Just started my first overnight smoke! *future pron*

I

inv3ctiv3

is one Smokin' Farker
Joined
Jan 5, 2011
Location
Santa...
Fired up the WSM minion method with probably 6-8 hickory chunks buried throughout the charcoal. I have two 7.5lb butts on lathered up in some Simply Marvelous Sweet and Spicy rub on the top rack (is this what you guys usually do or should I move them to the bottom? I have 2 racks of pork spares going on in the morning and I was gonna move the butts to the bottom tomorrow morning. The temps right now are reading 160ish via the stock WSM thermo (they seem to run a little low so I figure it's running 180-200ish for the first few hours. Gonna do a 12-14 hour smoke this time around with the spares added with about 6 hours to go with the 3-2-1 method (I've never done spares on a WSM so we'll see how this goes).

If you have any suggestions please let me know! Here is the set up:

18.5 WSM
Kingsford original with 6-8 hickory chunks spread throughout the coals
Lit using the minion method
Temps sitting at about 160 via WSM thermo with 2 of 3 vents closed
(2) 7.5lbs bone in pork shoulders on top grate (should I move to bottom?)
(2) pork spares St. Louis Style gonna do 3-2-1 (what temp for this?)
Let the the shoulders rest foiled and toweled for 2 hours

Thanks! I'll for sure be posting pics tomorrow, gonna go to bed soon.
 
It looks like you are on the right track to me. No real opinion on top or bottom rack for the butts. If you move them down, it will be easier to put the ribs on in the morning though...good luck!
 
Sounds good but at those temps youll be cooking for about 2 days.

Kick it up to at least 250. :thumb:
 
Yeah, I'd start @ 225-250, for first 2 hours, then ramp it up to 275-300 ish to finish before the end of the decade :)

Butts are very forgiving, and could probably be smoked at 375, and turn out perfect.
 
Well I just woke up (7am here) a bit ago and the thermo said 200 so I figure 220-225ish but I'll ramp up the temps a bit now (internal temp reading 156 at the moment).

What temp should I do those spares at?
 
Here they are about 8 hours in, going on 11 hours now internal temp is at 172 and WSM is at 250-260ish. I can't seem to get it to go any higher, I added 20 lit coals with probably 20-30 unlit and some more chunks of wood with all 3 vents wide open. I have been kicking the bottom to try and clear out the old coals.

Before Apple Juice, it's the one in the back got slathered with mustard and the other just dry rub, look how much more juicy the one in the back is....

5465662082_76607c349a_z.jpg



After Apple Juice Spritzing

5465662298_7554b51117_z.jpg
 
Lookin' good! In the past year I've started doing the mustard slather thing on ribs & butts & I really like it - seems to make for better bark - I'm gonna keep doing it fo sho.
 
Advice? Yea find someone you trust to check temps while you sleep. Or get a remote probe with alarm. Man, I am starting to trust the WSM more each use, but on the first overnighter I was up every hour doing a quick temp verification. Once I finally carved everything up I was beat

Looking forward to more pr0n
 
JimmyBeam said:
Advice? Yea find someone you trust to check temps while you sleep. Or get a remote probe with alarm. Man, I am starting to trust the WSM more each use, but on the first overnighter I was up every hour doing a quick temp verification. Once I finally carved everything up I was beat

Looking forward to more pr0n
Click to expand...

Seriously? I woke up and it was sitting pretty at 200! The pork doesn't seem to want to go any higher then 180 internal temp. It's been on about 13 hours never foiled and still looks perfectly juicy. I am debating foiling the ribs, I don't usually ever foil when BBQing so I'm new to foiling...
 
WSM cook

I've been smoking for two or three years, having purchased a WSM on the advice of this site. A couple thoughts-not necessarily in any order.

Butts will plateau at around 170 or so and some times stay there for a couple of hours. Try to be patient-not one of my qualities-and wait to pull until it's in the 195 range.

Ribs should be cooked until one can easily slide a tooth pic between the ribs, or until if picked up with a set of tongs, they start to tear.

You'll hear all sorts of cooking temp recommendations and just have to figure out which one works for you-I certainly wouldn't go below 225 unless you care to quit your day job.

Foiling with shorten any cook-I never foil butts but sometimes foil ribs. It can help them become more tender. There are all sorts of foiling methods-time tables, etc.

Cooking without a water pan, or with one empty and foiled will make it easier to reach higher temps. Cracking the lid will also do the same thing. There is a mod on the WSM site that enables one to hold the side door open a crack. This really helps the WSM achieve highers temps-300 or more. I always use this method for poultry.

Have fun-every cook is an adventure-just ask my wife.

Adman
 
So much delicious bark! The bigger one I lathered up with mustard was so much more juicy and wayyyyy more tender then the one that was just rubbed. I am totally sold on the mustard lathering now, both were cooked exactly the same and the one with mustard was way more juicy.

5466412871_638619d13a_z.jpg


Ribs just lathered with some Blues Hog (sorry no pics of them done they were gone before I could take any pics!) They were fall off the bone delicious though.

5467009564_0264e2430d_z.jpg


All that was left of the butts with a little bit of the rib tips:

5467009858_5ee687897c_z.jpg


5466414323_7aee9b5803_z.jpg
 
I used to slather with the mustard, did it for years. I did some testing and came to the concluision that it doesn't make any difference. My pork scores actually improved by not slathering. Everyone does things their own way. I like to test and play.
 
That looks AWESOME! I have yet to try the mustard slather after about 8 butts. I will be trying it next time.... is it meat+mustard+rub? or meat+rub+mustard?


Either way that looks great. What kind of sauce you got on that? Little 'carolina gold' it looks like!
 
meat+mustard+rub.

Anyway - great looking couple of butts you got there - ribs too! :clap2: Pulled pork is probably my favorite cue to cook and eat.
 
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