Barbecuing Lots of Meat in 18.5" WSM -- Logistics Help Needed


 
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Paul Berman

TVWBB Member
I am going to be barbecuing for a bunch of friends coming over to my house this weekend. I want to cook 8 slabs of beef ribs, one 13 lbs brisket and one pork butt. I will be cooking the brisket and butt overnight using the low and slow method. I am trying to figure out the best way to get this to all fit in my 18.5" WSM. I was thinking of putting the brisket and butt on the top rack since they will be coming off first so they can rest. That way I can check them for being done most easily. And I was thinking of putting the ribs on the bottom rack when I wake up in the morning. I could move some of them to the top once the brisket and butt come off later that day if needed. I have a rib rack that will hold 4 slabs. I could lean the other slabs against the rack - hopefully I could get the other 4 slabs nestled in there. I was also thinking about just stacking the slabs on top of each other - 4 to a stack. I have never tried stacking them though -- do they turn out ok that way (e.g. bark, color, etc)?

One of my concerns is that a if I use the rack and lean the rest against it that all of the ones on the outside are going to get dried out since the sides of the WSM are hotter.

I could just put all the ribs in vertically without the rib rack to get them spaced closer together and put a brick or something on the sides to wedge them in so they don't tip.

Any suggestions on how to pull this off? I know I am trying to get a lot of meat in my 18.5" WSM at one time but there has to be a way to pull it off.

Thanks,

Paul
 
I'd start the butt a lot earlier as it will easily hold for 3~4 hours in a cooler wrapped in towels.

I doubt you can squeeze a butt and a whole brisket on the top grate without the sides drying out. Start the butt on top and the brisket on the bottom.

If you stack the ribs, they will insulate each other and take longer to cook. You're also going to be rotating them often to get the color 'right' also increasing cook time (unless you finish them with sauce).

Are the beef rib slabs flexible enough to roll up? - BRITU scroll down to Cooking Process

It's going to be tough doing 8 slabs of beef ribs at one time even without anything else on.

If you have to cram it all on, just know that the end ribs are probably going to be sacrificed.
 
Beef rib slabs have absolutely no flex to them. You can't roll them up like you can with baby backs.

You are right about splitting the brisket and butt for the overnight part. Then in the morning when they have shrunk some I should be able to get them both on the top grate (hopefully).

Beef ribs seem to take close to 8 hours to cook so I won't be able to take the brisket and butt off and hold them while the ribs cook. 8 hours is too much time. Even if I can get it down to 6 hours it would still be too long.

I was planning on saucing the beef ribs at the end so I guess I don't have to worry too much about color. I can cover that up. If I stack them I could just leave myself more time than usual for the increased cooking time that will be needed.
 
No way you'll cram all that in there. I loathe ribs sauced during cooking but even if I didn't stacking will do nothing for the bark.

Me, I'd do the ribs now or tomorrow late afternoon, cool, then fridge; reheat in the oven or WSM for service, saucing, if you like, during the reheat. Tomorrow night late I'd do a butt over brisket cook. The WSM will be free when they come off to rest. Near the end of the rest start reheating the ribs; pull the butt, slice the brisket; serve.
 
This may be a good reason to buy a 22.5 WSM to sit along side your 18.5 ... Just a thought
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Anyone in Minneapolis want to loan me their WSM for the weekend? I will return it with some BBQ. ;-)

I guess I can try doing a practice run tonight to see if I can figure out a way to load all that meat in there. I don't really like the idea of having to cook ribs tonight and reheating them on Saturday. I don't think they don't taste the same reheated later. Not to mention that even if I could start cooking at 6:00 PM tonight that I would not be pulling them off until 2 AM. I have to get up for work tomorrow.

Maybe I could skip cooking the pork butt. That might help me gain some space.
 
Any chance you have or can get an extra grate? If not, I would do the ribs ahead of time like Mr. Kruger suggested. A lot less stress.
 
I have an extra top grate (with the handles). I could probably run to home depot and find one of the bottom ones. How are you thinking that I should configure the extra grate?
 
I have seen quite a few mods on this site where guys have used various bolts, conduit, etc. to allow them to add a grate and space them without drilling thru the cooker. I am new to this site and don't know how to quote and such yet, but if you look in the modifications, you will find a lot of good ideas. If I figure out how to get a link on here, I will. Good luck!
 
