First cook on the Weber Summit Kamado E6 - pulled pork


 
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Paolo Wyatt

New member
HI everyone, finally pulled the trigger on my WSK purchase and it arrives on Friday. I've order an amazing pork butt from an excellent butcher here in the UK and can't wait to get it on! Wanted to get any advice from you wise people here on the cook. I've cooked a number of pork butts on Weber kettle with SnS and also ceramic kamado so wondering if I need to do anything differently on the WSK.

Here's what I'm thinking:

- trim fat cap
- dry brine day before
- add rub in the morning (rub choice TBD!)
- load up lump charcoal on bottom grate, deflector plate in
- aim for 275 and hold steady there
- pork butt on, fat side up
- cook to 203F and check, take off when probe tender
- wrap in foil, towels and put in cooler to rest


Questions:

- do you use a water pan in the WSK?
- when do you put your wood chunks in? Can you just put them in with the charcoal or need to wait until the charcoal is at temp before adding wood?
- do you add further wood chunks during the cook?
- do you spritz or not? if yes, how often?
- do you wrap or not? (I've had experience before when the bark got too much/dry without wrapping)
- how long do you rest for?


Thanks a lot in advance!
 
Awesome. Glad you pulled the trigger on the WSK.

My .02. I'm sure you'll get suggestions from others.

- wrap the deflector in HD foil to ease cleanup.
- put a steamer pan under the grate to catch the drippings. Using small balls of aluminum foil between the deflector plate and the steamer, create an air-gap. This will keep the steamer pan from getting too hot and burning the drippings..

your questions:
- do you use a water pan in the WSK?
No. I've never used a water pan in the WSK
- when do you put your wood chunks in? Can you just put them in with the charcoal or need to wait until the charcoal is at temp before adding wood?
I put chunks on after temp has stabilized.
- do you add further wood chunks during the cook?
I don't.
- do you spritz or not? if yes, how often?
I don't. I wonder if I should.
- do you wrap or not? (I've had experience before when the bark got too much/dry without wrapping)
I wrap in foil, in the steamer pan. I will often wrap after it has been in the stall for a while when the bark looks good.
- how long do you rest for?
Last one was over four hours and it was still piping hot.

Apple is my current go to for smoke wood when doing a pork butt. I want to try using Peach.

Looking forward to your results.
 
Welcome to the WSK club! Your process looks sound to me, though the last few cooks I started early and did 225 instead of 275.

I've gotten lazy and just scored the fat cap instead of doing major trimming, since my family likes the presentation of the scored fat cap. Your mileage may vary.

DanHoo said:
- wrap the deflector in HD foil to ease cleanup.
Click to expand...

I did not do this for the longest time. Taking the time to foil the deflector has greatly eased the cleanup for me.

Paolo Wyatt said:
- do you use a water pan in the WSK?
Click to expand...
I put a shallow half size hotel pan / steam table pan of water when I do my pork butts in the WSK.

Paolo Wyatt said:
- when do you put your wood chunks in? Can you just put them in with the charcoal or need to wait until the charcoal is at temp before adding wood?
Click to expand...

I bury them in the initial charcoal bed and light one end of the pile, and just put the pork butt on when the smoke is clear. I do not add wood during the cook.

Paolo Wyatt said:
- do you spritz or not? if yes, how often?
- do you wrap or not? (I've had experience before when the bark got too much/dry without wrapping)
Click to expand...

For pork butts prepared in the method you described, I do not spritz, and do not open the lid until I wrap during the stall.

Paolo Wyatt said:
- how long do you rest for?
Click to expand...

I like to do at least two hours, though I usually steal a piece to try after the first hour.
 
DanHoo said:
Awesome. Glad you pulled the trigger on the WSK.

My .02. I'm sure you'll get suggestions from others.

