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Butt question
- Thread starter Fred S
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Dave Lewis
TVWBB Super Fan
I've only injected a butt once, but I did not notice any appreciable difference in cooking time. However, my butts have always been slow cooking. They usually average 2-1/2 hours per pound unlike the advertised times you see here. I have never, in dozens of butts, had a butt done in 1-1/2 hours per pound. A few have been a little over 2 hours per pound and few have been close to 3 hours per pound. I cook my butts at 240-260 lid temps.
Dave Lewis
TVWBB Super Fan
Paul,
I have not yet had to add new coals for my 18-20 hour butt cooks (knock on wood). I fill my ring up FULL leaving just barely enough room to add 30 lit briquets (without coals rolling off). Add the 30 lit briquets and assemble. I've used both sand and water (not at the same time, of course) With sand, my WSM likes to run about 260 lid temp with the vents barely cracked (approx 10%) for hours. (I adjust all 3 vents equally, except if there is a breeze, then the windward vent gets closed) With water, the vents are open about 20% to get the 240-260 lid temp range. At about the 8-10 hour mark, I usually get a steadily decreasing temp which opening the vents doesn't fix. Gently stirring the coals does fix it and I'm back to small vent openings (about 25% or more open at this point) 3 or 4 hours later, I typically need to stir the coals again to keep the temps steady and my vents are 50% open or greater to keep the desired temp range. At this point, it usually looks like there aren't much coals left but there is still plenty of energy left to finish the cook and stirring (gently) keeps them going.
Thats my experience with my WSM. Stirring the existing coals, rather than adding new ones keeps the cook going. The only time I have had to add more coals was after about a 20 hour butt cook when I wanted to cook some ABTs. I took the butt off and added the ABTs, but there just wasn't enough energy left to cook them for a hour so I added some more lit coals and finished the cook.
I have not yet had to add new coals for my 18-20 hour butt cooks (knock on wood). I fill my ring up FULL leaving just barely enough room to add 30 lit briquets (without coals rolling off). Add the 30 lit briquets and assemble. I've used both sand and water (not at the same time, of course) With sand, my WSM likes to run about 260 lid temp with the vents barely cracked (approx 10%) for hours. (I adjust all 3 vents equally, except if there is a breeze, then the windward vent gets closed) With water, the vents are open about 20% to get the 240-260 lid temp range. At about the 8-10 hour mark, I usually get a steadily decreasing temp which opening the vents doesn't fix. Gently stirring the coals does fix it and I'm back to small vent openings (about 25% or more open at this point) 3 or 4 hours later, I typically need to stir the coals again to keep the temps steady and my vents are 50% open or greater to keep the desired temp range. At this point, it usually looks like there aren't much coals left but there is still plenty of energy left to finish the cook and stirring (gently) keeps them going.
Thats my experience with my WSM. Stirring the existing coals, rather than adding new ones keeps the cook going. The only time I have had to add more coals was after about a 20 hour butt cook when I wanted to cook some ABTs. I took the butt off and added the ABTs, but there just wasn't enough energy left to cook them for a hour so I added some more lit coals and finished the cook.
Dave
Thanks for the response. It was certainly complete and clear.
I really don't know why I'm burning my fuel up, entirely, during the night. Although I've cooked for years on the WSM I've only done the overnight thing twice. Both times the coals were almost entirely gone after about 13 hrs when I checked in the a.m. I use less lit coals than you, about 20, which should slow things down. The water pan is usually about 1/2 down in the a.m. so with less water during the night I might be getting higher temp and a faster burn. I don't plan on getting up at 3:00 a.m. to check a smoker or set a Maverick to wake me up. I'm not nearly that dedicated.
Whatever - the meat turned out great and I guess that's what really counts ! /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
Paul
Thanks for the response. It was certainly complete and clear.
I really don't know why I'm burning my fuel up, entirely, during the night. Although I've cooked for years on the WSM I've only done the overnight thing twice. Both times the coals were almost entirely gone after about 13 hrs when I checked in the a.m. I use less lit coals than you, about 20, which should slow things down. The water pan is usually about 1/2 down in the a.m. so with less water during the night I might be getting higher temp and a faster burn. I don't plan on getting up at 3:00 a.m. to check a smoker or set a Maverick to wake me up. I'm not nearly that dedicated.
Whatever - the meat turned out great and I guess that's what really counts ! /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
Paul
Dave Lewis
TVWBB Super Fan
Just some thoughts: Are you using Kingsford or lump? Lump burns faster and hotter. I've only used Kingsford. You also may have an air leak. Check around the access door and the bottom bowl-middle chamber seam. They may need some adjustment or foil chalking. You might try sand as well. In my experience, sand has resulted in better fuel economy because my vents aren't as open to achieve the same temp as they are using water. For my overnight cooks, I try to get the meat on by 8 or 9 pm so I have plenty of time to get the temps steady before bed. When I use water, I fill the water pan (stock WSM pan) one last time before bed (usually about midnight) and don't check it or my WSM again until 5 or 6 am when I fill it again, stir the coals, and flip the meat for the first time.
G
Guest
Guest
That's it, I have to try the sand in the water pan thing. Where are you guys getting the sand, what kind should I look for? How much should I put in the pan? I'm assuming this is being done with the Brinkman charcole pan as the water pan, is this correct?
G
Guest
Guest
By the way, when I first got my WSM I could load it up all the way and it would keep at 240 for 14 - 18 hours at a time. Now it seems like I can only get 12 hours out of it, and I have to keep a much closer eye on it to keep temps steady. Could this be because it is more windy this time of year than when I bought it (I bought it early in the summer)? Any ideas?
Dave Lewis
TVWBB Super Fan
I use sandbox or playground sand I get from Home Depot (It might be called "all purpose sand") I use the stock WSM water pan filled with sand to a little less than an inch below the top edge (just below the inner lip - I don't want sand spilling out thru the little hole in the pan when I mess with it to level it out or scoop out the grease drips that make invariably make it thru the foil)
Dave
I can see one difference in our game plan. You're filling your water pan at midnight and getting up at 5 to 6 - that's a 5 to 6 hour interval. I'm refilling at 9:00 p.m. and checking again at 6:30 a.m. - that's a 9 1/2 hour interval. I used to go to bed late and get up early when I was young like you - no more, not even for BBQ. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
My units fit well together, but I could have some air leak through the access door. I'll work on that and probably end up making it worse. Yes, I do use Kingsford.
Perhaps I'll give the sand a try.
Paul
I can see one difference in our game plan. You're filling your water pan at midnight and getting up at 5 to 6 - that's a 5 to 6 hour interval. I'm refilling at 9:00 p.m. and checking again at 6:30 a.m. - that's a 9 1/2 hour interval. I used to go to bed late and get up early when I was young like you - no more, not even for BBQ. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
My units fit well together, but I could have some air leak through the access door. I'll work on that and probably end up making it worse. Yes, I do use Kingsford.
Perhaps I'll give the sand a try.
Paul
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