Need some advice

[gjw]

Hello all,
I was hoping I could get some advice from you all. I'm going to smoke a pork butt for the first time this Saturday...I purchased a Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse last weekend.
My question is, how do you know when to add more wood chips? Do you wait until the chips in the tray are completely gone, or do you add them sooner?
Thanks,
Greg

 

[wvsmokeman]

I always add more when the smoke has dwindled to almost nothing. My wood pan is big enough to add more wood without having to dump out the ashes. I keep the smoke going until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

 

[billyq]

I can't give you any advice as I dont own this type of smoker, but I do know a butt is very forgiving. Rub it, and smoke it,rest it and pull it. Some say it's better than brisket.

 

[illini]

Greg: I assume you have the newer model with the top vents....then add 3 or 4 chips at a time "or" 1 to 2 marshmallow size chunks....that is all you need to obtain the thin blue smoke you will see coming out of the top vent...most first timers will overdo the amount of wood they put in the MES....you will need to replenish through the tray about every 30 to 40 minutes but this is the only way to stay in the thin blue smoke range...Keep doing this until you wrap the butt in foil at around 165* to 175* internal temp of the butt...then continue to cook with no more wood added for the final duration of the cook....take the internal temp up to 200* no matter how long it takes....then wrap in towels and place in a cooler and let it set in there for 1 to 2 hours....that should do it...good luck

ps: remember to rotate the tray 360 degrees each time to dump the wood onto the burning area..the chips are only inserted by the tray not to be burned there

 

[smoked]

Listen to illini (marvin), and yes I own the same unit......honestly you will know when you need to add more chips.....mostly because you will be sitting there watching the vent and being capivated in the TBS coming out of it.....when it diminishes....you know you need to add more chips.....you will quickly learn how much of an appitite your smoker has for chips......