1st smoke - Butt Questions


 
J

John_H

TVWBB Member
My WSM is on a Fedex truck somewhere and I plan on doing my first smoke of some butts this weekend. I have read this site for hours but still have a few questions that I hope some of you experts can help me with. I'm using the 18.5".

1) Do I need more than one bag of charcoal? I plan on using the MM to fire it up.

2) Is 12 hours enough time to smoke them, let them set, and pull the pork?

3) I plan on using the Mr. Brown recipe. With all the pepper in the recipe, is it too spicy for younger kids to eat?

4) I couldn't find apple chunks but found apple chips. I don't want to get the meat too smoky as my wife has a low tolerance for smoke. Any suggestions on getting a mild smoke? How many wood chips? Put in foil? Layer through the coals?

I appreciate all the help. What a great resource this forum is.

John
 
John,

I did my first butt a couple of weeks ago and will share some of my experience.

I did a 5.5 bone-in boston butt. After 12 hours at between 225 - 250, it still wasn't done. Lesson learned - it is done when it is done.

I double wrapped in foil after the 12 hours for 1 hour, then pulled. Some pulled easily and some didn't (see above).

I have a 18.5 and put an entire 13.9 bag of K in the ring. Did the MM with 25 lit coals and that burned unattended for 12 hours.

I used 3-4 chunks of apple wood, so I can't help with your chips question.

Good luck and don't forget the pics!

Cheers
 
If you are going to use chips, soak them first for about 1/2 hour then make aluminum foil packets that each contain about 1/2 cup of chips. You don't need any more than 4-5 packets, depending on how smoky you want the meat to be. Poke a hole in each packet. Put about three packets on top of the lit charcoal when you put the meat on. Put the remaining packets on top of the charcoal after the first batch has been on the smoker for an hour.

I usually smoke butts overnight because you never know how long they will take to reach doneness. However, I would estimate that if you are cooking an 8-9 pound Boston Butt it will take at least 10 hours to reach an internal temp of 195-200 degrees when cooking in the 225-250 range. But remember, these are only estimates. There are a lot of factors that could drive the cooking times up or down (ambient temp, wind, steady cooking temp in smoker, amount of meat being cooked, etc.).
 
I did this recipe last Saturday and my kids ate it up. I didn't find it to be too spicy.

One large bag of charcoal might be enough, but it's always better to have too much than not enough IMO. I would have an extra bag on hand if it were me.

I usually figure 1.5 to 2 hrs per lb. on PB's if cooking at 225-250. I would do overnight to be safe if you want to eat at 5:00.
 
Tony,
Welcome to the forum.
My wife sang the same song...the one that goes "you spent all that money on a smoker, and I don't like smoky food."
Now she's nervous if I don't have enough left overs to freeze until the next cook.
I recently did a 6 lb butt, using the method and rub shown on the amazingribs site. My property has several apple trees, so I don't lack for wood.
I used a full ring of RO lump and a MM start. At about 4 hours I lifted the middle off and added another chimney of burning lump and 3 more chunks of wood. I struggled to temps under control, as it was pretty windy, my target was 280 at the grate, but it was all over the place.
The cook lasted 8 hours to 198 and fork tender.
I had planned for supper at 6:00, and it was done at 4:30, so I wrapped it in foil and put it in a styro box supplied by Omaha Steaks.
Anyway, it pulled great, tasted great, great bark, and I'm making myself hungry.
The moral of this is...butt's are very easy to cook, can't hardly mess them up.
 
I advise you to buy four 1/4" nuts to put between the upper part of the Grate Supports and the inside of the Center Section. You may as well put them in when you are assembling the cooker. That minor modification will give you a very sturdy top grate.
Also, don't forget that a new cooker is going to cook hotter than a cooker that has grunge on the inside.
 
John, what size butts and how hot do you want to cook? Being your first cook the temps may fluctuate considerably even tho you don't want them to. The butts won't mind. If it were me I would plan on the meat being done at least 2 hrs early. So whatever you do and how you cook plan on it being done at 3pm. Hold if necessary in a cooler wrapped in towels and foil.

Good smokin to ya!

Mark
 
1) Depends on the total weight of butts. For a single butt, a full ring is usually enough. For 4 butts, I've had to a add some. Remember - it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. So get 2 bags.

2) Again, depends on the total weight. Though 1.5~2.0 hrs/lb may be 'normal', it's not uncommon for a stubborn one to take up to 3 hr/lb. I'd recommend bumping up the temps to at least 250º~275º for multi-butts. For pulled-pork, I target 200º internal temp but start testing for tenderness after it hits 185º~190º. You want to rest them at least 30mins, if not an hour, before pulling.

3) No. Butts are really thick and most of the spicyness will be in the bark.

4) I'd recommend putting a fist-size load of chips in foil, ball it up with a small finger-size hole, and toss it on top of the lit coals. Better to have it not-smokey-enough than over-smoked.

Don't worry, relax, butts are bulletproof. Temp spikes and smoke don't bother them much. It'll turn out 'good' just about no matter what you do.

Enjoy!
 
Hey John_H,

I did my first real smoke this past weekend following the "Mr. Brown" recipe here on the VWB website. So here's my 2 cents:

1) Do I need more than one bag of charcoal? I plan on using the MM to fire it up.
Click to expand...

