2 Pork Shoulders onan 18" WSM?


 
S

Stewart Ellenberg

New member
Now that I am hooked on this, I have decided to smoke 2 eight pound pork shoulders at the same time this weekend on my 18" WSM.

Should I cook both on the same cooking grate or put one on the lower grate? Does it matter which shoulder that the food probe from the Maverick 732 goes into?

I am going to do this after I climb Long's Peak on Saturday morning. I'll be hungry!
 
Hi Stewart,

two eight pounds shoulder should fit easily on the same grate ! i even did 3 once ...

This said, why bother, cook them both on the top grate !! this way you won't have to wash the botton grate when you are done (just remove it) !

about the probe, put it in the smallest shoulder ! if they are really the same size... well ... choose one !!!
 
Stewart--

Check the "Dimensions" of the Shoulders and make sure there is plenty of room on one grate. The top grate has a bit higher temperature, assuming you may have added the "Clay Plate" at put on top of your water pan. I NEVER put water in my pan, but I do wrap it in foil, along with the 14 inch clay plate, which can be bought at most Home Depot's for under $10.00. Just set it on the top of the water pan, make sure both are wrapped in heavy duty foil and start smoking.

Please keep in mind, both briskets and pork butts or shoulders vary, and depending on what time you want to eat, plan ahead accordingly. You may be looking at 10+ hours or more to get them to 170, and if you desire, take them off, wrap them in foil, put them back on and smoke them up to about 210 for tenderness. It's VERY HARD to mess up a pork butt or shoulder because of the fat contained within. Let them "Rest" for an hour or two, then pull the pork. I'd wrap them in towels and put them in a cooler during the resting period. It will be PLENTY hot when you pull the pork.

I have a DigiQ Guru 2 DX and I leave ALL my vents closed except the top one, and I only open it about 1/4 to 1/2 open, and set my pit temp at about 225. You can cook them at higher temp, and there will be a hundred posts after mine telling you what's worked for them.

You have a GREAT Smoker.

Good Luck.
 
I just cooked 2 8 pounders on the top grate and they fit fine. There's no reason to get the bottom grate smoked up. Two will take approximately the same amount of time as one. Expect another successful cook.
 
I also have done two shoulders on the top rack at the same time. Remember that they will cook differently so do not judge the doneness of one based on the other.
I also often will put a cast iron Dutch oven of beans under the shoulders for the last few hours to get seasoned with the meat drippings.
Another time I place a whole chicken on the bottom rack part way through the smoke to get the benefit of the drippings.

Mike
 
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