First Pork Butt on WSM adding coals during cook


 
Dennis C

Dennis C

TVWBB Fan
I'm going to make a Pork Butt on Monday. I've done it before on the Electric smoker but this will be the first time on the WSM 22.5.

I know I will have to add more coals during the cook at some point. I'm going to do the Minion method.

What is the best way to add more coals? Just throw some in through the door halfway through the cook? I should be able to get at least 9 or more hours out of the minion method I assume?
 
Dennis,

If you use a full ring and start with 12 or so coals (minion method) you should have no problem getting 12 hours easy... You shouldn't have to add anymore KB.
 
I have an 8.5 pound Pork butt. When I did about the same size on my Electric it took 16 hours at 225. I'm going to use Kingsford Competition BTW.
 
No, starting it tonight sometime. Looking for a Monday afternoon serve time. I'm either going to start it at 10pm tonight or 4am in the morning lol. Not 100% sure what time. I'd rather have it done early then too late.

When I used the electric smoker I started the pork butt at around 4am and it held the 225 for the entire time. It didn't get finished until 7 or 8pm.
 
I just bought a 9 pound pork butt and it's 3:15 p.m. here local time. I plan to serve it at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow (Monday) and smoke it on my Weber Mountain Smoker at about 250 degrees. Anyone can tell me about how many hours it will take ? I've heard in the past 1 1/2 hours per pound, but I've also heard 2 hours per pound. I've either gotta get started very soon, or smoke it at a much higher temperature than 250. Can someone help me on this. Been a long time since I smoked a butt and this is only my second time in over a year. I'm a newbie also. HELP PLEASE ?
 
I'd much rather have it get done early then later. You can wrap the Pork butt in double layer of foil. Put it in a Cooler with towels on both sides. It will keep it hot for a few hours.

All pork butts are not equal. It can stall for hours upon hours

It's such a tough decision to make on what time to start it.
 
I'm going to start my 8.5 pounder at about 11:30-midnight I think. I figure 1.5 per pound is reasonable. This will leave me extra time in case it takes longer. I'll just wrap it for two hours if it is done early. Not even sure what time we are eating.
 
If you figure for a 9 pounder @ 1.5 per pound. Lots of people suggest adding 2 hours to total time to edge on the safe side
 
Thanks Dennis for all your advice. I am going to err on the side of caution. I'm going to plan 2 hours per pound. If we are not ready to eat then I'll foil it and wrap it in towels I have for such a purpose and put it in a insulated cooler I sometimes put "Beverages" in. LOL Thanks, and wish me luck.

--George
 
Dennis, with bone-in butts, they're taking me 1.5 hrs/lb. This is to 195 or north--probe tender.

You should NOT have to add coals (although I exclusively use Kingsford Blue and have been told Kingsford Comp runs hotter--burns more quickly??). My advice is to PACK the ring with as much charcoal as you can get in there, then place 20 lit atop the ring. (Place wood throughout pile and some on top.) Close the two windward facing vents and leave the one leeward one at 25% once the lid temp hits 200. At Hour 2 or 3, fill the water pan and maybe get some shuteye. I'd suspect an 8.5 lb'er in my 18.5" would take in the neighborhood of 12-13 hours.

Good luck!
 
I think my maverick is a little screwy. I might have the probe near the bone or something, but after 3 hours it is showing 160 degrees and the grate temp is showing as 270, but I lost the grate clip and did a make shaft one so that could have moved around a bit. The temp on the grill itsel is steady at 235
 
Dennis--I understand about the probes issue. I was having major difficulties with my Guru DigiQ DX2 about 7-8 months ago and seems like, if I'm recalling correctly, my meat probe was acting funny. Seems like when I moved the controller I was getting crazy readings. I contacted GURU and they had me send it all back and sure enough the meat probe was bad, so they replaced both my grate and meat probe and it's worked great ever since. They (at my request) sent me some extra "alligator clips" which attach to the grate probe after you fish the cable into the pit. I dropped one on day just as I was about to clip it on and realized then I might be needing extras, so they sent me about a half-dozen. I've had great luck with the DigiQ and it truly "NAILS" my target grate temperature of whatever I put it. As I told everyone, I use the Weber Mountain Smoker 18 1/2 inch diameter (Wish I'd got the bigger one) and I close ALL vents when I smoke but leave the very top one open between 1/4 and 1/2 open. The rest I leave closed. The little fan does the rest. It puffs and puffs until it gets to target temp and stops right there. Yea, I've had a few over-shoots but they don't last long and it comes back to target. Getting a very large piece of meat to 160 in three hours does seem a bit strange. I think I would see about a new probe. Thanks for all your advice. My 9 pound butt is getting there just fine. I put it on about 7:00 p.m. Sunday and it's now 5:45 a.m. Monday and it held 250 pit temperature for that many hours, but I got up and went to look at the internal meat temp just out of curiosity (thinking I could go back to sleep) at it is at 187 degrees. I think I'll take it to 205 maximum and call it quits. It's a large chunk of meat that is going to feed 4 with quite a bit left over most likely. I may try to take a picture time permitting and learn how to post them here.
Thanks for all your comments and advice. Every smoke is a learning process for me. Happy smoking to you.

