Hoping for some help on a Boston Butt smoke

[CoachWalrich]

Been lurking and searching for a little while and was hoping for some advice and help on my Boston Butt smoke this Sunday.

Here is my plan, with some questions
I have a Masterbuilt vertical gas smoker
Smoking a 8-10lb Butt

Going to inject the Butt on Saturday with Butcher BBQ injection and let it sit in the fridge overnight
Rub it with Butcher BBQ rub after injection. Wrap and put into fridge

I have Hickory chunks, Cherry and Pecon chips
1st question - any suggestion on wood?
Should I soak the wood?
How much should I put in initially?

Do I spritz with Apple juice during the smoke? How often?

Going to wrap it at 165 - should I put anything in the wrap?

Take it off at 200 and wrap in the cooler

Anything I am missing? Like I said, trying to get better!

Thanks for the help in advance! Getting excited for Sunday!

 

[SmittyJonz]

Don't soak the wood.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=213765

 

[BoLiles]

don't open that door for 2 hours - set that bark. Open, spritz once an hour till you hit the stall (150-170), wrap w/ 3 tablespoons of apple juice or other liquid, cook till 190, open wrap and smoke open or in pan to reset bark on most of the butt, and cook till absolutely probe tender (198-205ish). Rest minimum of an hour and up to 4 in a cooler. Pull and enjoy.

 

[ButtBurner]

dont worry about the temp. Bone should be able to be wiggled to determine if its done

is it enhanced? If so I would not inject

I dont wrap, I dont spritz. But thats my preference

 

[Fwismoker]

Keep it simple! Injections, spritzing are silly and only complicate your cook. Rub, set your temp and only check it after it's about done, I'll check probe @ around 195 internal temp.

When you pull add a good finishing sauce into your pull and reserve some to spoon on your sandwiches.

 

[Bludawg]

JM2C obviously you have not ever cooked a Butt before and you have watched to much BBQ TV. My advice it to "Keep it Simple Stymie" and just let the pork be pork. Skip the injection Butts don't need it, forget spritzing it only prolongs the cook and adds nothing to the finished product. I'd use the Hickory chunks. Cook it neked until the bone wiggles like a loose tooth. Park it in the counter in your kitchen and tent it with foil until it has cooled enough that you can pull it with out getting 3rd deg burns. If you're gonna wrap it cook it to probe tender( when you poke the probe through thte foil you feel nothing) park it on the counter open the foil to vent it and let it cool, drain & defat the juices and add it back to the pulled meat.

 

[BoLiles]

all good advice but I like a spritz for bark formation...

 

[CoachWalrich]

Wow, thanks for the responses so far!
What about temp? 225-250

 

[yakdung]

I would go light on the smoking wood apple or peach comes to mind. I would not try and reinvent the wheel starting out of the gate. Try one of these recipe(s) in the links below. They are proven and have won many awards. Also, consider tossing the gas smoker. Soaking bbq wood is a myth. Good luck,
http://www.slapyodaddybbq.com/2012/04/slap-yo-daddy-bone-in-pork-butt-2/
http://www.epicurious.com/archive/blogs/editor/2014/06/chris-lillys-perfect-pork-bbq.html
http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_soaking_wood.html

 

[THoey1963]

Listen to the above. No reason to make it harder than it's supposed to be the first time. You can mess it up the second time.

I like cherry wood with pork. Gives it a nice mahogany color...

 

[Tom Sellecks Mustache]

Another vote for cherry wood, but combining hickory and cherry wouldn't be so bad either. My goal with smoking is to open to door as little as possible, so I don't spritz but I know a lot do. I usually run my smoker around 275 because the sooner its done the sooner I get to eat.

 

[Bludawg]

225 is warming it to death run it up to 275 minimum you can figure right at 1 hr per lb to get a ROUGH idea as to when it will be close to done if you keep the door closed If you're lookin you aint cookin

 

[BigBobBQ]

I agree with he above, just rub it and toss it on the cooker at whatever temp you choose and cook until it is probe tender on your first try. You can then experiment on later cooks to see what differences things make. I cook in the 250-275 range usually.

 

[Fwismoker]

all good advice but I like a spritz for bark formation...

Never needed spritz for bark in my bbq world...plenty of moisture coming out of the meat, in the air and from the fuel.

 

[fantomlord]

I agree with the KISS philosophy for butts...it doesn't take much to make them good eatin'

rub it, throw it on at anywhere from 275 - 350, and let it go until it's probe tender. I wouldn't wrap at all unless the bark is getting darker than you want.

