PBC: Hang or Grate?

[JeffJ]

If I were cooking, say, a pair of 4 pound pork butts, is there any reason not to use the grate in lieu of hanging? I totally get hanging for ribs or full packers. I just don't see the advantage of hanging butts in lieu of just using the grate. Not only is the grate easier you don't have to worry about the meat tearing from the hooks and falling into the coals and you still get that same grill smoke from the meat dripping directly onto the hot coals.

[DWCowles]

I haven’t done a PB in the PBC yet but when I do I will be using the grate.

[Spinaker]

I actually did my first pork butt cook on the grate, this past weekend. I didn't notice any difference in taste or difference. I don't know that I will hang a single butt again.

[JeffJ]

Thanks guys. You kind of confirmed my thought. What got me thinking about this is I've somewhat recently been cooking in my 14.5 WSM on the top grate with the bowl removed. The results have been mostly excellent so I was thinking the results from the grate in the PBC should be similar.

[RobertC]

I did my first pork butt on the hook, and lost part of it in sacrifice to Haephestus, the god of fire. Subsequently, I've been using the grate.

[Nate]

I always use the grate. The guys I know that hang theirs will wrap it with butcher’s twine.

[HawkerXP]

This is what I have done. I tie it even if I'm using the Weber. After I cut the string off I save it as dental floss. :0 MMmmmmm

[BourBonQ]

The ones I've hung, I've ended up putting on the grate late in the cook anyway for fear of dropping it, so now I just go straight to the grate.

[HawkerXP]

+1

[Bob's BBQ]

I've done it both ways - could tell no difference in the finished product.

[JeffJ]

That cinches it. Definitely grate.

[xaugievike]

I once figured that the grate positioned the butt (and chuckie) about 1" from where the lowest point would be if I hung it.

As as such I use the grate just so I don't have to fuss with the piece later in the cook. More time for beer that way.

[TripleB]

I grate. Much easier to mop.

[fzxdoc]

I stay true to the PBC ethic and hang those suckas, double hooked. Take off and grate at 170°F or so. Never yet had one hit the fire yet, and I've smoked my weight and more in pork butts.

Kathryn

[jfmorris]

I'm itching for a PBC before summer, so that I can load that bad boy up with ribs. Do you ever find yourself having to trim the slabs of ribs so that they don't reach all the way down to the charcoal? Same thing would apply to some of the pork loins I smoke - those big pork loins from Sam's Club can be pretty long. They fit just fine on my offset, but are too long to fit on a kettle. Of course the last pork loin I cooked I SV'ed!

[xaugievike]

I hook ribs as low as I can. also always double hook (and on a recent meaty set of spares triple hooked) to avoid an offering to the bbq gods.

[Sasquatch]

I also hook as low as possible.....when the first rack falls off the hooks I know they are done...lol!

[phoccer]

Same as the other two, I hook the racks as low as possible so you end up having 2 or 3 ribs bending over at the top. I also double hook. I have read of others cutting racks in half and single hooking the halves. I'll probably try that this weekend.

[John Henry]

Butts on grate; chix on hooks; ribs trimmed an hooked-up.

[smn1285]

I plan on smoking my 1st pork butt on Friday and was going to double hook and hang for sure.

jfmorris I’ve had ribs touch the coals before and just put the hook down another bone or 2 and it was fine. You can also just cut them in half if they are too long also.

[jfmorris]

Thanks for the info. I imagine if I try to really load it up with ribs I'll need an extra set of hooks in order to be able to double hook all the slabs, but I'll cross that bridge AFTER I satisfy my MCS with a PBC. I feel like I need a few more acronyms in that sentence....

[smn1285]

Well, keep in mind, if you've cooked your ribs so long that they fall off the bone, they are way overdone. A single hook 3 bones down should be all you need. About 1.5 hours or so to color, and finish them crutched on the grate.