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jeffreywp1
05-04-2014, 07:58 AM
I have been asked to do a whole hog, which I have never done.:shock: My lower grate measures 53 inches by 28 inches. How large of a pig can I fit on that and how many people will that feed. I have only been to one pig picking and that one was cooked hot and fast on what I call a pig cooker. Just an oil drum cut in half with the coals going under the hog. What is my best bet cooking on an offset cooker? Hot and fast, low and slow, or some combination? What are the most common preps as far as seasoning and mops go? I know that's a lot of questions for one post and all help is appreciated!

Thanks
Jeff

dwfisk
05-04-2014, 08:08 AM
I think 115#-125#, easy and I figured at 50% yeild and 1/2# per person you should be at 100+. My grate is about the same length as yours but only 24" wide. Here is my last/best cook, overall summary starts at page 3.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=184954
Note the serving tray I made, just sized so the cooking grate can just drop right in for presentation & serving. Worked great. Subscribed to your thread and happy to answer any questions I can.

Edit: this was a neat trick that really helped.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=foiling%20whole%20hog&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCkQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DYAL H0H-25x4&ei=7jxmU569G-_IsAT1vYDoAg&usg=AFQjCNFZ7-ShxQW_ZsSTGfy2_1gJnaGPDA

jeffreywp1
05-04-2014, 09:06 AM
I think 115#-125#, easy and I figured at 50% yeild and 1/2# per person you should be at 100+. My grate is about the same length as yours but only 24" wide. Here is my last/best cook, overall summary starts at page 3.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=184954
Note the serving tray I made, just sized so the cooking grate can just drop right in for presentation & serving. Worked great. Subscribed to your thread and happy to answer any questions I can.

Edit: this was a neat trick that really helped.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=foiling%20whole%20hog&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCkQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DYAL H0H-25x4&ei=7jxmU569G-_IsAT1vYDoAg&usg=AFQjCNFZ7-ShxQW_ZsSTGfy2_1gJnaGPDA
Thanks for sharing the thread! That looked awesome and doable! How long into the cook did you wrap the hog? Did it have that color when you wrapped it? How did you season the hog?

Trailer Trash
05-04-2014, 01:42 PM
Jeffery, I think DW is right on with his info. I just did an 83 Lbs. Hog on my PR60 Meadow Creek (see here) http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186934
This has a 24" x 58" grate and as you can see in the pic, there was plenty additional room for a larger hog. I did a fair amount of research as you are doing and found these numbers to be consistent with other cooks;

- Most of the numbers I found say to figure 1 Lbs. of whole uncooked hog per guest and to plan a cook time of 1 hour per 10 Lbs.+ 2 hours. Example: An 80 Lbs. Pig should feed 80 guests and take 10 hours to reach around 185 degrees at a cook temperature of 250+ degrees. I found that to be fairly accurate but would not count on that exactly if I had this much at risk...

This is also inline with what DW found.

If you decorate, print pictures of what you'd like to see, buy the fruits and if you're pooped or hammered (unfortunately I had to cut that out :). ) then pick out some guests, give them the pics and tell em they've been hired and don't let you down!

Good luck on your cook! It is a lot of fun! :-D

dwfisk
05-04-2014, 02:24 PM
Thanks for sharing the thread! That looked awesome and doable! How long into the cook did you wrap the hog? Did it have that color when you wrapped it? How did you season the hog?

I covered with foil at about 2 hours in; yea I know that sounds early but I wanted to make sure I got to the rich mahogany color, not black. The first picture in my post shows the hog on my cooker with ears, nose and tail foiled (did that from the very beginning) and just starting to ge some color on the shoulders and back, that is when I foiled.

Seasoning was very simple, just some Byron's Butt Rub on the inside of the cavity; olive oil and heavy sea salt on the skin, immmediately before going in the cooker. Lots of folks inject and use much more elaborate seasonings, I just wanted this one to be pretty simple. I've done others with a spray of 2/3 apple juice and 1/3 apple cider vinegar every 1/2 hour in the last couple hours of the cook and that turned out real tasty.

I would add if you enter "whole hog" in the search tool you will find plenty of good advice, that's how I started doing them.

jeffreywp1
05-04-2014, 03:42 PM
What are the advantages of going belly down vs belly up?

