I wrote this on another forum for a few friends. Yes, I know the smoker temps are high, working on that now, ordered a needle valve last night. Bought a couple of cheap thermometers from a cooking store at an outlet mall. I did check them in boiling water and they were right on, so for now I'll use them. Until I get deeper into the whole smoking thing and buy better equipment.
Here is the copy and paste, if it seems screwed up, its because I was talking in other posts with friends on there. Sorry, just didn't want to write another book, lol. Hopefully you guys get the gist of it.
Got my pork butt rubbed and wrapped in the fridge. I rubbed it with a light layer of mustard and a few drizzles of honey to get the rub to stick, then coated it with a nice dusting of rub. Its 4.8lbs. had a fairly thin fat cap so I left all of it.
I keep thinking to cook it fat side up and let it render down through the meat, but I've read some people cook it fat side down to protect the meat from heat spikes. I'm still thinking fat side up is going to be the best method right now. I'll just have to experiment more and see what happens over time. I'm not even planning a meal around this, just basically doing it to see how it turns out and get some notes and experience with this smoker. If it turns out good, that's wonderful, if its inedible, at least I'll know what not to do next time.
I've had the the butt on since noonish with the thin blue smoke rolling. Temps are running higher than I want, but I'll just have to go with it for now and modify it later with a needle valve after the regulator so I can fine tune the flame lower.
Looking good so far, got plenty of pics along the way. May be late tonight before shes done. 4 hours in and internal temp is only about 140, shooting for around 205.
Alright an update with pics. Like I mentioned I fired the smoker up at 12:15, put in a box of hickory and let it heat up until smoke started flowing. Put the butt in at 12:45. It was 50* internal temp (IT) when it started.
Checked it at 1:45, added a little wood and moved it up 1 rack higher to see if the smoker temps would be lower up there. IT was nearing 80*.
2:45 IT up to 107*, spritzed with apple juice.
3:45 decided to flip it over, had been cooking with the fat cap up to render down through the meat. Spritzed again with juice, IT up to 131*
After flipping...
4:45 IT starts to stall (earlier than expected) had only risen to 141*. Spritzed again with juice.
5:45 IT temp still somewhat stalled, only 147*. Added more wood and spritzed again.
6:45 In a serious stall now, IT only went up to 150*, turned it over again, added wood, and spritzed.
7:45 still stalled, but moved up a little more than last time. IT went up to 156*. Spritzed, and starting to get irritated with this damned stall period. Plus I had to fire up the grill and cook burgers and some Conecuh sausage for supper while trying to watch the smoker at the same time.
8:45 been waiting on the IT to get to 160* so I could wrap it in foil and let it cook the rest of the way up to 200 or so. Finally got there, and between finishing supper, trying to get it out, wrapped, temp probe back in, spritzed, etc. I forgot to get pics before it was wrapped up so no more pics until I take it out.
Finally really broke out of the stall and temp started climbing nicely. 9:45 IT up to 174*.
10:45 it had shot up to 190, and @ 11:15 it hit 201* IT and I decided to pull it. Ended up going for a total of 10 1/2 hours. Lets bring it in and see how it looks. I need to leave it wrapped up, wrap it in towels, and put it in a cooler to rest for an hour or so, but I just can't resist taking a peek and poking at it a little...
Oh yeah, smells fantastic!!!
Wrapped it back up, put it in a cooler, and let it rest for about an hour and a half while I took a shower and cleaned up a little.
Now, lets see how she turned out. Fingers crossed its tender and moist. One way to tell for sure, give the bone a tug and see what happens...
Holy crap, it just slid out clean as a whistle, like pulling a hot knife through butter!!
Now lets pull a little of the meat and see how it is...
Oh yeah!! It just pulls apart with a gentle tug, don't even need a fork.
Decent smoke ring...
All pulled and mixed together in a big bowl...
Not bad for a first try in a new smoker, only the second smoke ever. I wasn't bowled over with the flavor, very little smoke flavor but I figure that had to do with my temp issues that I mentioned in my intro thread. At least I've got notes and some baselines to go by to do some modifications.
