Just doing a poll to see how many racks of baby backs will fit on the WSM? I've done 3 (rolled) per grate before, but I've never used racks. I would assume I could fit more with racks?
I have done 12 on mine many times using racks. Definately a tight fit. I haven't done it stoggie's way. With the magnum too much isn't really much problem anymore. Wsm sits lonely in the corner.
With that much meat I recomend only filling water pan half way. You can always add more if temps start getting away. I find it hard to get over 225 after 4 or even 5 hours into the cook. Seems most of those big cooks were in a season when the weather is a factor too. Like I said before you can always add more if needed. That meat is a heat sink too.
i just did 8 racks yesterday... fit VERY easily... coulda gone for 9-10 without much problem... i was using 2 of the weber racks and stood them up around the full weber racks...
I did four slabs on my top grate yesterday using a rib rack, and assume I could have done the same amount on the bottom grate. Fit pretty easily so I imagine I could probably could have positioned another slab on.
Using Weber Rib Racks you can get at least 4 full racks on each cooking grate. You may have to curl the ends of the slabs to allow the lid to close properly. There is still room to "skewer" a slab or two besides that.
I frequestly do 9 and could fit more fairly easily. Here is how
*Buy cheapie rib racks from HD
*Buy a 2nd lower cooking grate
*find 8 empty beer cans (you may have to empty them yourself
*load all 3 rib racks with 1/2 slabs of ribs
*position the lowest grate as normal
*put 4 beer cans on the lowest grate along with the one full rib rack full of food (the beer cans are the shelf for your next cooking grate)
*Load the second grate with another fully loaded rib rack full of ribs and 4 more beer cans
*Lastly put the top cooking rack on top of the cans and load it accordingly, if you did it correctly the top rack will be about 3-4 inches higher than the main body of the WSM but the lit will still go on.
Works simple and easy, a WSM with 3 cooking grates.
Thanks for all the responses!! I might just have to try the beer can trick....I know I can drink 8 during a cook....so I might as well drink 8 before? Wife probably woundn't appreciate that.
Originally posted by SteveK:
Thanks for all the responses!! I might just have to try the beer can trick....I know I can drink 8 during a cook....so I might as well drink 8 before? Wife probably woundn't appreciate that.
Its best to have others help with the can emptying process or to just save them from another time. It is crude but a really effective means to get one more cooking grate in the WSM. Have fun
I wish I had seen this when it was first posted because I had the same question going into July 4th. I ended up smoking 6 large racks of Smithfield loin back ribs using two rib racks as well as a 5 pound brisket flat. It fit just fine and all came out great! It looked like there was room for 2 more full racks of ribs.