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Schedule/Timing question for new stick burner

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6_Myles

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Hey all, 'hopefully' everything works out this weekend and I'll finally be able to use the new Shirley and my schedule is pretty tight, so I have some questions regarding stick burning timing/schedule.

I have a picnic at 5 on Saturday. In my BGE or WSM, Id just put the meat on at 10pm on Friday and let smoke all night and take it off/wrap/cooler it whenever it hit 195 in the morning and let it sit for a few hours. I typically cook at 225 with those two devices.

What type of schedule should I be thinking about with the Shirley since it's cooking in the 275-300 range?

Thanks all, this forum is pretty dang amazing.
Myles
 
Yep just plan out your timeline and you'll be fine.. I know that will be a little harder as you're not sure exactly how things will cook on this smoker yet.. I always just work backwards from dinner time.. If We're eating at 5... Briskets take 8 hours, I'll give them 10, start them at 7am. Butts are about the same.. Chicken will take 1:30, and so on.. Also, make sure to give yourself some extra cushion at serving time. Everything goes smoothly until you have to pull pork, slice brisket, cut ribs, and lay out all the food. I think the 30 minutes before service are the most stressful for a big BBQ. You've spent all this time to ensure this stuff all finishes at once, but then you only have 2 hands. I will usually try to get some people I trust to take on some of the responsibility just so everything will hit the table hot.. Otherwise, the first thing you cut/pulled will be ice cold by the time the rest is ready..
 
I copied this from a thread of mine. This is Shagdiog's advice for me on a big cook. Worked like a charm. That guy as well as many others is a genius.
 
I'd plan for a 12hr cook and add a 3hr rest. That should give you a nice buffer.
 
I don't know how the Shirleys do at higher temps, but for comps we cook whole butts and briskets in 4-6 hours all the time at 300.

Up to you, but I wouldn't personally give a second thought to getting up a little later and firing that beast up and letting it rock at 300-325 and planning on a shorter cook of say 4 to 6 hours. Just plan on wrapping them after 3-4 hours and letting them finish in the foil/paper.


Or throw logs all night. Thus is the life of a stick burner. :becky::rolleyes:


Good luck!
 
I cook at 300 Butts usually take on average 50 min LB if you don't wrap, Last one I did was 9 lbs wrapped after 4 hrs and the bone was lose two hrs later.
 
If i we're cooking butts i would have them on at 6:00 am....based on running the cooker 275.. Give or take... When the butts were 4 hrs in not wrapped or when the color suited me... Usually around 4 hrs... I would double wrap them in foil put back on the cooker..prolly another 3 or 4 hrs.. Take them out and put them in a cooler.... Those butts will be delicious... When you open them... They will be as hot as if you just cooked them... Using this method... I would trim the fat cap off before cooking... This is a fool proof method.... Sure you can cook them naked.... No foil at all but until you learn that cooker this method will save your backside...try it.. Then tell us of all the kudos you got from the cook... I would rub the butts down with Evoo... And my favorite rub... Before cooking... No these butts will not be competition butts...sliceable ... They will be fall off the bone butts... Truthfully that is what most people want... At least people eating backyard BBQ.... You will not get one bad review...
 
Wampus said:
I don't know how the Shirleys do at higher temps, but for comps we cook whole butts and briskets in 4-6 hours all the time at 300.

Up to you, but I wouldn't personally give a second thought to getting up a little later and firing that beast up and letting it rock at 300-325 and planning on a shorter cook of say 4 to 6 hours. Just plan on wrapping them after 3-4 hours and letting them finish in the foil/paper.


Or throw logs all night. Thus is the life of a stick burner. :becky::rolleyes:


Good luck!
Click to expand...

I had contemplated this as this isn't a paid gig, just some fun with friends/family, but didn't want to push a 'new' technique on a 'new' smoker
 
Just a suggestion, don't premiere a new cooker until you have run it on your own without company coming. Any time I tried that it ended badly.

I even had my first grease fire and hopefully only one with a new WSM and my first WSM. It went up in flames on my son's first birthday at his party.

I also won a first place ribs in an amateur event with the same cooker.

Practice first and then premiere it when you are comfortable.

Not saying that will happen to you just in my experience better to be comfortable before showing off.

Trust me it is rather embarrassing to set a cooker on fire during a birthday party.

At least cook some chicken and fatties in it before to get an idea of how it cooks.
 
Cooking at 300 you will need about 6-8 hours for 8 butts depending on how big they are. Make sure to give them plenty of room so you get good, even airflow around them.

My timeline for a cook like this would be:
Get up around 5am, fill the fire basket with charcoal and a couple splits, and hit it with the weed burner for a couple minutes. Leave all the doors and stacks open as well as the damper between the main cook chamber and the warmer. Keep the damper between the firebox and warmer closed. After 20-30 minutes close the doors and open the intake to about 1/3 open. I'd let it preheat for 60-90 minutes until it settles in at 300 and the exterior is warm to the touch, don't forget to add splits as it preheats. Should be ready to put the meat on around 6:30 or 7am and give you 8-9 hours to cook and still have time to rest the meat. After 4 hours I'd wrap the butts in two layers of HD foil and put them back on. After 2 hours wrapped I'd probe and check the bone, if they aren't ready check again in 30 minutes. After they are finished I'd pull them off, let them vent the steam for about 15-20 minutes and put in a cooler to rest before you shred them.

If you still have my number feel free to text me and I can walk you through any questions you have on the Shirley.
 
I cook Comps at 300 give or take. I wrap after 3 hours (butts will be about 155-160 at that time) and it takes another 2 or so to get them to where I like them. I like a long rest, so they are in the cambro for 3 plus hours.

I would fire her up around 7 am, on by 8 am. Wrap at 11 am, and should be pulling them off around 1 to 2. Plenty of wiggle room time left before the party if they are being stubborn. And you get sleep.
 
Alright, everything is on! Fired her up at 5 and had her up to 275 by 6:30. Loaded her up at 7 and now waiting for temps to come back up.

Thanks everyone for all the help!
 
6_Myles said:
Alright, everything is on! Fired her up at 5 and had her up to 275 by 6:30. Loaded her up at 7 and now waiting for temps to come back up.

Thanks everyone for all the help!
Click to expand...
Enjoy your cook!
Bet they will be done around 3:00, keep us updated...
 
How long should it take to come back to temp? Put in 10 butts (84#) and still waiting for it to come back to 250

(Guess this is where the stress kicks in! Ha)
 
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