Help for a novice

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Pig Man

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Hello my name is Pig Man, and I love to eat Pig.

Sounds like a support group doesn't it? We have moved from Memphis and cannot find good pig like we had at home. I need help as I am venturing into uncharted waters. I am a good basic grill guy on the Weber with stuff like,
burgers, steaks and such. Well I have a need of pig, seriously smoked and
loved to perfection. I purchased a Weber performer gold, With a Maverick 732
and yes, as a novice, I purchased a Smokenator. Well I did ribs on them. Ribs my dear brothers!!!

Enough with the poetic waxin' I cooked the ribs for about 5 hours. 3 racks with 3 different rubs. I did enjoy it. My issue is this:

All kinds of websites, theory and sales pitches have worn my brain to a nub. I need help.

A) Is grate temp the best way to measure?

B) To master a consistent temp takes a lot of work with my equipment. Am I
Don Quixote chasing 225 at the grate?


C)To really smoke shoulder (Butts ) and ribs, should I bite the bullet and buy a
smoker? Can happiness be achieved with what I have?

Signed Longing for good Pig
 
A) Yes.

B) Not impossible just a lot of work. I would find a temp that your Weber will cook at and keep a consistent temp and adjust your cook time.

C) Use the Google search at the bottom of the page and search "snake". That is the easiest way to do a butt on a kettle grill. If that is not to your liking read the UDS thread and build one.
 
You came to the right place to have all your questions answered. Unfortunately, I can't answer them since I don't have that grill.

I will say this, you don't have to aim for 225. I do my best Q around 275-300. Try to find where your cooker likes to cook at and let it roll there.
 
UDS smoker

I do not have experience with the smokenator, but I just built a UDS after a lot of research into a quality smoker. If you can locate a foodsafe 55 gal drum , for the minimal investment you cant beat its performance. There is more than enough info here to help you from start to completion and they run like champs.
 
Tanx, me brudders!!!

Thanks for the insight, I have been trying to make my grill adhere to me perhaps
I do need to find the grills sweet spot and work with it. My only question on the snake method is how to add coals on a long cook. Say an 8lbs pork shoulder?
 
You don't need to add any coals, I can get 16 hrs at 250 should you need to add then in front of the fire and let it make a second lap. The important thing is to keep the exhaust vent opposite the fire I rotate it 90 deg every 4 hrs
 
What BD said. I went 9 hours at 275-300 for a 12lb brisket, and there was still 1 to 2 hours left in it. My snake wasn't that large either. I also by instinct and experience doing indirect on a kettle, rotated my exhaust during the cook to keep it opposite the fire.

Cooking a pork butt should be an easy task on a kettle with the snake method.
 
Indeed - came to the right place.
A kettle plus the right knowledge, technique, and strategy will be a down-right righteous combination.
 
Thank You!!!

I really appreciate the replies. I tried the ole smokenator without the center pan.
I did an 8 lb pork butt, or shoulder. I followed your advice at My Weber likes 237. I used a small water pan on top of the grate and a larger one under the
meat. It turned out great!!! It took 10 hours and tasted great. I learned alot
and had no left overs. Thanks for your help !!!
 
Might as well just go put money down on a jambo right now. If you stick around, by the time it's done you'll be ready
 
Congrats... it only gets better from here for the most part. You have overcome the hardest part.

The devil is in the details..
 
1) Yes
2) 215-250 is 225 as far my ribs are concerned.
3) I can smoke a good pork butt under a cover over an open pit. So a smoker is nice. A weber is a fine unit Steve rachain has written a number of good books on cooking on a kettle.
 
Webers are great. My guess is that soon enough you're going to get an actual smoker. I started out just like you, but after looking at this site for a year and a half, I had to get a smoker. So much fun.
 
Stark-O-Rama said:
Webers are great. My guess is that soon enough you're going to get an actual smoker. I started out just like you, but after looking at this site for a year and a half, I had to get a smoker. So much fun.
Click to expand...

I'll 2nd that this site will make you have multiple grills & smokers... I'm a bit biased and lazy I guess but nothing beats the smoking ease of a kamado grill; I light my lump, throw in some wood chunks and wait for thin smoke; Add on my maverick 732 and my pork butt..usually come back 8-1o hrs later to gaze at it lovingly and let it go until it hits 195-205 IT..most times I've still got enough lump left to cook 1-2 more short meals over high heat

Did I mention the Vision kamado is on sale right now @ Costco for $399..some brethern are reporting as low as $299 as they move out summer prods for fall...

Happy grilling/smoking
 
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