- wrap the deflector in HD foil to ease cleanup. - YES - THE SIMPLE PLEASURES OF LIFE, EASY CLEANUPS.
- put a steamer pan under the grate to catch the drippings. Using small balls of aluminum foil between the deflector plate and the steamer, create an air-gap. This will keep the steamer pan from getting too hot and burning the drippings.. YES, FAT DOES BURN WHEN IN A FOIL PAN ATOP THE DEFELCTOR UNISOLATED

your questions:
- do you use a water pan in the WSK?
No. I've never used a water pan in the WSK - I'VE USED AJ IN A PAN FOR BRISKETS, ADDS A SLIGHT NOSE TO THE COOK.
- when do you put your wood chunks in? Can you just put them in with the charcoal or need to wait until the charcoal is at temp before adding wood?
I put chunks on after temp has stabilized. - I BURY THE WOOD CHUNKS IN 3 DISTINCT AREAS BELOW THE COALS SO THEY'LL IGINITE/SMOLDER AS THE COOK PORGRESSES
- do you add further wood chunks during the cook?
I don't. - NEVER NEEDED TOO. BASEBALL SIZED WOOD PRODUCED PLENTY-O-SMOKE AND THREE PIECES IS PLENTY TOO
- do you spritz or not? if yes, how often?
I don't. I wonder if I should. NEVER NEEDED TO SO I DONT
- do you wrap or not? (I've had experience before when the bark got too much/dry without wrapping)
I wrap in foil, in the steamer pan. I will often wrap after it has been in the stall for a while when the bark looks good. I LIKE A BRISKET WRAPPED IN PAPER AFTER THE STALL. I PLACE THE BUTT IN AN ALUMINUM PAN AND COVER WITH ALUMINUM FOIL AFTER 165f SO AS TO GET THE BUTT TO THE FINISH LINE, BUT I USUALLY DO A CUBANO BUTT WITH DARK RUM AND OTHER PAN JUICES. SO MY METHOD MAY NOT APPLY TO A REGUAL BUTT COOK.
- how long do you rest for?
Last one was over four hours and it was still piping hot. - UNTIL YOU CANNOT STAND THE PAIN OF NOT EATING. BUTTS HOLD HEAT FOR A LONG TIME. REST AS YOU NEED IT TO REST. AT LEAST AN HOUR WOULD BE MY RECCO.

Apple is my current go to for smoke wood when doing a pork butt. I want to try using Peach. FRUIT WOODS ON PORK GO VERY WELL. SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE SET.

Looking forward to your results.
Click to expand...
I'm add ALL CAPS to MY POST ABOVE, INTO DAN'S
 
I used to use a water pan. I no longer do. I spritz, I’ve found when I don’t it lacks. Apple cider vinegar straight up, ever hour to hour and a half after the first 1.5-2. When I wrap, I put a little spritz in the foil pan I place the meat in, then heavy duty aluminum foil to cover.

I did a butt three weeks ago or so. Didn’t wrap and didn’t spritz. Easily the worst butt I’ve ever made and it’s not even close. Worst I’ve ever eaten actually.
 
I bought an aluminum pizza pan to catch drippings (cover with foil) and I leave the deflector plate unwrapped.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DZGBOPG/?tag=tvwb-20 This one is about the exact same diameter of the deflector plate.

I bought some ceramic blocks and use those to keep the pan off the deflector plate (and prevent blocking the vent holes. At advice here, I put the wood in first and then pour the briquettes around it. So they smolder as the cook progresses. I light one corner of the coals versus center like I do on the WSM.
 
Not a bad pizza pan. I need to search for a reusable option rather than constantly buying and throwing away aluminum pans. Something that doesn’t have to be perfect looking, yet clean.
 
I have a 16 inch SS drip pan. I wrap it with foil for easy cleanup along with foil balls for an air gap on the WSK deflector or on the platesetter of my BGE.

I have an 18 inch on my someday / maybe list.

ceramicgrillstore.com

18 Inch Stainless Drip Pan for Kamado Grills

CGS' stainless drip pan perfect for XL Big Green EGG & Joe's Big Joe. Ideal match XL ConvEGGtor & Big Joe deflectors. Foil drip pan for easy clean up & reusable.
ceramicgrillstore.com ceramicgrillstore.com
 
TimA said:
Not a bad pizza pan. I need to search for a reusable option rather than constantly buying and throwing away aluminum pans. Something that doesn’t have to be perfect looking, yet clean.
Click to expand...

That pizza pan is 14 gauge and pretty heavy duty. I foil it to keep it relatively clean.
 
Thanks all for all the great advice, much appreciated

Based on the drip pan recos above am I right in thinking the deflector plate is about 18 inches?

