Just when you think you have everything figured out something turns around and surprises you.
Last night just before 9 I put two 5# butts on the WSM to smoke for a ladies lunch at church today. My experience has taught me that my butt smokes take at least 2 hours per pounds and often more. So I figure 9 to 9, foil, cooler, and then pull for lunch. No problem. Anyhoo, I packed the charcoal ring tight, coal by coal, three rings high with a couple of pecan and apple chunks thrown in for flavor. We were having wind and rain so I set up my big tent and blocked the wind.
As the evening started I watched the temp on my trusty Maverick inch up into the 200s. Around 225 I started closing the vents, about half each around the bottom. At 275 and climbing I shut the vents more. At 300 I shut two vents completely, left one open just a crack, and closed the top except for just enough room to hold the Maverick probe. By this time it was bedtime, so I set the alarm for 1:30 (which I never have to do) just to see if I had killed all the heat. I checked and it was still at 300, with all the vents practically closed! I went back to sleep. I got up normally at 6:30, checked the maverick and the temps were 250 on the WSM and 210 on the butts. I took the Thermopen out and it checked out above 200 at every probe and moved in like butter, if that. I took them off, double foiled them, put in the cooler, and hope they are warm 5 hours later.
Any other time I would be standing at the WSM praying for those suckers to finish on time, but NOOOOO, tonight I miss sleep and finish hours early. It must be a bad karma week for this pastor. Maybe I don't have a clue what I'm doing, even if the weekend's ribs were universally the best anyone's ever eaten. Go figure.
Last night just before 9 I put two 5# butts on the WSM to smoke for a ladies lunch at church today. My experience has taught me that my butt smokes take at least 2 hours per pounds and often more. So I figure 9 to 9, foil, cooler, and then pull for lunch. No problem. Anyhoo, I packed the charcoal ring tight, coal by coal, three rings high with a couple of pecan and apple chunks thrown in for flavor. We were having wind and rain so I set up my big tent and blocked the wind.
As the evening started I watched the temp on my trusty Maverick inch up into the 200s. Around 225 I started closing the vents, about half each around the bottom. At 275 and climbing I shut the vents more. At 300 I shut two vents completely, left one open just a crack, and closed the top except for just enough room to hold the Maverick probe. By this time it was bedtime, so I set the alarm for 1:30 (which I never have to do) just to see if I had killed all the heat. I checked and it was still at 300, with all the vents practically closed! I went back to sleep. I got up normally at 6:30, checked the maverick and the temps were 250 on the WSM and 210 on the butts. I took the Thermopen out and it checked out above 200 at every probe and moved in like butter, if that. I took them off, double foiled them, put in the cooler, and hope they are warm 5 hours later.
Any other time I would be standing at the WSM praying for those suckers to finish on time, but NOOOOO, tonight I miss sleep and finish hours early. It must be a bad karma week for this pastor. Maybe I don't have a clue what I'm doing, even if the weekend's ribs were universally the best anyone's ever eaten. Go figure.