In short .. unless I bumped the temps up, it settled in the 220-240 range for most of the time. OK for an overnighter.
Longer version ...
I sometimes cook for large groups but more often than not, one pork shoulder is good enough to last us a few days. I wanted to use an 18.5 inch Kettle because it's a nice size for a pork shoulder with little wasted space (compared to a 22.5), it’s portable, and to see if it's doable.
I like to cook pork shoulders and ribs in the 275 range because a 25 degree swing in either direction (250-300) is not going to impact the overall cook. My goal was to see if (Low and Slow) temps can be managed in the temp range above (with little effort) and then let it run until the fuel runs out.
With past experience 85 Kingsford briquettes should be enough for at least 8 hours or until the meat hits 160ish, when I could finish (foiled) in the oven if needed. "With Little Effort" is the challenging part. I do not want to fiddle with vents all day. It would be nice if it is Set and Forget enough to let it run overnight without missing sleep.
Meat,
9.3 lb bone in pork shoulder roast
Kettle Set Up
18.5 Weber One Touch Silver (OTS) Kettle, bottom vent fins rusted, removed, and holes covered with foil tape
Installed a 18 WSM vent cover with one hole drilled (step bit). This leaves one dime sized hole to manage air intake. A magnet can be used instead of the WSM vent cover.
Removed stock coal grate and used a grate from a Smokey Joe (10.5 in) which lowers the coals 1.5 inches.
Expanded Metal ring/basket is 4.5 deep x 11 inches
85 unlit Kingsfords briquettes, 4 small Cherry and Almond chunks buried in the briquettes.
Bottom Diverter Pan is 16 inch round scrap aluminum. I may use steel next time. A Pizza Pan should also work.
Top Pan (triangular) is a foiled 1/4 sheet baking pan. This serves as a grease pan. A 1-2 inch Deep Dish Pizza Pan or Water Heater Pan (not galvanized) can also work.
Temps measured with a Maverick ET 73 at the top vent
53 degrees outside, no wind
Cook Log
6:10 Minion Start with 6 lit coals, placed lit nearest air intake (9 o'clock position), and lid vent on opposite side (3 o'clock), bottom and top vents 100% open
6:20 160, meat on
6:30 134, 9.3 lbs is a heat sink in itself
6:45 159
7:00 182
7:15 195
7:30 203
7:45 210
8:00 221
8:30 232
8:45 237
9:00 240 rotated lid vent to 6 o'clock
9:30 234
10:00 227 seems to be settling in
10:30 222
11:00 220 cut nickel sized hole in foil tape that was covering bottom vents, rotated lid vent to 12 o'clock
11:10 230
11:30 320 taped bottom vent back up, closed both top and bottom WSM vent to 1/2
12:00 239 opened WSM vent and top vent back to 100%
12:30 249
1:00 240, meat at 170ish
1:30 224 rotated lid to 3 o'clock (original position)
2:30 235 meat at 160 to 175ish trying to get through the stall
3:00 240 foiled to help finish it up, meat nearest bone is cooking faster
3:25 218 cracked lid open a little (force higher temps to speed the cook)
3:45 290
4:00 310 shut the lid down some
4:30 285 meat at 197 to 207 and done, (maybe 1+ hrs of coals left)
After a half hour rest the bone pulled out clean.
With no water or heat sink, the temps are very sensitive to the air vent settings, but Low and Slow is doable with the right combo of the air intake, exhaust, unlit, lit, diverter, etc. The 3 o'clock lid vent position the thermo was furthest from the meat so temps may have registered a little higher.
With the one hole air intake it wants settle in the 220-240 range. The ramp up to those temps is very slow ... To get up the temps faster and higher, next cook I may wait longer to add the meat, crack the lid, and/or add another intake hole (or enlarge current) to get temps to avg upper 200s.
My other recent cooks with a 22.5 Kettle are here for pork and here for brisket
85 unlit set up day before
Pans in Place (foiled the smaller one later)
Meat on
Just before foiling
Spent Coals (maybe an hour left?)
