Beginnings of the BIG SMOKE w/photos.

[id2nv2nj2ca]

So, earlier this week, I asked for advice on how to smoke 8 Boston butts at once for a party this weekend.  Well, here are the photos so far.  The next one won't come for another 11 hours or so. 

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• id2nv2nj2ca
• Feb 22, 2013

I can't say I'm too disappointed that the butcher at Sam's Club didn't know there were 5-two packs of butts in their cases, even though I told him I only needed 4.  At $1.26 per pound, one package is now in the freezer waiting for next time. 

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• id2nv2nj2ca
• Feb 22, 2013

Here is just one brushed with olive oil, prior to administering a generous amount of Jeffs Rub, modified because I am NOT a fan of spicy food.  Is it blasphemous to say that in here? 

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• id2nv2nj2ca
• Feb 22, 2013

With the rub applied liberally, waiting to be wrapped in plastic wrap to go in the fridge overnight.  Overnight being a relative term as we were up until 2:30 this morning getting them all ready.

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• id2nv2nj2ca
• Feb 22, 2013

All eight rubbed, wrapped, refrigerated for a few hours, and now ready to be unwrapped and put on the racks.

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• id2nv2nj2ca
• Feb 22, 2013

Let the smoking begin.  Though it was up to temperature when I opened the door to put them in, it's now exactly an hour since doing so, and it's only reading 156 degrees on the Maverick.  The next photo will be after another 11 hours or so, until the IT reaches 200 and they are ready to come out and be wrapped in foil.  For those that are religious, please pray that my AMNPS will keep going most of the entire time. 

 

[kathrynn]

those do looooookkkkkk sooooooo goooood!  You have that smoker full to the brim!  

 

[pgsmoker64]

Looks like a great start!  I would figure that you may need to reload your AMNPS once depending on the amount of smoke flavor you want!

Good luck!

Bill

 

[sound1]

I cant really see from the pics and I have the older style MES...Are the dripping going to fall on the AMNPS??  Foil tent over it??

 

[smokinhusker]

Looking good!

 

[bbqbrett]

Very Nice.

 

[id2nv2nj2ca]

I cant really see from the pics and I have the older style MES...Are the dripping going to fall on the AMNPS??  Foil tent over it??

The drippings shouldn't fall onto it, as it is underneath the water pan.  So far, so good, but the temperature, after being on for about 2 hours and 15 minutes, is now only at 187.  It was 192 when I first typed that, now it's gone down to 187.  Maybe it's the wind.  Also, there is a LOT of condensation on the window.  So much it is dripping down the window.

Thank you everyone else for the comments, sure hope it works well.

 

[scootermagoo]

How's the AMNPS holding out in the moist environment?

 

[mneeley490]

That much meat mass will cause the temp to drop in the MES. I found that out when doing a load of Canadian bacon. It'll take longer, but you should be okay.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

The drippings shouldn't fall onto it, as it is underneath the water pan.  So far, so good, but the temperature, after being on for about 2 hours and 15 minutes, is now only at 187.  It was 192 when I first typed that, now it's gone down to 187.  Maybe it's the wind.  Also, there is a LOT of condensation on the window.  So much it is dripping down the window.

Thank you everyone else for the comments, sure hope it works well.

Pretty typical when you load smoker full, it takes a long time to get back up to temp. The thermal mass of the cold, dense meat really sucks the heat up, not to mention the addition of moisture from the meat. Another reason I prefer a dry smoke chamber and fill my water pan with sand and not water. I always ramp up the heat 50-100 degrees above my target temp for the smoke chamber when pre-heating, this helps with the recovery times! Keep that door closed and don't peek inside! Good luck and post some more Q-view!

 

[sound1]

X2 on the sand and over preheat

 

[pc farmer]

The sand helps retain heat?

 

[sound1]

Sand=A dry thermal mass that 1. Wont cool with/by evaporation. 2. Helps reduce temp swings by providing a thermal ballast so to speak

 

[bruno994]

The sand helps retain heat?