George
 
Mine is hovering around 173 for the past few hours now on the meat according to the probe. (If it is right.)

I was thinking of getting the guru, but was really turned off by the documentation stating only 90 days.
 
Hi Monty and thanks for you comments. I'm one of those stange guys that has NEVER used water in my Weber Mountain Smoker. The water pan was too deep and I could not get enough fuel under it for long smokes, so I did as many had recommended and bought a Brinkman "Charcoal Pan" I think it is, which is the correct diameter but much less deep. On top of that I sit a Tecatta Mexican Plate (Foiled for easy cleaning) and it catches all the "gunk" from the food drippings. I wrap the pan also as sometimes it get some drippings down in it. Makes for a quick clean up ever several smokes. Anyway,as I was telling Dennis, I leave all my vents closed except the top one. Leave it open 1/4 to 1/2 and the Guru DigiQ DX2 does the rest very nicely. I do see a bit of smoke coming from around the side door and even arount the top thermometer, so it is NOT and airtight unit. If I decide I need to add more fuel and hardwood at some point in a long cook, I put on my heavy rubber gloves and I lift the entire barrell from the charcoal pit up totally off and set it aside. Yea, I'm a fairly large strong guy, but that takes the guesswork out of how much fuel I need, and where I need it. I dumped about a chimney full of unlit coals into my charcoal bowl this morning and added a few pieces of hardwood and the temp dropped about 30 degrees but I didn't fool around. I put my fuel and wood in and promptly lifted the entire barrell back onto the charcaol pit and the fan started blowing and it was on the rise quickly back to 250 pit temp. I honestly don't think I would have had to add it, but I didn't want to run out before the meat got to my target of 200 +/-. I normally use Stubbs Charcoal briquettes, and that's what I used yesterday and now, but I got a "Deal" at Lowe's yesterday I could not pass up. They have their Kingsford on sale, 2- 20 pound bags for $8.95. So, 40 pounds of fuel for $8.95 I can live with. Of course if their Stubbs ever goes on sale I'll stock up on it also.

Looks like my 9 pound butt may finish earlier than 1 1/2 hour per pound, time will tell. They say the stall hits around 160 but I slept through any stall, if I had one. I may have trouble getting the meat to 200 but as it looks its all on target.

Thanks for your comments.

Happy Memorial Day.

George
 
What type pit did you say you were using, if you said ? Also, GURU stood behind mine longer than 90 days I'm quite sure. No questions asked, sent me new probes. If a smoker guy/gal is serious, it's worth ordering extra probes to have on hand in case one goes south at the beginning, or during a cook. Frankly, I don't think I could boil water on my Weber without my GURU. It takes all the work and guesswork out of making some mighty fine meats. I ran my pit about 2 hours and 15 minutes Sunday evening to satisfy my wife on a recipe we call "Pig Candy" that she LOVES, as do my kids. She buys extra thick bacon, sprinkles brown sugar and a bit of peprika pepper (Peprika not spelled right I'm sure) to add a bit of heat, and smoke it for about 2 hours at 235. The brown sugar hardens it a bit after it cools and dern is it a good piece of meat to snack on just before a meal, or for dessert. So, that complicated my smoke a bit, as I had to use both upper and lower grates to get it all on, then the two of us got it out quickly and put my lid back on and once that was out, I had my pork butt ready to sit it on and start. I started it at 7:00 p.m. Central Daylight Sunday and it's going to be ready I think in the next couple hours or so if my "guessing" is right. That's a 12 hour smoke on a 9 pound butt at 250 pit temp. Pretty fast it seems, but I'll go out in a while and see what it's up to.

Good luck with your smoke, I hope it turns out well. Happy Memorial Day and lets not forget our Veterans.

Regards,

George
 
I have some stubbs at home, Costco has the Kingsford Competition for 14 dollars for 2 18lb bags. I bought a few of them.

Home Depot had the Kingsford Blue 5.88 for 2 14 pound bags so I bought 8 2 packs of Blue.

I'm not ruling out the BBQ Guru unit. Trying to decide if I need wifi or not.
 
I fully understand about Wi-Fi, but I don't smoke enough, at this point, that warrants one. We mostly do ribs and not many long cooks. Technology is great. Who'd ever though we would be where we are ?
 
I might give a shot at the Linkmeter and see how I do with it. Seems like a fun little project.

How did your pork butt come out? Mine came out great. Everyone really enjoyed it. I put some pictures in the photo section.
 
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