Pulled pork, third try.

[trouserchili]

First time the cook went long (going by internal temps), had to babysit alot. Temps were all over the place. Pork butt cooked in deep pan. Pork was a bit mushy (overcooked), but had the flavor I was looking for.

Second time I didn't have to babysit so much. Temps more steady as I'm learning my new smoker. Firegrate mod helped alot. Smoked in deep pan for 1 hour per pound then went into an oven for 1/2 hour per pound to finish. Hey, I needed the sleep. Ruined two slabs of ribs on this cook as well. Pork pulled well, no mushy. Flavor was still where I wanted it. Discovered I didn't like the gray meat from near the bone as much as the deep red meat from the thick smoke rings I was producing.

So here comes the third cook. I'm pretty confident. Since my second pulled pork expedition I've made a wonderful, nearly perfect brisket. I feel I have strong control over temps and can leave smoker unattended for up to 6 hours at a time. So in the interest of economy, I'm making two butts. One is a 7 pounder, the other 8. They are deboned. They both fit in my deep pan, but very little (only the tops) of the meat is exposed to the smoke. I like heavy smoke flavor so this solution isn't very appealing to me. I could use two pans, but I found out via ruining two slabs of ribs that the temp below the pan is MUCH hotter than above, and my pans won't both fit on the same grate. I also have a shallow pan, it should accomodate both butts but it'll cover quite a bit of the chamber and I'm a little worried that it may start to act like a frying pan if the temps below get much hotter than the temps above. I guess my question is: Does anyone just put their butts directly on the grate?

[parrothead]

Always on the grate.

[PitPirate]

Temp control is "a" key.
On the grate is the way to go till the very end is what I would tell you to try.

Smoke on brother!!!!!!
If yer smoking...yer trying!

peace

[badger]

I would toss the pan, and only use the racks. I would keep the pan for oven cooking.

Also take the guess work about what the internal meat temp is and get a Nu-temp wireless thermometer.

This is probably the most comonly used set. http://www.nu-temp.com/701.htm

Once you use it you will wonder how you got by before.

[parrothead]

On the grate until 160 internal temp, then wrap in foil until 190ish, maybe more according to your tastes.

[Bigmista]

I always cook on the grate. I want smoke all around my meat!

[trouserchili]

On the grate it'll be then!

I just open the box and shove a meat thermometer in for a few minutes to get internal temps. That's no not been a problem for me in the past. Yeah, I know it causes some juice to come out, but I only do it toward the end of my cook anyway. The hard part I had in the past was maintaining temp control in the smokerbox. I would shoot up above 300, get it under control and an hour later be under 120. I've got control now, so that's not a problem either.

I'm going for 1.5 hours per pound here, so I guess I should put the 7 pounder in an hour or so after the 8 pounder?

[BBQchef33]

TOSS the pan... We dont use no steeking pans.! :)

[chad]

The thermometer checks won't cause much grief. However, the electronic thermometers (NuTemp or otherwise) help in that you only stick once and no leakage. In a multi hour cook with a fat piece of meat a little loss of juice isn't going to hurt.

Oh, yeah, lose the pan! :D

[Jorge]

To add to the other words of experience, keeping that door closed makes it much easier to maintain that temp. I was able to shorten the amount of time I cooked just by being able to leave the door closed. Not to mention I could stay in my chair longer and guard the cooler.

[trouserchili]

I gotta open the door though, how else am I going to spray the meat with apple cider? Hmmmm, I bet I could devise a fogger mod with an automotive fuel pump and a mechanical fuel injector or two.

[badger]

Not to mention I could stay in my chair longer and guard the cooler.

This man has his priorities in order! Just think of what you are doing to the self esteem of all that unopened beer when you leave them. :lol:

[Jorge]

I gotta open the door though, how else am I going to spray the meat with apple cider? Hmmmm, I bet I could devise a fogger mod with an automotive fuel pump and a mechanical fuel injector or two.

Point taken, but that would be a interesting mod!

[Mark]

Trouserchili:

You may want to reconsider the "leave smoker unattended for up to 6 hours at a time" part too.

PS: I take it you're no longer interested in some dry Bradford pear wood?

[Jorge]

Not to mention I could stay in my chair longer and guard the cooler.

This man has his priorities in order! Just think of what you are doing to the self esteem of all that unopened beer when you leave them. :lol:

Have the smoker going today and am practicing what I preach. Just like fine wine I will drink no beer before its time. Next beer gets opened in approx. 7 minutes. :D

[badger]

lucky farker! I am going to be working 19 hours today... Yipee!

[Jorge]

I'll push the schedule up a bit and add a beer every couple of hours in your honor John!

[PitPirate]

I'll have both Smoker and Grill going in a few hours.

Not even sure exactly what I am going to cook until I hit a store or two. I went through the 2 main Food store Ads to see what they had on sale and am heading to BJ Discount [Like a Sam's Club] with my comparison prices. I'll have to see if they can beat Giant Food's $1.99 per pound Spare Ribs.

I need a butload of Chicken Wings for a local Bar owner's B-day party tonight. and also at least a couple butts for tonight allnighter.

I'll post my meat prices when I get back to compare with you guys.

peace

[badger]

I'll push the schedule up a bit and add a beer every couple of hours in your honor John!

