How to smoke ribs in a Weber Smokey Joe | veggie pan hack | BBQ Meat kettle premium
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- čas přidán 22. 09. 2016
- The Weber Smokey Joe may not be as big as it older brothers, but it can still smoke some great bbq meats. In this video I'll show you the bbq hack I use to smoke an entire rack of baby back ribs at the same time on the Weber Smokey Joe.
Here's a link to Phil's Channel (Daddy Cooks) and the video that inspired this video. • Good Ribs on an Itty B...
Products mentioned in this video (Affiliate links):
Weber Jumbo Joe (larger) amzn.to/2cVXOGi
Veggie pan (This isn't the exact one I bought but it looks exactly like it) amzn.to/2csd54m
Smokey Joe silver amzn.to/2do3888
Smokey Joe Premium amzn.to/2cVZhMF
My camera (Most common question): amzn.to/2cVYZ8K
Favorite grill for the money (second most common question) amzn.to/2cVsIA9
For simplicity sake, I would suggest buying the Weber Jumbo Joe if you are in the process of shopping for a new portable charcoal grill. The Jumbo Joes are almost as portable as the Smokey Joes, but have almost the same amount of grilling space as the large Big Green Egg. So you can smoke ribs easily and have a little (not much) more lid clearance.
That said, the Weber Smokey Joe ( which used to be called SJ silver) and the Weber Smokey Joe Premium (which used to be called SJ gold) are fantastic little portable grills. Not only can you do this mod, but do yourself a favor and google "mini-wsm" or the "Smokey Joe tamale pot mod." It WILL change your life forever. (lol)
That mod was so popular that some people think it inspired Weber to come out with a 14 inch Weber Smokey Mountain again. (Who knows if that's true or not.)
Anyways, in this video I show you a hack I developed using a vegetable grill pan to make a plate setter for the Weber Smokey Mountain...and then we smoke some baby back ribs!
Special thanks to Phil and the Daddy Cooks channel for inspiring this video. Should out to Heavy Metal BBQ and all my friends who watch these videos on the Kamadoguru (KamadoGuru.com) and BBQ Brethren (www.bbqbrethren.com) cooking forums. You guys are the best! - Jak na to + styl
First of all...I AM GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR!!! Thank you soooo much for the shout out. I also really appreciate your sentiment and well wishing at the end...MANY MANY THANKS!
Your Smoking MOD hack is pure genius! I am back in Part Unknown. I flew back on the 16th and arrived on the 18th (Yes long flights and lay-overs...lol). When I return home, I will have to "Re-Rip-off" this video. This technique has got to be seen...I LOVE IT!
I do want to clarify for those reading this that Justin did NOT actually rip of anything and here is why. The techniques that I used in my video were Grilling and BBqing. Justin did a traditional smoke method. We both just happened to use a small grill (Smokey Joe). Between both of our videos you can see three very distinct cooking techniques!
Justine, I would like your permission to post this video on my Daddy Cooks FB Page. Great ingenuity, explanation and amazing ribs. Thank you for sharing this!!!
Your Friend
Phil aka Daddy
Hey Phil,
I'm really glad you like the video. Definitely feel free to post it on facebook. Please be safe over there. We appreciate you guys. Praying for you and your family.
You Rock, Phil!
So I guess I've re-re-re ripped your / Phil's idea on my new Jumbo Joe
and firing up the first pork shoulder today ... On the construction
thought ... I actually put the head to the inside of the veggie plate
and capped the bolt end with a cap nut so it didn't mess with the kettle
coating I used 1 1/2 bolts and the engineer in me insisted on washers
Your right Phil ...Probably unnecessary Left plenty of room between
the grate and the ceramic dish Really added a lot of versatility to
the cooker Thanks All and I'll shout this out to Phil too If this
catches on I'm sure Weber will offer some solution for 75.00 bucks LOL
Over here in England there isn’t a great deal of inspiration for Weber Kettle mods and so CZcams is a blessing. I love to bbq on them and have learnt lots about cooking in different ways. I then bought a Smokey Joe so I can take a bbq on holiday etc. and I wanted to see if I could use that in different ways too. And I found this video and was utterly amazed at what you have done! I just wanted to say that I have faithfully recreated this exact set up and managed to smoke a 4lb pork collar for around 6 hours using this approach. It is pure genius. Thank you for the inspiration.
