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bigthirsty
08-02-2008, 07:22 AM
First smoke ever on a smoker.. First time using the Pro Q XL. First time trying fatties. First time I've been up this early in a long time.

http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/12/60/84/52/dscn0610.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=6&u=12608452)
http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/12/60/84/52/dscn0611.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=7&u=12608452)
2.5 hrs later.. fatties are done.. had to snap a pic of the pork too..
http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/12/60/84/52/dscn0612.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=8&u=12608452)
http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/12/60/84/52/dscn0613.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=9&u=12608452)

Fatties are just stuffed with some pepperjack cheese. This is the inagural run on the Pro Q XL for me. Nothing fancy.. just putting Lizzy through her paces. Yep.. Lizzy. Thats her name.

Dr_KY
08-02-2008, 07:28 AM
So tell us don't you just love the XL. :cool:


Did you notice there are holes in the mounts at the grates for your probe wire? Mine didn't fit through so I just rounded out the crimp on the probe and now they slide through. I'll be fitting relocated access holes though as it's a bit tricky working them from between the gill.


Looking great , can't wait to see it all done!

blues_n_cues
08-02-2008, 07:30 AM
looks like yer doin' ok so far.:-D

bigthirsty
08-02-2008, 07:34 AM
So tell us don't you just love the XL. :cool:


Did you notice there are holes in the mounts at the grates for your probe wire? Mine didn't fit through so I just rounded out the crimp on the probe and now they slide through. I'll be fitting relocated access holes though as it's a bit tricky working them from between the gill.


Looking great , can't wait to see it all done!

I love it so far! The probe was a funny thing. I put everything together this morning and about 15 min later thought "crap.. forgot the probe". Had to take off the lid and by that time running it through the grate wasn't an option.

I chalk it up to first time idiot status.

mj5580
08-02-2008, 07:37 AM
Looks mighty fine.......nuttin' wrong with sausage and pepper jack!

Norcoredneck
08-02-2008, 07:42 AM
Looks like your rockin.

N8man
08-02-2008, 07:48 AM
Smoke on, Brother!!!:-D

biffleg
08-02-2008, 07:57 AM
Looks like you're on your way!

LMAJ
08-02-2008, 08:52 AM
Nice first run - let's see the rest of it!

Forney
08-02-2008, 08:58 AM
Classy first smoke!

bigthirsty
08-02-2008, 09:18 AM
Here are some updated pics. Spritzed with some apple juice and apple cider. Water pan was low and thus the water left was too hot. Added some water to cool it off a little.

Meat is sitting at 139.

Do I pull off at 190 and foil? Or do I foil before then? Do apply any kind of sauce mixture to it before I pull it off?

http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/12/60/84/52/dscn0614.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=10&u=12608452)
http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/12/60/84/52/dscn0615.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=11&u=12608452)
http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/12/60/84/52/dscn0616.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=12&u=12608452)

Meat is at 139. Water pan ran low (probably rookie mistake on my part). Added some more water. Not sure if I was supposed to.. but did it anyway.

When do I take off? 190? Do I foil before then and baste with BBQ sauce? Or is that for ribs.. confused..:icon_bugeyed

Dr_KY
08-02-2008, 09:26 AM
Pull and foil but you will hit the stall zone at about 160 but just let it ride untill it gets through it.

Keep that waterpan topped up.

Westexbbq
08-02-2008, 12:41 PM
Nice going bigthirsty.
Your first time is always very special.

HB-BBQ
08-02-2008, 12:56 PM
Congrads on the new cooker, that butt is looking real good. I foil at 160/165 and pull at 190/195. Take out of cooker and leave wrapped in foil and toss into a cooler for a few hours. Pull it when ready to eat and drain the fat/juice. I sometimes add some AJ or cider to the pork before serving after I pull it.

jeffjenkins1
08-02-2008, 01:11 PM
Nice job, first cook or not! Someone is going to be eatin good tonight.

