Question About "MultiLevel" Smoking...

[skyclad]

Hello to all smokedFoodLovers!

I have a pretty basic question for you guys, and some of you are gonna wonder why I don't know this already..  This is why I love forums......you don't feel so stupid when asking stuff here....!

I have a Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5 smoker and really love this thing, but I think I could use some words of advice in order to get the most out of this great smoker..  If you guys know of a specific link I need to read to get informed on all things SmokeyMtn. please send! 

In the meantime, back to the very basic question I have..  It has to do with smoking on the lower level rack..  I've never used it!  I know, I've seen all the pics in the instruction manual on how you can smoke a turkey and cook ribs at the same time.........but most of the stuff I see with regard to smoking has to do with smoking on the top rack only..  I'm wondering, if I do use that bottom rack, how do you keep the drippings of the top meat off the meat on the bottom one?  Nothing like getting some turkeyJuice or ribJuice on whatever the bottom meat might be, eh?  I would really like to hear how you guys do this at your place..  Please let me know when you got time...:)

Thanks in advance for any info you can send!

 

[westby]

I am by no means an expert, but here is what I do as a general rule (and I have cooked multiple meats at one time in a vertical smoker):

Beef above pork.  Pork above chicken/turkey.

I want to make sure the lowest finished internal cooking temp is on top and highest on the bottom.  I don't want to cross contaminate anything and make my guests sick.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Chicken Dripping and safety is not an issue as the surface of everything coming out will be 225+, nothing can survive. Flavor wise, Pork fat on Chicken taste GOOD! Other way around...

 Go with Beef, Pork, Chicken, top to bottom. You can always put whatever is on top in a pan. You get most of the smoke but no dripping...JJ

 

[skyclad]

Thanks to you guys that responded to my question earlier..!  I get the crossContamination thing definitely..  Don't wanna make anybody sick, that's for sure..

I was wondering if anybody here simply puts aluminum foil over the top of the bottom meat to keep the juices off of it from whatever is cooking above..  Also, wondering if you guys feel that plenty of smoke still gets to the meats when you cook in an pan on the top level..  Sounds like it still smokes things ok, and also saves all that wonderful jus, especially if cooking a Pork Shoulder/Butt..  The recipes I've seen says it's really important to save all those drippings, put in the fridge and take of the top layer of fat, then return jus to the pulled pork later..  This is what I've seen so far, but if you guys got any further suggestions that would be great..  Have never cooked a pork butt before, but seriously thinking of doing so today..  I got Jeff's rub and sauce ready to go on this!

Sorry for all the questions but got one more..  Might be going out on a limb here for the "purists" out there, but has anybody cooked a pork butt for say 4-5 hours getting smoke, then finishing off in the oven with a probe thermometer to get to that special 205 temp..?  I don't have a internal thermometer that I can use on the smoker outside...  

With all these new questions, let me know if I need to rePost some of this..  Just trying to "get er done" the right way..

Thanks for all your info and help!