Please pardon me for asking something that has probably been discussed before. I did search, but didn't find this topic. I have a WSM 14" and I've got an 8 lb pork butt lined up and ready to go. My boyfriend came home with 12 pounds of spare ribs, wanting me to add them to the cook. I think I could fit them in if I stand them up and curve them in a circle on the top grate. My question is, is it a bad idea to cook 20 pounds of meat at once on my little smoker? Will it take many extra hours? Might it be hard to keep the temp up high enough? Should I cut them in half and cook just one half of the ribs and freeze the rest to smoke next time? Thanks for your help. This is my fourth smoke. Having so much fun, and each time gets better. Cheers!
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I say if you can fit it all in there without anything touching the walls, and still have a decent spot to put the temp probe (if you have one?) you're good. That's a good amount though for a 14! -
If all that fits without touching (as Huskee says) then go for it. The issue is not how much meat by weight. It's thickness and what temp you can maintain. That said, that's a lot of meat for a small cooker. Remember it will impact the temp a lot. You may need longer than expected for that much meat.Comment
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Oooh, I love you guys. Real time BBQ advice 24/7.I decided to go easy on the little smoker and just smoke 6 pounds of ribs and my butt. The real answer is... Mama needs a bigger smoker!Comment
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Hahaha! What's MCS!?Comment
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Breadhead, I'm dying over here!! I caught MCS on my first smoke, when I discovered that it's absurd to try to cook a brisket on my little 14" smoker. I thought I was being prudenl. I thought I'd probably smoke once, find it exhausting, and leave it alone for another three to six months. Wrong!!!
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A less expensive entry into more capacity would be a 22" or 26" Weber kettle and the Slow 'N Sear (Sns) or SnSXL. When you need to do more, you can run both at the same time.Comment
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Do you mean the Weber kettle grill, as opposed to another smoker? I have one--the 22".Hmmmm....didn't think about using that to smoke.. Time to figure that out!! -
Yes Siree GirlpoweredBBQ . The Weber Kettle & SnS produces very good smoked meat or chicken. Plus, there is absolutely no better way to reverse sear steaks and burgers. Pull the MCS trigger on the SnS soon. With that rig and your 14" WSM you might be able to keep you MCS at bay for a little while.😆
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+1 to Huskee's comment.
Also, if you can fit it, you may wish to cut the butt in half. More bark and faster cook time.Last edited by richinlbrg; July 17, 2016, 10:27 AM.Comment
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I feel sorry for the guy who is gonna have fund this budding case of MCS.
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Hey! That's sexist! I make twice as much money as him..... And I buy all my own gear. Pfffft!Last edited by GirlpoweredBBQ; July 17, 2016, 02:00 PM. -
I bring home the bacon.... And then smoke it in my WSM! ☺
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+1 on what Huskee said.... Also with the Kettle and SnS combo you have a lot of versatility from a grill standpoint. SnS is the best 2 zone addition for a grill... I love it for doing reverse sear on chops, steaks, chicken, etc...Comment
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Or you can get a bigger WSM like the 22"Comment
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Fantasizing about exactly that!Last edited by GirlpoweredBBQ; July 17, 2016, 12:52 PM.
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If you've already got a grill, which your signature says you do, then I would add a larger WSM and a Slow n Sear :-)Comment
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+1 to Eqowper. I have a WSM 18" and the 26" Weber kettle with an SNS (actually, an SnS and an SnS XL). Best flexibility.Last edited by richinlbrg; July 17, 2016, 10:56 AM. -
Now I get it. Yes!! I'm going to try that.Last edited by GirlpoweredBBQ; July 17, 2016, 12:32 PM.
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My recommendation is to go slow initially. Ask yourself how often you need to smoke that much meat at one time. I had a WSM 18. Wasn't unusual to smoke a pork butt followed by a brisket, ribs or chicken. But only one of the meats was intended for the day's meal. The other was vacuum sealed and went into the freezer. Chicken was something I aimed for the freezer often after smoking some beef or pork. I now have a Yoder YS640 and do the same thing. If I am going to the trouble to fire up the smoker, it is rarely for just one meal.
That said, if stating from scratch, I would go Weber Kettle with SNS first. I wouldn't jump to add a bigger WSM until you are sure that is what you want (vs. a backwoods chubby or some type of pellet smoker vs ????).Last edited by jlazar; July 17, 2016, 12:57 PM.Comment
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Great advice. I don't fire it up without the intention of cooking a lot of meat. My boyfriend lifts weights and eats a lot of meat!!! I have been smoking every Sunday and then eat it all week. Even so, I have definitely now been convinced to start with the SnS. Yay! 22 more inches of grill space! -
You may want to consider a 26", GirlpoweredBBQ . The extra real estate can be quite nice!
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GirlpoweredBBQ , when I have a small smoke, I now use the kettle/SnS. Since I got the SnS, I only use the WSM for large cooks. For VERY large cooks, I have run both as smokers simultaneously.
For ME, the kettle is easier/faster to set up, uses significantly less charcoal, and I keep the flexibility with the grill. Welcome to MCS!Comment
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GirlpoweredBBQ I'm glad you already have a 22" kettle. That makes turning it into a smoker and expanding your capabilities very economical for you for a very modest price with only the SnS. No need to go big just yet, unless your 22" kettle/SnS and 14" WSM together prove too small. ABCbarbecue.com has some excellent techniques for the main BBQ meats as well as lighting instructions and temp control specific to the kettle/SnS setup...written by some really cool people! If you're really considering purchasing the SnS, this Amazon link will help AmazingRibs get a finder's fee, but won't affect your price.Comment
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Brilliant!! Thanks! Yes, gotta do this without delay as I just cooked some extremely disappointing spare ribs on my WSM. They didn't fit and I cooked them in a contorted way that resulted in some sections that resembled jerky and others that were kinda rubbery slimy. Just about broke my heart. -
Hey, Huskee, do you think I should get this model you have linked, or buy the SnS Plus? I don't really understand the difference, and I'm wondering if it's worth the price for the more expensive model. Thanks in advance!
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GirlpoweredBBQ I'll risk being stoned and say that if you want to smoke 20 lb of pork as you mentioned in your OP you need at least a WSM 22 or maybe a larger cooker. Not dissing the 22 kettle/SNS combo, it's great for a rack or two of ribs or a single butt but it just doesn't have the real estate for a big cook. Just the facts, ma'am.
HTH,
BillComment
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