Longer version ...
I sometimes cook for large groups but more often than not, one pork shoulder is good enough to last us a few days. I wanted to use an 18.5 inch Kettle because it's a nice size for a pork shoulder with little wasted space (compared to a 22.5), it’s portable, and to see if it's doable.
I like to cook pork shoulders and ribs in the 275 range because a 25 degree swing in either direction (250-300) is not going to impact the overall cook. My goal was to see if (Low and Slow) temps can be managed in the temp range above (with little effort) and then let it run until the fuel runs out.
With past experience 85 Kingsford briquettes should be enough for at least 8 hours or until the meat hits 160ish, when I could finish (foiled) in the oven if needed. "With Little Effort" is the challenging part. I do not want to fiddle with vents all day. It would be nice if it is Set and Forget enough to let it run overnight without missing sleep.
Meat,
9.3 lb bone in pork shoulder roast
Kettle Set Up
18.5 Weber One Touch Silver (OTS) Kettle, bottom vent fins rusted, removed, and holes covered with foil tape
Installed a 18 WSM vent cover with one hole drilled (step bit). This leaves one dime sized hole to manage air intake. A magnet can be used instead of the WSM vent cover.
Removed stock coal grate and used a grate from a Smokey Joe (10.5 in) which lowers the coals 1.5 inches.
Expanded Metal ring/basket is 4.5 deep x 11 inches
85 unlit Kingsfords briquettes, 4 small Cherry and Almond chunks buried in the briquettes.
Bottom Diverter Pan is 16 inch round scrap aluminum. I may use steel next time. A Pizza Pan should also work.
Top Pan (triangular) is a foiled 1/4 sheet baking pan. This serves as a grease pan. A 1-2 inch Deep Dish Pizza Pan or Water Heater Pan (not galvanized) can also work.
Temps measured with a Maverick ET 73 at the top vent
53 degrees outside, no wind
Cook Log
6:10 Minion Start with 6 lit coals, placed lit nearest air intake (9 o'clock position), and lid vent on opposite side (3 o'clock), bottom and top vents 100% open
6:20 160, meat on
6:30 134, 9.3 lbs is a heat sink in itself
6:45 159
7:00 182
7:15 195
7:30 203
7:45 210
8:00 221
8:30 232
8:45 237
9:00 240 rotated lid vent to 6 o'clock
9:30 234
10:00 227 seems to be settling in
10:30 222
11:00 220 cut nickel sized hole in foil tape that was covering bottom vents, rotated lid vent to 12 o'clock
11:10 230
11:30 320 taped bottom vent back up, closed both top and bottom WSM vent to 1/2
12:00 239 opened WSM vent and top vent back to 100%
12:30 249
1:00 240, meat at 170ish
1:30 224 rotated lid to 3 o'clock (original position)
2:30 235 meat at 160 to 175ish trying to get through the stall
3:00 240 foiled to help finish it up, meat nearest bone is cooking faster
3:25 218 cracked lid open a little (force higher temps to speed the cook)
3:45 290
4:00 310 shut the lid down some
4:30 285 meat at 197 to 207 and done, (maybe 1+ hrs of coals left)
After a half hour rest the bone pulled out clean.
With no water or heat sink, the temps are very sensitive to the air vent settings, but Low and Slow is doable with the right combo of the air intake, exhaust, unlit, lit, diverter, etc. The 3 o'clock lid vent position the thermo was furthest from the meat so temps may have registered a little higher.
With the one hole air intake it wants settle in the 220-240 range. The ramp up to those temps is very slow ... To get up the temps faster and higher, next cook I may wait longer to add the meat, crack the lid, and/or add another intake hole (or enlarge current) to get temps to avg upper 200s.
My other recent cooks with a 22.5 Kettle are here for pork and here for brisket
85 unlit set up day before
Pans in Place (foiled the smaller one later)
Meat on
Just before foiling
Spent Coals (maybe an hour left?)
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