This was a great video and I watched Phil's right after. I left a comment for him too that I saw you first and you mentioned him. That was very nice. This is an act of love to do these ribs. I love these ideas about the veggie rack! Very smart. Thanks!
Great video Justin!!! Those are some great ideas you have to mod the smaller cookers. And yes, Phil Rocks!!!
Thanks T-roy. Have a great weekend. Try not to get rained on.
You do yourself a disservice Justin, this is a full on brilliant mod. This goes past a hack by a distance imo. This video deserves a lot more views.
Thank you!
Hey Justin, that was a stroke of genius the way you built a deflector for the little smokey joe, and very inexpensive as well. I use to have that same grill and only used it on steaks because of it being so small and no way to get indirect heat. Boy was I wrong lol! I just recently purchased the Jumbo Joe to take on camping trips, so I'm going to outfit it with something very similar to what you showed here. Thanks for the awesome tip! Phil is a great guy, and I too sure appreciate the sacrifices he has and still does make. Not sure what he does exactly but I know it's keeping us all safe here in the US! Cheers brother!
Thanks, Rus. I think you will like that Jumbo Joe. There are times when I use it and think (ya know, this is all I REALLY need.) Of course, then I look over at my other grills and think "Don't say that out loud around the wife!" lol.
LOL, exactly :D
I already liked your cook videos and most of all your style. The ending dang near made me tear up,seriously. Moving on, I just retired and am getting a lot of knowledge and great tips on grilling/smoking from you and others and I thank you for that. God bless you and your family and Daddy Cooks as well. 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks for turning me on to Phil's channel! Your additions to the concept were ingenious!
Thank you. Phil's channel is great.
Great video. I've been watching for awhile and decided to start watching all your videos from the beginning. I'm going to have to try this.
This pan does amazing things. I cooked some steak last night on one of these with the veggie pan used in the link. I didn't have the flower pot so all i had was the pan wrapped in foil, none the less it worked very well. Once i got the internal temp where i wanted it, I finished it off on the gas grille under high heat. I will definitely try this again on some leg quarters in the near future. Thanks for the ideas man.
Any time, Toby. Thanks for watching!
Doing a little Smokey Joe research and this one came up. I am going to really trick it out... mainly because I like playing with bbq stuff and waste money... which has become my two biggest covid hobbies... Kind of cool to see how you have evolved as a creator also. I hope you and your family are doing well...Take care Justin!
I can't believe I'm just now seeing this. CZcams is weird. Thanks for watching this a year ago, buddy.
This is the 4th time I've watched this, and I enjoy it every time. I've also shared it. Great hack, and it turns this little bitty grill into a powerhouse. But you never told us how the ribs turned out.
It's been a while but I would imagine they turned out pretty good or I would have not put up the video or at least said so. lol Thanks for watching (4 times)!
I watched this video after seeing the Daddy Cooks version and am glad I watched. And thank you for your videos and all you do as well!! I enjoy your videos!
Blessings!
Tom
Thanks Tom,
I really appreciate you watching.
Justin
Hi Justin, I've been watching your videos for a while and I love your humor. Learned a lot watching you. Keep up the good work. God bless
Thanks Daniel. You too.
Now you've done it, Justin. I predict that a LOT of videos will be featuring smaller grills very, very soon. Case in point; I have a Jumbo Joe (it's Levi's actually) that hasn't been fired up in over a year. It's time.
Phil ROCKS!
I can't wait to see the video, Dan. The Jumbo Joe is highly underrated in my opinion.
This actually works. I did it with mine.... very helpful! It is hard to get the heat higher than 250 though.
I love hearing this. Thank you!
I've been watching your videos for awhile now, so I decided to start from the beginning. This makes me want to go out and buy one of those grills.
Thanks for watching. Some of these early videos make me cringe a little but they are still fun.
Really good video and mod for the small kettle. Keep up the great content. I watched Phil's video first and enjoyed it. The wrapped clay pot base could work as a deflector for many size kettle grills. Just get a larger one. Could the really useful for increased grill space....until I get the 26. Thanks!