Jeff

BBQ Grail
08-02-2008, 02:07 PM
YES! Great job for the first time. Pictures of the plated product would be great to see.

Congrats on a job well done.

BBQ Bandit
08-02-2008, 02:43 PM
Congrats on the first smoke... the pork looks delicious.
Nice choice on the cooker, too!

OSD
08-02-2008, 04:36 PM
Congrats on the new smoker and a great first cook!! Things are lookin' tasty!

Qcrue2U
08-02-2008, 04:41 PM
NICE!!! Good lookin first some session!!!! Hope you had fun!!

bigthirsty
08-02-2008, 05:23 PM
Just a quick update. My temp dropped to like 200.. I had gone through all my water etc and I burned through my coals.

I added a bunch of water.. bunch of coals.. temp is back up to 225 and meat is at 171 right now.

Taking forever to get through this stall...

More pics to come. Camera battery went low. Had to recharge.

smokestack
08-02-2008, 05:35 PM
stall seams to take forever-after wrapping ,save the juice in the foil,skim off the fat and add to the pulled pork,don't waste all that good flavor- looks great for the first cook- or any cook for that matter

bigthirsty
08-02-2008, 10:13 PM
Well she finally finished up.. Actually took it off at 187.. figured I could probe around long enough and find 190 somewhere. It had been on for 15.5 hrs. This was the first time I had the picnic cut and I'm not as much as a fan as the boston butt. It seemed "fattier" to me. Don't get me wrong.. it was good but there was room for improvement. I can't be too upset as I prepped all of about 15 min on the meat. Just did some mustard and a rub and let it sit in the fridge for 9 hrs.
All in all a fun time for the first merry go round and got a thumbs up from the wife and a friend (two thumbs up on the fatties.. those things took smoke on like a duck to water). The smoker did an excellent job. Any thing that went wrong was on me. I didn't fill the charcoal ring up as much as I should have starting out and had to repeatedly add charcoal. Lesson learned.
I'll post pics of the ash layout when she finally cools down overnight.
Final product below..
http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/12/60/84/52/dscn0617.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=13&u=12608452)

http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/12/60/84/52/dscn0618.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=14&u=12608452)

http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/12/60/84/52/dscn0619.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=15&u=12608452)

http://i40.servimg.com/u/f40/12/60/84/52/dscn0620.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=16&u=12608452)

N8man
08-02-2008, 10:38 PM
That looks Mighty Fine to me, Good Job!!!!:-D

Bbq Bubba
08-02-2008, 10:44 PM
Success!! :biggrin:
Good lookin butt! :cool:

HB-BBQ
08-03-2008, 12:08 AM
That is a beautiful sight, and some nice bark I might add congrads.

Smokin Gator
08-03-2008, 07:12 AM
Very nicely done first cook or not!!

jed
08-03-2008, 07:22 AM
That looks mighty tasty & I love the nice bark.
Good job.

jed

1_T_Scot
08-03-2008, 07:26 AM
Very nice first smoke!!!! I think we got pizza delivered for my first smoke.

JD McGee
08-03-2008, 10:28 AM
Yeah baby...Yeah! :biggrin: Nice job bro! Congrats on a very successful first smoke and your new XL. I'm looking forward to seeing them hit the West Coast so I can check them out.

vr6Cop
08-03-2008, 10:34 AM
That looks like an awesome picnic. Congrats on the first smoke being a success. :cool:

Check out the Minion Method for the charcoal, it should help your burn times and keep you from having to add charcoal.

rstewart
08-03-2008, 01:37 PM
That looks mighty good from where I'm sitting. Good Job

thillin
08-03-2008, 01:47 PM
Looks like a succes!

bowhnter
08-03-2008, 02:26 PM
You got it going! Great job!

jeffjenkins1
08-03-2008, 03:21 PM
Man, that looks awesome! Nice job.

Jeff