UDS Build/First cook

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dolomite41

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I like to say I am excited to be apart of the forum. Just recently build a UDS over the past week or so. Tested it out yesterday with a 3lb pork shoulder...took about 5 hours to do at 223-250 degrees. Came out real good and enjoyed it. Several questions that I have and hoping that you experienced smokers can answer some questions. I am hosting a party this weekend for about 30-40 people. Going to smoke some shoulders for the party to make pulled pork sandwiches

1. Been looking at some shoulders at the store and it looks like they have a lot of 15+ lbs shoulders. My questions is, if i smoke the whole 15+lb shoulder i read somewhere that its about 1.5 hours per pound which is about 24 hours. WOuld it be better to smoke the shoulder over the 24 hour period or would it be easier if i cut it up in 3 or 4 different piece and maybe smoke them about at 5lbs a piece? I know with having a 15 lb shoulder, ill have to change my coals and wood out half way thru. Not worried about this, just seeing if its okay to smoke around the 24 hour period.

2. Any tips on smoking in the Las Vegas Climate...it is suppose to be around 108 degrees this weekend, kinda concerned about the heat on my UDS and controlling the temp....any tips?

Please help if you know. Thanks
Here are some pics of my first smoke for a test run.
 
Pics

Pics from yesterdays smoke
 

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Tried it on the first sandwich, thought it took away from the taste of the BBQ. Second sandwich at without...liked that one better.
 
Welcome. IMO being that your kinda new to all this I'd recommend cutting it into three equal size chunks and cookin it that way. Not only will it take a lot less time, you'll have more surface area exposed on the meat for rub and smoke and you'll prolly enjoy yourself a lot more since you won't be frazzled from cooking all night and day. Good luck
 
Is that the "Re purposing" of a shopping cart?? (Fire Basket)
Dang! I love that!:-D
 
You can shorten the cook time a lot at a higher temp - say, 300 to 325. A shoulder/butt is fat and forgiving - you won't dry it out. and to feed 40 you'll need at least 20 lbs. of cooked meat - two 15 lb pieces will do. That's the way its packaged at Sam's Club. Even with more meat you might not need to split the meat into smaller sizes.
 
@qjunkie- I didnt have a welder so i took a 18inch webber grill for the bottom. The sides i used the Replacement grill grates from walmart and bent them around in a circle, i tied them all up by using some stainless steel zip ties from lowes..came out good for not having a welder

@Jimstocks53 - thanks for the info..yeah the one i cooked yesterday reached 190 on the inside and it was good, but just didnt pull apart like the outside. Would you reccommend a Pork shoulder or a picnic shoulder for the pulled pork. I went to the store today and checked both of them out and not sure which one would be better
 
And not to parrot others much more famous than I, 'cook to desired tenderness not temp.' 190 is where I START checking for doneness - not usually ready till higher. You can tell it is ready to pull when the bone is loose or when a fork stabbed into the meat can be rotated. Mine can be ready from 195 to 205 but I don't use the temp as an endpoint.
 
Like the others ave said...cut into smaller pieces and cook hotter. I usually get the pork butts from Sams and cut as best as possible into halves. Cook like 300-325 and wrap when the outside looks like you want it to. Don't cook so much to a specific temp but more to feel. When they're probing nicely....when you can slide in and out easily a probe....they're done.
 
+1 to the above advice. Welcome.

It sometimes gets into the triple digits here in SoCal. My UDS doesn't have a problem with it. I might suggest putting it under an easy up so that the ambient heat doesn't screw with the temp readings on your drum.
 
All drums are different as are butts.
That said. I get shoulders two to 15-16 lb pack. I prefer bone-in but often boneless is cheaper, go figure.
Two packs give you 4 8lb butts. I run my drum at 275-285 and they'll take around 9 hours to cook. In the desert heat you could easily run your drum in the 300 range and not have to stay up all night. A wrap at the stall definitely speed up the process.

No matter, possibly the best que your guests have ever eaten.
 
One more thing , Im sure you've seen this but it bears repeating.
Once the butts are done and long before you want to pull them, let them rest.
If they get done early, rest in a cooler for as long as needed, they'll stay LilCeasars(hot and ready)
 
Just finished my shoulders. They are tender as can be. Gonna wrap them and put them in a cooler for a bit.


So I'm doing some chickens next today. Have a party in about 8 hours. Would like to get the chickens finished close to the party. Any suggestions on how to keep the chicken moist so it doesn't dry out. Or should I just time it to when everyone is going to eat? Thoughts?
 

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I was going to cut mine up into smaller pieces--having the same idea that it would cook faster and have more bark--but several people here convinced me to just smoke it whole, bone in. The bone wiggle / pull out test is foolproof. And I was also told that it would be a bit more juicy if cooked whole--less chance to dry out.
 
Those look great. Looks like cutting into smaller pieces was the way to go.
 
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