Thanks for your video mate. Awesome asAlways. It actually inspired me to go get one of these. When I was at the shop I came across the Water go anywhere Grill and got that instead. It is more suited to what I will be using it for. Thanks again for your videos!
When I saw the new Weber summit Charcoal with this diffusor plate I was thinking that something like this should be working in the normal kettle as well. So this setup with pan and flower pot base might work as well. Really like the idea!!
Thanks! Yeah, it's amazing what you can do with kettles if you take the time to figure it out. I appreciate you watching!
great video--my only suggestion is to add water to the flower base to get moisture in the grill. spray a little apple juice on ribs as you cook. add bbq sauce if desired at the end.
Dude! That was awesome! I have a Jumbo Joe, I'm gonna have to go out and get a Joe just for this!
LOL. You can do it on the Jumbo Joe without the mod...but where is the fun in that, right!?!?
This might be a stupid question but did you add more charcoal to the Smokey Joe during the cook? If so what was your process? Otherwise, great video!
2y later - wish there was an answer here haha
I would probably add more coal when it's time to wrap them. Since you are opening the grill up and taking the ribs out anyways, might as well lift the grate, flower pot base and vegetable pan out and fill the coals back up. The minion will eventually consume those new coals... just restack the pan, pot and grate after adding more coals then throw your wrapped ribs back on. Ive burned for 4 or 5 hours before without needing more coals in my joe doing chuck steaks. These guys don't eat much coals when you are going low and slow. Also be sure to get some really good insulated gloves when dealing with hot metals and have a place in mind where you can temporarily set hot things (concrete slabs work pretty good)
Thank you so much for this video. I just happened to have a vegetable griller and some carriage bolts! And presto I have now been able to "salvage" my Little Smokey Joe. It really works......did chicken legs last night, yum! Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Gordon. Yeah, it's fun, isn't it?
Was trying to decide on the 14" or Jumbo (18"). I was thinking that indirect heat would be a bit easier on the Jumbo. Then I find this complete HOWTO, so that's decided. I owned a 14" years ago, but I don't think I ever managed 5 hours of cook time. For that I had to break out the water smoker... Sub'ing and off to see Phil @ Daddy Cooks.
Wow you are brilliant I can tell you're channel is really going to do well for a long time.
Very kind words! Thank you so much. I appreciate you watching!
Great video! I just picked up a Smokey Joe for $5 at a garage sale but I’ve never smoked anything. Can you give more details of the process, like how long you cook them before you wrap them in foil, how long in foil and when do you sauce them? Do you dear them at all? Thanks!
Great idea. How would you do the same for the 57 weber kettle?
Outstanding video Justin, I have to agree, Daddy Cooks and Phil Rocks, I have not done a video on my Smokey Joe, but I will have to do one now just because....LOL See Phil, you started something! Nice video, great mods to the Itty Bitty Grill......
lol. Thanks Daryl. Dan from Smokey Goodness said the exact same thing. Phil is a trendsetter. lol
Good man. Does the little contraption you made need holes in it or could you use a regular pan without holes and just drill a few in for the feet?
Iv just bought a smokey joe this morning which is my 4th grill. I regularly use you as an example to my wife ‘Baby Back Maniac has 21, its normal’ 😂. Great video, thanks again 👍🏻
LOL. You are welcome
I have 5 Weber cookers, and I still want the new Weber pellet cooker, the SmokeFire. I have the Gas Summit S-670, The Performer Deluxe, the 18” Smokey Mountain, The Weber Q 1200, and the Jumbo Joe. All are used often!
Great video. Just ordered the 18" grill.
What do you prefer more your weber summit or the Ceramic Kamado? I've had a bge before but never used a summit charcoal one.
I have a smokey joe in my condo in florida. I'm skeptical that you can keep the coals from burning up in 5 hours. What am i missing? I really like your set up and want to try it on a rack of ribs.
I wouldn't call this video a RIP off. I seen Phil's video just before I seen this video.
This is how the world works. We take a great idea and improve on it. This is in my opinion how Japan has been so successful. By taking an already invention and improving it.
Thanks Dustin
Could you use a 12" pizza stone of you still holes in then and attack to upper rack with screw and washers, a bit like a komado joe set up, but small?
