Couple of quick questions on 4 butt smoke.


 
JeffB

JeffB

TVWBB Pro
I'm doing 4 butts tonight on my 22.5. 2 top deck, 2 lower deck. Can somebody please clarify the following:

1. Will it take longer to smoke 4 than 2? How much longer? My first 2 Boston butts were done in about 9 hours.

2. Will the lower butts cook faster than the top ones? Will I need to pull them earlier?

Thanks.
 
1. Outside of getting up to temps if the meat is cold it shouldn't. Your butts may finish at different times though.
2. No. Heat rises and the pan will offset the lower rack better so you may see the tops finish earlier.

Note that you are looking for doneness not internal temps (even though convention says you should be aiming for 190F+)
 
To each his own. I like to change my butts about 5 or 6 hours into it when I do 4 at a time! Take the top ones and put them on the bottom rack and flip them too! Put the bottom ones on the top. This sounds like a pain in the BUTT!! ha ha... BUTT I think it is worth it because when I did it with 4 the first time (and did not do this) I did not get as good of bark on the bottom ones for whatever reason. They will be done closer to each other too!!
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If I assume it will take them 10 hours and I put them on around midnight, then I could get up at 6am and flip them. I just hate to wake up early on the weekend which is my real time to sleep in. BUTT
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A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!
 
Jeff, with the short cook times you mention I assume you're talking about cooking withOUT water in the pan. The bottom grate in that case cooks a little faster, but not much if you keep both butts within the perimeter of the water pan. Four in the big wsm is no big deal. Four in the little one takes me 2 hr or so more because of the slower start-up and I don't want the bottom butts to get too much heat outside the perimeter of the pan.
 
It shouldn't be much of a difference expecially on a 22. Assuming the butts are identical the top cooks faster for me.

I put the bigger ones on top to compensate for the difference.
 
I'm 9 hours into my smoke. There is no bark on the butts (except for a nice, dark golden color, but no black parts) and my fuel is dwindling. I re-used some old KB that was left over from my last smoke. Meat's at 167. I opened back up a vent and I'm back up from 198 to 207 at the grate.

When should the bark form? Is the bark affected if I rubbed the butts with yellow mustard?

I'm thinking of adding more fuel too. Do I just dump unlit coals on the few lit coals through the door?

Thanks.
 
Jeff, I don't use mustard any more but didn't ever notice it hindering bark development. I've read where folks claimed just the opposite, but the only benefit I see is that it's a quick way to get the rub to adhere to cold meat. Never have any problem with bark, myself.

If your fuel situation is as bad as it sounds, you need to add some lit briqs along with some unlit. Otherwise the temp will plummet. I'd throw in some unlit lump or "natural" briqs if you have any...not too much unlit Kbb at once if that's all you have.
 
Dave,

I'm back up to 226 at the grate and 169 internal meat.

Do you have a suggestion on how to add lit coals to the WSM through the door? Or do I have to pull the whole thing apart and do the hot squat?

So afraid of dumping my 2 lower BB's on the grass.
 
Thats why I like handles on my middle section. You might have to take it apart or you can just throw in unlit. Also baste yer butts will help with bark formation.
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The bark will form in time. I do not know why butt some smokes with butts have taken 16 hours while some have taken only 10!
 
I just added 10 unlit Stubbs bricketts so we'll have to see if they take. I also opened another vent from 0% to 100% and I'm up to 171 meat, 228 at the grate.
 
Jeff, to be honest I'm really not the one to ask since I don't use the big wsm. Even if you're not using water in the pan I wouldn't do the hot squat on your big cooker. Isn't there plenty of access with the big door? Doesn't seem like there would be any problems tending the fire with the right size shovel, some long tongs, and a fire poker.

Stubbs was a great choice for throwing in and I'm glad your temps came up. Once those coals get lit and temps are up about where you want it I'd go ahead and throw in some more unlit, not waiting for temps to plummet.
 
I did have pretty easy access with the door. I am keeping an eye on it. If the temps drop at all, I'm going to add another 10 brickets and try to manually light them with a long match.

Thanks for your help.
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No, don't wait for temps to drop. Keep adding more unlit to get a decent coal bed back. As long as your temps don't plummet from smothering and there's not too much smoke, you have no issues, right? If your situation calls for using a long match, you simply need to add some lit coals to the fire.
 
I added about 1/2 a chimney of lit Stubbs through the door with the help of a heavy metal shovel. Worked well. Temp went to 262 for a bit but is now back down to 226 and meat is holding a 189 and won't move.

It's been cooking for 12 hours now.

Are 12 hours on the grill plus an internal temp of 189 hot enough to call it done or will everybody tell me "it's done when it's done" and to use the skewer test to see if there is any resistance to the meat? I hate to keep opening the lid.
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You could pull it off the pit at 190. Foil it. It will continue to cook for a bit. I normally don't pull mine for -2- hours after they come off the pit.
 
I just took them off the smoker. They were definitely done, perhaps even a bit overdone. Temps mean something but they don't mean everything.

Wrapped them in heavy foil and put on towels in an ice chest. Will pull them in about 3 hours.

Have a "grate" weekend everybody!
 
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