Second try with pork butt in MES underway now!

steve973 · Jan 18, 2015

First, thanks to everybody that gave me suggestions in my thread last weekend. I am using everyone's suggestions this time around. I filled the water pan with play sand and covered it with foil. I am also smoking with the top vent wide open. I even bought the a-maze-n pellet smoker, loaded with hickory pellets. It has been on since 8 am, and I just put the meat probe into the pork. After 4 hours, the meat temperature is at 140, and the smoker is at 228F. When I inserted the meat probe, I noticed that the AMPS had gone out very shortly after I put it into the smoker. It's odd, because there was some smoke puffing out of the vent this whole time, so I am not sure what was going on. I'm trying to re-light the AMPS, so we'll see if I have better luck. I'm going to let the AMPS burn for at least 15 minutes with a flame before I put it back in. Should I remove the chip loader while the AMPS is in there?

Bearcarver · Jan 18, 2015

Steve973 said:
First, thanks to everybody that gave me suggestions in my thread last weekend. I am using everyone's suggestions this time around. I filled the water pan with play sand and covered it with foil. I am also smoking with the top vent wide open. I even bought the a-maze-n pellet smoker, loaded with hickory pellets. It has been on since 8 am, and I just put the meat probe into the pork. After 4 hours, the meat temperature is at 140, and the smoker is at 228F. When I inserted the meat probe, I noticed that the AMPS had gone out very shortly after I put it into the smoker. It's odd, because there was some smoke puffing out of the vent this whole time, so I am not sure what was going on. I'm trying to re-light the AMPS, so we'll see if I have better luck. I'm going to let the AMPS burn for at least 15 minutes with a flame before I put it back in. Should I remove the chip loader while the AMPS is in there?

Sounds like you're doing everything real good !! Keep her up!!

You might want to blow on that red fire cherry in the pellet row to drive the cherry deep into the bottom of the row to keep it going.

I've been using an AMNPS for 4 years & my Chip burner & loader are still in place.

Bear

steve973 · Jan 18, 2015

On second thought, the smoker is set to 225 and it is holding steady at around 235-240.

Bearcarver · Jan 18, 2015

Steve973 said:
On second thought, the smoker is set to 225 and it is holding steady at around 235-240.

Are you getting those numbers from your MES digital read-out, or from another therm, like a Maverick??

Bear

steve973 · Jan 18, 2015

Thanks, @Bearcarver. Do you have a picture of how you arrange things in your smoker? Drip pan, the AMPS, etc? Thanks!

steve973 · Jan 18, 2015

I am using this probe:

Bearcarver · Jan 18, 2015

Steve973 said:
Thanks, @Bearcarver. Do you have a picture of how you arrange things in your smoker? Drip pan, the AMPS, etc? Thanks!

Sure---This is all I do in mine:

I put the Amazing Smoker on the bottom bars, to the left of the Chip burner.

Then I cut a foil pan in half & put it above the Amazing to keep drips off of it.

You may not need the plate I have on the right, above the water pan, to push heat over to the middle, instead of running up the right side.

image.jpeg

smokin monkey
Feb 12, 2016

Bearcarver · Jan 18, 2015

Steve973 said:
I am using this probe:

OK---Then if you like 235° to 240°, leave it set at 225°, but if you want it closer to 225°, just set your MES to 210° or 215°.

Actually any of those temps are fine.

Bear

steve973 · Jan 18, 2015

I got the pellet smoker going really well the second time. In fact, the smoker has been off for over two hours and it's still going! The pork turned out more like I expected this time. I wrapped it in foil after it got up to 165, and then I let it go to 190. It could have probably used more time, because it didn't pull as easily as it should have. But the smoke flavor was definitely better, and except for a few spots, the fat rendered pretty well.

Bearcarver · Jan 19, 2015

Steve973 said:
I got the pellet smoker going really well the second time. In fact, the smoker has been off for over two hours and it's still going! The pork turned out more like I expected this time. I wrapped it in foil after it got up to 165, and then I let it go to 190. It could have probably used more time, because it didn't pull as easily as it should have. But the smoke flavor was definitely better, and except for a few spots, the fat rendered pretty well.

I like to take Pork Butts to about 205° for easy pulling.

Link:

Pulled Boston Pork Butt

You're getting there!!

Bear

smokindontcb77 · Jan 20, 2015

How do you keep the window so clean was the first thing I noticed!

Bearcarver · Jan 20, 2015

SmokinDonTCB77 said:
How do you keep the window so clean was the first thing I noticed!

Something I learned from having a Wood Stove with a glass door for many years:

Clean it good before each start-up, and the smoke on the glass won't get baked on, and will be easier to clean.

If I have wood ashes available, I just touch a damp paper towel into the ashes, and use that to scrub the glass. Then finish it with a wet & then a dry Paper towel.

If I don't have ashes available I use Windex, with the door wide open so no over-spray goes inside my smoker.

Bear

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Second try with pork butt in MES underway now!

steve973

Newbie

Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP

steve973

Newbie

Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP

steve973

Newbie

steve973

Newbie

Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP

image.jpeg

Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP

steve973

Newbie

Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP

smokindontcb77

Fire Starter

Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP

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