Rescue Me Please

[Chipper]

Good Morning and well met from Florida. I promise I will post in newbie section SOON.
My PROBLEM. I just seasoned my new "Brinkman Smokin Pit" (the one with seperate firebox). I have been reading the forums for 2 days and this is an awsome site. Thank you ALLL. I fired up the smoker with about 5 lbs of charcoal and soaked a few pieces of the "chunks" of wood. I am today going to attempt Pork ribs, Pork Sholder Butt, and a chicken (whole). My question is... where should I put which piece of meat? I have an upper smaller grate and then the base grate. I have plenty of room but was wondering which meat i should place closest and farthest from fire box? ANd about how long I should figure for each? Regular size chicken, 10 lbs ribs in 2 sections and about 6 lb butt. Also how many chunks of wood and for how long? I noticed many conflicks onthis. Some say all through cooking, some say. untill a few hours b 4 done. Thanks Bunches and I look forward to doing alot of posting AND reading here. And please also a good EASY mop and how offten do I Mop? (soaked all the meats in Itialian dressing over nite). Thanks again in advance. Now gonna fumble till I get a few answers. Geesh I am such a newbie lol.

Chipper

 

[TATTRAT]

Welcome to DC, Chipper.

I would do the Butt on the lower, and the bird and ribs on the upper.

As far as a mop, are you looking for something universal or more geared to the individual item? And mop throughout the final hour or so. If it is too sugary, it will burn and get bitter long before the items are done(depending on the heat in the box).

Hope this helps a little.

 

[Chef_Jen]

*crosses finger* I hope they cant drip on one another!!!!

But yes id put chicken on the top and butt and ribs on the bottom (youcan space the ribs out between the two racks)

 

[VeraBlue]

*crosses finger* I hope they cant drip on one another!!!!

But yes id put chicken on the top and butt and ribs on the bottom (youcan space the ribs out between the two racks)

While I worry about cross contamination quite a bit, I'm not overmuch concerned about it here. By the time everything is done the dripping won't be a contamination problem. If anything the flavours will mingle and enhance.

 

[Gretchen]

I am not at all clear about the way your smoker is laid out. It sounds more like my gas grill with the upper grates for keeping things warm and the main grate for cooking.
And I would worry about cross contamination because the temperature you want to cook at is not a high temp. I would put them all on the main grate, butt closest to the fire box.
I smoke with wood for a couple of hours and then just cook. If you mop, you are going to lose a lot of heat. Mop with a thinned BBQ sauce if you want, but don't do it too often.