Zero Charcoal Experience - First Pork Butt and Brisket

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

FFchampMT

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Jul 2, 2020
94
95
Montana
I've been smoking on a hand me down GMG Daniel Boone for about 3 years now. Even though the results were good, I've always felt like the food I was putting out could be better.
All summer I've been researching, making notes, comparing prices, and trying to decide between a stick burner or a 40" electric MB for my next expansion in to smoking. I threw all of that hard work out the window and picked up a 22.5" WSM at my local Ace Hardware instead.
Below are some details from my cooks, and I can say without a doubt that even with some imperfections, this was the best BBQ I've ever laid on the table.

6 lb Pork Butt - Sam's Club - $1.78/lb
Fuel: B&B Lump Charcoal - Loaded the ring ~13 lbs, pretty much burned it all
Flavor Wood: Hickory Lumps (3 loaded under the charcoal, 1 in the divot for the starter coals)
Rub: Homemade rub with SPG, Paprika, Cumin, Brown Sugar, Chili Powder, Onion Powder
Temp (goal): 250 degrees
Wrapped with peach paper @ 160 (hour 7) until finished
Total Cook Time: 12 hours to 202 IT(probe tender all around)
Cook Notes: I decided to fill the water pan because it was my first smoke, and I'm pretty glad I did, I think it helped keep the spikes I had in a controllable range. I started with a half chimney of lit chunks dumped in to the center of the dug out coal pile. The first 4 hours were really stable, I hit 240 and let it ride, maybe had +/-5 degree roams. The afternoon got really windy (20+mph) and I had a pretty hard fought battle with temp spikes and intake air. Knowing that butts are forgiving this did end up cruising at 270 for the last 8 hours of the cook. Every combo of using downwind intake, or top vent adjustments seemed fairly unresponsive, and 270 was just was it was going to cook at.
Verdict: It was delicious. Extremely tender and just full of smoke flavor. You can smell the smoke when you open the fridge with the leftovers in it.
MVIMG_20200926_190030.jpg


15.5lb packer brisket - Sam's Club - Prime $3.28/lb
Trimmed: I like a 1/4" Fat cap, so only about a 1 lb came off in trimming edges, 14.5lbs going on smoker
Fuel: Royal Oak Natural Briquettes - Loaded ~13 lbs in to the ring
Flavor Wood: Hickory and Pecan (3 chucks of each buried in the coals, 1 hickory in the coal divot)
Rub: S&P and a little of the rub from the butt
Rubbed and Ready

Temp: 6 hours @ 225, then 270 until finished
Wrapped with peach paper at 160 (hour 8) until done
Total Cook Time: 15 hours to 200 IT
Cook Notes: Nervous to cook this bad boy on basically the maiden voyage with the smoker, but it was only $50, so that's all of like 15 minutes in Las Vegas.
Started at 10pm with a 225 smoker and a full water pan. The wind was still blowing but the briquettes seemed to like to hold the low temp a lot better than the lump. I have a ThermoPro remote temp probe to monitor the meat and cook chamber, after a steady 2 hours of 225-235 I felt confident going to bed at midnight with the high/low alarms set to wake me if there was any trouble.
Alarm goes off at 3:30am - low temp, the wind had nearly stopped and choked my fire down to 205, I adjusted, revived to 250, and went back to bed in about a half hour.
6am - high temp alarm at 290, wind had come back up and stoked my coals, but I'd also hit 159 on temp so I stayed up and wrapped. Also checked on the coals and reloaded a cold 3lbs of briquettes.
The rest of the day ran right were I wanted it at 270 and it finished up around 1pm. Felt like butter but I probably should have let it go another few degrees. Took some cap off for burnt ends and let it cool in the oven for about an hour, then wrapped and went in the cooler with towels until 5pm carve.
Verdict: Again, the best brisket I've ever smoked. I'm sold on the Smokey Mountain Smokers. Some of that is a credit to the prime grade for sure, but the smoke ring was good, and it passed the pull test.
Bark at the Wrap
MVIMG_20200927_073010.jpg

Done
(I will probably open the paper at about 195 next time to refirm the bark)
MVIMG_20200927_130432.jpg

Burnt Ends:
MVIMG_20200927_162323.jpg

Forgot to take pictures at the carve, but here's what it looked like at the table (need to sharpen my knife)
MVIMG_20200927_172902.jpg


Thanks to everyone in the forums for all of the knowledge I've gleaned over the last 3 years to make these cooks a success!
 
Looks real good to me also. My WSM has seen limited service this year for some reason. Most of my cooks and smokes have been of the shorter variety so the kettles get called into action.

Point for sure
Chris
 
  • Like
Reactions: FFchampMT
Most of my cooks and smokes have been of the shorter variety so the kettles get called into action.
When I set up the WSM my girlfriend made the mistake of thinking there'd be more deck space because she thought the pellet grill was going away. 😅
I'm sure there will be more equipment coming so I can have options.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Brokenhandle
Great write up and pics!! I love the flavor from charcoal and wood too. I see you used B&B lump for the butt smoke. I swear by that stuff. It’s all I’ve used for at least a year. I make sure to have 5-10 bags in the garage at all times. Usually half oak and half hickory.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FFchampMT
I see you used B&B lump for the butt smoke. Usually half oak and half hickory.
I thought it did pretty well too, though I probably had some increased fuel consumption due to the wind that day.
All I could find around here was the Oak version, but I was pleased with it and will definitely be using it again.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jcam222
When I set up the WSM my girlfriend made the mistake of thinking there'd be more deck space because she thought the pellet grill was going away. 😅
I'm sure there will be more equipment coming so I can have options.

That was how my wife felt when I added a second smoker. Now she just rolls her eyes and accepts the addiction.


Nice job with the cooks. Everything looks great!
 
  • Like
Reactions: FFchampMT
... made the mistake of thinking there'd be more deck space...
The bullet smokers appear compact, with a small footprint, but they require commandeering the better part of an 8' patio table to set up, tear down, maintain the fire...

And there's always the issue that one cooker is never enough!
 
  • Like
Reactions: FFchampMT
Great looking cooks. I also grabbed a WSM earlier this year and like the flavor off it better than my Traeger. Something about that charcoal and wood just makes the meat that much better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FFchampMT
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky