Backyard BBQ Advice Please


 
W

Wally - NJ

New member
After years of perusing I’ve decided to bite the virtual Weber bulletin board. My wife bought me a 18.5” WSM for Xmas a few years back but has grown to dislike the time and attention I give it so only get to smoke on select occasions or when I beat my chest and exclaim “I am smoking this weekend!”. I therefore limit my cooks to meats that require 6 hours (ribs, chicken and brisket flat). Waiting for when I get that perfect recipe my wife loves so I can justify the extra time for a full brisket or pork butt.

The occasion has come to celebrate another year of life and finally get people over the house to drink beers, catch up and most importantly eat delicious meats. My wife gave me capacity limits so I am spreading out the visitors throughout the day.

My plan was to originally smoke dry rubbed baby back ribs but want to use the space more efficiently, take advantage of this underused beauty so I plan to curl the three racks with skewers and use one of the grates for something else like a brisket flat. This way temps, cooking times and fuel needs are about the same all while keeping it simple enough to socialize.

After that long winded diatribe, I don’t get out much, I have a few questions.
1. Should I put the brisket flat on the bottom grate so it gets drippings from the ribs since that tends to be drier than the full brisket?
2. I have Apple and hickory wood, was thinking one chunk of hickory and the rest Apple.
3. Fill the foil wrapped water pan or leave it empty?
4.Wrap both in butcher paper or just the flat when it gets to 160?
5. Any other suggestions for quick smoked appetizers to place around the smoker? I have a few chorizo links I was thinking would be good if I have the space. That way if I have staggered visitors there is something to eat.

Thanks!
Wally from NJ
 
I've never done brisket and ribs only once, but as for #2), you certainly want more apple than hickory. The hickory can be pretty strong. Depending on the size of the chunks, you might do 2 or maybe 3, but I surely wouldn't go more than that. I like a good hickory smoke though, so take that with a grain of salt.

#3) For me as always depended on what temp I'm cooking at. Some folks never use the water pan, some folks always use it. I feel like it keeps more moisture in the cooker and keeps the meat from drying out, but some say the moisture can hurt you with things like getting a good crisp bark, etc. I'm certainly no expert but it seems to be a matter of personal preference.

#5 I love the Conecuh sausage off the smoker. Always hits right fo rme

If I'm steering Wally wrong, somebody please feel free to correct me, no offense taken.
 
Wally,
#1/4) I would go ribs on top and brisket flat on bottom, I would wrap the flat at 160 and would let the ribs go until they are done.
#2) Trust your gut and what you like, I think going more apple and a little hickory is a great plan.
#3/) I cook both with and without water in the pan. Since you have so much meat panned for this cook I don't think you need the water. I would foil wrap the water pan and cook away.

#6) We have to get you making a Pork Shoulder! Start at a higher heat 275 to 300, double foil or pink paper wrap at 160 ish and go either back on the smoker or into the over at 325 to 200 ish/probe tender. Should get you into that 6 to 8 hour mark.

Good Luck!
 
This^
Do pulled pork and lots of it. You can fit several in the wsm, and use the oven to finish. You can feed a lot with pulled pork. Get on sale, you can stock up.
Bread, cole slaw, sauce (mustard or whatever) and you are good for a lot.
 
Great advice above!
Without a doubt, my favorite cook is two or three baby backs on the top rack and a nice pork butt on the bottom rack. That just seems to work so well with the 18" wsm. For pork, apple wood is my go to and it doesn't take a lot. If you have nice smoke for the first two, three hours of the cook, that is all that is really needed.
Also, the water pan. I will nearly always use water in the pan when smoking ribs, butts, brisket and roasts. No water when doing turkey and chicken.
For appetizers, keilbasa links heated/smoked for approx an hour and sliced then plated with some smoked sharp cheddar cheese and crackers will be a huge hit. Be sure to have lots of beer. Yeah, you need to smoke some cheese while the weather is still cool.
 
Thanks for the great responses! I’ve done butts a couple times when I first started out but hit some serious stalls and/or very dry. Typically buy the packages from Costco and make carnitas in the slow cooker. It may be time for a change up.

I’ll be grilling up chicken wings as an appetizer so want beef and pork for variety. Depending on the Costco run I may have to pull an audible. With people coming still can’t get over my fear of failure and going for a full smaller brisket for the first time.
 
Wally - NJ said:
With people coming still can’t get over my fear of failure and going for a full smaller brisket for the first time.
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I agree I don't think this is the time to do something new, do what you know and are comfortable with and then on a Saturday where it is just you give it a small full packer a go!
 
