Need help planning for brisket, pork, ribs at same time.


 
K

Kevin Peterman

New member
I am making a 12 lb brisket, 8 pound pork butt, and 5 racks of baby back ribs on Sunday. I've never done this much food at one time and am a little concerned about space on my smoker. I've never even used the bottom rack on the smoker. I have a 18.5'' WSM and 22.5'' kettle to work with. The food needs to be ready by 4:00 PM and I was thinking about starting around 3:00 AM.

My plan was to basically smoke the brisket and pork on the smoker until it is time to put the ribs on and then take the brisket and pork off and finish them in the oven. I wouldn't have to use the kettle for this plan. I have used the kettle to cook one rack of ribs, but I don't think I could fit 5 even with my rib rack so I just thought it'd be easier to use the oven to finish the other foods.

The other option would be to put the brisket on the bottom rack of the smoker and use the kettle to make the pork butt and put the ribs on the top rack of the smoker. I've never done a pork butt on the kettle before, but if people think that plan would be best, I'd be up for trying.

Any suggestions?
 
Do you have a rib rack to use?
If it was me, now I have a 22.5 and don't know if a 8lb Butt and a 12lb but can fit on one rack or not.
If they don't when you start they will when they shrink down from cooking I believe.
So cook them on both racks till it is time to put on the ribs, take the Butt and foil it, and foil the Brisket, put both on the top rack and put your ribs on the bottom rack in a rib holder.
Otherwise I would go with your using the oven idea as that will be a lot easier room wise.
Anyhow good luck, and most important, enjoy.
 
Several workable options. If it were me, I think I'd do the ribs on the kettle.
As Bill said, once foiled all the brisky and butt need is heat.
OR, cook the butt and brisket on high heat, FTC them and put the ribs on the WSM.
 
I would use the WSM for the butt and the brisket, and do the ribs on the kettle using a rib rack. Brisket on the bottom rack, butt in a foiled tray on the top rack. Starting the brisket at 3AM should give you time enouth to cook it and foil it for carving at 4 PM...in my opinion. I'd put the butt on about 5-6 AM..run your WSM at 250 degrees. Just my take anyway.
 
I'd finish in the oven. I'm lazy like that. :)

Actually if I were in your shoes, I'd fire up the smoker at about 225F after dinner the night before. I'd get 4-6 hours of smoke on the brisket and butt, however long it took to get a nice mahogany color and get the bark to set. Then I'd transfer to foil pans and toss 'em in the oven at around 250F and go to bed.

Next morning I'd start checking for doneness. When they get done, pull them out of the oven, uncover them, and let them drop in temp. Set the oven to the lowest it will go above 140F. Mine goes down to 170. After the brisket and butt drop to around 165-170F internal, wrap them in new foil and put them in the oven at the lower temp to hold until 4pm.

Ribs I'd start prepping at around 10am, with the idea that they'd go on the smoker at 11am. That should get them resting on a cutting board at 4pm. If they get done early, foil them and toss them in the holding oven with the brisket and butt.
 
Kevin:

Just my two cents: Do the ribs on the kettle (if you use the 3-2-1 method, that's six hours, so they should go on 'round 10-ish - for less room issues you might try rolling the ribs, skewering them & setting them on their ends); 3 AM for the brisket and butt is fine, you'll probably be done before 4 PM, but that's not an issue - double-wrap both in aluminum foil, wrap in a towel, and place in a plastic cooler (I sometimes run HOT water in the cooler beforehand, I think it helps keep yer victuals warmer longer.) I've kept both hot for 4 hours minimum. Good luck!

Regards,

Rooster
 
Thanks for everyone's thoughts. For people suggesting 5 ribs on the kettle, would rolling them or using my rib rack be better? Does anyone have a pic of a kettle set up for that many ribs?
 
Kevin, I couldn't seem to locate any Google image pix for rolled ribs on a kettle, but here is one for six rolled up on a WSM - shouldn't make a difference, I don't think...

Regards,

Rooster
 
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