Please help, How much weight can I put on the grate at one time

[bigr314]

I am doing my first big smoke Sunday for my sons graduation party.I have 3 - 9 pound pork butts to smoke. Is that to much weight to put on one grate. Should I smoke one of them a day earlier to be safe. The grate is a 22.5 inch weber grate. I have 3- 41/2 inch -1/4 inch lag bots to hold it up. Thanks

 

[austexrod]

I think the weight should be fine, the question is will they cook evenly and get enough smoke through and around them. Please let us know the end result. buena suerte.

 

 

[adiochiro3]

I would think that weight would be no problem.  You could do a test run with the butts by setting them on the grate one at a time (still in the packages) until either they are all in or the grate collapses...

  You should be fine.  Just make sure you have space between them for the heat & smoke to circulate.

 

[SmokinAl]

It will easily hold that much weight.

 

[bigr314]

As always thanks for the info !

 

[jirodriguez]

I have crammed up to four 10 lb. butts onto my 22.5" WSM with no problems. Only thing to remember is that is a lot of mass to get up to temp, so allow some extra time (1-2 hrs) in the cook and you will be fine.

 

[bigr314]

Thanks JIRodriguez. For a ball park number how long should I allow to cook.Party starts at 2 Sunday. I was thinking to start around 10 pm Saturday night.

 

[rowdyrawhide]

I would think that should be enough time, but you could always put them on sooner and wrap in towels and put in a cooler to rest until you are ready for them.  I have put four butts in the same cooler for over six hours before and they were still too hot to pull with bare hands.  If you go this route you could put them on at 8 or 9 and give yourself some leeway too make sure they all get cooked. This is how I usually approach big cooks, I would rather let the meat rest in a cooler rather than having people waiting on it to finish.  Plus if it is already done, and all you have to do is pull it right before you eat, then that leaves you free for the finishing touches on other things that may not be as forgiving, or to have a beer ad relax before the mad rush.

Hope this helps

Aaron

 

[alaskanbear]

If you're still concerned about the excess weight, send me one and I will smoke it, pull it, eat it and report back to you and all your guests on how great it was..  (Winks)

Rich

 

[meateater]

Thanks JIRodriguez. For a ball park number how long should I allow to cook.Party starts at 2 Sunday. I was thinking to start around 10 pm Saturday night.

If you can keep cooking temps around 250 I would think that 16 hours might work. You

can always start about 6 hours earlier and wrap them and put in a cooler when done to let all the juices settle. That amount of meat will keep hot in a cooler for many hours. 

 I wouldnt worry about that amount of weight as long as you have 4 anchor points. 

 

[ecto1]

I have cooked 2 16 pound briskets on the same grate with the same set up.  Gonna take a few hours more to get to the temps you want for sure.

 

[tom37]

Yup start um early and time will be your best friend.

And I would have to say load it up till the grate sags. 

Not the same issue but close, loaded about 50 slabs in the big rotator with the skirts hanging off a little. They fit barely. Until. 

They started getting firm from cooking, then the grates would bump the skirts and rock the racks. 

We lost around 12 slabs into the bottom of the big tank. Thunk clunk plop splat, walaa then we had to take um all inside and wash um and rerub them and back to the rig. We laugh about it now but we sure wern't laughin then.

 

[rowdyrawhide]

Well, how did everything go for the party??  Success? Qview?

 

[bigr314]

Sorry i do not have any pics. We had well over 200 people it was chaos at first. We had the party catered but I added 3-9# pork butts and 40# of smoked buffalo chicken wings. The party started at 2:00 Sunday. I started smoking the pork at 8:00 Saturday night. At about 5:30 am the temp was 160 on the pork. I foiled the butts and put them back on the smoker. I kept the temp between 240 and 250. The first one reached 200 about 9:00 Sunday morning and the other two followed . The butts were all done by 11:00 am. As they reach 200 I then wrapped them in towels and  placed them in an ice chest until 1:00. We started pulling then.In the mean time I made 2 finishing sauces.A Carolina and BBQ. Both recipes I found on this forum.At 11:30 I cleaned the fire basket  and got it started again so I could start smoking the wings. I have 2 cooking grates on my UDS so I was able to smoke the wings in 3 smokes. So about every 2 hours I had fresh wings. By 5:00 PM all the pulled pork was gone. and by 11:00 PM all the wings were gone. I had food left from the caterer.  Everyone said they never tasted pulled pork like that before and the smoked buffalo wings were the best also. One guest was from North Carolina and moved here. She said the Carolina pulled pork was just as Good or better than she had back home. Next time I will have pics.

I would just like to thank all the people from this forum that helped me out. There is no way I would of [pulled] ha this off with you guys. Thanks again

 

[bigr314]

Sorry I maent to say without you guys. I t is hard to think and type at 4:30 in the morning