A little background as I started with a Weber 22 inch kettle. My venture into the low and slow methodology was with Brinkman also known as ECB and then I tried a cheap offset smoker. While I was able to cook some decent ribs, I quickly realized that these two were a dead-end. After reading the good advice on the Amazing Ribs site, I ordered the Smokenator 1000 and a Party Q. This was beneficial, but limited, so I moved to the WSM 22 inch.
The WSM is a great piece of equipment. But, my brisket was lacking. After learning about UDS via You Tube and reading the various articles on this web site, i.e., reverse flow and the review of the PBC, I thought that hanging meat in a vertical cook environment might be a way to "kick my brisket up a notch." While Weber has a smoking rack, it is in my opinion too flimsy to support the likes of a brisket or four or more racks of ribs. The PBC seemed to be the next step: however, I am too old and frugal to drop $300 on a "maybe." I decided to alter an old Weber grate as a test. With the help of my neighbor, who has an arch welder, I was able to fabricate a circular hanging bar 5 inches above the original grate. (see Pics below) The added inches keeps those larger briskets a few inches above the hot charcoal. With some hooks found on the Internet, I was now able to hang brisket vertically in the WSM. My first cook was a 12 pound packer from COSTCO trimmed to about 10 directly over the charcoal (no water pan or heat shield). The drippings from the meat hit the hot coals and are vaporized keeping a moist environment in the cooking chamber. I used the Party Q, as always with the Weber, to maintain 275 degree cook. After two hours the brisket had a good color and I sprayed it with apple juice and BBQ sauce mix and every hour there after.. With hinged top it is easier to partly open that heavy lid and get a good-quick spray without too much temperature change. It reached 165 in 4 hours. AT that point the hanging grate was switched to the standard grate, after a foil wrap the brisket went back in the WSM until it reached 200 F, which took 65 minutes. The foiled brisket was wrapped in a towel and place in the Coleman. After 3 hrs. we ate the best brisket that I have ever cooked.. My wife, who is very picky about her Que, said "it was as good as or better than any she had tasted in the Austin, TX area." (We have not endured the 3-4 hour wait for Franklin's BBQ and never will.) The burnt-ends were also great. The next cook was spare ribs (4); began spray after 2 hours and very 1/2 hour thereafter until done, total time 4 1?2 without a wrap during the cook. After removing from the grill, the ribs were basted, wrapped in foil and rested wrapped in a towel in the Coleman for an hour, Again, great ribs according to my neighbors.
​I have cooked two brine-split chickens and a couple of tri-tips. Removed the tri-tips when they reach 120 F; rested for 10-15 minutes, then to the grill for a reverse sear on each side with a final temperature of 140-145 F.
I found virtually no difference between the hanging grate or the standard grate when cooking pork butt, whole turkey or whole chicken.
All of my cook times have been consistent with fzxdoc's extensive PBC cook times. I find this posting a great planning guide for cooking multiple meats and veggies, Great Post!
What stared as a "hopeful" experiment has turned into onr og those "eureka" moments that has extended my capabilites with the WSM and gave me the brisket that I have always wanted to cook. With these shared experiences and accumulated data it can be hypothesized that the vertical hanging cook method is superior for amateurse, like me, when cooking meats with a long axis, i.e.,briskets, ribs and split fowl, with a lesser to no advantage for those meats that are rounded in nature--pork butts, whole fowl, etc. Those of you with a PBC have and are leading the way and hopefully this shared corporate experience will continue to shed light on better way of doing what we all enjoy--cooking some Q
Some pics
The WSM is a great piece of equipment. But, my brisket was lacking. After learning about UDS via You Tube and reading the various articles on this web site, i.e., reverse flow and the review of the PBC, I thought that hanging meat in a vertical cook environment might be a way to "kick my brisket up a notch." While Weber has a smoking rack, it is in my opinion too flimsy to support the likes of a brisket or four or more racks of ribs. The PBC seemed to be the next step: however, I am too old and frugal to drop $300 on a "maybe." I decided to alter an old Weber grate as a test. With the help of my neighbor, who has an arch welder, I was able to fabricate a circular hanging bar 5 inches above the original grate. (see Pics below) The added inches keeps those larger briskets a few inches above the hot charcoal. With some hooks found on the Internet, I was now able to hang brisket vertically in the WSM. My first cook was a 12 pound packer from COSTCO trimmed to about 10 directly over the charcoal (no water pan or heat shield). The drippings from the meat hit the hot coals and are vaporized keeping a moist environment in the cooking chamber. I used the Party Q, as always with the Weber, to maintain 275 degree cook. After two hours the brisket had a good color and I sprayed it with apple juice and BBQ sauce mix and every hour there after.. With hinged top it is easier to partly open that heavy lid and get a good-quick spray without too much temperature change. It reached 165 in 4 hours. AT that point the hanging grate was switched to the standard grate, after a foil wrap the brisket went back in the WSM until it reached 200 F, which took 65 minutes. The foiled brisket was wrapped in a towel and place in the Coleman. After 3 hrs. we ate the best brisket that I have ever cooked.. My wife, who is very picky about her Que, said "it was as good as or better than any she had tasted in the Austin, TX area." (We have not endured the 3-4 hour wait for Franklin's BBQ and never will.) The burnt-ends were also great. The next cook was spare ribs (4); began spray after 2 hours and very 1/2 hour thereafter until done, total time 4 1?2 without a wrap during the cook. After removing from the grill, the ribs were basted, wrapped in foil and rested wrapped in a towel in the Coleman for an hour, Again, great ribs according to my neighbors.
​I have cooked two brine-split chickens and a couple of tri-tips. Removed the tri-tips when they reach 120 F; rested for 10-15 minutes, then to the grill for a reverse sear on each side with a final temperature of 140-145 F.
I found virtually no difference between the hanging grate or the standard grate when cooking pork butt, whole turkey or whole chicken.
All of my cook times have been consistent with fzxdoc's extensive PBC cook times. I find this posting a great planning guide for cooking multiple meats and veggies, Great Post!
What stared as a "hopeful" experiment has turned into onr og those "eureka" moments that has extended my capabilites with the WSM and gave me the brisket that I have always wanted to cook. With these shared experiences and accumulated data it can be hypothesized that the vertical hanging cook method is superior for amateurse, like me, when cooking meats with a long axis, i.e.,briskets, ribs and split fowl, with a lesser to no advantage for those meats that are rounded in nature--pork butts, whole fowl, etc. Those of you with a PBC have and are leading the way and hopefully this shared corporate experience will continue to shed light on better way of doing what we all enjoy--cooking some Q
Some pics
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