And I would say cherry is a good choice for wood.

 

[mrboy]

You really can't screw up a butt as long as you cook it long enough. Pick the advice that makes the most sense to you and run with it.

The only thing I can add is save the juices from your wrap and add them to your sauce. Folks will be lick'in their fingers.

 

[churrodog]

I smoke on a Masterbuilt cabinet so let me ask a couple of things.

Is it two doors or one? Does it have the original chip pan or have you added a cast iron skillet on top? It helps. I even extended my chip pan up a little with some nuts and bolts through the feet and also drilled a couple of additional 1/2" holes through the pan for better heat to the skillet. Are you using a water pan, and is it the one that came with the unit? The water pan will have a big impact on the way the bark sets and the spritzing idea.

They like running anywhere from 235-300, but the comment before was spot on. At 235 the damn thing will never get done. Mine fluctuates under 235 too much and stays way more steady at 240+.

I have to add chunks once an hour, on the hour using the skillet. At under 260 when I add chunks I have to leave the door cracked with the burner on high for approximately 4 minutes to get them to ignite, then turn the burner back down and close the door. At 260+, you can just chuck them in and get the door shut back quick and they will get going without the additional adjustments.

I used to run more, but have learned that it likes about two chunks at a time. They will roll for 45+ minutes, and when you go to toss another one or two in, give the ones in there a little flip. They will continue burning while the fresh ones are getting started.

 

[churrodog]

If you have the stock chip pan without a skillet and don't want to add one you will want to use foil to roll some cigar shapes and plug the long holes in the pan. Without doing that you will just be setting the wood on fire.

Here you can see my risers through the feet of the stock chip pan and can just about see the 1/2" holes drilled between the stock openings. I think the pan is 12" but you can get away with 10". The extra space helps keep you from having to dump ashes during the cook, just start with chunks in the back. Like I said, flip them when adding new ones and they will keep burning just long enough.

Got my water pan from a restaurant supply shop and it's size makes it great especially for butts. Catches all of the drippings and lasts 8-10 hours without a refill. Mine sits on the deck and the last thing I want is a grease fire. Going to fill it with sand and cover in foil this weekend to experiment but so far have always run water.

 

[spider22]

JM2C obviously you have not ever cooked a Butt before and you have watched to much BBQ TV. My advice it to "Keep it Simple Stymie" and just let the pork be pork. Skip the injection Butts don't need it, forget spritzing it only prolongs the cook and adds nothing to the finished product. I'd use the Hickory chunks. Cook it neked until the bone wiggles like a loose tooth. Park it in the counter in your kitchen and tent it with foil until it has cooled enough that you can pull it with out getting 3rd deg burns. If you're gonna wrap it cook it to probe tender( when you poke the probe through thte foil you feel nothing) park it on the counter open the foil to vent it and let it cool, drain & defat the juices and add it back to the pulled meat.

Agree with all of this and I do foil. The part about it being probe tender is very important. I made the mistake of pulling around 200 the first couple of butts I did. I have found I have to take it to around 208 to get it probe tender and have much better results.

 

[CoachWalrich]

churrodog,
Mine has two doors - the lower one will open to the wood box and the pan is on top. Should I fill that with water?

How many chunks do you put in at one time? What are you using?
If I have chips, should I put in a couple handfuls?

I smoke on a Masterbuilt cabinet so let me ask a couple of things.

Is it two doors or one? Does it have the original chip pan or have you added a cast iron skillet on top? It helps. I even extended my chip pan up a little with some nuts and bolts through the feet and also drilled a couple of additional 1/2" holes through the pan for better heat to the skillet. Are you using a water pan, and is it the one that came with the unit? The water pan will have a big impact on the way the bark sets and the spritzing idea.

They like running anywhere from 235-300, but the comment before was spot on. At 235 the damn thing will never get done. Mine fluctuates under 235 too much and stays way more steady at 240+.

I have to add chunks once an hour, on the hour using the skillet. At under 260 when I add chunks I have to leave the door cracked with the burner on high for approximately 4 minutes to get them to ignite, then turn the burner back down and close the door. At 260+, you can just chuck them in and get the door shut back quick and they will get going without the additional adjustments.

I used to run more, but have learned that it likes about two chunks at a time. They will roll for 45+ minutes, and when you go to toss another one or two in, give the ones in there a little flip. They will continue burning while the fresh ones are getting started.