Decision crisis - smoker or weber kettle?

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mikeatrpi

Newbie
Original poster
Jul 2, 2014
10
10
I have a slightly modded masterbuilt Brinkmann clone smoker, but I have a lot of trouble maintaining stable temps.  I just got a weber kettle, so I was thinking of smoking on that.  I've done a few smaller smokes on my old smokey joe silver, so I'm familiar with the compromises of smoking on a grill.  What do the experts say - kettle or masterbuilt?  I'm smoking two small-ish butts for the Fourth.  
 
Awesome, thanks for talking me off the ledge!  Can't wait to get it going on Monday!
 
Holey SMOKES this was my best TWO ever!  I paid an arm and a leg, $3.19 lb, for boneless butts from from upscale grocer, and took home two - 4.75 and 4.78 lbs.  I tell ya what, it was worth it!  On at 6:30 this morning, snake method, hickory chips and apple chunks.  I used 50/50 brown sugar / white sugar, plus salt, pepper, and chipolte powder rub overnight.  At 5 hours in I stuck in the probe - 138 degrees.  HUH????  With the snake I was holding a solid 250 degrees till then.  Getting worried, I threw on some more charcoal and opened the vents, and got it up to 350 pretty quickly.  Once we got to 175 I threw both butts into a foil pan, covered them tightly, and put em back in till we hit 203 degrees.  I pulled them off 8 hours and 1 minute in.  They rested in the foam cooler with blankets for an hour, then I shredded them with claws.

Let me say - the BEST, the BEST I've ever done. The meat was soft, tender, flavorful, and the crust was amazing!  There was half a sandwich baggie left, and I think that's because people don't want to take the scraps from the pan.  Every year we do a party on the fourth, and I tell my wife and guests burgers and dogs are not BBQ - so I insist on smoking some pork.  Every year they rave about the it, but this year - hot dog, this was some good stuff.  I had several guests go out of their way to compliment it!

What would I do differently next time?  Maybe start a little earlier, and or run it a little bit hotter.  I did the snake 2 wide by 2 tall... maybe go three tall next time.  I bet if I did 275 all day long instead of 250, I wouldn't have had the 350 degree freakout.  

Never the less....  Hot dang that was some good 'cue.  Man.  Thanks again boys, I appreciate the advice!
 
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