Help me devise a plan of attack


 
M

Mark Bay

New member
We are hosting a big BBQ on Saturday. I've never really done this before. I've done all of these meats separately but never for one big occasion like this.

Dinner will be served around 5 on Saturday.

Here is what I'm working with:

-18.5 WSM
-2 intact briskets between 10.5 and 11.5 lbs untrimmed
-2 bone-in butts for pulling. Each about 8 lbs untrimmed.
-4 racks of babys. Untrimmed they are about 2.75 lbs each.
-3-4 chickens
-about 5 lbs of sausage

My plan was to start Friday with the briskets, one on each rack, low and slow about 5 PM. I figure by 11 or 12 they will be ok to pull off, foil and put in the oven. Pull them from the oven and double wrap, let sit in a cooler.

Next I would put on the butts and smoke those overnight, from say approximately 12m to 12p. Keep the temps in the 240-250 range. Foil them maybe around 6 or 7 AM when I have to pull the brisket from the oven. Put both butts on one rack if I can fit them. Pull them when they reach high 190's, double foil, let sit.

Put the ribs on about 10:30 AM on a single rack, coiled. Low and slow, 2-2-1-ish. Double wrap and into cooler when done.

About 3 or 3:30 I put the butts and the briskets back in the oven for 60-90 minutes.

Now I have about 90 minutes for the chicken and sausage. Problem - chickens need to run hot and the sausages I probably don't want to run higher than 250 or so.

Crap....I'm all confused.

Can anyone help me with a better plan?

Also, this is not a true BBQ crowd...many of them will likely be somewhat of newbs to real BBQ. I don't want to oversmoke them with flavor. What kind of wood should I use for each? At my disposal:

Hickory
Pecan
Cherry
Apple
Guava
Mesquite
Maple

Thanks much for any help.
 
I've never taken on a project like that (see my thread!), but could you smoke the butts ahead of time and reheat?

My impression is that, of all the meats, pulled pork lends itself to reheating.

Then again ... I could be wrong!
 
Hi Dennis,

Thanks for the response. I suppose I could Thursday night. I already do plan on reheating to some extent, both the brisket and the butts. I don't see any way around it.
 
You could lean a brisket on a butt on each rack then hold up to 6hrs and that would let you do chicken on the bottom and ribs/sausage on the top.

Just a suggestion. Good luck!
 
I do with the size cuts your dealing with. Assemble the grates with the meat in the middle section right before you put the unit together as the charcoal is getting going mm in your chimney, so you can get them right and not lose control of the fire. If the brisket end is close to the edge, put a piece of foil under that edge so it want get burnt by the heat around the walls.

You could rotate flip, but I wouldn't bother as you may tear the bark or lose meat once they get established.
 
Thanks, Glenn. I think I'm going to give it a shot.

This leaves me still with the sausage/chicken dilemma, though. In my experience, both of these types of meat are fairly easy to dry out if you're not careful.

So is it better to cook the sausage and have them finish early - with the ribs - and then wrap and reheat in chafing dishes or the oven?

Or better to cook them at 300 for ~ 45 min or so with the chicken?

I suppose a third option would be cooking the chickens early and then wrapping/reheating those, but I have a feeling they'd be more apt to dry out.

Thoughts?
 
Chicken and sausage should be done last in my opinion. Ribs can stand higher temps and still turn out great.

Cook at 275, your ribs should be done in 3-4hrs and chicken in 2-3 with sausage at 30-45 min.

To me the brisket, butt, ribs and sausage will steal the show so don't let the chicken mess with that. You won't get crispy skin unless you cook above 350 anyway. If you must have it crispy, put the cooking grate on top of the charcoal ring and sear the bird. If this is what you want I would spatchcock or cut in half prior to cooking.
 
J Reyes - I wish I knew. I have 38 adults confirmed and 20 kids confirmed. I have a feeling it's going to be more like 50 and 30. No idea what I was getting myself into by deciding to throw a random BBQ on an innocuous weekend in June. We are renting a moon bounce and everything.

