What he said. I still have one in my harem, but it rarely gets used anymore.
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Today Im trying to make jerky for the first time! Im using mesquite and a whole bottom round. Im be keepin the temp at ~150. How long does it usually take to get the chips smoking?
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You probably aren't going to get any smoke at 150. I would but the temp up until you get some clean smoke. That will probably be around 190.

When I do jerky I put it in the smoker for about an hour and then in the dehydrator for the rest of the time. If you don't have a dehydrator you can use your oven. If you try to do it in the smoker the whole time you will probably end up with shoe leather.
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Well i made my first newb mistake. I didnt realise the smoker had a different compartment for the chips i just kinda assumed the bowl sittin on top was the wood bowl. Nope its the catch thing. So i loaded it back up with chips where they are supposed to be and now have alot more smoke lol. Should be interesting lol
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It is really easy to overdo the mesquite. Just be careful.
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Easy to over do it as in too much smoke flavor?
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Yep. That is why I only smoke it for an hour.
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Well its all still smoking and gettin pretty done. I think I'll pull it off around 5:30. I just think the stuff I marinated it in could have been better
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One good thing about making jerky is you get to eat the mistakes!!!

BTW... I use eye of the round. I look for the whole select cryovac ones on sale for $1.99. The lower fat content works great for jerky and they are easy to slice pretty uniformly.
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My dad and uncles are all butchers so they told me to use a whole choice bottom round. Its staying pretty tender and the flavors are finally coming out.
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I know that's the best part of BBQ'n, just keep going to ya get it right :-)
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Just FYI, the bowl is probably your water bowl. to keep the meat from drying out. It creates steam. I usually put in a mixture of 25% applejuice and the rest is the water I used to soak the wood chips.
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The jerky sucks :-). Its way too done and doesnt taste too good. I gotta try it again
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I also use playground sand in mine. Instead of a moist heat it creats a dry heat (duh) that is similar to my offsets.
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Some even fill the water pan with concrete.


FWIW, I picked this up from the Weber Smokey Mountain tips and mods site:

Purpose Of The Water Pan

The water pan used inside the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker serves the following purposes:

* Allows For Indirect Cooking
Many people feel that cooking over indirect heat is essential when making barbecue. The water pan acts as a physical barrier between the meat and the direct heat of the hot coals. It also catches the meat drippings that would otherwise hit the coals and flare up, a taste which many people associate with grilled, not smoked, foods.

To cook over indirect heat in the Weber Bullet, put the water pan inside the cooker, suspended by the four grill straps at the bottom of the middle cooking section.

To cook over direct heat, leave the water pan out the cooker. Some would say this is not "real" barbecue, but I believe it is--as long you're cooking "low and slow" in the 225-275°F range. Above these temps, you're getting into roasting and grilling.

* Helps Control Cooker Temperature
Water in the pan makes temperature control easier. If the cooker starts to run too hot, more water will evaporate, consuming extra heat energy and bringing the cooker temperature down. If the cooker starts to run too cool, the thermal water mass can give a little bit of heat back to the cooker. Either way, water moderates cooker temperature and makes vent settings, and thus temperature control, easier.

Water can help you maintain 225-250°F with ease, but it's almost impossible to achieve temperatures like 325-350°F with water in the pan. So, if you want to cook a turkey at 325°F, go with an empty water pan.

* Provides A Moist Cooking Environment
As water in the pan evaporates, water vapor fills the cooking chamber and surrounds the meat before exhausting through the top vent or condensing on the interior walls of the cooker.

There is some debate among barbecuers as to the value of this moisture. Some people believe that it keeps meat moist during cooking, even going so far as to say that it "bastes" the meat. They also point out that water vapor is more efficient at bringing heat to meat than is dry air.

Others say that they cook with a dry water pan and produce barbecue that is very moist, thank you very much.

Still others believe that it depends on what's being smoked. Meats that tend to dry out, like ribs or brisket, benefit from the moisture, while fattier cuts, like pork butt, do not.


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My thoughts exactly :-)


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Besides the tri-tips I'm also going to throw some chicken wings into the smoker.
I've never smoked wings before. Should I crisp them on the grill or in the oven once they've been smoked?

I will be serving these tomorrow night at PDB&G. :-)
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Good question, but the answer probably won't come until you pull them off and determine how slimy or not they still are.

I am firing up the pork butt and a couple of whole chickens tomorrow morning. Should be a great day for smoking here.
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PDB&G produced some of the best wings to date last night. I immediately threw them in the oven for just a few minutes to crisp them up, then tossed them in wing sauce.

:-)
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I've had a charcoal one for about 20 years. That says it all. Comes with me on every fishing trip.
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