I bought the smokey Joe Gold. Added the bottom vent from the Silver. LOVE it. It cooks a lot better with that bottom vent, and if you take it to the park, lakefront, etc... it's perfect.
I am thinking of getting the Jumbo Joe for when I want to cook more but don't feel like rolling out my full size kettle.
The Jumbo Joe is great. I got mine on clearance at Target for $25 bucks. You might try stopping by there and see if they have any. They clear that stuff out at the end of every summer.
Baby Back Maniac Thanks. I've been looking for the Jumbo Joe on sale seeing as it's just about the end of season but everywhere still has them for $59.99. I wanted to get one and use it today, but I will hold off. They will more than likely start dropping in price real soon and plus I still need to order the other mods/toys for it.
I hope you find one. I'd be more inclined to pay full price now that I've used it. It and the 27 kettle are the 2 that definitely bring the most value to the table for the money.
Baby Back Maniac Thanks. Actually I'm out shopping and figured I'd pick it up. Also got a small table for it. Hopefully I'll get a chance to fire it up in a few hours.
You'll love it.
Great video! That is a really cool idea. Can't wait to try it! Was hoping to you a question though. How do you gauge temp on your Jumbo Joe? I just bought one and am used to having a thermometer (on my gas grill) and am not sure how to proceed since Jumbo Joe doesn't have one. Also the guy at the store said drilling a hole in the lid to I stall one was a bad idea that could lead to chipping and rust. Love to hear your thoughts if you have a minute. Keep up the great work!
Great question. I use a remote thermometer and just drop it through the top vent. It works like a charm and no drilling required.
Got to your channel by searching "Weber Smokey Joe" on CZcams. I have a feeling I'm about to fall down the rabbit hole with your videos. Rib hole? Anyway, I like your style.
Thanks Jason, I've got about 70 videos. I think they are pretty good...most of them, at least. lol. Hope you find a few you like. Thanks for stopping by.
Good job dude!!!! Been thinking of buying one of the Weber's like that.
DOC HOLLIDAY Do the Jumbo Joe as he suggested, my Smokey Joe was too small for most cooks
Great video! Love the technique to smoke some ribs, you dont need a fancy smoker to make some great BBQ.
Thank you!
Do you not have to refill with charcoal or wood chunks/chips throughout the process?
I followed this video and I've made some awesome ribs with cherry wood. Can I do this method with beef ribs? Thanks
Hey Justin, great video! Any ideas for left over loin back ribs? Was thinking about pulling the meat and make a chili back on the smoker. Any good recipes for this? Thanks!
I've done that and it turns out awesome. I pretty much just substitute the ground beef with the bbq meat. It works great with brisket as well.
Great video! I wanted to know what your thoughts are on mounting a therm on the smokey joey? I have a iGrill but i prefer not to rely on the technology if i can help it. if you did mount a therm, where would you place it? Thanks again!
Yeah, i would love to do that but the problem is there isn't enough room to have a dedicated spot for it. The lid is rather shallow. That's why I haven't done it yet. If you end up doing it, let me know where you put it.
Great video. The ribs looked outstanding.
It appears this is working now. So weird.
I had a smokey joe [silver] took a tamale pot drilled holes in the bottom added nuts and bolts and another grill rack. Now I have a killer smoker. I got most of the design from Smoke Meat with Jef. This maybe something you want to take a look at..
Hi Fred,
Yeah, I've done that too. I like that set up a lot. The reason I built this was because it's easier to transport without the middle section.
Justin
Did you have to change and replace new coals? Or they burn for hours?
Great idea! Ribs looked fantastic!
I love my Smokey Joe, even though it's the Silver and I can't tote it around by the lid.
Was thinking about getting the Gold, but might instead get the Jumbo Joe if I'm going to upgrade.
Any Thoughts on the Jumbo Joe?
Yes, it's awesome. Definitely spring for the jumbo joe. it's much more versatile out of the box. Just remember it's not tall enough under the lid to do some things...at least not without getting really creative.
