Most Butts on a WSM?

[Guest]

What is the most butts can you cook at one time?

Do they need to be rotated?

At what temperature would you cook 4 or 6 butts?

Thanks:
RonW.

 

[Paul G.]

Ron W

If the Butts are in the 7+ lb range I would recommend no more than 4 - two on top and two on bottom. They need a little space around them for heat circulation. It is better to rotate them and also to switch them, once, from top to bottom. I don't always do this, but I know I should.

At 7 lb each your're talking about 28 lbs of meat. That's a lot. You need to look at an overnight cook and be prepared to add some fuel. My guess would be that you would be in the 18 to 22 hr range. Internal temp at 195 will tell you when to stop.

I would use sand rather than water because of the amount of meat and length of the cook. Hopefully this would not be your first experience with the sand, because you do need to be careful.

Your pit temp should be around 250 at the dome or 225 if measured at the top grate.

Good luck.

Paul

 

[Bruce Bissonnette]

Last July 4th I cooked 4 butts on the WSM. total weight 27.19lbs. They went on the cooker at 8:30pm July 3rd and were finished at 12:45pm July 4th. I placed the two biggest butts on the top grate and did not rotate them during the cook.

I averaged 249.8 degrees at the lid and plateaued at 172-181 for 5 hours between 5:30am and 10:30am.

Made entire cook on 1 really full charcoal chamber and used the Minion Method, sand in the pan. Had all bottom vents open 100% the last 2 hours of the cook.

 

[Guest]

Dumb question. How much fat collects from a four butt cook? With a 3/4 full of sand pan, is it a problem?

 

[Howard Rowe]

Twice in the month of March I cooked 4 butts at a time. I use water in the pan and light with the MM. I did not have to add any fuel during the cook. However, I pack it full.

I shoot for 240* at the lid, and this past weekend the cook was unbelievable. It took 14.5 hours to reach 190* internal. The same cook two weeks ago took 17-1/2 hours.

By the end of the cook the pan has lots of fat, but it's not overflowing (if that's your fear).

I would also like to point out that when I do this, the butts on the bottom have ALWAYS finished first. I should probably rotate from top to bottom to compensate. I'm curious to know why so many others report the top grate cooking faster- it doesn't seem to be the case with my WSM.

 

[Paul G.]

Steve

I haven't yet gone to 4 butts using sand so I can't answer your question from experience. I have done 3 butts and it did not appear the drippings were anywhere close to causing a problem. I use the WSM pan and probably have it between 2/3 and 3/4 full on sand which probably leaves about 1 1/2" concave depression in the foil to catch the drippings.

I haven't yet figured out why I always seem to have to add fuel in the a.m. unlike others, but it's no big deal.

Paul

 

[John Mason]

I did six once. 7-8 lb-ers. I did have to put them on their "sides" to make 'em fit without touching. Three on top and three on the bottom. Didn't have grease spilling over (did have a lot of it though, "mmmmm, pork fat"), but I left a 1-1/2" depression in the foil over the sand. Didn't rotate, just left 'em where they were and pulled 'em off as they finished.

 

[Guest]

Thank you. That answers that question.

 

[Spyro Ananiades]

You can put a bunch of butts on the WSM. It just depends on what steps you are willing to take. If I split them and use an extra grate, you can fit 8 butts into the cooker with ease.

Anyway back to 4 butts. This is the number that I most regularly cook in my WSM and I do them whole. I actually just did 4 butts on Saturaday night. (1 with Head Country Rub, 1 with Byron's Butt Rub, 1 with Salt Lick Rub & 1 with Blues Hog Rub.)

I started a fire using the minion method and tossed some apple wood chucks. I used an EMPTY water pan. I set the BBQ GURU at 250 degrees, at the top grate, w/ a meat temp of 200 degrees and used the ramp mode.

BTW, the gentleman above is correct when not using water, the butts on the bottom grate will always finish first. I put my larger butts on the bottom grate.

The meat went on at 11pm... At 1pm Sunday afternoon, I took the butts off the cooker. They were all between 195 & 205 degrees. BTW, they were the best butts that I have ever cooked.