smoking 25 lbs and have a few questions

girls smoke too

Newbie

Original poster

Sep 10, 2012

5

10

Cleveland, ohio (suburb)

• Sep 10, 2012

• #1

Hi all!

  I am new to this site, so I hope I am posting in the right place.  Anyways, I will be smoking about 25 lbs of pork butts on Friday for pulled pork for my graduation party on Saturday.  In a perfect world, i would smoke them and have them ready fresh for the party, but there is just no way to do that.  I have a few questions....

1) How do I gauge my time?  (I know it's about 2 hours per pound, so I would assume that if I have, on average, 7 lb butts, I would smoke them at 225 for a total of 14 hrs total. Is this right?? I really want these to turn out well.  I used to work at a BBQ place about 7 years ago, and I smoked pork butts all the time. I just don't remember exactly, and I need this pulled pork to turn out awesome!)

2) what type of wood chips will give the best flavor? (I like hickory, if that helps)

3) Do you suggest water in a pan in the bottom of the smoker to add moisture? 

I am open to all suggestions... I just want this pulled pork to be AMAZING!!!!

Thanks in advance for all your help!!

 

jarjarchef

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Sep 30, 2010

3,155

117

Central Florida

• Sep 10, 2012

• #2

Welcome to the forum. You might want to swing by Role Call for a proper welcome...

Ok now to bussiness...

This is a link to the rub my family likes. It is on the sweet side and produces a great bark. On the tread there also a link to the shoulder cook. I would do the same process with Boston butts.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/127046/jarjar-pork-rub-recipe

Your gauge in time and temp is correct for what most do for traditional low and slow. I cook at 250-275 and foil for less time and seem to push through the stall much faster. I still plan my smokes around the 1.5-2hr per pound, just to be safe.

If you like hickory, go with hickory. I use oak due to its availability and best part, it's free!

I am not sure what type of smoker you are using. If you are smoking butts, I usually do not put a water pan with them, I find them to have a lot of moisture already.

I save the juices from foiling, skim the fat off, and will add a bit of apple cider vinegar, apple juice, beer and what BBQ sauce I have on hand. It is a loose liquid that I will add to the pork as I pull it. If you are going to serve the pork later add the sauce at that time. The acid in the sauce will change the texture of the meat over time if mixed into it.

If you choose to cook ahead and reheat later. Make sure you cool the pork as quick as possible (165 in

 

s2k9k

AMNPS Test Group

Sep 8, 2011

11,324

182

SEUSA

• Sep 10, 2012

• #3

I've used Eric's method twice now and produced the best PP I've ever smoked:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...mmed-butt-wet-dry-smoke-chamber-q-view-method

Hickory is very good with pork.

Make sure you cook to internal temp (IT) not just time, you want about 205* IT for fall apart tender PP.

JarJar is right on about reheating!

 

girls smoke too

Newbie

Original poster

Thread starter

Sep 10, 2012

5

10

Cleveland, ohio (suburb)

• Sep 10, 2012

• #4

Thanks for the suggestions! Any suggestions where to get wood chips...oak, hickory or whatever?

 

s2k9k

AMNPS Test Group

Sep 8, 2011

11,324

182

SEUSA

• Sep 10, 2012

• #5

Hardware stores, Lowes, Home Depot, Grocery stores.

When you get a minute would you do us a favor and go to Roll Call and introduce yourself so we can get to know you and give you a proper welcome, also would you add your location to your profile, we like knowing where you are when we talk to you, Thanks!

