UDS briquet/wood question

Here we go, ladies and gents. My first bit of pron. I used a sub grade piece of meat for my first go, it was a 2 pound shoulder from walmart, hormel brand pre seasoned (i washed the seasoning off).

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Im going to show what i did so i can be critiqued or bashed :grin:

240 PM Meat went on with UDS at 250*
One intake half open

310PM UDS temp went to 260*
Intake opened up to 3/4 (i really dont know why i messed with it)

340PM UDS temp spiked to 305* (im assuming from opening the intake more)
Closed the intake completely

350PM UDS temp went down to 260*
Intake opened back to 1/3

400PM UDS temp kept falling to 240*
Opened intake 1/2

415PM opened UDS lid to probe meat, it was at 155* and UDS was at 230* from opening the lid(lid open maybe 2 minutes at best)

432PM Wrapped meat in foil temp jumped to 310* (im assuming from the lid opening)
At this point i closed the intake again and bumped the drum, what
I didnt realize was when i bumped the drum, it knocked 2 magnets
off and the temp got up to 350* so i closed everything back up
and choked it for about 45 seconds with the exhaust closed.

500PM UDS was at 275* and i checked the meat again, was at 200* so i pulled it off and shut it down.


edit:
I forgot to add, thursday ill be doing 21 pounds in two chunks. Can i cut both in half to cut down cook time? Also, is it gonna be much different than the process i jsut did (but longer)?
 
any comments at all? Not trying to bug, just curious before i go full scale in a few days.
 
Looks like you did a pretty good job on the new basket and you used the cook to learn to control the heat. The pork looks really good.

How was it?

On the 21#, I guess you could cut them apart, but why? You already have it in two chunks. I did an 11# but in 6 hours on my UDS Saturday. The center was still frozen when it went on, too.

Stick with these guys on here. I cooked in my backyard for 15 years and then I found the Brethren. I can't tell you how much better my food is now compared to just 2 years ago. My wife even says so, and you can't get a much better endorsement than your family craving your food.
 
Man your cook looks great! I'm one of the few that can detect if any food has Been cooked with smoldering briquettes and some wood, for that matter briquettes. I only use lump in my cookers. I have tried the minion and fuse burn in my cookers, just can't get past the chemical taste and smell of briquettes. Lump is so much cleaner of a flavor. It's a little more difficult to control temps with to some people, but if my pit is between 275-325 I'm perfectly fine. I cook by feel as do many of the seasoned cookers on this site, so if it's done early, FTC! Good luck on your journey!
 
jmoney7269 said:
Man your cook looks great! I'm one of the few that can detect if any food has Been cooked with smoldering briquettes and some wood, for that matter briquettes. I only use lump in my cookers. I have tried the minion and fuse burn in my cookers, just can't get past the chemical taste and smell of briquettes. Lump is so much cleaner of a flavor. It's a little more difficult to control temps with to some people, but if my pit is between 275-325 I'm perfectly fine. I cook by feel as do many of the seasoned cookers on this site, so if it's done early, FTC! Good luck on your journey!
Click to expand...

Yeah me too. I always use lump when doing the minion method for the same reason.
 
Thanks guys, very reassuring for my coming adventure. I used a mix of lump and briquets i tried to find briquets with the least amount of crap in it, which was the stubbs 95% hardwood coal (what is in this i do not know, hopefully just hardwood coal but im doubting it) and vegetable binder. For my big cook im going to use as little of the briq's as i can and use mostly the apple wood and the royal oak lump.

And it was pretty good, i like it wasnt an overpowering smokey flavor but it was there.
 
Your doing well, now take it easy when your smoking, be calm react slowly to changes. 305 deg. is not that bad of a spike. I happen to cook most of my Que @ between 295 and 350... Also every time you open the lid the temp will spike because there is an unlimited amount of air flowing into the top of the barrel and giving the coals plently of oxygen to burn hot and fast. Limit the amount of times you open it as much as possible. I know your really about to jump out of your skin to see if your doing it right, I was the exactly same way. Here's a little saying that helped me..... "if your lookin', Your not cookin' "

I would estimate about how long your going to cook or use a digital thermometer to keep from having to open to check and just leave it till its done or close to done..

Good luck with your journey down the bumpy road to fantastic BBQ!!!!!:icon_smile_tongue:
 
I would suggest picking up a meat thermometer that you can insert into the meat and still be able to keep the lid closed. Something like the et732. But for an inexpensive quick fix, check and see if your wally world stocks the $15 wireless meat probe in the BBQ section. I picked one up not too long ago when my et732 probe got damaged and it works just fine.
 
i did pick up the thermometer today at walmart. also devised a better vent then these garbage magnets so heat control should be more consistent.
 
I do not even have a temp gauge permanently built into my uds.. I just use the et732; man I love that thing.
 
scottjess said:
I do not even have a temp gauge permanently built into my uds.. I just use the et732; man I love that thing.
Click to expand...

After my smoke tonight, im going to buy one. My personality wont let me just sit and let the barrel do its thing, i have to check its temp every hour, even though it was the same every hour. So with the wireless part at least i dont have to keep going outside.

Anyways, i jsut posted pron of my first big smoke in a new thread, as to keep this one as a "help line". And i need advice from you guys again. When i went to foil my butts all the grease just poured off and started a HUGE plume of fire that singed my arm hair off and took the barrel up to 500*, what are you guys doing to prevent this?
 
The best way to prevent it is to not foil! :becky:

Seriously though, don't try to work the meat on the barrel. I like to keep a small table next to my uds. Just pull the grate out, set it on the table, and quickly put the lid back on. Then you can take your time and foil the butt. No flare ups, no big temp spikes, and no loss of hair!

Btw, I like to use a couple of bricks turned on their sides to place the grate on. That way your grate is not sitting directly on your table.
 
scottjess said:
I do not even have a temp gauge permanently built into my uds.. I just use the et732; man I love that thing.
Click to expand...

Same here , no gauge, just the maverick. One big advantage to using it is the fact that it allows one to not have to constantly remove the lid to check on meat. I stick the butt in there and never lift the lid again until butt hits 200 degrees.
 
Neonnblack said:
After my smoke tonight, im going to buy one. My personality wont let me just sit and let the barrel do its thing, i have to check its temp every hour, even though it was the same every hour. So with the wireless part at least i dont have to keep going outside.

Anyways, i jsut posted pron of my first big smoke in a new thread, as to keep this one as a "help line". And i need advice from you guys again. When i went to foil my butts all the grease just poured off and started a HUGE plume of fire that singed my arm hair off and took the barrel up to 500*, what are you guys doing to prevent this?
Click to expand...

I don't foil; the design of the UDS keeps all that lovely moisture in the meat.
 
  • Thanks
Reactions: jrn
I have a cheap pizza pan from wally world that I use as a diffuser. I drilled holes in it with a 1/4 bit. Normally I keep it covered with foil and change it every few cooks. With that in there I don't have any problems with grease getting on the coals normally.

I'm there with ya when it comes to checking the temps all the time. Over time though you will learn to trust the UDS and you will only check it on occasion.
 
jrn said:
The best way to prevent it is to not foil! :becky:
Click to expand...

scottjess said:
I don't foil; the design of the UDS keeps all that lovely moisture in the meat.
Click to expand...

Good idea on taking the grate out, never thought of that, herp derp.

And i thought the point of foiling was the meat at 160 doesnt absorb the smoke anymore and starts to get bitter. At least that what i read on here, somewhere.
 
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