# Pork Butts on a Monster



## Bob In Fla. (Jan 12, 2013)

This is one package of pork butts from Sam's Club. About 16 pounds. Seasoned with "Duke's Dirt", a fairly new rub from Perry Georgia. It's pretty good, but I haven't tried it by itself before to see how it is with making bark.























I can hear the sizzle as the juices drip down on the tuning plates. 

BOB


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## bbquzz (Jan 12, 2013)

16 pounds looks small on that monster, great lookin' rig Bob!


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## Vermin999 (Jan 12, 2013)

looking good!!


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## Cliff H. (Jan 13, 2013)

What cooker is that ?


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## cookking (Jan 13, 2013)

Looks delicious! How bout some info on that cooker you've got there?


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## bigwheel (Jan 13, 2013)

Fine looking groceries and fine pit you got there.


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## Bob In Fla. (Jan 13, 2013)

I'll get more pictures later.

It's a "Monster" made in Centerville, Ga. by Stump's Smokers. It is a gravity fed smoker that can burn either charcoal or logs (or both) in the gravity chute. The standard main rack is 44 X 28.5. Optional 2nd rack is 44 X 25. I have a 3rd rack that is 44 X 12 that can be used as a warming rack.

It'll hold an 85 pound hog, butterflied on it's back or 115 pounds without the head. My optional main rack is "Lazy Susan" so that I will be able to rotate a hog end-for-end by myself.

There's over 100 pounds of tuning plates. They are heavy to also act as a heat-sinc to help even out the temperature variations.

I cooked on the 2/3 sized prototype in December 2011 and immediately fell in love with the way it cooks.

More pictures as I learn how to use it.

BOB


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## bigwheel (Jan 14, 2013)

Wow ok..we gonna need some tight measurements and up close photos before we take up cloning this thing. Or hey..just include a yard stick in the photos.  Smart thinking.


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## Max1 (Jan 14, 2013)

You fired that big thing up for those 2 little butts? Hope its cost efficient!


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## bigwheel (Jan 14, 2013)

Suspect the smart young whuppersnapper just getting it oiled up good. Two butts was what one of my many bbq Mentors taught on how to break in a big old good muy grande barbcoa type gizmo. If I was the doctor in charge I would highly recommend two butts at the same time..lol.


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## Cliff H. (Jan 14, 2013)

Is that bad boy mounted on a trailer ?


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## bigwheel (Jan 14, 2013)

No...unless it has an invisible axle..lol.


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## Bob In Fla. (Jan 15, 2013)

bigwheel said:


> Suspect the smart young whuppersnapper just getting it oiled up good. Two butts was what one of my many bbq Mentors taught on how to break in a big old good muy grande barbcoa type gizmo. If I was the doctor in charge I would highly recommend two butts at the same time..lol.


Yup, those butts went on just about the time I got the first oil cooked into the new metal. I coulda just kept on going empty but I figured "_why not_"? 

As far as efficiency, it does take a lot of fuel to get all that metal up to temperature, but once it's up, it doesn't take a lot to keep it there. Over the second night, I had the ball valve just barely open, and the temperature dropped to about 95 and I _might_ have used about a pound of charcoal for about 8 hours. Then I opened the valve to where 350 _should _be, and about an hour later I was cooking @ 350. Couple of yardBird wings. Yeah, I'm just playing and learning a new cooker right now.

New toys are FUN!

BOB


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## bigwheel (Jan 15, 2013)

Dang making me jealous. Any room for firebricks in that fine machine? I could stick 23 into the old Snnp? El cheapo brinkmann offset. Talk about a heat sink from Hades?  if so would concentrate on the cookchamber part. If not I take all this back of course.


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## Bob In Fla. (Jan 16, 2013)

Cliff H. said:


> Is that bad boy mounted on a trailer ?