 

fpnmf

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

Jul 19, 2010

7,283

82

Fl

• Sep 10, 2012

• #6

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/57139/basic-pulled-pork-smoke

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/finishing-sauce-for-pulled-pork-by-soflaque

 

bamafan

Smoking Fanatic

OTBS Member

Jun 4, 2008

823

25

Crestview Fl

• Sep 10, 2012

• #7

Where are you located. Academy sports carrys a great variety of chips. What type of cooker are you useing? I never use a set cooking time. Make sure you have a good temp probe. The meat will tell you when it's done. 200-205 is the internal temp I go for Like mentioned above. ONe butt may be done it 8 hours another one 10-12 or even longer. Cook them a day ahead and leave all the juice in the pan you pull it. I add some apple juice to the pan the next day when I warm it up. I'm like jarjar chef. put it in the oven at 250 then stir it up in the juice after about and hour.  I do it all the time. Good luck. I'm sure it will be great.

 

hyyal

Smoke Blower

Apr 25, 2011

77

11

Winterville, NC

• Sep 12, 2012

• #8

Lowes sells wood chips.

For pork, I use a mix of hickory and apple.  Pork likes a little sweet!

 

girls smoke too

Newbie

Original poster

Thread starter

Sep 10, 2012

5

10

Cleveland, ohio (suburb)

• Sep 12, 2012

• #9

DSC09788.JPG

• girls smoke too
• Sep 12, 2012

Well, step one is complete. I rubbed the pork (Boston butts, about 7.5 lbs each) with a hickory barbecue rub I like, then wrapped them tight and put them in the fridge.  Tomorrow night they will hit the smoker!! I looked at the box, the smoker is a 30" Char Broil and I am excited to use it for the first time.

 

chef jimmyj

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

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May 12, 2011

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• Sep 12, 2012

• #10

If that is a Horizontal Offset smoker you will need to rotate the Butts every hour because of temp differences across the grate and the hot spot closest to the fire box. Here is a recipe for the Finishing Sauce I use. You mix it in after pulling the meat. It has great flavor and can be eaten as is but it also goes really well with the sweeter KC style sauces some like people like...Good Luck...JJ

JJ's Finishing Sauce

2C Apple Cider Vinegar

2T Worcestershire Sauce or more to taste

1/4C Brown Sugar

1T Smoked Paprika

2 tsp Granulated Garlic

2 tsp Granulated Onion

2 tsp Fine Grind Black Pepper

1 tsp Celery Salt

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper or Chipotle powder. Add more if you like Heat.

1/2 tsp Grnd Allspice

Combine all and whisk well. Let rest, at room temp, 30 minutes for the flavors to meld together.

 

Last edited: Sep 12, 2012

girls smoke too

Newbie

Original poster

Thread starter

Sep 10, 2012

5

10

Cleveland, ohio (suburb)

• Sep 13, 2012

• #11

So, the sky was looking really nasty tonight and I decided not to smoke the pork over night (i live on the second floor of an apartment and would have to drop down an extension cord to the smoker and put it 15 ft from the building, which I was not comfortable with if it rains). Here's my question... can i cut the butts in half (down to about 3.5 lbs each) to lower the cooking time? or do I risk screwing it up? Sorry for all the questions, but I feel a little lost

 

 

s2k9k

AMNPS Test Group

Sep 8, 2011

11,324

182

SEUSA

• Sep 13, 2012

• #12

Is this an electric smoker? I'm not familiar with the CharBroil but I know the Masterbuilt electrics advise not to use an extension cord. You might want to read the directions for the smoker very closely.

 

scarbelly

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

Jul 26, 2009

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• Sep 13, 2012

• #13

Good luck with your smoke and congrats on the graduation. You got some great advice from the guys 

Be careful using an extension cord with the smoker. If your cord wire gauge is too small it can cause all kinds of problems 

 

chef jimmyj

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

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• Sep 14, 2012

• #14

Yes, you can cut the Butts into smaller portions. There is a slight risk of drying them out if your smoker temp is too high. Staying at or close to 225*F should be fine. As far as Extension Cords go, as long as your Smoker Element is not any bigger than 1200W, your best bet is to get a 12 AWG Outdoor Extension Cord, but 50 feet is as long as I would go. They are rated for 15 Amps and/or 1875 Watts. A 14 AWG is just too small and will most likely overheat...JJ