Thanks for taking the time to look. I'm not easily offended, so criticism and pointers are more than welcome. That's why I'm here, to learn from you guys.
Here is the copy and paste, if it seems screwed up, its because I was talking in other posts with friends on there. Sorry, just didn't want to write another book, lol. Hopefully you guys get the gist of it.
Got my pork butt rubbed and wrapped in the fridge. I rubbed it with a light layer of mustard and a few drizzles of honey to get the rub to stick, then coated it with a nice dusting of rub. Its 4.8lbs. had a fairly thin fat cap so I left all of it.
I keep thinking to cook it fat side up and let it render down through the meat, but I've read some people cook it fat side down to protect the meat from heat spikes. I'm still thinking fat side up is going to be the best method right now. I'll just have to experiment more and see what happens over time. I'm not even planning a meal around this, just basically doing it to see how it turns out and get some notes and experience with this smoker. If it turns out good, that's wonderful, if its inedible, at least I'll know what not to do next time.
I've had the the butt on since noonish with the thin blue smoke rolling. Temps are running higher than I want, but I'll just have to go with it for now and modify it later with a needle valve after the regulator so I can fine tune the flame lower.
Looking good so far, got plenty of pics along the way. May be late tonight before shes done. 4 hours in and internal temp is only about 140, shooting for around 205.
Alright an update with pics. Like I mentioned I fired the smoker up at 12:15, put in a box of hickory and let it heat up until smoke started flowing. Put the butt in at 12:45. It was 50* internal temp (IT) when it started.
Checked it at 1:45, added a little wood and moved it up 1 rack higher to see if the smoker temps would be lower up there. IT was nearing 80*.
2:45 IT up to 107*, spritzed with apple juice.
3:45 decided to flip it over, had been cooking with the fat cap up to render down through the meat. Spritzed again with juice, IT up to 131*
After flipping...
4:45 IT starts to stall (earlier than expected) had only risen to 141*. Spritzed again with juice.
5:45 IT temp still somewhat stalled, only 147*. Added more wood and spritzed again.
6:45 In a serious stall now, IT only went up to 150*, turned it over again, added wood, and spritzed.
7:45 still stalled, but moved up a little more than last time. IT went up to 156*. Spritzed, and starting to get irritated with this damned stall period. Plus I had to fire up the grill and cook burgers and some Conecuh sausage for supper while trying to watch the smoker at the same time.
8:45 been waiting on the IT to get to 160* so I could wrap it in foil and let it cook the rest of the way up to 200 or so. Finally got there, and between finishing supper, trying to get it out, wrapped, temp probe back in, spritzed, etc. I forgot to get pics before it was wrapped up so no more pics until I take it out.
Finally really broke out of the stall and temp started climbing nicely. 9:45 IT up to 174*.
10:45 it had shot up to 190, and @ 11:15 it hit 201* IT and I decided to pull it. Ended up going for a total of 10 1/2 hours. Lets bring it in and see how it looks. I need to leave it wrapped up, wrap it in towels, and put it in a cooler to rest for an hour or so, but I just can't resist taking a peek and poking at it a little...
Oh yeah, smells fantastic!!!
Wrapped it back up, put it in a cooler, and let it rest for about an hour and a half while I took a shower and cleaned up a little.
Now, lets see how she turned out. Fingers crossed its tender and moist. One way to tell for sure, give the bone a tug and see what happens...
Holy crap, it just slid out clean as a whistle, like pulling a hot knife through butter!!
Now lets pull a little of the meat and see how it is...
Oh yeah!! It just pulls apart with a gentle tug, don't even need a fork.
Decent smoke ring...
All pulled and mixed together in a big bowl...
Not bad for a first try in a new smoker, only the second smoke ever. I wasn't bowled over with the flavor, very little smoke flavor but I figure that had to do with my temp issues that I mentioned in my intro thread. At least I've got notes and some baselines to go by to do some modifications.
Thanks for taking the time to look. I'm not easily offended, so criticism and pointers are more than welcome. That's why I'm here, to learn from you guys.
