temp of 250'ish for every 1/4 to 1/3 of the ring like this, so you can adjust the length of the burn as needed and save on charcoal.
Once you have the lit coals added you can assemble the rest of the smoker with the pan dry. Then when your gauge gets to 200° add HOT water to the pan, and let it come back up to 200°. Shut down one vent fully, let it climb to about 230°-240°, and then adjust the remaining two vents as need to hit 250°. Remember new WSM's run hotter due to more cracks for air to get in so don't let those temps. get away from you! Once you have a dozen or so smokes under your belt the smoke residue will have sealed up all the cracks and crevices.
Toss on the meat, and walk away! Your WSM will do it's thing with no further input needed from you till it's time to foil, sauce, or whatever.!
Hope this helps answer some of the basic WSM questions, feel free to holler if you have any other questions. There are a lot of veteran WSM owners here that can help you along.
- First question a lot of folks ask is should I foil the pan? The simple answer is yes! It makes clean up a heck of a lot easier! With a properly foiled pan clean up involves dumping ashes, dumping any water, remove foil, wipe pan with a handful of paper towels...... and done! Now for those that have looked at foil you know they don't make foil wide enough to cover the pan with one sheet (especially the 22.5" pan). Here is how we accomplish this:
Lay the two sheets on top of each other and then fold along one long edge approx. 1/4", then repeat that same fold 4 or 5 more times creating a multi-fold seam.
Now when you unfold this you have one giant sheet of foil, plenty big for foiling even the 22.5" pan. A tip for foiling: pull the four corners up to form a rough cup shape, then place that shape in the middle of your water pan. Work outwards pushing the foil down to mold it to the water pan, go slow or you will rip the foil. You will have excess when you get to the edges, just fold it down under the rim of the pan on the outside and press it to the outside of the pan.
All foiled and ready to go!
- Second question I see a lot (especially regarding the 22.5") is "Do I have to fill the entire ring with charcoal, even for a short smoke?". The answer is no. Here is a fairly simple method that you can adjust to whatever length of shorter smoke you need.
To light it you just get about 10-12 briquets going and dump them on one end in a nice compact pile (tongs work for staking the lit ones). Set your vents as you normally would and away you go. My guestimate is that you will get approx. 2-3 hrs. of burn time with a chamber temp of 250'ish for every 1/4 to 1/3 of the ring like this, so you can adjust the length of the burn as needed and save on charcoal.
Once you have the lit coals added you can assemble the rest of the smoker with the pan dry. Then when your gauge gets to 200° add HOT water to the pan, and let it come back up to 200°. Shut down one vent fully, let it climb to about 230°-240°, and then adjust the remaining two vents as need to hit 250°. Remember new WSM's run hotter due to more cracks for air to get in so don't let those temps. get away from you! Once you have a dozen or so smokes under your belt the smoke residue will have sealed up all the cracks and crevices.
Toss on the meat, and walk away! Your WSM will do it's thing with no further input needed from you till it's time to foil, sauce, or whatever.!
Hope this helps answer some of the basic WSM questions, feel free to holler if you have any other questions. There are a lot of veteran WSM owners here that can help you along.
