First 2 smokes completed.....

[cocoafloridaboy]

Hello, All, Started with an 8.5lb chicken. Split in half and placed on WSM 18 on top rack. Kept temp about 225-250 with built in thermometer. It was good. Nothing spectacular, just good. Took 5 hrs to come up to temp 175. Few days later put a 9lb boston butt on it with a Maverick 733 or some number, I forget, the new one. That was pretty cool. Kept the temp at 250 first 5-6 hrs, then after wrapping in foil had trouble maintaining temp. Went from 280 to 240 up and down, no big deal. Just used my own dry rub with the usual ingredients. Shoulda injected it but, didn't have any juices.I gues it went 9-10 hrs and up to 200 and I pulled it and let it set for 30 minutes. Couldn't stand it, hell , I'd been waiting all day. It was excellent as far as being moist. Bone pulled right out with nothin on it. Pulled it with two kitchen forks. It was also, good. Need to try harder with seasoning and injecting. All in all, a succesful learning experience. Got another 9lb butt gonna defrost tomorrow and inject and go for it. Sure is a lot of meat on one of those babies. I'm gonna have to freeze some of it. I got no one to feed. Used that ring of charcoal, that worked well. Even had plenty left over after shutting it down. Might not wrap it next time. The bark was mush. Thanks to all for the advice I have gleaned from here. Gotta go get a brisket, but learning about brisket is tough! The point, the flat, and all the durn briskets at Sam's are 3 ft long! I watched that video of the butcher chopping up the cow, that was very informative. I always wondered about how they did that.  kevin

 

[gary s]

Congrats to you.  I love Pulled Pork. 

Gary

 

[chef willie]

It's a learning curve....there's only 2 of us here so I hear ya on the size of some of these cooks. Start having people over on smoke days...lol.....Willie

 

[oldschoolbbq]

CoCoafloridaboy , hello and welcome to our Neighborhood.

 Hope you plan to set-up residence and become another Neighbor...

Your cooks sound very good and sounds as if you are learning a lot... may I suggest you do a few more Chickens and Pork Butts before doing a Brisket.

Reason being , you need to learn your Smoker a bit more before trying an Expen$ive piece of meat like a Brisky.

After a few more  Butts and Birds , and you'll be ready...

Now , about you previous cooks :

Sorry ,

 , but it's ...

 

[cocoafloridaboy]

You are definitely correct about that, I need  more experience. I am very critical of my own cooking and although I wasn't too impressed right after the smoked butt was done, I had it tonight, reheated, after sitting for a few days and boy it was good! Just put a little Lawry's on it and some cayenne and just a touch of BDSE sauce and I ate two plate fulls. Ate too much! I think I'll do that. Cook a couple of butts and take them into work, shredded in a crock pot. I know they will dig it. I will take pics and post next time. Thanks for the encouragement, guys. I was checking out some of the pics of steak and such that you guys cook, here on the website. Absolutely unbelievable some of the good looking meat out there. I was thinking of just using the lower part of the WSM with the coal ring and putting a rack directly on top of that and burning some ribeyes.  I've been using a Weber Genesis gas grill for years and it just isn't hot enough. Although, my ribeyes are excellent, I think cooking with coals will allow for some improvement. Thanks, Kevin

 

[JckDanls 07]

this all sounds good... Myself, I think the reason smokes taste better a day or two later is... Your taste buds have been "tasting" smoke all day during the cook... So the smoke and flavors don't stand out in the meat as much on the day of the cook.... But let your senses clear out for a day or two and then eat some and you say.. Wowwwww.. that didn't taste that good the day I cooked it....