Yes, acts as a heat sink.  My pit is a reverse flow offset (or RF), so the RF plate helps with heat retention, allowing for fast recovery after a door opening. 

There are 2 things I like to look at, a beautiful woman and a full smoker!  Both make my heart skip a beat.

Continued success on your Big Smoke.

 

[id2nv2nj2ca]

How's the AMNPS holding out in the moist environment?

Well, it was doing fine, until I left for a luncheon birthday party at my wifes office.  I found it had stopped smoking, so I pulled it out, and just as I was about to hit it with the torch again, I could see some embers and it started smoking a bit.  I still torched it for a bit, let the flame go for several minutes, and then blew it out and replaced it in the smoker.  I left for a couple of hours, and when I got home, it had stopped smoking again.  I was wrong about the drippings not hitting it.  One place, the pellets had turned to mush.  Cleaned them all out, loaded up some more pellets to fill it, and started over.  I put the AMNPS in sideways this time to try and avoid the drip.  There is so little room between my AMNPS and my water pan, that I can't put a foil tent over it.  There just isn't room as I had to sit it on a mason jar ring so it would get enough air.  If it keeps going out, I don't know what I am going to do but rely on the flavor it's already gotten and Jeff's dry rub.

Pretty typical when you load smoker full, it takes a long time to get back up to temp. The thermal mass of the cold, dense meat really sucks the heat up, not to mention the addition of moisture from the meat. Another reason I prefer a dry smoke chamber and fill my water pan with sand and not water. I always ramp up the heat 50-100 degrees above my target temp for the smoke chamber when pre-heating, this helps with the recovery times! Keep that door closed and don't peek inside! Good luck and post some more Q-view!

When I got back from the above mentioned lunch, my window was still dripping wet, and both the drip pan and the bottom drip pan were completely full.  I didn't put anything in the water pan except for a piece of heavy duty foil to keep it "clean".  I now have a nice big drip stain on my driveway.  The landlord is going to love that.  Anyway, what would have happened with all the drippings if my water pan were full of sand?

Thank you all for the feedback, it is very much appreciated. Probably 6 more hours, the internal temp is supposedly 165, and has been for quite some time.

 

[jp61]

That is a big load on the MES especially with the butts coming straight out of the fridge. It will take awhile before things start balancing out some. The cases at Sam's go by total weight....sometimes you get 4 packs sometimes 5. I take it you don't have any wood chips? People that use sand in the water pan usually wrap it in foil. Hang in there it's gonna be a long ride......good luck!

 

[jp61]

I misunderstood you and still not sure what you mean with the pans. Your water pan and drip pan both filled up with condensate or the drip pan and the drip pan on the outside (at least that's where it's located on mine) of the smoker? Did you poke a hole in the foil? All that meat will give up a ton of moisture for sure.

 

[id2nv2nj2ca]

I misunderstood you and still not sure what you mean with the pans. Your water pan and drip pan both filled up with condensate or the drip pan and the drip pan on the outside (at least that's where it's located on mine) of the smoker? Did you poke a hole in the foil? All that meat will give up a ton of moisture for sure.

My water pan was empty except for foil to keep it clean.  The drip pan that is a smallish pan on the outside on the bottom of the housing also filled up.  I can't imagine what would have happened if I had the water pan full of sand.  I would probably had a really big mess on my driveway instead of the smaller one I have now.  I have had a near impossible time keeping my AMNPS smoking, which is nothing new for me.  At one point, after taking it out to relight it, I decided to put some pellets in the chip loader.  In less than 5 minutes, I had flames coming out of the tray.  Same thing happened when I originally seasoned the unit.  The sent me a new chip assembly that is supposed to fix that issue, but I haven't tried it with chips yet. Noe I get the pleasure to keep checking and relighting the pellets in the AMNPS, going so far as to light both ends as these should theoretically be done in about 4 hours.

 

[scootermagoo]

update?

 

[bear55]

Looking great so far!!