Trailer Trash
05-04-2014, 04:44 PM
I think it's personal preference. I like the looks or presentation of belly down. Some people believe they keep more of the juices in with belly up because the hide/skin holds the juices like a large vat. Some debate that with the idea that the meat becomes mushy. Mine was belly down and it was very moist and delicious. It'd be interesting to hear from the Brethren about any bad hog cooks because I believe there is more tolerance in doing a hog than you think and we'd find most all have been a success.

gtr
05-04-2014, 05:06 PM
You've got plenty of good info here, but I figured I'd throw in my first whole pig cook thread as well.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=150518

Since then I've started using cabbages in the cavity (I cook racer style) with great results.

I've never done belly up - seems to me like you want the grease that renders to run off and go down the ball valve - allowing grease to collect increases your chance of a flaming piggy, which might look awesome but may not be very delicious.

I'll second Trailer Trash's about most pig cooks being a success - the only fails I think I've heard of stem from incorrectly executed underground cooks. Basically if you cook at 250 and get the hams and shoulders to 190, let it rest a little, you're good. I know there are other ways to do it, but this a method that I know first hand works for sure.

jeffreywp1
05-04-2014, 05:35 PM
You've got plenty of good info here, but I figured I'd throw in my first whole pig cook thread as well.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=150518

Since then I've started using cabbages in the cavity (I cook racer style) with great results.

I've never done belly up - seems to me like you want the grease that renders to run off and go down the ball valve - allowing grease to collect increases your chance of a flaming piggy, which might look awesome but may not be very delicious.

I'll second Trailer Trash's about most pig cooks being a success - the only fails I think I've heard of stem from incorrectly executed underground cooks. Basically if you cook at 250 and get the hams and shoulders to 190, let it rest a little, you're good. I know there are other ways to do it, but this a method that I know first hand works for sure.
That looks good. Is the pit in the picture with you hold in pig head up the pit you cook it in? It doesn't look like it would be big enough, but that could be a camera trick. I don't think a flaming piggy would look good in my pit:shock:LOL. Are the cabbages good eats in the end? Is the skin eatable and does covering at any point have an effect on the skin being more or less eatable?

jeffreywp1
05-04-2014, 05:40 PM
Jeffery, I think DW is right on with his info. I just did an 83 Lbs. Hog on my PR60 Meadow Creek (see here) http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=186934
This has a 24" x 58" grate and as you can see in the pic, there was plenty additional room for a larger hog. I did a fair amount of research as you are doing and found these numbers to be consistent with other cooks;

- Most of the numbers I found say to figure 1 Lbs. of whole uncooked hog per guest and to plan a cook time of 1 hour per 10 Lbs.+ 2 hours. Example: An 80 Lbs. Pig should feed 80 guests and take 10 hours to reach around 185 degrees at a cook temperature of 250+ degrees. I found that to be fairly accurate but would not count on that exactly if I had this much at risk...

This is also inline with what DW found.

If you decorate, print pictures of what you'd like to see, buy the fruits and if you're pooped or hammered (unfortunately I had to cut that out :). ) then pick out some guests, give them the pics and tell em they've been hired and don't let you down!

Good luck on your cook! It is a lot of fun! :-D

You hog looks great! What advantage is there in slitting the skin before cooking? More smoke? Faster cook time?

gtr
05-04-2014, 06:34 PM
That looks good. Is the pit in the picture with you hold in pig head up the pit you cook it in? It doesn't look like it would be big enough, but that could be a camera trick. I don't think a flaming piggy would look good in my pit:shock:LOL. Are the cabbages good eats in the end? Is the skin eatable and does covering at any point have an effect on the skin being more or less eatable?

That is the pit I cooked it in. It's 20" x 50" and 70# is the max size pig I can fit in there. The cabbage was OK, but we really didn't pay much attention to it other than tasting it - it'd probably make for a good wrapping type thing. I did not get edible skin cooking this way. I think edible skin requires more direct heat. I think some folks will throw the skin on some high heat after offset cooking, but I haven't done it - I'm to busy hogging the cheek meat!

One thing - take those bones and make pork stock - fantastic for beans, jambalaya, injecting, sausage making, etc.

Trailer Trash
05-04-2014, 10:50 PM
You hog looks great! What advantage is there in slitting the skin before cooking? More smoke? Faster cook time?

Good question on the razor blade slits... Ha! Not sure this had anything to do with the final product quality. I was hoping for a little rub getting down into the meat and a crispier skin texture but it was tough as most cookers will admit theirs as well. It did look "cool" and didn't seem to distract from moisture content. It gives you more understanding about how much "success tolerant" a cooked pig has. I think you can try some specific individual touches without screwing up your whole cook. (If everyone congratulates you on the pig, go ahead and take the credit of your different approach to "Pig Cook'n". IMHO :)