Also, for resting do you have any advice on which cooler to use? I don't have one currently but want to get one anyway. A Yeti Roadie 24 costs about $250 here in UK and not sure I need that! Looking at cheaper options online but hard to tell the quality

Everyone has mentioned wrapping in foil not butcher paper, is there any arguments for butcher paper or foil way to go?

Thanks all!
 
Paolo Wyatt said:
Thanks all for all the great advice, much appreciated

Based on the drip pan recos above am I right in thinking the deflector plate is about 18 inches?

Also, for resting do you have any advice on which cooler to use? I don't have one currently but want to get one anyway. A Yeti Roadie 24 costs about $250 here in UK and not sure I need that! Looking at cheaper options online but hard to tell the quality

Everyone has mentioned wrapping in foil not butcher paper, is there any arguments for butcher paper or foil way to go?

Thanks all!
Click to expand...
Any cooler would do, for me it is the dimensions that are important.........
Another tip that works for me is.........I buy cheap amazon foil pans.....I think they call them lasagna pans. Which is a 13 X 9 pan.
The cheapies on amazon claim to be that size but are actually about 1/2 inch shorter each way.
This is good and bad....bad because the 13X9 fits perfectly in my Performer up next to the SNS basket, so the smaller cheapies flop around a bit..........but the good thing about the cheapies is that they fit into a large size cooler well.

So go about your smoke, wrap not wrap, whatever you want to do....when it finishes that's when I place it in a foil pan and seal the top with foil.
Now it steams a bit and can wear the bark down of course.....some let it cool down 20 - 30 degrees before sealing it with the foil......
I do this because I don't want any juices leaking in the cooler......I have never had to clean up a cooler from resting ever.....
I line the bottom of the cooler with a big towel then place the sealed pan on the towel and the on top I put another large towel.....stays hot for many many many hours.

Smoked meat juice leakage on the family bath towels is probably not a big hit if you have a MRS in the house and she does the laundry. This alone would point me towards buying the 30 pack of amazon cheapie aluminum pans.

So getting a cooler that fits those pans is what is important to me.....
If you choose to wrap in paper then in foil to rest or whatever, you can probably get away with using a smaller cooler but you may get some leakage...

I use coolers similar to the pics.....different brands are going to have different dimensions....so if you go my route you will have to watch that.

1709129842359.png

1709130117087.png
 
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Any cooler will do. Every year around thanksgiving my work gets us a selection from Omaha Steaks, which I can honestly care little about. But they come in styrofoam coolers and those are what I use for butts or smaller brisket points. A full packer goes in a standard cooler from Wally world. I let rest, I shoot for 1.5-2 hours minimum but on rare occasions have to push it to maybe a half hour or so in order to get folks fed timely
 
Ok so the Summit arrived and was built today, she's beautiful!

Getting ready to put a 6.5lb pork butt on in the AM.

Have the charcoal grate on the bottom, filled up with Big Block charcoal alongside 3 lumps of wood (2x apple, 1x cherry). Will light chimney in the AM and then pour in the middle of the charcoal and get her to temp

Any last minute advice appreciated!1000030313.jpg
 
I wouldn’t waste time lighting a chimney.

Add an oily paper towel or two to one area of your coals and light it. Leave the lid open for 5 minutes and then you’ll have lit coal.

1709406179187.jpeg

Then add the deflector plate and close the lid. Let the fire warm up for 20 minutes and then dial down the bottom choke to “smoke”’setting and close the top vent to 50%. And monitor temps.

I use this method for all low and slow cooks. It’s never failed me.

1709406398988.jpeg
 
Ps the dry brine was 4 teaspoons of kosher salt and the rub is

2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons garlic granules
2 teaspoons onion granules
Pinch cayenne
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Rub to go on in the AM! 1000030316.jpg
 
Brett-EDH said:
I wouldn’t waste time lighting a chimney.

Add an oily paper towel or two to one area of your coals and light it. Leave the lid open for 5 minutes and then you’ll have lit coal.

View attachment 87203

Then add the deflector plate and close the lid. Let the fire warm up for 20 minutes and then dial down the bottom choke to “smoke”’setting and close the top vent to 50%. And monitor temps.

I use this method for all low and slow cooks. It’s never failed me.

View attachment 87204
Click to expand...
Amazing thanks, any specific oil?
 
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