Two Pork shoulders in a Mini-WSM clone.

addertooth

Smoking Fanatic

Original poster

Jul 1, 2014

541

72

Arizona, 15 miles from the Mexican border.

• Jul 25, 2014

• #1

The two pork shoulders (7.8 pound and 8.4 pound) are rubbed down and vacuum packed.  Tomorrow both will be put in the Cuisinart Mini-WSF-like smoker for the first leg of the smoke.  At 165 degrees they will get foiled and moved to the MES 40 for finishing.  I want to see how pulled pork tastes when it has been smoked over charcoal and wood chunks.  Once wrapped in foil, they can't absorb any more smoke, so the MES makes sense to finish them off (no fussing with temperatures or coals which are approaching end of life).  I will be using hickory and apple wood chunks added to the charcoal.  I have high hopes.  Pictures will be posted as it gets done. 

 

dirtsailor2003

Epic Pitmaster

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Oct 4, 2012

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Bend Oregon

• Jul 26, 2014

• #2

I smoke my butts the whole go on the mini over the coals. Really easy to change coals in the mini if needed during long cooks. Have your new coals ready. Pull the pot. Dump the old add the new put the pot back on. Never lost more than 10 degrees. Gotta love the mini!

 

addertooth

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Original poster

Thread starter

Jul 1, 2014

541

72

Arizona, 15 miles from the Mexican border.

• Jul 26, 2014

• #3

With two big hunks of meat in the mini-wsm it is producing about a 20 degree difference inside the pot from top to bottom.  The big shoulder on the bottom is really sucking the heat out.  It appears to be cooking faster as well.  Looks like the bottom shoulder will be pulled first, or I can hope for a stall, and wait for the second one to hit 165.  Right now the bottom shoulder is at 138, 4 hours 20 minutes into the smoke; good progress. With 15+ pounds of meat in the smoker, the legs of the Cuisinart base are giving me some worry; they are quite wobbly.  The next mod will be strengthening the legs. 

 

dirtsailor2003

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Oct 4, 2012

21,947

4,224

Bend Oregon

• Jul 26, 2014

• #4

Sounds like you are cruising along. When I have done two 8# butts I noticed 10-15 between the two racks. Full bottom cut out on the pot and a 10" terracotta diffuser.

 

addertooth

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Jul 1, 2014

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Arizona, 15 miles from the Mexican border.

• Jul 26, 2014

• #5

Eight hours in, dumped the ashes, added new coals and wood chunks. The coals and chunks added were in the chimney for 15 minutes to get rid of all the bad stuff which would make the smoke "yellow".   Bottom shoulder is already at the expected 165 stall, waiting for the top shoulder to catch up. Bark is well set, and a deep color.

 

Last edited: Jul 26, 2014

addertooth

Smoking Fanatic

Original poster

Thread starter

Jul 1, 2014

541

72

Arizona, 15 miles from the Mexican border.

• Jul 26, 2014

• #6

Twelve hours after the start, both shoulders are at 203, going to rest the meat any minute now.  The last 4 hours the shoulders have cooked in the MES 40, foil wrapped at 275. 

 

addertooth

Smoking Fanatic

Original poster

Thread starter

Jul 1, 2014

541

72

Arizona, 15 miles from the Mexican border.

• Jul 27, 2014

• #7

Rested, shredded, vacuum packed, frozen; it is a lot of meat. We be eating this a while.  Thankfully it is put in multiple vacuum packs.

 

bgmddy

Newbie

Oct 1, 2014

20

11

Memphis area

• Dec 10, 2014

• #8

Addertooth said:

 
The two pork shoulders (7.8 pound and 8.4 pound) are rubbed down and vacuum packed.  Tomorrow both will be put in the Cuisinart Mini-WSF-like smoker for the first leg of the smoke.  At 165 degrees they will get foiled and moved to the MES 40 for finishing.  I want to see how pulled pork tastes when it has been smoked over charcoal and wood chunks.  Once wrapped in foil, they can't absorb any more smoke, so the MES makes sense to finish them off (no fussing with temperatures or coals which are approaching end of life).  I will be using hickory and apple wood chunks added to the charcoal.  I have high hopes.  Pictures will be posted as it gets done. 

Click to expand...

I've also put foiled items in the MES (closed the vents on Mini to snuff the coals and save them for next smoke) but I also like finishing in an electric countertop roaster -- makes the kitchen smell GREAT!

I love reading about Mini experiments, whether with different charcoal grills (like yours), different pots, diffusers, or different anything,  Nice!