Gaza the Instructor

Ice all I can say is it made enough difference to my Ribs. I will not use a heat shield again for Ribs. AMG not a Merc fan it was just for demo. Have been looking at Bentley gt's though.

Should we put water in the pan? Do we need a pan? Is temperature crucial? Three simple questions. I am new on here but not new to water smoking and smokers. Bought my first one in B&Q well in fact six of them.The little Brinkmann in 1992 was about £55 but noone knew what they were so already reduced to £15 each, i offered them £60 for the lot, sold and 5 happy friends. Now own a 22"WSM and have had for 13 years only mod was door seal tape. I cooked some ribs for the family and got several mumbles back meat not melting off the bone,a bit chewy??? I was a little miffed and then owned up to changing things. If it ain;t broke don't mend it. I had removed the water pan, added a Sundial and used a tip top temp, normal 3-2-1 cooking method, same coals and same WSM ?? So I tried a little experiment on the family, three times a week for two weeks 2 racks Coscos Baby ribs, same rub same bbq sauce even same foil. Here are my findings. 1 T.T.T and Sundial no water pan managed to keep temp between 225 and 250 one bottom vent half open other two shut open top vent dialed in TTT . Cook went well but ribbs not tender not almost falling apart notmuch pull back as our friends say. 2 TTT Water Pan with sand and lined with foil all went as per no1 . The Ribbs were more to their liking. You must understand this is no1Son ans Daughter and Daughter-in -Law plus Grumpy and me the world famous Rib chef.and they have all been eating my ribbs since the Ninetys. 3 TTT Water Pan with Laver Rocks and foil.All went well again good cook great smell nice taste but my Daughter said need more cooking??? 4TTT Water Pan with water again great cook great smell nochange on anything very little temp swing, Result BRILLIANO as we like DAD. Oh I was happy. Well what about 5 and 6 OK. Both done the same Water in Bowl No TTT just the WSM thermometer on the lid. bottom 3 vents about half open(a bit less)top fully open when i pulled them to wrap at 3hrs there was a bit of pull back and a fantastic smell brown sugar and Apple juice wrap for 2hrs made that right. Final hour smothered in BBQ sauce. 10/10 from the kids I am back. So my final conclusions are. Water Pan, water is best its what it was made for. The Sundial I will bend the fins up and hang chickens from the top grate. Tip Top Temp a good little gadget cause that is all it is a gadget,if you are that worried use a thermometer with alarm and adjust your vents. Water in the pan really helps with temp spikesand doesn't take long to clean with the hose. And the Elephant in the room.Food and the moisture from the pan, Yes it does helpit boiled off 5ltrs in 6 hrs That is a Gallon of Steam??? Just one point before you let the dogs on me. Modifications???? Why????? The Americans have it in their blood,Sorry guys. Let me explain. If you have an AMG Mercedes which has 500BHP someone will bring a mod out to make 520, but why Mercedes spent millions to develop 500bph not £50 on a boast for a bar stool. If I have a 500Bhp Merc I want to drive it really fast, not just sit on a stool and boast its got 520.

by the way mine is a 22", wish it was.

Yes its the door and around the base of the lid. My WSM is about 13 years old and well used. These leaks have got worse over the last 5 or6. A bit of this tape bought off Ebay for £5 should cure. Also running baffle plate and tip top temp today. 4 racks of ribs 3-2-1 method using own rub Jack Daniels sauce and Butchers paper.

first cook tomorrow with a heat shield on the WSM also insulated door and top. Most of all using a Tip Top Temp jobbie let you know.

More food for me

Blimey mate a tad harsh, I think they bring something to the party. Horses for courses and all that . I know they are sweet, but with a nice bit of pulled pork salad and a gulg of hot spicy bbq sauce. Yum Yum I rest my case mi' Lud.

Very nice and worth every second I bet.

Ohh yes Brioche Buns at the ready with a little salad and a nice tangy bbq sauce? I can almost smell that from here.

@ Ice I will certainly try it and let you know my thoughts. The yanks are just going potty over it. The best ideas are always simple.

Ok thanks one on order. The main thing is getting rid of that water pan. It is such a pain to clean out. The WSM is though a great piece of kit and will not swap to a pellet thingy. I like using charcoal it gives great flavour.

How well does the baffle plate work on temp stability? I own and have used on a regular basis for the last 12 years a 22" WSM as of the moment it is totally unmolested and is a great bit of kit. However I have just ordered one of these. https://prosmokebbq.co.uk/collections/bbq/products/tip-top-temp?variant=31208188969054

I have a 57cm which I think is 22" WSM. Love it awesome bit of kit. Keep it clean on the joints I have sealed the door with this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153921035649 that has helped. And have just placed an order for each of these. https://prosmokebbq.co.uk/collections/bbq/products/tip-top-temp?variant=31208188969054 All you do is shut all vents, but top leave open set this over top vent and set temp. The yanks are raving. Other is this https://prosmokebbq.co.uk/collections/bbq/products/firedial-heat-baffle-for-weber-smokey-mountain-57cm?variant=31125061533790 Use instead of waterpan again read up and all good.

I have just ordered some Butchers paper. I see you use foil. Our foil is very thin and when I wrap my ribs (321) I keep splitting the foil. Just to let you know.

They look lovely. What sauce or maybe rub. Or just cook??

You think I am joking!! Don't throw those Darts over that way , there are a pair of Goldfinch in the Ivy and you might kill one. It's my bloody garden I paid for it!!Thats it I will get my Airgun and!!!!!! Oh they are very pwitty lickle birdies🐧

I am not allowed a knife. My wife said I should never be trusted with sharp or pointed objects. She won't even let me play Darts in the garden.😭

Onions being cooked is one of those great smells. Playing Golf walking up the 8th towards the tea hut and the smell of Onions being fried just hit you 100yds out and dragged you in.

Brown on Bacon thats a deffo. Red on chips yum yum. But IMHO Sausages of quality should be saluted with Colemans Mustard.

I bought a set of 10 Sabatier Knives and a pair of scissors in a block for £42 at Coscos.

I don't think I have ever had food tainted by wood,other than that smoked taste which we all love. Maybe we need to test, maybe we should not smoke food with wood at all. Maybe this article is exaggerating any crumbs of truth, after all we should not believe all we read or we would go mad from the confusion.

Hi Colin 39 I am new here like you.

A little recipe/creation fave of mine, split a sausage length ways ,don't cut all the way through. Spread Mustard in the sausage and fill with cheese.Wrap with some of your lovely Bacon 🐷 and secure with a cocktail stick. Then oven or Grill.

Making me hungry againThat makes a change.

That looks fantastic, brill effort. I have one hand on the brown sauce bottle ready.