Can you pack too much on the rack?


 
Eric Aarseth

Eric Aarseth

TVWBB Super Fan
I have four butts (2 - 7lb and 2 - 9 lb), plus an 11 lb trimmed packer brisket and trying to squeeze on two small fatties.

Haven't gotten to fitting it on the racks but the brisket is getting squeezed on however I can on the bottom (fat-side down as rec'd in another post) and I'll try to squeeze the fatties alongside. Butts - all four up top. I'm hoping 3 on their side, fat side out and somehow prop the 4th in the middle (probably one of the 7 lb'ers).

Will I run into problems if I have the meat squeezed to edges (its hotter) or too close together (exposure to smoke) or does it all work out in the end b/c they all starting shrinking with loss of water and fat?

Worst case scenario I take the 4th butt and and put it on the weber grill, set up and indirect heat with coals on one side and the butt far to the other side with vents over the meat.
 
In my experience having some airflow around each item is necessary to get even cooking. I have crammed lots onto the grate many a time... sometimes just barely touching. This was done knowing that shrinkage would open the gap between pieces in short order. As long as you can maintain the temperature...

Have to think about the heat differential between the outer edge and the center. Could be slight, but I doubt significant. Purely conjecture on my part...

I will be curious to hear about your experience...
 
How are you getting 32 lbs of pork on ONE RACK?

I recently cooked 8 butts and had two WSMs filled completely. I can get two large 7-9 lb butts per rack, I am curious how you get 4 that size.

I don't think there is any reasonable way to get a n 11 lb. brisket and four 7-9 butts in one WSM.

You realize the meat gets hotter near the edges/lid, right? You need some air flow too.
 
I make no assumptions that I really know what I'm doing. The butts were in 18 lb two butt packs (one slightly less one slightly more). I didn't trim. I put them on edge, fat cap to the outside, basically made square. My only concern is whether the top of the butts are too close to the top of the cover (i.e. lid temps are higher than at grate). Which reminds me I need to get a thermometer into the lid vent to check that temp.

Packer brisket is on the bottom. Ends are touching the edge of the WSM. Bottom grate. I'll let you know whether this works or not or something in between.

Right now (7:20 pm AK time) smoker has been fired with meat on since 6:30pm. WSM grate tempt is 205. Probe in the brisket reads 72 degrees - I think the probe doesn't have a good placement b/c temp rising too fast to be accurate.

BTW - first smoke with ET-73 remote. Love the ability to sit inside and monitor the temps.
 
Ok, so Jason warns me about air flow. I'm not sure what will happen but it is in the back of my mind. I have four butts on the top rack all on edge leaning slightly in against each other. I have butcher string holding them together so help them not fall "out" against the lid cover. To assist in this process I put a small foil pan in the middle of the butts to help prevent them (or one of them falling into the middle). My grate temp is holding at 220 F or so and won't go above it. Cover/lid temp is at 250. All vents are 100% and I had at least 40+ coals to start the smoke MM style.

Bing, it dawns on me, the foil pan is blocking air flow UP THE MIDDLE!. Take out the foil pan and BAM the temp goes up to 237 F. 20 minutes later I'm rising fast to 270 and turn the bottom vents down to 50% and now 10 minutes later I'm holding at about 260 degrees. Vents are going down to 25% shortly.

Air flow - I think the amount of meat I have up top is working out, but Jason, you were correct Sir!



<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jason Wayne:
How are you getting 32 lbs of pork on ONE RACK?

I recently cooked 8 butts and had two WSMs filled completely. I can get two large 7-9 lb butts per rack, I am curious how you get 4 that size.

I don't think there is any reasonable way to get a n 11 lb. brisket and four 7-9 butts in one WSM.

You realize the meat gets hotter near the edges/lid, right? You need some air flow too. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
I've cooked 4 butts and a packer brisket a number of times. If you haven't already, you should check out the increasing capacity section. I started out with the BGE grid extender, and most recently have setup a middle grate using the mod shown in the last picture. I always place the largest butts on top since that is where the smoker is going to be hottest..
 
Todd, thank you for the link. Very neat set-ups. Would you recommend follow the same path as you - BGE extender and then putting in the middle crate if I like the results or just go straight to drilling holes and putting in the rods? Do you like the middle grate setup?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Todd D.:
I've cooked 4 butts and a packer brisket a number of times. If you haven't already, you should check out the increasing capacity section. I started out with the BGE grid extender, and most recently have setup a middle grate using the mod shown in the last picture. I always place the largest butts on top since that is where the smoker is going to be hottest.. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
I did the middle grate by attaching 4" bolts on the bottom grate, and placing another 18" grate on top of the bolt heads. In theory, with that grate and the BGE extender grate, I could cook 2 packers and 4 butts
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Todd - thanks for the ideas. I need to look into this enlarged capacity potential. I don't think I'll get to smoke often and so when I do, I'd like to get as much done as possible and then vacuum seal and freeze.

In your last post, are you contemplating four grates? Top, bottom - bolted middle, plus using the BGE extender? Which rack would the extender go on - the middle? That would be a mega-load.

Maybe we should start a new thread - biggest load by weight of meat cooked in smoke in one regulation-size WSM?

Go Big Ten! I'm a U of M fan (the real U of M - Minnesota). Our football sucks (more than usual) this year. I keep hoping they will turn that football program around to be competative in the Big Ten and nationally but I don't know if they'll ever commit to such a goal. Takes $$$$ - and I don't mean violating NCAA rules.
 
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