Newbie question

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Hi,
I'm waiting for a warm day to arrive so I can fire up my new smoker for the first time. Here's my question, I am stunned, nay overwelmed by the website. What I can't figure is how to mix different meats, and cook them at the same time. Say, how do I cook up a batch of ribs and whole chickens at the same time. Different temps for different periods of time are a challenge to me based on the site receipes.

I would appreciate someone with a little more experience (anyone) that could pass along some good advice.

thx
 
Pork Butt and brisket go together very well, cook pork butt over the brisket.
Baby backs and a whole chicken can be done at the same time both would run aprox 4 hours at 250? pit temp. Cooking at the temp the chicken skin will not be chrisp but you could cut the chicken up and grill off the skin at the end to get those results.
Jim
 
If you want to do Pork spare ribs and chicken, spares have better flavor than babybacks. Leave out the bottom grate and start the spares on the top rack for an estimated 6 hour cook. A Rib rack helps get more in, Weber is OK and Klose is better. Then add the chicken on the lower grate three to four hours into the cook. One MAJOR point is time is guide not a rule. Internal meat temp and texture is FAR more important. To be safe I'd shoot for Breasts at 160 and any other chicken parts at 180. Ribs should be 180 and the meat between the bones should be very tender when poke with your instant read thermometer. A good digital is worth the $20 it costs.
 
One suggestion, try not to put raw chicken above other meats that have been cooking for awhile.

When competing, I use two WSM for cooking all the meat, including dups. I start with two briskets, one on each. AFter about 6 hours, I combine the briskets into one smoker and place two butts on the now-empty smoker.

After another 6-8 hours, I combine the brisket and pork butts onto one shelf, brisket on bottom and butts on top. Pork helps to baste the brisket.

In the now empty smoker (which I usually refresh the coals, I place the ribs for cooking. Generally 4 slabs, two on top and two on bottom racks.

Two hours later, I combine on top shelf and place my chicken on bottom shelf.

Two more hours and I start pulling brisket and butts when they appear to be done. Wrap in foil and large towels and hold in dry cooler until time for presentation prep.

I rebuild the fire in the now empty smoker--no fire pan, get it hot with lump charcoal if you got it. I finish grilling the chicken and also glaze the ribs on this hot fire.

(Note--if brisket and butts are not cooperating-i.e. getting done, I do the grilling on the WSM holding the ribs and chicken. I remove the top of the unit, refresh the fire and grill accordingly)

My approximate cooking times are:
Brisket - 20 hours +
Butts - 16 hours
Ribs - 5-6 hours
Chicken - 4 hours

The mathematics might not all add up if you test my timing description, but in practice, brisket goes on between noon and 2pm, butts go on between 6pm and 10pm, ribs go on at 6am, and chicken goes on at 8am.

turnin is chicken noon, ribs-12:30, butt-1:00, and brisket 1:30.

Meat weights, wind, outside temps, and how organized I am that day can all affect these times.

Nothing secret here--many cooks use similar timetables, although, having witnessed 6 hour briskets at the USA Smoke cooking class in Houston last month, I may be trialing different approaches. We'll see how that goes.
 
As you've already received advice on this thread from some of the best in the business, I won't bother throwing my 2 cents in, but I'll give you a little advice based on my newbie experiences.

Whatever cooking temp you aim for, don't get obsessed by it, especially if you're using a digital readout thermometer to monitor the cooker temp (digitals are very sensitive and will show any temporary variance with wind, etc.). The WSM is going to do a very good job at holding steady if you give it a chance, and cooking temp is not really all that critical within a reasonable range. Adjust your vents a little at a time and give 15 or 20 minutes for the temp to re-adjust before you touch it again. If you become absessed with the cooking temperature, you'll spend the whole cook chasing the dial
 
Good point, Darren, which reminds me. If it is windy, not only does it affect the fire, but it can affect the thermometer readings if a cold brease is allowed to hit on the probe in the dome. If you have drilled and inserted an "airtight" thermometer, you should have no problem.

One windy winter night, I had the darnedest time trying to get up to temp according to my dome inserted polder probe. After building a raging fire and still getting a 190 reading, I finnaly figured out the wind was cooling down the probe. A little foil closed the opening and I got a correct reading of 360 degrees, which explained why my butt was cooking so durned fast and the water pan was evaporating in less than two hours.

Dale
 
Dale,
I found your post very informative. Thanks for sharing the information! I have had my WSM for just 2 months now, but have been building up to an all night cook of brisket and butts soon...

-Matto
 
Good point on temps. I shoot for 225 to 275 per Jack & Jim. I also count how long I can hold the palm of my hand on the dome. It is a good back-up when the gauges go screwy.
 
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