Glenn - I would like the chicken skin crisp. I think there are going to be quite a few health nuts (such as my dad) who will focus on the yard birds. But if I can't, I can't. Not sure how else to attack this thing.

I appreciate all the suggestions though.
 
I would do the chicken in halves so you can sear/crisp up at the end then. Now you know why a 22.5 WSM and a Kettle are great company to the 18.5 WSM
icon_biggrin.gif


Luck to ya
wsmsmile8gm.gif
 
Thanks, Glenn. Would you mind giving me more detail on that method? I've only done a single chicken whole on the top grate @ 300ish.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mark Bay:
We are hosting a big BBQ on Saturday. I've never really done this before. I've done all of these meats separately but never for one big occasion like this.

Dinner will be served around 5 on Saturday.

Here is what I'm working with:

-18.5 WSM
-2 intact briskets between 10.5 and 11.5 lbs untrimmed
-2 bone-in butts for pulling. Each about 8 lbs untrimmed.
-4 racks of babys. Untrimmed they are about 2.75 lbs each.
-3-4 chickens
-about 5 lbs of sausage

My plan was to start Friday with the briskets, one on each rack, low and slow about 5 PM. I figure by 11 or 12 they will be ok to pull off, foil and put in the oven. Pull them from the oven and double wrap, let sit in a cooler.

Next I would put on the butts and smoke those overnight, from say approximately 12m to 12p. Keep the temps in the 240-250 range. Foil them maybe around 6 or 7 AM when I have to pull the brisket from the oven. Put both butts on one rack if I can fit them. Pull them when they reach high 190's, double foil, let sit.

Put the ribs on about 10:30 AM on a single rack, coiled. Low and slow, 2-2-1-ish. Double wrap and into cooler when done.

About 3 or 3:30 I put the butts and the briskets back in the oven for 60-90 minutes.

Now I have about 90 minutes for the chicken and sausage. Problem - chickens need to run hot and the sausages I probably don't want to run higher than 250 or so.

Crap....I'm all confused.

Can anyone help me with a better plan?

Also, this is not a true BBQ crowd...many of them will likely be somewhat of newbs to real BBQ. I don't want to oversmoke them with flavor. What kind of wood should I use for each? At my disposal:

Hickory
Pecan
Cherry
Apple
Guava
Mesquite
Maple

Thanks much for any help. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Do you have access to a couple of kettle's? I'd definitely smoke the brisket and butts in the WSM, butts first. They are very tolerant to reheating in the oven if left whole or hot water bath if pulled and bagged. If possible, smoke the butts a day in advance. Then the briskets, leaving enough time to smoke-roast the chicken High-heat.

I like to grab a large pot, put an upside down pie tray in the bottom, throw some water/beer in the pot, place on the stove-top, low heat, cut-up the chicken, throw in pot, >>> will stay hot for hours and fall off the bone good.

Throw the sausage in the WSM after the chicken.

Since your only planning on 4 racks of ribs, very doable with a rib rack in a 22.5" kettle.

Good luck! Let us know how you made out! I'm sure your guests will be happy.
 
Thanks, A.

Unfortunately, no. I have access only to a single 18.5. I have another 18.5 but it's up at the cottage in Northern MI - a 3.5 hr drive away.

How much water/beer do you pour in? Enough to actually cover some of the chicken, or just enough to reach the top of the upside down pie tray?
 
Glenn - are you saying I should smoke at normal and THEN sear? Or cook with the grate directly on the fire the whole time?
 
Normal, try to make the chicken the last to get done or close to done. Then remove the middle section and sear. Done it many times.
 
Man, I'm thinking about this. Should I just go buy another 18.5? With the amount I'm spending on this impending debacle, another $200 is a drop in the hat.

Google is just listing out ACE hardware stores, Sears, HD, Lowe's and the like. Wonder what my odds are of finding an actual unit in a store near by.
 
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