Does this have two side vents on each handle. Mine does and no bottom vent. Was gonne put some vent holes in bottom. Let me know and how you set side vents and top when using to smoke. Tyia
Great video Justin!! That looked like a smokey joe gold....but there was an ashtray on the bottom?
haha. You have no idea how funny this is, Nate. This video started out at about 15 minutes long. I trimmed it down to get it under 10. What I trimmed out was explaining the Joe I was using because I figured "I bet nobody really cares about that."
Then BOOM! first question. lol.
My first joe was a gold. When it came time to replace, I bought a silver and then took the hardware off the old gold (vents, bale and handle) so now it's both. it's nice to have the extra versatility.
Another great video and hack thank you! Have to use that some day I already have that grill basket.
I see you're a fan of the tamale pot smoker. I came up with this when I was trying to figure out a way to get my diffuser below the shelf where the metal plate normally sits on the tamale pot (where most people put their diffuser) so I could put a grate there and cook on two levels at once. It works great, but the weight is a little much for the joe legs when you do 2 rib roasts at once. lol. I found that out the hard way.
Thanks for watching.
I have this very same grill, I'm going for this set up so I can maximise on my space. How much did you crack those side vents? they look like you have them closed 90% but I cant really tell
Ha! How about that... Who knew... I can't believe I never thought about this. Fantastic idea Justin!!!
Thank you! I'm not sure what made me think of it but it works well for me when I use it. I tend to use the bigger ones more often but this little guy is fun.
First i will say i am a weber fan!!! I have five.
BUT, i bought this WSJ Gold and have hated it ever since!!!
Had I known it was so hard to keep coal going with the vents above the coal I would have for sure bought the WSJ Silver for sure!!!
How did you keep your coals going?
Love my other webers!!!
With this set up the restricted air flow is actually a benefit. It doesn't get hot enough to sear a steak but it makes a great low and slow smoker.
Can someone tell me why I have trouble keeping my smokey joe hot? I have the gold/premium, and even modified it to add holes and a vent damper to the bottom. Still doesn't work well.
My 22 and jumbo joe are fine. The issue is just with the smokey joe
My Weber master touch is too big to take with me, but I have a Smokey Joe. This is fantastic!
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the inspo. Do you add charcoal after you begin bbq’ing?
no, I didn't need to
I put a Baby Q pizza stone on the grill. Then, I put a similar size, round baking rack on top of the pizza stone. I got the idea when I Googled how to reverse sear on a Weber Q. I improvised and used bits I already had.
Nice! i like the creativity!
do you think you could use that same idea on the bigger weber grills for low and slow? you wait some company will market this as kit for a weber
Yeah, I've seen stuff like that actually. I guess I should have been quicker. lol.
Very good tip Justin, and as mentioned in another comment, this "hack" could be applied on any kettle grill. Super Smart! Just an idea, could you fill the flower plate with water to get the grill moist and perhaps lowering the temperature a bit? Could you do a comparison with and without water to see if it different a lot? Also as usual, great video editing again. You are good at that. Cheers from Sweden.
Thanks for watching! I don't know if it needs water but it might be something I experiment with in the future. Thanks for the idea.
Please do, and I'm looking forward to it!
Did you add more charcoal during the 5 hour cook?
Excellent video! Will these mods work with the Weber Jumbo Joe?
I'm sure they would if you find the right basket. Honestly though, the JJ is big enough that you don't really need a modification like this to get enough indirect space.
If you try it though, let me know how it turns out.
Justin
I watch Phil video yesterday good job.
Thank you so much!
Hey guys, guess what?!?! Phil saw this video and made another video "re-ripping off" the idea back. It's very funny. You should check it out because he has better information on what size bolts to use for the legs on the platesetter.
His video is great. Check it out!
czcams.com/video/DxwQQRoHZOQ/video.html
Thanks for the laughs, Phil.
I just bought a Smokey Joe and I'll try your ribs this Weekend. With a full pan of charcoal does the heat last the complete 5 hours?
Thanks
Depends on the weather but usually it's plenty.
Great idea. Need to try this
Hey Justin,
Just a quick question- what were the vent settings on the grill throughout the cook? Cheers, Bradd
I don't remember. Most likely I started around 1/4 of the way open and went from there. give that a shot and let me know where you end up.
