Tips for staying up all night for smoking...

[cayenne]

Hi all!

Well, gonna throw my 20lb fresh ham on as soon as I can this evening...I've never done an allnighter with the smoker before...so, got any good tips on all night smoking? Do you set your alarm to get up every 1.5 hours or so?

I know for sure I can't hit the Wild Turkey like I usually do on a day smoke...

Any good tips on how to stoke a fire that will keep heat up good...but, not too high...and still be a little forgiving if you oversleep a couple hours?

I've stayed up all night plenty in the past..but, usually partying...not having to keep up with a long term meal process...so, any idea or good stories welcome...

Cayenne

 

[kcquer]

C, I usually put on some good tunes. Keep an alarm set so I don't let things get too outta whack and spend a little time taking notes in my cook's log. An occasional stop in here at the site helps too.

 

[frognot]

As a person who works three 12 hour night shifts in a row then reverts back to sleeping at night for my days off, i gotta reinforce the idea to set an alarm at all times. Coffee and some good tunes and maybe a good exciting movie or book to pass the time. Move around some and don't get too comfortable.
Good luck!

 

[The_Kapn]

I seem to get the late night shift for some reason
XM Radio :lol: :lol: :lol:
"REAL" coffee!
Tend a Bandera (every 10 minutes ya gotta do something!!!)
Get good company to visit with!
Remember--you can sleep in a day or two- no problem :lol: :lol:

Actually, I have no real idea how to do it--just "survival cooking"
TIM

 

[Trout_man22]

For me if I slow down I'll stop. So I stay out in the shop working on the projects that I never have time to do. Just do not sit down and watch TV next thing you'll know it will be 8:30 and the kids will be looking at cartoons.

 

[Bill-Chicago]

Here's my Recipe for an all nighter.

I am doing this tonight and tomorrow

Get 1 brother in law from the airport at 10pm.
Stop at White Castle and pick up a 30 pack
Come home, its 11:30pm.
Pour JAck Daniels and Gingerales (18oz).
Set up 5 Whitey's each like shots on the counter
Do the Whitey shooters and Jack and Gingers.
Its now 11:35pm
Grab 5 more, reload the JD's and move to the family room
Turn on XBox
Insert Halo 2
Continue to completely annialate the Whiteys, the JD, and each other on the game.
At 3:30am, look at each other and say "We can go to bed now, or we can play for another hour, start the pit, and then open that next 1.75lts of JD"

Opt for the latter.
This goes on until 9am when you set up a Brother Minion method in the firebox to get 3 hours shut eye.

Night #2, continue as above, only start the pit at 11pm for the brisket. 2 more 1.75 liters will be needed for this cook.

This brings you into Friday. You've had little sleep, your thumbs are cranking from gaming, and your liver went bye bye a day ago. So what does a brother do?

He's got a 750ml of Grey Goose, smooth as hell vodka, sitting in the freezer now. Start sipping that on day 3.

I expect to get 10 hours sleep over the next 4 days, and it will be the best time of my life, part 2

Hope this recipe helps

 

[spicewine]

My smoker has it's own "Blankee", so I can get a good 4 hours of sleep before tending the fire box again. Tuck it in and go to bed.

 

[BBQchef33]

i got a few....

one, for future use, ..........get a nu-temp remote and 2 additional probes. The reciever can monitor 3 transmitters. you can have one transmitter checkin pit temps and set its low point to alarm you when it drops to 210. The set the other 2 to monitor high points in meat and wake you when brisket hits 180 and butts hits 190.... or any combination ya find ya need. A link to nutemp is in our links section under "official stuff of the brethren".

Until you get a remote, Set a probe thermometer to monitor chamber temps and wake you when the temp drops below 210-120.

Also, a charcoal basket will give you an extended burn, 6-8 hours. You can make a quickie out of 1/2 inch wire mesh, or go all out and have one made by a welder(or BigAl if he feels constructive). Then use the Minion Method int he baskets.

Wrap the cooker in a welding blanket(or an old lawn chair cushion) to retain heat.

I dont bother with cofffee..... 40 minute catnaps go a long way... its better to get a few of those than to wreck your thanksgiving day because ya cant stay awake. Coffe just keeps me up all night and cthen i ant even catch a few short naps.

and lastly....Dont read. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Puts me right to sleep.

 

[Jorge]

Learn something new every day. A little Copenhagen in the eye has always worked for me......or salivating over what will come out of the beast when the sun comes up and the <insert favorite curse here> are just rolling out of bed.

Or give my new exercise program a try.....a set of elevated pushups every 15-20 minutes, sip on a beer with AT LEAST a shot of tobasco and lots of pepper every hour. At least I'm hoping this is going to work for me tonight and the temp is getting down in the the 30's....yeah I know...but that's damn cold hear in Texas!

 

[Neil]

I learned from the poobah and have the NU Temp. 15# ham in and I just got back in from tending the pit then shoveled the neighbors driveway. 6" of snow and it is still falling. Love that "lake effect". Outside temps in the high 20's cook chamber is now at 243* and falling. No insulation mod.

 

[Neil]

Need to get that 3rd NU Temp transmitter and probe so I can have an alarm for both high and low chamber temps. Was trying to keep a temp range of 200-240 so I set the alarm to go off if the temp fell to 200. Must of gotten too much fuel in the firebox last time out because the internal temp on the ham jumped to 143 from 120 during the 7th hour of the cook (15#whole ham).

 

[parrothead]

I'll try to catch a little sleep in the living room with the TV going. I am one of those guys that can not sleep with the tv on unless I am really tired. That with the not as comfy feeling of the couch, I will wake up every little bit. Now of course, I have the nu-temps and that won't be necessary.

I try to avoid all night cooks as much as possible.

 

[BigAl]

I just keep looking on the "Job Boards".

 

[tommykendall]

I'd rather catch a couple or four hours or so at night and fire the pit up at 3 or 4 am than pull an all nighter

 

[Mark]

The most simple and effective way I know is is to drink alot of fluids (NOT containing alcohol). A 12-pack of caffinated Diet Coke is ideal because caffine is also a diuretic (makes you pee). If you do happen to doze off, it won't be for too long; your bladder won't allow it.

 

[jminion]

Let me add that a pellet pooper with an alarm if the power goes out does the job nicely.
Fill with pellets turn it on, Sleep is an option at this point. I guess this not really in the spirit of the question is it?

 

[Bigmista]

About 11pm put the brisket in the smoker.

About 11:30 ask the wife how she would feel about having a threesome with another woman.

If she's against it, I guarantee you won't sleep that night.

If she's for it, who cares about the brisket?

 

[Wayne]

Use the buddy system. That way you can git a few winks while the other guy is watching the pit. An alarm clock works great but it does not understand oven temperatures as well as a friend of relative will. Right now all I have to do is have my 15 year old stay up with me and we can get the job done without too much trouble. I use to do this with my friend (former) Calvin all the time, but the SOB molested my granddaughter and is in the Sedgwick County Jail right now. If he shows up here after he gets out then he is lible to be the next thing I BBQ and feed to my dogs. But that is a whole other post that I have already bored you guys with. You can also move the meat to a roaster after about 8 hours on the smoker. Set the temp to ~180 degrees and go to bed. Then when you get up finish off the meat in the smoker or over the fire box if you want a crispy outside. In fact this is the way that my family likes their brisket fixed. Foil and a beer cooler will also accomplish the same thing.

 

[brdbbq]

About 11pm put the brisket in the smoker.

About 11:30 ask the wife how she would feel about having a threesome with another woman.

If she's against it, I guarantee you won't sleep that night.

If she's for it, who cares about the brisket?

Got to try that one.