question about indirect heat

I've not read the book you're talking about but I've read others. When they talk about setting the meat on one side and heat source on the other, they are suggesting indirect heat. Direct heat would be too hot on the product, especially large cuts where you want slow cooking. You see this method of cooking with Weber grills and others.

Since the Cookshack's cook low and slow, it's not an issue. Smoke away.

This, IMO, is the same as indirect cooking/smoking. You are not exposing the meat to high temps; cooking low & slow without having to tend a fire, stay up all night or home all day praying that your heat is consistent and doesn't go out. Couple that with being able to cook outside whether it's 100* or -40. You just can't beat these puppies!

I think if you follow the directions in the book you'll be fine.

just to re-chime what's now obvious... Your new toy DOES what indirect heat/pile the fire on one side only/drip pan under the meat/turn the meat so that a different side faces the heat/etc. etc. TRIES to do, but accomplishes with great difficulty. Relax and enjoy. I know, "It can't be this simple" ...but, it is.

To echo what the fine cooks above said,that is Chris Lilly cooking/writing.

There was an earlier discussion about water pans,in the FEC forums this week.

There are some large cookers,besides the WSM, that could be direct heat and they keep a water pan between the direct fire as a heat sink.

Thus, the water is boiling around 212* and maintaining your lower/controlled temp,as well as a moist cavity.

The Cookshack doesn't flow great quanities of air,so you also have the moist environment.

That way we don't have to mess with success.

Many books, like Chris' are trying to appeal to the masses and they don't always explain the details (otherwise it would be 2,000 pages long).

One of the challenges of a new BBQ cook is to learn to "adapt" recipes. There are plenty of good recipes out there, but they have LOUSY instructions (time, temp, etc are wrong). The recipe is good, just not the method.

Like they've said, direct would be more like cooking on a grill or weber kettle or even under the broiler in your home oven.

Indirect, is the opposite of direct.

The heat source is inside a box in your Cookshack, so there is no direct heat, and you're covered for having the Correct Method.

There is indirect from the bottom.
There is radiant heat from the smoke box (which gets hot) to the other stuff inside

Thanks for all the replies. You guys are great.