You sir get a like purely for that intro. Love it
This is exactly what i was looking to see, i am looking for a way to do your prime rib roast recipe you and Dave did on the ABC channel, but on the road at my in laws house and they have no charcoal option so I thought one of these little weber smokey joe's was the perfect way i could bring a grill to their place and still pull it off. What you think, will it work well enough to reverse sear a prime rib roast?
I don't know. I'd be concerned about lid clearance. Let me know what you find out.
thanks for that concern, i'll check it out. i think since i asked this question i've thought the grill to get would be the 18" jumbo joe instead of the smoky but yeah i don't know if that is still big enough to do it. i wasn't thinking about lid clearance but was wondering if i could do an indirect side and a searing side or it would be too small surface.
Nice job! Kinda wished you showed us the charcoal distribution when fully lit.
Sorry. Bad camera angle for that. Its basically just one level all the way across. I never had to refill.
Hey I know this is an old video but did you have to add more coals/wood during during the cook? Thanks!
No need. thx
Sorry I’m new at this but I had a quick question I know it took you five hours to do the ribs did you have to recoal your grill? Or did the coals last for five hours
I bet off he trcoaled he say it. Those brikette goes a long long ways
What charcoal blaster do you use? Link?
What did you do with the bottom vent?
meaby a stupid question, but how do you keep the coles going for 5,5 hours?
You open the bbq for refilling it?
Not a stupid question at all. The cooker is very small so there is not alot of air/metal to keep warm. So the coals lasted the whole time.
On a really cold or windy day, they may not last the entire time in which case I would have very carefully removed the heat deflector with plyers and refilled as needed.
Thanks for watching.
Did your coals last all 5 hours or did you have to replenish?
Wish I had your talent! Looks great!
Yeah, right...I don't buy that false modesty from a guy who mods EVERYTHING! lol
Your right, Im an addict! I cant help myself! I probably need help!
Naw, It's awesome. One of my favorite things about your channel actually.
Great ideas. Will try,.Thx
Have fun!
Great video.. I would like to do similar with a jumbo Joe. Do you know of a vegetable pan that would fit the Jumbo?
Hi Ralph,
I haven't found a veggie pan...yet. Please let me know if you run across one.
Thank you for watching!
Justin
There are a couple shown on weber.com, ta least one claimed to fit the standard 14" Smokey Joe.. Home Depot & Amazon, so doubtless others, sell Weber grill pans.
Is this on the 14” smoky joe or the jumbo joe?
Another great idea with the bolt on the vent!!!
Yeah, thanks. The one of the bottom vent is important because its really hard to reach down there without burning yourself.
That grill is a heavily modified but I cut it out because the video was too darn long. Basically it's part gold and part silver so you have the benefits of both.
Justin, how do you keep the cat from jumping out of the vegetable pan when you wash it on the grill, again? Instructions were a little vague in that area.
The Big glaring hole. LOL thanks for the laugh buddy
What I did for my 18" kettle is add a 15" pizza stone. The carrying rack that comes with it fits perfectly inside the kettle and the stone sits just below the cooking grate. All I had to do was turn the rack upside down so that the stone would sit up higher. That leaves plenty of room for fuel. Maybe a 12" pizza stone would work in a smokey joe.
Great idea. Very resourceful.
Hey Justin, what size bolts are you using? Thanks so much
I don't even remember. Sorry. They were pretty small though and I ended up cutting them down with a dremel.
Man I cant believe I am just now seeing this video. Now I question my super fan status. Thanks for the ideas. My itty bitty Weber doesnt see much use these days, I will be trying this soon. Thanks
Got your email. Try it. I think you'll like it with chicken. You'll have to spatchcock it for it to fit.
How do you keep the charcoal going for 5 hours? My SJ seems to always suffer from poor air flow and even with a full load of charcoal, it won’t burn that long.
I am yet to use mine but I thought the same thing!! Tips would be great!
You guys should try to make sure to only use big chunks of coal, I found that the small chunks would slip through the grate and block the bottom vents basically putting out the fire.
Awesome video, i liked Phils video too.
Yeah, Phil is great. Thanks for watching.
Great video Justin! That was a really good idea. I used to come up with a few Mickey Mouse ideas to squeeze things into my Jumbo Joe. :)
Yeah you did. You are 100% of the reason I bought it in the first place. I watch your channel long before I was a youtuber.