Thanks Jorge!

I knew I forgot to bring something to work today... THE BEER! :lol:

[Jorge]

All is right in my world today. Added some chicken wings, using a recipe that Phil posted. Great stuff. Sausage ready shortly.

[racer_81]

am heading to BJ Discount [Like a Sam's Club]


Don't sound like a Sam's equivalent to me......

[trouserchili]

Trouserchili:

You may want to reconsider the "leave smoker unattended for up to 6 hours at a time" part too.

PS: I take it you're no longer interested in some dry Bradford pear wood?


I'm not going to, but it appears that with proper setup I can hold a steady 225 dipping down to 200 toward the end of 6 hours. I'll probably check it every 4 hours at night (starting the cook tonight), or whenever my baby boy wakes me up.

Oh, I've still got your number if the offer still stands.

[Mark]

Trouserchili said:

'it appears that with proper setup I can hold a steady 225 dipping down to 200 toward the end of 6 hours."

That's a feat I've never been able to even apporach. Care to explain your technique?

As far as the wood is concerned, the offer still stands. The thought of a MOFO buying wood sickens me. But I'm thinking swap my dry for your wet. Fair nuf?

[trouserchili]

Well, I know I've was told not to, but my father-in-law's brother has a bandera and he told me he simply closed the top vent up some and was able to get long temp-consistant cooks and higher effeciency from his charcoal and wood. So I gave it a shot with my brisket.

For an overnight cook, I got a good bed of coals going, pushed them all toward the smoker box and loaded the rest a 20 pound bag of charcoal in the firebox. Then I put large hunks of hickory on top of the charcoal, closed it up, closed the firebox vent, and then used the top vent to control the temp to an even 225. The more I closed it off the clooler the box would run. I checked at 2 hours and was still at 225 and still had light blue smoke from the chimney. 3 hours from then I was at 220, not alot of smoke but I was more interested in sleep. I opened the box and noted that I had coals on the vent-side of the firebox. 2 hour later the temps had dropped drastically. That was a total of 7 hours. So I'm figuring somewhere around hour 6 things started to go south quickly, but up to that point temps were real steady. The meat did not take on a bitter flavor I was told would happen if you choked your fire at the exhaust. I think this is in part because the firebox itself still gets enough smoke out through it's many leaks. I'm going to attempt to repeat this tonight with the pulled pork, I'll give a trip report tommorow morning.

I gave alot of that fresh bradford to my parents for their fireplace, but I can give you what I've got left. It's not much as I wasn't sure i'd have a use for it.

[racer_81]

Deep pans are for that nasty Chicago pizza.......

[parrothead]

Deep pans are for that nasty Chicago pizza.......

I actually prefer pizza, St. Louis style. Thin, square cut with provel cheese. MMMMMMMMM!

[trouserchili]

Hooray, I like St. Louis style pizza as well. If you've never tried it though, perhaps you'll be happier skipping the experience. I've never met someone from outside St. Louis or surrounding areas that liked St. Louis style pizza.


- Jeffro, who's smokin two pork butts right now on an all-nighter.

[Neil]

Smoked two 7 lb. butts last weekend on the rack. Always on the rack. Fourteen hours then foil for 7 hrs. then in a dry cooler for 4 hrs. Temps ranged from 170-210 during the smoke. Turned out great.

[trouserchili]

Good morning.
It's been just over 12 hours, we're at 180 in the meat. I missed my oportunity to wrap it at 160. Was sleeping like a baby.
Meat went in at 6:00pm. Temp at even 225. Light load of charcoal and a few pieces of hickory.
Went outside at 7:30pm. Temp was even 225. Dumped in some lump and some more hickory as well as pecan.
Went outside at 9:00pm. Temp was high at 260, damn lump.
Put a good load of charcoal in at 10pm. Played with temp control until 11:00pm. Farking wind picked up and wants to play games with me. Left smoker at 225. Went to sleep.
Woke up at 2:30am. Temp at 215. Not bad. Coals on the right of me, ashes on the left, here I am. Pushed the coals over to the right, near the smoker box. Ashes fell through firegrate. Dropped a few more pounds of charcoal on mixed with some lump to keep the temps up and added some more hickory and pecan on top of everything. Fiddled with temp control for 40 minutes, farking wind again. Left at 225.
Woke up at 6:30. Temp at 210. Little lower than I like, but I can live. Meat is at 180, first reading from inside the meat. Guess I should have wrapped it, I like a tougher bark though. Meat felt a little tough when I pushed the thermometer in. Going to cover with foil and wait untill temps inside are 190. Running at 240 to speed things up a bit. I want to go back to sleep.

[racer_81]

Deep pans are for that nasty Chicago pizza.......

I actually prefer pizza, St. Louis style. Thin, square cut with provel cheese. MMMMMMMMM!

Thin crust rules......

[BrooklynQ]

Deep pans are for that nasty Chicago pizza.......

I actually prefer pizza, St. Louis style. Thin, square cut with provel cheese. MMMMMMMMM!

Thin crust rules......

Brooklyn Pizza. End of discussion. 8)

[Bigmista]

They make Piza in Brooklyn? :lol: