July 2nd Pork Butt Smoking - Live Posting w/ QView

[jimf]

Nothing says American like a good BBQ, and what better time than July 4th weekend.  On Saturday, July 2nd 2011, I will be smoking for the first time (actually second, I smoked for 5 hours to season the smoker). I've decided to go with a Pork Butt from Costco (yet to be purchased).  While smoking, I'll continually update this post with hows its going.

Saturday's Weather Forecast (Maryland):

Mostly sunny with clouds at times. Highs in the low 90s and lows in the low 70s.

The game plan:

• Find time to get to Costco to pick up a 5-8 pound Pork Butt
• Also pick up all the ingredients to make Jeff's dry rub and BBQ Sauce
• Friday after work: give the butt a good rub down with mustard and Dry rub, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate
• Saturday morning: Get the ECB started, soak Apple wood chips, bring meat to room temp
• Throw meat on the smoker at around 0800 hours.
• Update this thread with QViews, temperature readings, and random thoughts throughout the process/day.
• Spraying meat with apple juice every hour once the internal temperature (IT) reaches 100 degrees
• Pull the meat off of the smoker at an IT of 165 degrees
• Double wrap in tin foil with apple juice
• place back on the smoker until a IT of 195-205 degrees is reached
• Remove from smoker and re-wrap in foil, let sit for an hour
• Pull
• Grub out

Did I miss anything?  I'm pumped!!!  Lets hope all goes as planned.

- Jim

7/2

Its grill day!! 

Time	Cooking Time (hrs:min)	Smoker Temp (degrees)	Internal Temp (degrees	Comments
8:00 am	0:00	225	50	Lets go!
9:15	1:15	210-145	86	Adding more soaked Chips
10:23	2:23	190-225	124	replaced coals
11:22	3:22	210	147	alittle worried that its already at 147 degrees but the smoker temp is holding constant at 210
12:11pm	4:11	240	156	New coals
12:50	4:50	225	165	Pulled off, wraped in foil, and returned
2:07	6:07	200	194	enjoying my beers
2:57	6:57	200	205	DONE!  Wrapped in a towel and placed in a cooler

Cooking Temps

6.38 pounds - Before Rub:

Rubbed, sat for 17 hours, ready for the smoker:

3.5 hours in:

My helper:

First look at 4.5 hours in:

After sitting in the cooler for an hour:

decent smoke ring:

Final:

 

[SmokinAl]

Everything sounds perfect, except spraying the butt every hour. You don't need to do that. Every time you open the smoker to spray it, you will add at least 20 minutes to the cook time. Pork butt has plenty of fat & will take care of itself without spritzing. I like to put any fat I trimmed off the butt on a rack above it in the smoker & let it drip on the butt during the smoke. There's a saying " If your lookin' you ain't cookin' ". Good luck & we'll be waiting for your Q-view.

 

[bobthesmoker]

When do you plan to serve the pulled pork?  Also, you don't need to rewrap the butt at the end as it is already wrapped.

Sounds like a good plan; good luck! 

 

[jimf]

When do you plan to serve the pulled pork?  Also, you don't need to rewrap the butt at the end as it is already wrapped.

I was planning on serving it that night, Saturday.  I'm planning on inviting neighbors over but not until i see how it turns out.

Thanks for the tip about not re-wrapping and thanks to Al for the tip about not spraying it.

 

[lookwow]

I would agree with AL. Dont bother with the spray it wont make much of any difference. Im also a total no foil guy. When i do a butt i get the smoker up to temp. Put the butt on and dont touch it until it reaches 195+. Simple and easy. Also i would plan 2 hours per lb. It might get done sooner but better to have meat done in the cooler by supper time then have people hungry and waiting.

 

[jimf]

No spray it is.   My wife is taking my 5 month old daughter out of town for the day.  I have nothing but time.

 

[jimf]

One question: I am reading conflicting things..... Fat side up or down?  I assume up so the it melts into the meat but many write-ups Im reading says Fat side down.

 

[ohm]

I do mine fat side up. Also the second wrap I use a bath towel before setting it into a cooler to rest.

 

[sqwib]

Mop or not to Mop, that is the question.

As Al pointed out it can add cooking time.

I mop, but I have pretty good heat recovery and I will usually mop right after I add a few splits and they ignite.

I add mop because I like the flavor the bark obtains from mopping.

 

[SmokinAl]

Fat side up is the way we do them. Score the fat in a crosshatch pattern so the rub can penetrate the meat more easily. Personally we trim a lot of the fat off and put it above the butt as I said in a previous post. 

 

[lookwow]

Ive dont them fat side up and fat side down to me they turned out the same. Normally do fat side up though.

 

[captturbo]

If your Costco is like mine you will probably be buying a pair of butts since they vac pack them two at  time. I grabbed a couple 5+ pounders (in a single pack) on Sunday that will go on the smoke in the morning. Don't worry too much as they are the easiest thing I have found so far to smoke. I think you can invite those neighbors now.

I don't mopp hourly but I do spray some apple juice a few times through the cook. It might be my imagination but I feel like I get some flavor. The porky goodness is so good no matter what you do that it's a low importance option. My butts will be stacked trimmed and scored, fat side up, one above the other with the fat trimmings above the top one and a roasting pan below the bottom one to catch what I can for adding into the pulled pork later. It all should get basted pretty good without opening up the door too often.

Good luck with your smoke. Keep the meat hot and the beer cold!

 

[socalbbq]

I am doing my first butts this weekend also, picked mine up at Costco yesterday.  Thanks for all the good advice.  I'll post the results w/qview as well.  Have a great holiday weekend.

 

[whtplainssmoker]

Good luck with the smoke. One thing that Someone mentioned to me is that if you are keeping it in a pan to catch the juices, don't flip it. It disturbs the bark formation.

I'll be smoking a pair of butts this weekend too for the 4th. I'll smoke on Sunday and serve on Monday. I'll be sure to post too.

 

[cororumrex]

I am also smoking a butt as we speak.

9 lbs

Brinkman Electric I picked up last week.

Rubbed it down last night. Sat for around 12 hours.

Pulled it out of the fridge at 4:30AM to warm up a bit/

Got it on the smoker around 6:45

Adding wood every 30 minutes or so.

8:00 - 92 degrees

8:30 - 100 degrees

9:00 - 122 degrees

9:30 - 132 degrees

Plan on taking it to around 165 degrees then wrapping until 200.

I have a party tomorrow evening I am serving it at.

Serving on Martin Potato Rolls with slaw and Sweet Baby Rays.

Jordan

 

[jimf]

Updating the first post throughout the day

 

[mdboatbum]

I'll have ribs hitting the smoker around noon. I'll hoist a beer in the direction of Olney. Cheers! By the way, is the Ale House still there?

 

[SmokinAl]

 

[jimf]

I'll have ribs hitting the smoker around noon. I'll hoist a beer in the direction of Olney. Cheers! By the way, is the Ale House still there?

The Olney Ale house is still there.  I dont go there too often because we have a Green Turtle in Olney now.  And in a couple weeks we'll have a chop house "Grill Marx"

 

[jimf]

Should I be worried that 3 and a half hours in I'm already at an internal temp of 145?  The smoker is holding at 210 degrees and hasnt gone above 245.