Overnight Butt smoke on a Performer tips

[Bdresch]

I am having a birthday party for my daughter next Saturday and wanted to try my hand at pulled pork. Will likely be feeding 15 people, including 3 young kids. I need it ready for a late lunch on Saturday, so I am thinking I would start it at 10pm or so Friday night. Does that seem like the right amount of time if I do an 8-10lb butt? Any tips on keeping it going overnight? Keep in mind I have a Weber Performer, not a real smoker. I had good luck doing ribs by making a wick of unlit charcoal around my big cast iron pan and thought I could give that a try again. I got an iGrill for xmas and plan to set temperature alarms for the meat and grill temp and monitor it with my iPad all night. I have read 190-205 for an internal temperature to take it off, and I was thinking setting low and high temp alarms on the grill at 200-300F. Any advice is apprecated.

[Bludawg]

BBQ RULES

"YOU CAN NOT COOK GREAT BBQ ON A CONSISTENT BASIS COOKING TO AN INTERNAL TEMP OR BY TIME(XXX MIN PER LB) YOU MUST COOK BY FEEL!"For a Brisket that is probe tender, Pork Butts when the Bone wiggles lose, Ribs pass the Bend Test. These are the only reliable methods to indicate the proper time to declare the cook completed with successfully.

Use the Ring of Fire set up on your Kettle. Open the bottom intake 1/8" and close the top to 3/4 open you will be between 250-275. place a Dry drip pan below the Butt. I can get 16 hrs with this setup. every 4 hrs rotate the lid 90 deg to keep the exhaust opposite the fire.
13 lb butt

6 hrs in

end of cook 11+ hrs there is enough fuel left for at least 4-5 hrs

[Bdresch]

Thanks for the tips. Just checked the weather and it looks like overnight lows in the single digits here. Maybe that is gonna kill my plan right there. Is this going up be doable at those temps or should I just switch to something indoor?

[Bludawg]

Shouldn't make much difference Kettles are pretty steady in Cold temps. How bad do you want Some PP?

[caliking]

Just as an alternative - you may consider doing it hot n fast in the kettle... 350ish, indirect. You could start the morning of the event, but early, just to give yourself enough time. If it gets done way too early, you can always leave it in the cooler for a little longer.

And what do you mean "something indoor"? People still cook inside? Just kidding

[Trumpstylz]

I've done 2 in the last month on my kettle- one yesterday. The kettle handles cold just fine (probably has a little harder time in wind though). You could also wake up early sat morning and do it, esp if you cook at 300, foil it at 160 or 170 and bought two smaller butts instead of one large one.

Just make sure you don't make the mistake I did and let the food probe touch the foil. Threw my temps way off on one of my cooks.

[Bdresch]

Any tips of saucing after pulling? I've never done a pulled pork.

[Harbormaster]

Originally Posted by Bdresch

Any tips of saucing after pulling? I've never done a pulled pork.

Serve the sauce on the side.
When I pull a butt, I always hit the PP with a little bit of the rub that I used. Sauce is always on the side. You got nothin' to hide, right? Be proud of your product.

BTW, drive on down to Wyocena and I'll loan you a WSM for the weekend.

[NickTheGreat]

Originally Posted by Harbormaster

Serve the sauce on the side.
When I pull a butt, I always hit the PP with a little bit of the rub that I used. Sauce is always on the side. You got nothin' to hide, right? Be proud of your product.

I agree with him. It's easier for sauce eaters to add sauce than it is for others to remove it

[code3rrt]

Originally Posted by Bludawg

BBQ RULES

"YOU CAN NOT COOK GREAT BBQ ON A CONSISTENT BASIS COOKING TO AN INTERNAL TEMP OR BY TIME(XXX MIN PER LB) YOU MUST COOK BY FEEL!"For a Brisket that is probe tender, Pork Butts when the Bone wiggles lose, Ribs pass the Bend Test. These are the only reliable methods to indicate the proper time to declare the cook completed with successfully.

Use the Ring of Fire set up on your Kettle. Open the bottom intake 1/8" and close the top to 3/4 open you will be between 250-275. place a Dry drip pan below the Butt. I can get 16 hrs with this setup. every 4 hrs rotate the lid 90 deg to keep the exhaust opposite the fire.
13 lb butt

6 hrs in

end of cook 11+ hrs there is enough fuel left for at least 4-5 hrs

Hey there Bludawg, I've read enough of your posts that I should probably already know this, but from the pics I can't quite tell, Is that all lump or a combo of lump and briquettes?

[HankB]

If you run into difficulties finishing the cook on he kettle, you can always bring it inside and finish off in the oven. Most (if not all) of the smoke flavor is taken on early in the cook. You will still have great tasting pulled pork if you finish in the oven.

I agree with the comment to serve the sauce on the side.

[Bludawg]

Blu Don't do no Stinking Briquettes for cookin..I do keep a poke of natural lump briquettes to start the lump in the UDS

[Bludawg]

Originally Posted by Bdresch

Any tips of saucing after pulling? I've never done a pulled pork.

WHen I pull mine I add some salt and some E. NC. Pig Juice

E.NC. Pig Juice

Ingredients
1 quart cider vinegar
1/8 cup salt
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon milled black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
1/2-3/4 cup light brown sugar, depending on taste
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

[bacchus99]

Originally Posted by Bludawg

BBQ RULES

"YOU CAN NOT COOK GREAT BBQ ON A CONSISTENT BASIS COOKING TO AN INTERNAL TEMP OR BY TIME(XXX MIN PER LB) YOU MUST COOK BY FEEL!"For a Brisket that is probe tender, Pork Butts when the Bone wiggles lose, Ribs pass the Bend Test. These are the only reliable methods to indicate the proper time to declare the cook completed with successfully.

Use the Ring of Fire set up on your Kettle. Open the bottom intake 1/8" and close the top to 3/4 open you will be between 250-275. place a Dry drip pan below the Butt. I can get 16 hrs with this setup. every 4 hrs rotate the lid 90 deg to keep the exhaust opposite the fire.
13 lb butt

6 hrs in

end of cook 11+ hrs there is enough fuel left for at least 4-5 hrs

This. Ring of fire usually runs 235 to 245 in my kettle. Plan on 2 hrs/lb not counting the hour to get the fire up and going and not counting the hour or 2 rest in a cooler.



Do an almost full ring. I think I light 8 to 12 briquettes and place them on one end of the ring after they are ashed over. Lid vents wide open for full cook and bottom vents "cracked". I bought a WSM so I haven't done this in awhile.

[tnjimbob]

You could cheat a little by using your Performer and the oven too. Smoke the butt for 4-6 hrs., then move to a half pan covered with foil in the oven @225° until it is done. I have done many single butts this way and it keeps you from worrying about maintaining your cooker temp overnight or what the weather is doing. Start it @ 10pm., pull it off the Performer around 2AM and put into a half pan, roasting pan with a rack, etc. and cover with foil. Put into the oven and let it go until probe tender.

This lets you get some sleep as a bonus. If it gets done early (for me, 8 lb. butts take 8~10 hrs. total cooking time), then wrap in foil and either place in a cooler covered with an old towel or two, or just turn the oven off & let it rest there. I try to raise the butt off the bottom of the pan a little with some sort of rack so it isn't swimming in it's own juices.

Good luck with your cook.