Preferred method to transition between smokes?

[Teddy J.]

Alright guys, need a little advice. What's your preferred method to transfer between back-to-back smokes. For example Cook 1 being a high heat brisket cook, then immediately starting Cook 2 being a low and slow butt cook, using the same WSM.

I attempted this recently, and I'm not even going to begin to describe the shenanigans I went through when resetting the smoker for Cook 2.

Where do you dump your hot coals from Cook 1? Or do you just dump unlit on top of the leftover coals doing a reverse minion of sorts? What do you use to fire up the new chimney for minion if you dump and reload the smoker?

For anybody who hasn't done this, it may sound silly, but for those that have you know what I'm getting at.

If it matters, my arsenal consists of a 18" WSM, Performer, and High Temp Propane Burner.

Go ahead and give me your step by step instructions so I won't have to worry about burning down my house next time.

 

[R. Hanson ("Rondo")]

I think I'd just add a couple gallons of hot water to the pan...that'll slow er done for ya

...leave the coals alone, unless your runnin short...then add some

 

[Joe Abad]

Hi Mitch... Never done a HH followed by a LS, but won't the temp drop off while loading the butts (lid off). Then adjustments of lower vents plus leaving the access door open for a while help drop the temp. The temp recovery should be slower since the cold meat would absorb most of it... just my 2 cents.

joe

 

[Gary H. NJ]

Any chance you can reverse the process? Start with the L&S butt, foil wrap at internal of 140-160*F and place on lower grate, open vents (and add any additional briquettes) to achieve your high heat temp, and add the brisket to top grate. Keep meat thermometer probe in butt, which will be ready sooner. When it's finished, place probe in brisket. I hope this helps. Cheers.

 

[Vince B]

I think if you are planning on going this route, you should close down your vents in order to reduce the fire. Including the top one. Once you get the temps about 50* below your desired temp then open the top vent for a while to stabilize. After which I would add the butts. The only issue I see is that you will have to add some fuel most likely for a butt cook. Hope this helps. Vince

 

[Teddy J.]

Thanks for the responses so far.

Gary - I agree with you on this one. For my particular scenario this wasn't possible. Although I may have to adjust plans next time so this is the way to go.

I was trying to get away from just adding more fuel after Cook 1 as this would create a fire with lit coals at the bottom of the charcoal ring instead of burning from top to bottom.

Do any of you see a problem with the charcoal ring burning from the bottom up? My concern was hotter temps. I've never burned a fire like this on the WSM, but maybe temps will still be easily controllable?

 

[Jerry N.]

I'd break down the WSM after the first cook (take middle and top section off once the meat from the first cook was removed). Then I'd fill the ring very full for the second cook. I don't see how the fire being on the bottom is all that much different. Then I'd close my bottom vents and let the cooker settle for a 1/2 hour or so. All that new charcoal is going to produce some nasty smoke (nasty IMHO). The I'd start the LS.

Generally, I'd want to do the LS first and then adding charcoal and lettin'er rip. The butt could rest for as long as the HH brisket will take.

 

[j biesinger]

Get a cheap metal pail, or a charcoal grill to dump the hot coals into when the HH is done. Refill the ring with unlit and toss 10-15 of the lit coals on top to start the minion for the LS.

 

[Teddy J.]

J - You think some cheap galvanized steel pail will do fine without the risk of burn-through?

 

[j biesinger]

J - You think some cheap galvanized steel pail will do fine without the risk of burn-through?

I think it would be fine. if it doesn't work you won't be out much since it was cheap.

keep an eye out for a smokey joe. I got mine at target, end of season for 50%. That way you could grill a few hotdogs as a halftime snack.

 

[Terre Hooks]

I won't say this is EXACTLY the same thing as you're after, but I don't see why it won't work...

I did this last Thursday night/Friday-

Cooked 2 8lb butts on Thursday night. I started off with my usual Frankenstein mixture of charcoal and smoking wood- a little of this, a lot of that...Mostly Kingsford Comp, a little King Blue 2010, a little Kingsford charwood lump and 6-8 chunks of hickory. I threw on 2/3 of a chimney of Kingsford Blue, barely going (few white edges) and put the smoker together.

I use a clay saucer, so I then just throw the butts on and close it up. I left the vents wide open for 90 minutes, the temp climbed from a early settle of 250F to 300F. I then closed the vents to about 20% (my best guess) and went to bed. I hooked my new Maverick wireless therm up and took the remote inside and settled in to bed.

Woke up 6 hours later and see the meat is at 160F, go out and check smoker temp, it's at 220. I open all the vents up and go back to bed for a couple hours.

Take the butts off, throw in the cooler. I had one more to cook. I scraped all of the coals to one side, which amounted to about 1/4 of the ring being 10 hour hot coals. I loaded up the rest of the ring with King blue, re-assembled cooker and threw another butt on. Adjusted vents to 50% and went to work.

Return 8 hours later (I left early) and get home and the smoker is sitting at 250F and the butt is done. There's about 15% of the coals left.

I was happy. Pure luck.

 

[K Kruger]

Originally posted by j biesinger:
Get a cheap metal pail, or a charcoal grill to dump the hot coals into when the HH is done. Refill the ring with unlit and toss 10-15 of the lit coals on top to start the minion for the LS.

That is exactly what I do. I dump into a pail then dump most of the lit into a grill and get that going to grill sides or garnishes for the later meal - or to simply store for something else. I set up the WSM with fresh unlit and some wood, then put some of the reserved on to start a Minion. Works well.