Wally - controlling temperature with water makes life easy on low and slow cooks. I have also learned to cook on my 14 WSM without water in the pan - have not tried it on an 18 yet.
Maybe you don't want to perfect a new technique while entertaining?
Generally for bbq temps: If you are for saving fuel - go with a dry pan. If you are willing to maintain water level with arguably extra cleanup - go with water. Water in the pan is a great way to cook in my opinion.

Cooking on both grates is an excellent practice!
 
Want good pulled pork without the time?

Get a instapot. Follow directions for pulled pork

Get your pork shoulder butt.

Cut it into chunks. Add rub.

Smoke for 45 minutes to an hour. Add to instapot for an hour and 20 - 30 minutes.

Yummy food!

Inner city youth group and leaders devoured 8 pounds when they came up to Tahoe Area a few years ago.

We had to borrow instapots!
 
Tony is right, back when I was in school I had a great Home Ec teacher! She always said make a time schedule working backwards from serving time. Pad some of the time, the pulled pork is very forgiving, start it a four AM and when it hits temp wrap it in foil and towels and let it rest in a cooler until serving time that way you can turn your attention to appetizers. You don’t entice of you have a kettle of will be making the WSM do all the work.
If you have a kettle, I’d use that for higher heat things like wings, sausages, poppers, meatballs etc.
 
Smoke for a few hours then transfer to oven. Use more capacity. When/if you wrap it can go to oven too. Plan extra time. Sandwiches save time and food. Have helpers. They can pre-make stuff and liaison with guests, taking a lot of pressure off your focus. Start way early
 
Thanks everyone for the advice! Wish I had pictures from the results to share but everything was devoured so certainly a good sign.

Started the smoker sometime after 7 AM and the 6.5 lb brisket flat went on at around 8 AM. Seasoned with 50/50 S&P per the recipe on the site.

The skewered back ribs went on around 9:30 using Jeff’s Original Rub recipe I found online.

Fuel was an issue temps were dropping by 12 pm with all vents open. Had to add almost a full chimney of lit briquettes to get me over the line. The brisket flat was wrapped in butcher paper at 160 which was probably 2pm. The ribs were done at around 3 pm. Again fuel became an issue so when temps were trending below 250, I took the flat off and put it on a cookie sheet using indirect heat on my Spirit 310. Hit 200 at around 4:30. Let it sit for a half hour and as I was slicing was summoned for birthday cake with restless children and a under appreciated wife staring me down.

My brother took on slicing duties and continued to devour it with the other men while I served cake!

All in all, it was a great success. A friend brought me chunks of cherry and sugar maple as a present! I learned that smoking multiple meats I should just fill the smoker to the brim with fuel because it’s better to regulate than add later in the cook. That would have probably gotten me finished much sooner.

Now I’ll enjoy a dry aged steak for dinner tonight while I ponder what to do with the USDA Prime Rib Roast I’m thawing out for the weekend, Grill, Smoke or Oven Roast? As always suggestions welcome!
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
I always fill the basket to overflowing, and I’ve had to refuel anyway. Glad it all turned out Well!
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I got 10+ hours on an 18.5" WSM that was filled to overflowing. Is that typical, or did I just get lucky? No water in the pan and fired it up with the Minion method. Thanks!
 
Rick Poch said:
I got 10+ hours on an 18.5" WSM that was filled to overflowing. Is that typical, or did I just get lucky? No water in the pan and fired it up with the Minion method. Thanks!
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No that is completely normal! Did you shut down on the vents once you were done? If so how much fuel did you have left.? I use the little 14 WSM, and with KBB I can only get 6 to 8 hours, but with some other more expansive Briquettes I have been about to get 14+ in the little guy. I think other using the 18 WSM can get even more than 10+ hours on KBB and then just add to that with a higher end briquette. The WSM is a special machine!
 
That sounds about right Rick, I added fuel about 9 hours in then again a few more at the 13 hour mark. Probably used most of an 18 pound bag of K-Professional all in all.
 
Michael Richards said:
No that is completely normal! Did you shut down on the vents once you were done? If so how much fuel did you have left.? I use the little 14 WSM, and with KBB I can only get 6 to 8 hours, but with some other more expansive Briquettes I have been about to get 14+ in the little guy. I think other using the 18 WSM can get even more than 10+ hours on KBB and then just add to that with a higher end briquette. The WSM is a special machine!
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I shut 'em down and was surprised how quickly the coals snuffed out.

There wasn't much fuel left, but I'm guessing I may have gotten another hour, maybe.
 
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