I filled the ring 1/2 way with charcoal, added a handful or 2 of apple chips, filled the rest of the way, placed my chunk wood on top, then topped with 40 lit coals. My smoke lasted 14 hours and when I cleaned out the smoker the next day, I saw that I had virtually no coals left. If I needed to go much longer than what I did, I would have had to add coals.

2) Is 12 hours enough time to smoke them, let them set, and pull the pork?
Click to expand...

I started at 7AM and smoked a single picnic butt (I think that's what it's called) that weighed just under 7 lbs. after trimming and it took me 14 hours. I basted for what was to be the last time just after 13 hours and the temps were between 160° and 180°. I returned to check the temps right at 14 hours and as I was lifting it off the grate, it literally fell apart in my hands and I almost dropped it on the ground!!
icon_smile.gif
Needless to say, it was done.

3) I plan on using the Mr. Brown recipe. With all the pepper in the recipe, is it too spicy for younger kids to eat?
Click to expand...

Mine was pretty peppery. I'd suggest either cutting back a tad, or at a minimum, not giving them any of the bark.

4) I couldn't find apple chunks but found apple chips. I don't want to get the meat too smoky as my wife has a low tolerance for smoke. Any suggestions on getting a mild smoke? How many wood chips? Put in foil? Layer through the coals?
Click to expand...

Again, I did exactly what the recipe said except I used 3 chunks pecan, 3 chunks cherry, and one chunk of hickory because I didn't have any chunks of apple and oak (which is what I think is recommended in the recipe). Because I had no apple chunks, I used wild apple chips to throw in the middle of the coals as I mentioned earlier. If your wife is sensitive to the smoke taste, I'd scale it back a bit. But does she like smoked bacon? I'd say this was less smokey than that. Also, you can find a sweet BBQ sauce and put some on for her to maybe cover up some of the smokey taste?

Hope this helps.

Jim
 
I would do an overnighter so your not worrying all day whether or not it will be done on time. Even if the butt ends up finished early you can always hold it in the cooler till dinner.
I use wood chips a lot,sometimes its all I can find if the neighbor hasn't trimmed his trees in awhile. Soak them and put them in a foil pack with hole poked in it.
If your wife thinks it to smokey give her some of the middle portion and make sure she doesn't get any of the bark. Eventually she's going to wonder what she's missing and start eating the "good stuff"

Good luck and have fun.
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions. After reading the comments here I think I'm going to do the following:

1) Buy another bag of charcoal
2) Slightly Reduce the pepper in the Mr Brown Recipe
3) Only use one foil pack of apple wood chips (about a handful)
4) Do an overnighter

So, now I have questions on doing an overnighter. Here are my thoughts and questions.
1)I thought I might start around midnight. How often do I have to check the temp?
2)Should I keep it at about 225 since I'll now have longer to smoke it?
3) Since its new and may burn hotter do I need to reduce the hot charcoal I put on initially using the minion method?
4)Does it hurt to keep the meat on the grill after it gets to the appropriate temperature? (for example if its done at 2, and we're eating at 5 and I only want to keep the meat wrapped in the cooler for 2 hours, would it hurt to leave it on the grill an extra hour?)
5)Any other tips and suggestions about overnighters would be appreciated.
6) I've already got the camera ready

Thanks for all your help. The collective knowledge of all the smoking enthusiasts is just unbelievable. Thanks again.

Oh by the way, Here is some additional information you may need. I'm cooking 2, 7lb butts. The overnight temps will be in the low 50s with virtually no wind. I'll be cooking on a covered concrete patio. Thanks again.
 
John, I would stay awake at least 1hr or at least 30 min after you WSM temp stabelizes. If you use a full ring of coal you should be ok to sleep 4-6 hrs. I would put up a wind shield just in case, I may be over cautious but I would sleep better.
I would take it off the grate when it is done. Tent it for 15min then wrap in foil and towels and hold in cooler. I would not hold in the smoker after the meat is tender, it will continue to cook. There are variations on the minion method as far as how much hot to use and the best place to put it. I differ from some in putting my hot lump, about 1/3 small chimney, in one corner of the coal ring. I know rings have no corners. I find that the temp rises a little more slowly but lets me close the vents before I hit my target. 225-250 sounds good. Since this is your first smoke temps may vary especially when you sleep. But you won't know it and the Butts won't care.

Good smokin, relax, it will be fine.

Mark
 
John, first of all, don't worry. You have to work pretty hard to screw up a Butt.

1) I would suggest you consider starting even earlier (10:30 or 11:00). I've taken Butts off and foiled and put in a cooler for 6 hours before and they've stayed hot. So, go earlier and leave more time to get them done right and don't worry if you have to pull them at noon or 1pm for a 5pm serving. Like Mark said once you get the temps stabilized, go get some sleep and don't worry about it.

2) If it's protected from wind and you get temps stabilized between 225 and 250, you should be fine. Don't fret over exact temps.

3) That might not be a terrible idea, but don't go too light on charcoal, especially since you're doing an overnight. Just focus on reigning in the temps on the way up. Start closing vents as you approach 200 and don't let it get out of control on the front end.

4) Agree with Mark. When it gets to internal temp (195 or 200) or more importantly as KKruger properly points out when its "tender and done", pull it and foil it and stick it in some towels in a cooler. Don't leave it on the grill. I wouldn't worry about it wrapped in a cooler for longer than 2 hours. It stays hot.

5) Have fun. And don't worry.
 
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