 No.  Not yet.  My plan is to have it sitting crossways just over the axle(s) with storage in front and cooking access to the back.  The tailgate/ramp will have adjustable "legs" on it so that it can be used as a work platform.  Well, thet's my plan _this_ week anyway.

BOB


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## Bob In Fla. (Jan 16, 2013)

bigwheel said:


> Dang making me jealous. Any room for firebricks in that fine machine? I could stick 23 into the old Snnp? El cheapo brinkmann offset. Talk about a heat sink from Hades? if so would concentrate on the cookchamber part. If not I take all this back of course.


 I guess I could get almost a pallet of them in there, but why?  It would make it too heavy and probably take a day-and-a-half to heat up all that clay.

BOB


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## bigwheel (Jan 17, 2013)

Ok nevermind. If its retaining the heat the way you like it thats what matters. On the smaller pit the bricks made a big difference in how many beers a person could drink before having to fiddle with the fire. At least doubled the available leisure time. Helps some on the big pit when cooking direct with or without the optional water pan. On that one just stuck em in directly below the firepan. Seems to have far greater heat retention properties than copious amounts of scrap iron.


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## Bob In Fla. (Jan 19, 2013)

This is actually an offset cooker.  Firebox is on one (the right end) end, heat and smoke enter the cooking chamber under the tuning plates (1/2" thick steel plates) and travels across to the other end.  No place in there for fire bricks unless you want them on the cooking grates.

BOB


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## bigwheel (Jan 19, 2013)

Ok..well I would skip the fire brick step..lol. Now they do still come in handy if a person want to cook a pot of beans on top of the firebox. Can you set a pot on yours and do it get hot? I will have to go check the pics again.


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## LarryWolfe (Jan 19, 2013)

Bob, is that Stumps direct heat of does it have a fire box?  I like that a lot!  Nice butts too!

(nevermind, I just saw it's an offset!  I love the design)


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## Bob In Fla. (Jan 19, 2013)

It is an offset firebox. 





The firebox is inside the insulated case, over on the right where there isn't an opening for the cooking chamber. The top of the firebox is the chute which is filled with charcoal and wood. It is like all of the Gravity Feed models that _Stump's Smokers_ builds. 




On this picture, you can see the access to the ash pan, under the firebox. The ball valve is used to control the temperature by opening for more air, and closing to restrict the air.

The top of the chute where the charcoal/logs can be added is there at the top, right behind the _Stump's Smokers_ logo.

No, I can't cook a pot of beans on top of the firebox, but I can put that pot inside on the grates.

I'll get more pictures as I use it more if and when the weather gets better.

BOB


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## bigwheel (Jan 20, 2013)

Ok finally got the pic here I think. Looks like some excellent injuneering and construction. Thanks for the additional photos.


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## Bob In Fla. (Jan 20, 2013)

bigwheel said:


> Ok finally got the pic here I think. Looks like some excellent injuneering and construction. Thanks for the additional photos.


 I got tired of buying "pits" and then having to spend more time and money upgrading and modifying them to get them to work.  So, I shopped around and found a company that I like and trust.  Stump is always designing and testing something new.

BOB


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## bigwheel (Jan 20, 2013)

Yeppers..I was at one time hot trot to get some version of Stumps..but but but. Best laid plans of mice and men and all that rot..lol. Know it will be a treasure for you for a long time. Old pal I used to cook with had a custom built offset which used sorta the same principal..but his firebox stuck out enough to sit stuff on it. The other half stuck into the cook chamber ending up directly under a 15 gal SS torpedo shaped horse trough looking water pan. That was one sweet cooking pit and cleanup was a non issue..just turn the valve and empty the water and all the crud went with it. The gravity feed would have been a nice touch on that one. Seems like his exhausted nearest the firebox too. It was fairly fuel efficient. Just take a good while to warm up all that water. Cooked the exact same from end to end temp wise.


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## Griff (Jan 20, 2013)

Nice looking meat and an impressive cooker.


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