I get it....I get it. The heat deflector and all......but I keep struggling with the air vent settings, especially for a longer cook like the ribs. Do you start in one standard position and leave ‘em, or do you adjust one or both in the cooking process. Thanks in advance.
Good question. Think of the lower vent as the gear in the car and the top vent fast the gas pedal. Start with the lower vent about half way open and the top vent 1/w and see how it goes after about 20 minutes. If it gets to hot, let your foot off the gas (close top vent) a little or vice versa.
If you need to go up or down a gear (close or open bottom vent) until it settles in. Generally speaking wherever it settles in at will be a great starting point from now on though outside temps, rain, and (especially) wind can effect that.
Hope this helps.
really cool idea
Thank you so much. I appreciate you watching.
How did you arrange your coals (briquettes) in order to get a long enough burn at a steady enough temp? And how much did you use?
One layer across the whole bottom. That cooker is so small and the temps so low, it was more than enough...especially in September (hot here)
@@BabyBackManiac Neat. So I'm doing this in about 32 degree temp. Wonder whether that would require additional briquettes. Will give it a shot tomorrow.
You mention the cook lasted five hours, and from what I can tell you just barely get your coals started and thus rely on the unlit coals as a fuel reserve, so you avoid having to add additional fuel.
If I get this to work, you are a God.
I actually thought I'd need to use the snake method, but the bowl of the cooker seems too small to allow for enough simultaneously ignited coals to keep the temp at 200-250.
Yeah, like I said its very efficient. Doesn't take much.
Vent settings,how much coal,and did you need to add more coal?
Hi Steven,
The coal and the top vent setting are in the video (visual). You'll have to experiment on the lower vent settings based on your temp, wind, ambient situation. I don't remember exactly but I probably stared at round 1/4 of the way open. I didn't even come close to needing to add more fuel.
Love the Smokey Joe
It's a great little grill for the money.
Baby Back Maniac yeah, I got a couple of videos using the Smokey joe, back when I first got it I watched a couple of yours, good videos!
Thank you! Good luck with your videos!
Can I just use a planter saucer directly on the charcoal bed without the veggie pan? It's only 2 bux, so I can splurge on some good beer with the savings, LOL. Also, can a clay pot serve as a cheapo VORTEX? Mines won't fit in the Smokey Joe's...... :(
BTW, I'm downsizing since we really don't entertain anymore with COVID wreaking havoc on everyone. I'd love to send you some pics of my changes. Selling my 26"er and jerry-rigging a folding table with some slate tiles left over from latest project with TWO Smokey Joe's side by side. Now we can control temps for different cooks better and waste less charcoal. Also won't have half the food cold while the other needed more charcoal to really cook. Still can use the 22"WSM with the new babies, for the chance we have a small .crowd
Any issues with coals burning out?
How many times did you add charcoal?
Hi Steven,
I don't think I ever did. It's super efficient because the cooker is so small and very few of the coals are touching the walls (less heat loss through the body of the cooker.)
Thanks for watching,
Justin
Hello Baby Back. So im trying to do a pork butt on the smokey joe, but my temps are way too high! I have a plant pot heat deflector and a tub of water in there but its going way too hot. How much coal do you think it needs to keep it at 250?
you should be able to put as much coal as you want in there and control the temps by restricting air flow. Close the vents down as much as possible and see what happens. If that doesn't do the trick, you have an air leak somewhere...either the vents or bent or the lid isn't closing around the base properly. Wherever the smoke is leaking out at that point is your culprit and Weber should be able to fix it for you.
@@BabyBackManiac lol, yep, my pork got bigger and is holding the lid open! :-)
A Weber Smokey Joe is my only commercial charcoal grill! I gotta try this - next summer!
You should. It's fun playing around with that little grill.
General speaking, I think the Jumbo Joe makes more sense simply because it's bigger and ready to smoke out of the box but I've had a cast iron grate for the SJ and it works great. Never tried the snake thing. You should do it and report back.
OK, I just winterized! First snow is often around Thanksgiving for me....
No problem. If I get a chance, I'll give it a shot. If not, you can report back to me when the weather warms up.
i´m much more interested in how much you open the bottom air holes and the top one.