The issue of mopping and sleep!


 
J

Joseph - Teapots McKesky

New member
Hi folks,

Just wondering- And this is related to another post of mine- I see alot of people smoking pork shoulders/butt overnight. How do you keep the meat from drying out. shouldn't one be mopping during those hours?

If there is no mopping, won't the meat dry out?
 
I usually start a butt at 2AM. I don't mop until it moves beyond the stall. For me, that's around 10AM. So, it's not the mop that causes sleep loss for me. It's getting up at 2AM. lol
 
I don't mop, I like the crust firm, and don't want to wash off my seasonings.
My personal opinion is that it doesn't add much, if any, moisture to the meat since it doesn't penetrate.
Opinions will vary.
 
Folks, thank you for putting my fears to rest. I was checking a recipe that said to mop every damn hour after the first 3. I'll never get work or sleep done if that's the case. I might mop a bit until I'm too tired. Then I'll just let it settle as is
 
I typically put a butt on before midnight and it usually hits the stall after breakfast the next morning. I have recently taken to spritzing with 50/50 apple cider vinegar and apple juice, then wrapping in foil after the bark has turned real dark, but isn't yet a meteorite. The bark comes out still firm, but not dried out. Now I'm getting hungry for some pulled pork.

Jeff
 
I don’t mop butts at all. I like a crisp bark and that meat has enough fat on it that it ain’t gonna dry out. All that fat will render out and become juicy deliciousness. Also, I don’t wrap butts either. Rub it, put it on and let her ride. 13 hours later...NOMZ!!!
 
You actually want the surface to dry out. That's what stops evaporative cooling and gets you out of the stall. Mopping is mainly for people that want to fuss with their food. There is something to be said for spritzing as far as helping a smoke ring, but I'd consider that optional for an overnight cook. Also, my WSM goes nuclear if I open the lid too much and I have a hard time getting the temp back down.
 
Three in that canoe, Dustin and Dan C.
It just seems to me that mopping all the time is a myth as far as I’m concerned. Light the fire, kick the tires and let the butts roll!
I spent Friday letting a nice 10 lb. butt roll along, nothing to worry about. When the rain came, it had been on the WSM for 12+ hours but, not quite to temp. Popped it in the oven at 250 for another three hours or so. Pulled beautifully! No mopping, no muss, no fuss!
 
Put the butt in rubbed and let it go 10 hours for 8 lb butt at 230 to 270 degrees or so. No need to look any sooner if temp don't spike. It usually takes 12 hrs if bought from supermarket and 14 from the butcher . I guess they have a higher fat content.
 
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I don’t mop my butts as I like the bark you get by not mopping. I do inject my butts with chicken stock and this seems to help keep them moist while others like to brine their butts for the same reason.

Inject or brine your butts .. apply your rub.. place them in your smoker at your desired cooking temperature with your temperature probe inserted and wait for the IT to reach 190 to 195. This works for me!

I also put a drip pan under my butt while smoking. After shredding the meat I put the meat in a slow-cooker .. skim the fat off the drippings from the butt and stir it in with the meat. There’s good flavor in those drippings!
 
DanH said:
I don’t mop my butts as I like the bark you get by not mopping. I do inject my butts with chicken stock and this seems to help keep them moist while others like to brine their butts for the same reason.

Inject or brine your butts .. apply your rub.. place them in your smoker at your desired cooking temperature with your temperature probe inserted and wait for the IT to reach 190 to 195. This works for me!

I also put a drip pan under my butt while smoking. After shredding the meat I put the meat in a slow-cooker .. skim the fat off the drippings from the butt and stir it in with the meat. There’s good flavor in those drippings!
Click to expand...

Dan, that's a great idea actually. Didn't really think of what to do with the drippings. Usually I freeze them and then use it as a base for chili or split pea soup or whatever.
Haven't tried injecting yet, but I certainly plan to in the next iteration of my cook.
 
I put 2 butts on last night at 18:45 and checked 12 hours latter this morning. They were around 187 or so. These came from the butcher. Smoker is now at 248 and it ran well over night. Im checking in 2 hours from when I checked. I usually get my butts at ye ol fashioned butcher shop in evansville indiana. Thats where these came from and should be near to the 14 hours it usually takes. I like doing two 8 pounders because I usually never add charcoal at that size. Its like flying a plane with too little gas for comfort. Will I make it or not. But not as sca:wsm:ry!
 
Top one came off in 14. Bottom 14 and a half hours. Used peach wood. The more you read the harder it seems. Keep it simple works for me.
 
I cook pork butts the same way I cook briskets.
Throw it in the cooker around 6-8pm, cook overnight at about 235 degrees, wrap in foil when it gets up to about 170 (sometime in the morning), continue cooking until it's 205 degrees and rest it.
We like the bark, but we like it soft.
 
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