Gonna try this. [URL=http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2599174310105566169ZvQsFl
This is a pic of Jim Lampe's mod. It is on page two in the WSM Modifications about half way down the page. The title is need a center grate or something like that. Hope this helps.
 
If you get a couple half bricks at HD and stand them sideways you can add another grate on top. You may have to flip it handles down or use a charcoal grate to fit. Do you have a regular Weber as well? How about cooking some of the meat indirect on that. You must know someone with a 22.5 kettle to loan. You can fit a lot of meat on that as well and even add another rack. I hope this helps, and please post pictures.
 
I ran out to my WSM just now and tried to play around with different configurations. This isn't ideal, but here is what I think I am going to do.

Tomorrow night start cooking the brisket and butt. Brisket on the bottom and butt up top.

In the morning put the brisket and butt both up on the top grate. I will keep my fingers crossed that I can fit them both on once they have shrunk down a bit.

On the bottom grate I think I can lay in the ribs vertically side-by-side and kind of "wedge" them in on the ends of the bbq. Imagine you have a bunch of 2x4 pieces of lumber and you are putting them in your WSM -- all equal lengths. You can fit them in the middle but as you start going out more they are going to be too long to push out any further. I have enough slabs so that they will hold each other up. They will be touching each other in some parts, but the beef ribs have pretty good curvature and rigidity so I think they will be ok. The ones on the two ends might take a little more direct heat, but I can try rotating them or protecting them with some foil. And once the brisket and butt come off I can move some to the top grate and spread things out more.

This is the best I can come up with without buying another WSM or modifying mine. I can use my extra grate up top too if needed. I think I could prop it up on something to get an extra level. Maybe I will have room to throw on some spare ribs!

I will definitely try to get pictures on Saturday when I have it fully loaded up. Thanks for everyone's ideas. Let me know what you think of this one.

Paul
 
Just wondering about the possibility of hanging some of the ribs from the top rack? Not near my WSM at the moment and for some reason blanking on the actual amount of space between the top and bottom rack, but if there were enough room, wondering if could get half of them on the bottom rack and somehow hang the other half from the top. Switch them up halfway through cooking.

Not sure of the cooking issues related to hanging the meat, but seems like that could save you having too much meat stacked on top of each other.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!
 
I agree with Shaun, I'd make room by moving brisket and/or butt to a kettle with indirect heat. Even after the shrink, I don't see you fitting them both on 1 grate.
 
Jack,

Those pictures show pretty much what I am going to try. Difference being that I will cram the beef ribs into the bottom section since I don't have a rack that will hold that many slabs. And I need the sides of the WSM to hold them in place. If I had them up top they would fall over every time I took the lid off. I think I get get most or all of the slabs in there. I might have to put some foil on the ends to protect them from the direct heat.

I'll see if I can get a butt and a brisket on the top grate after they have cooked down over night. I do have a kettle that I could transfer one to but I have never had good success regulating the temperature on it. That's part of why we all bought WSM's in the first place right? "Set it and forget it." :)
 
Guess i'll stick my nose in here regarding Paul's last comment on the kettle. I'm a newbie here - definately don't have the experience of ALL of you!

I did a few racks of rolled up pork ribs last weekend using my kettle - couldn't wait for my new WSM 22.5" to arrive(!) - and found it held temp quite well. I closed all bottom vents except for one which I left open a smidge (define smidge?) and had the top closed except for smidge just large enough to poke a thermometer through. Temp stayed pretty level - easier than i thought. I added another chimney of prelit coals at about the 2 hour mark for a total of a little over 4 hours cooking. gotta say it worked well. gonna try again this weekend with the WSM.

on a side note - i gotta say i really like this site and all the great advice. got some real cookers here! me like.

good luck Paul - can't wait for the pics. You are much gutsier that i am. Hat's off to you Sir!
 
I only have one big bottom vent on my Weber kettle. You must have a nicer one than I do. I haven't tried using it for a low and slow cook since I got my WSM. I just remember having a hard time holding low temps with it when I used it before I got my WSM. It was part of my motivation to invest in my WSM. I am probably a little more skilled at BBQ now so I might have more success with it.
 
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