First BBQ with 22.5" WSM

[Buddy Phillips]

This is my first time using the WSM and I am planning to cook 4 Boston Butts 2 on top 2 on bottom. When I do this will the fat from the top shelf cause problems with the bottom shelf Butts? How much time for these to be done? Thanks for any help.

 

[Mike_L (Big Mike)]

I have had 0 luck with Butts so far. Granted i only did 2 and did not cook them long enough each time. With that said i believe there is no problem with cooking on both racks. That is what they are there for. Also time goes by how big the butts are.

Can you tell us how many lbs each butt is?

Also this might help:

http://virtualweberbullet.com/pork2.html

 

[Buddy Phillips]

Thanks again for responding. 3 are approx 8 lbs. and 1 is 6 lbs.

 

[Matt Gard]

cook till they are done, don't worry about the time, cook them till they reach an internal temp of 190-195 and then pull them and wrap in foil and let them rest for 30 minutes in a cooler before you pull them. I've had great luck with that. And if you don't like your results let me know where I can come pick up the "bad" pulled pork to take it off your hands.

 

[Dave Russell]

Put the two smaller ones on the bottom grate. If they're done before the larger ones on the top grate you can pull off the grate through the door by spinning the grate around with a grate tool or something.

Times depend on temp, and since most of us kind of leave the cooker to do it's thing, you'll read all kinds of reports for cook times. Some say as much as 2hr/lb, but if you start with enough lit charcoal and fairly quickly settle in at 250* you can be done in 12 hours. Have a shovel handy for refueling, but I wouldn't dump unlit charcoal briquettes on top of the fire. Either light them in a chimney, or push your coals to the side of the ring and put unlit ones next to lit coals to slowly catch. I prefer to add a combo of lit and unlit.

Hope that helps.
Dave

 

[Tom_M]

Put all four on the top rack, they'll fit just fine. I've done it dozens of times.

 

[Dave Russell]

Someone asked me about the tool I use to spin the bottom grate around, so I thought I'd post a couple of pics. On one side of the handle it says "The grill manager", and I bought it at Smoky Mountain Knifeworks. I couldn't find it online, but I'm sure there's other grate tools that you can use. My buddy uses one that he got for his Big Green Egg grates.

 

[Tim Mulvihill]

I would go 2 top 2 bottom. The only problem I would see is that the bark might set on the bottom butts after it sets on the top ones since the top ones are going to essentially be "basting" the bottom ones. Of course, maybe with the 22" you could stagger them so the top ones aren't directly over the bottom butts, or at least minimize the overlap. Another option would be to gut the fat cap on the butts on the top rack (don't forget the false cap).