Disaster in the making

smoke freak · Oct 1, 2007

Yesterday.. up at 3am to light the fire. Wind speed 20-30 mph. Welcome to Kansas. Pork butt on at 4:30. Plateau about 149 ...waitin...OK enough! After 11 hours in the smoke its at 151... I give up. No way to reach 160 in this wind (which picked up a bunch at sunrise). Foil it and put it in the oven. By 6:30 pm I knew I wasnt eatin pork for supper. Grillled some burgers eh. Around 8:00 it was at 161 and I pulled it from the oven. Rested for an hour. Drained most of the juice and stuck it in the fridge. May have been a mistake but I had to get up at 4am to go to work!
NOW I need to know the best way to reheat this beauty to pull for sandwiches. any advice would be MUCH appreciated.

ba_loko · Oct 1, 2007

Smoke, put it right back in the oven at 250ish for about 2 hours. There's no shame in doing that at all. Reuse those juices, and foil the top so it doesn't dry out.

smoke freak · Oct 1, 2007

Thanks Kev, Thats what I thought but I didnt know how long it would take to reheat. This thing has frustrated me enough already. Unfortunately (and foolishly) I dumped the juices.Just a little bummed after cookin for over 15 hours and endin up with cheeseburgers.

jaynik · Oct 1, 2007

crockpot...

mossymo · Oct 1, 2007

SMOKE FREAK
If I think it will be 6 hours it will be 10 hours, if I think it will be a 12 hours smoke, then 18 hours just doesn't surprise me anymore. Best advise I can give is really give yourself more than plenty of time and if you have to nap with it in the oven, set a temperature controlled alarm. The alarm has helped me several times (Like just his last Saturday again !!!).

walking dude · Oct 1, 2007

your biggest problem was the wind.............

WIND STEALS HEAT.........
you need to make a windbreak...........that will help out bunches

smoke freak · Oct 1, 2007

My wind break is two 5' x 5' sections hinged in the middle so that I can position it any where I need it. With this wind that wasnt even close to enough. It swirled around like nothin doin. Gusts of 40mph and above. Just a bad experience for my first butt. BUT Im sure tomorrow night it will be fantastic.

walking dude · Oct 1, 2007

kewl.........may the smoke gods shine apon you

d8de

deejaydebi · Oct 1, 2007

Maybe try 4 sides? I have to use a windbreak most of the time because I live on the highest points in town and we almost always have wind. I used three sides at first but it helpped to add a top.

smoke freak · Oct 1, 2007

My patio has house blocking two sides My wind break was on the other two sides. I felt like I was cookin in a box or something. Nothing was going to subdue these gusts except a 5 sided enclosure.

By the way, my wife calls this wind break the Great Wall of Barbecue.

walking dude · Oct 1, 2007

HAHAHA.......good one smoke

d8de

fatback joe · Oct 2, 2007

What temps were you able to hold in that wind?

ron50 · Oct 2, 2007

Sounds like a combo of wind and long plateau. I cooked 2 8 lb butts Saturday night and they took over 15 hours. They hit a plateau twice and stayed there 4-5 hours. I didn't give up and they came out great.

If it's really windy you could always pull them out at 140 dgrees and put them in a 225-250 oven for the rest. Most of the smokey taste will already be in the meat at that point.

I'd also be curious to know the temp of the smoker during all that wind?

squeezy · Oct 2, 2007

Us Canadians get accused of saying 'eh' all the time ... now I see it in Kansas ... verrrry interesting!

Never ... I repeat never throw the juices away!

We all have our frustrating Qs ... we learn from them.

All is not lost ... it may turn out much better than expected ... hang in there friend!

ajthepoolman · Oct 2, 2007

For those that don't know, you can sit on either side of McPherson Kansas and see the other side of town without even standing up. Flat flat flat. Wind blows like mad there. And it isn't a "small" town either. Decent size for being in the location it is in.

The wind was terrible here in Topeka. I can only imagine what McPherson was like.

flagriller · Oct 2, 2007

Good answer. Put it in pour the juices over it, set it to low with a little sauce, cover. Done!

smoke freak · Oct 6, 2007

Had to revisit an old thread to give youall an update. My week was almost as much a disaster as my experience on Sunday. Didnt get a chance to reheat my meat untill Friday night. Warmed it up, pulled it apart and it was amazing. Maybe the best pork I ever had. Had to hide a couple pounds from the family so I can make burritos on Monday.
Any way thanks for the info. Some one ask what temps could I hold in that wind. Unbelievably Temps stayed between 190 - 260 with very few spikes or dips. Was deffinately FULLTIME work but I pulled it off some how. Very long day. Very good eats, eh! (yeah Im from Kansas)
A J was right about McPherson being kinda small. I figure when I cook the whole town can smell it. Sunday I think they smelled it in S.Dakota....kinda breezy alright.
Also I think someone called me a crackpot but I dont mind.

deejaydebi · Oct 6, 2007

If crackpots the worst they call you - feel privledged!

walking dude · Oct 6, 2007

i would LOVE being called a crackpot..........it means they are underestimating you............

heheh..........and THATS the best..........i LOVE being underestamated........

just hide in the bushes.........yeap..........

d8de

smoke freak · Oct 6, 2007

I just read my original post. It says that i pulled it from the oven at 161.
Im sure it was more like 201. 161 woulda been kinda tough.This was terrific.

Wow maybe I am a crackpot........

Disaster in the making

StickBurners

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Master of the Pit

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