lighting charcoal for WSM

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bobaftt

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I am planning my first cook for Saturday. I am planning on using the minion method. I have a turkey burner and a weber chimney. Would yall suggest using the turkey burner to get the charcoal started? How many pounds of charcoal should I load the smoker with for an 8 lb pork butt? Can I cut the pork butt in half and only smoke half of it with this being my first attempt so I only screw up a little bit of pork? Any suggestions for a Rub (planning on pulling the recipe for one off of here) I am also planning to inject it with 2 parts apple juice 1 part water and 1 part apple cider vinegar do you guys think thats a good injection? Sorry so many questions I am just thankful to find a place with all these experts!
 
1ST thing good choice on cooker and the meat.

I generally use about 1 chimney of unlit and 1/2 chimney of unlit

I would not cut the meat, and do not worry, you have to almost be trying to harm a butt. The injection sounds good to me, but I have done them injected with 100% AJ and garlic powder.
 
I would use a couple chimneys unlit and about 12-15 coals lit. Plan on 12 hrs for tehh 8 lbder give or take.

I also would not cut the meat, and I would not inject your first time. Get a feel for the flavor and smoking a simple rubbed butt, then adjust from there.
 
Bob,
I ususally start the WSM with a full ring of unlit (either Rancher or lump) with 3 or 4 fist sized chunks of wood for smoke (Hickory and apple ar good on a butt). I leave the ring full of unlit high around the edge and sloping to a little low in the middle, and dump about a half chimney of lit on top of the unlit. BTW, on your "C" WSM, the charcoal ring has one set of holes around the perimeter. I always put the holes down. I don't know if it matters. You should get at least 12 hours of burn out of a full ring.
Keep the butt whole. Chances are slim you'll wreck it.
It's gonna plateau, around 160 degrees or so, and it will sit there, maybe for hours. That's OK. Just let it go. Take it to 190 - 200, foil it with some apple juice, and cooler it in a dry cooler with towels to let it rest for a couple of hours.
Then, pull it, pile it on regular white hamburger buns with (or without) sauce and coleslaw and chow down!

You asked about a rub recipe. I don't have it with me, but mine consists of brown sugar, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chipotle pepper. A couple of other ingredients that I can't divulge. :evil::mrgreen:

Good luck!
 
What's a turkey burner?

I used to use a chimney but didn't like the newspaper ash blowing around. It works fine, though.

Now I use a propane blowtorch. I load the charcoal, then light a small corner of the pile (focused on four of five pieces of lump / briquette, whichever I happen to be using). After 2-3 minutes, the coals are going and that's it.
 
man that website should be a requirement if you like cook on wsm's I found it long time ago improved my smoking to fold even after taking smoking classes

I actually don't like butts injected, it gets wayyyy to sweet, do not like it, but your inject is what I use to use.

just want to warn you, if you didn't know, there is a couple things you need to cut out, usually a vain and a "eyeball" well it looks like one to me, if you don't , it will smell bad,

one more thing every time I smoke I always cut a butt in half, only reason being is, I get to experment with one half, different rubs, mops, ect. ect. true with anything I smoke, figure it will freeze just fine if it turned out well. harbor is right you don't need too.

Traeger 124, modding now
WSM
cheapo offset Modded heavy
 
agentmichael said:
just want to warn you, if you didn't know, there is a couple things you need to cut out, usually a vain and a "eyeball" well it looks like one to me, if you don't , it will smell bad,
Click to expand...


:shock::shock::shock:
I never heard of that before.
 
Well since there's been no update on this I guess I'll keep cooking smelly Butts full of "vains" and eyeballs.
 
For my last butt cook on the WSM I put an empty baked beans can with both ends removed (the large size I used when I made Kerri's Hog Apple Beans) on the charcoal grate, then filled the ring all around that. I lit about a quarter chimney of briquets, then poured them into the can.

I then used a pair of pliers to pull the can out of the smoker leaving the lit coals in the middle.

It worked perfectly!
 
agentmichael2
sorry i mean that gland under the blade, sometimes theres a vain stuck to it also, looking for a pic of what I mean


butpic3.jpg

http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/agentmichael2/
 
Last edited:
icemn62 said:
1ST thing good choice on cooker and the meat.

I generally use about 1 chimney of unlit and 1/2 chimney of unlit

I would not cut the meat, and do not worry, you have to almost be trying to harm a butt. The injection sounds good to me, but I have done them injected with 100% AJ and garlic powder.
Click to expand...


Man you do cook LOW and slow don't you.

What everybody else said (except the eyeball and vain thing), Wilkat also let me in on the secret of flipping the door over for better fire management. Don't know if he was yanking my chain or not, but it did work for me. Can control the fire much better.
 
I also go with a full ring, three to four chunks buried in the unburned and then about 10 lit on top. I just use the oil soaked, rolled up napkin to light the coals. If you are doing a butt, might as well toss in some fatties too. Make the most of the heat and smoke!! Heck, toss in another butt. Leftovers for the week area good thing.
 
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