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Advice Needed - Efficient use of cooker space

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mike(Mi)
  • Start date Start date
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Mike(Mi)

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Finally got my daughter to come down from Traverse City for a Q extravaganza next weekend. Probably have the other kids and some neighbors over. The boyfriend has to work, yada-yada, so shes bringing an old highschool girlfriend. After a great meal for, oh, 12 people, I want her to have massive amounts of frozen Q of various kinds to take back home.

I'm using the Bandera with Als basket, the WSM and the Kettle. So far I'm thinking briskets, butts, baby backs, beef ribs, maybe a chicken or two, fatties and Turds. I've got a lot of grill space to fill up. Got to stock up on charcoal and split some wood. :lol:

Quantity and Quality is the goal here. How would you divy up the meat in the various cookers to make life easier and get the most from my efforts? How do I get the best use of my space?

Help me out... Go to the meat store and spend my $$ for me and tell me where you would cook them.
 
Bottom to top: turds, fatties, chickens, ribs, brisket. If you need some maple, let me know. I'll be in Albion on Wednesday and could meet some where inbetween.
 
Neil, thanks! Maple would be great, but I'm tied to the desk all week. :x
 
Neil said:
Bottom to top: turds, fatties, chickens, ribs, brisket. If you need some maple, let me know. I'll be in Albion on Wednesday and could meet some where inbetween.
Not to disagree--but...
I would put the poultry on bottom.
I just don't care for partially cooked poultry dripping on the rest of my meal.
Just my Nickle :D
OH YEAH--fill all the small spaces with fatties! Lots of Fatties. And some more fatties!
In-between the fatties--more turds!
TIM
 
i'd do the butts and briskets in the WSM so u can set and forget it for 6-8 hours, do the chickens in the kettle and then load the rest in the bandera where ya only gotta fark with the fire for a few hours for the babybacks. the fatties and turds can cook withthe ribs.
 
BBQchef33 said:
i'd do the butts and briskets in the WSM so u can set and forget it for 6-8 hours, do the chickens in the kettle and then load the rest in the bandera where ya only gotta fark with the fire for a few hours for the babybacks. the fatties and turds can cook withthe ribs.

agree as well.

WSM is set and forget type foods, but I like the dera for anything I gotta fark with (spray every half hour, mopping, wrapping, etc.)

Have fun!!
 
colt45 wrote:
BBQchef33 wrote:
Neil wrote:
I like Phil's idea.


i like neils hat.
I like phils steaming weiners

hijack anyone??? lol

second phils vote... butterfly dem chickens... DAMN THAT IS GOOD...


I'm starting to worry about you this weekend! (Remembering the TK and Phil going out to eat thread)
_________________________________________________________

Ok lets see if I got this straight...

Neils hat and Phils steaming weiners go in the WSM
The Kettle gets hijacked
And the Bandera goes to Bill??? :?

Thanks Guys, I'll take it from here!!!!
 
Well, ...I've got the brisket and butts ready to go. After a couple cold ones I slathered them in mustard just cause I like to, and covered them with a couple of basic but doctored up rubs (that was fun ...hmmm, whats in the cupboard that needs using up?) These will go on the WSM very early saturday morning (with Kingsford). I also put the slaw together to sit in the fridge and ruminate a while next to my wifes baked beans.

Tomorrow after the sprout and I get caught up over a couple beers, I'll get the 8 babybacks, 2 beef racks, and one ...only one chicken (long story), ready to go, put 3 Doz. big Turds together and rub the fatties.

About sun-up on Saturday, I'll fire up the Bandera and put on the 10 racks of ribs and the chicken. The chicken will go on the bottom and the beef ribs under the pork. A little later, I'll put the Turds and the Fatties in the Kettle ...If it doesn't all fit, I'll toss the excess fatties in the Bandera. I usually would like the chicken in the kettle, but I want to get the bacon on the Turds well browned early and I don't plan on running the Bandera as hot as I think I would need in my timeframe. The Turds and Fatties in the kettle need to be early appetizers in case anyone gets hungry while the smoke is still kissing the main course. :D

My new plan is not so much to cook as much as I can fit in. What I want to do is hone my skills by keeping 3 different fires at once and trying to have the food ready at some point in between after folks get hungry and before they start rebelling due to deprivation. (It's done when its done!)

I suspect there needs to be potato salad, glaze, finishing sauce, spray for the ribs, assorted pickles and peppers, rolls, ...Oh yeah ..we need Desert! I'm gonna be pooped when this is done.

Thanks for the great suggestions. I'll report in later on how it all comes out.
 
The distribution of the Q in the cookers worked very nicely as was recommended by the bros. Thanks for the helpful advice all. Nothing came out absolute best of class and I'd do some things differently, but all in all, an excellent time was had by all and plenty of good food to go around ...and to go home with everyone, and to go in the fridge and freezer and to go in my happy round tummy all this week.

The brisket took 13 hrs to 195, the butts about 14 1/2 hrs. I started the WSM at 1:00 am and it was 220 an hour later and still 190 when I checked it at 7:30 am. A little stir and a few more briquets and chunks and I was going again. After noon it shot up to 260! I just shut down the vents and let it go cause I was still tryin to get the probes up over 190 and figured it was better not to mess with it again. The babybacks and chicken all came out of the Bandera after about 4 1/2 hrs or so at temp and were just about right. Al's basket cruised through that whole cook keeping me between 215-245 at the door.

So I went to bed early on saturday night and didn't clean up till Sunday. It was funny watching my daughter cleaning out the japs with the chili twister and forgetting not to touch her eyes, even after I warned her. She was a real sport. ...you could see she was trying to act interested about everything her old Dad was doing ..playing with fire and all.

Next time I think I'll be more selective about what and how much I cook and have everyone bring a dish to pass ...instead of me passing out. :D
 
Way to go Brother!
I love it when a plan comes together.
I bet everyone was stuffed and happy, happy, happy :lol:

TIM
 
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