Epic 11lb pork butt journey

[Jake from Iowa]

No, Ive never owned a bottle of starter fluid and it was a paprika based rub called the graduate rub in gary wiviott's book low & slow

 

[Len Dennis]

Don't have the book but google books gave the page.

Follow it exactly? Reason I ask is sometimes subbing in ingredients can cause a conflict. For example, using table salt instead of kosher might cause a problem because of the different minerals that can be found in table salt. Difficult to say why it was 'bitter' though.

 

[Len Dennis]

Too much smoke? Read that that can impart a nasty taste as well.

 

[Jake from Iowa]

Did not use 1 ingredient which was the home ground pepper part. Other than that followed exactly

 

[Jake from Iowa]

I suppose maybe too much but their were times it went hours with no smoke because i was napping lol

 

[Bob Bass]

Jake,

When you closed down the vents to 10%, what was the top vent setting at ?

 

[Jake from Iowa]

Jake,

When you closed down the vents to 10%, what was the top vent setting at ?

The top vent is always open 100%

 

[Len Dennis]

You say there was no smoke cuz you were napping.

Did you add more "smoke wood" when you saw no smoke?

 

[Bob Bass]

The top vent is always open 100%

Hi Jake,

Rules out the possibility of creosote.
Scratching my head on this one...

Bob

 

[BEWarre]

too much smoke wood = bitter taste. I bet you thats the issue. I use 2-3 fist size pieces from the get go and thats it.

 

[Jake from Iowa]

im actually thinking im over smoking the meat. Talked to a few people and this is the conclusion im coming to

 

[Len Dennis]

That's why I asked about what you did after your nap when you saw more smoke.

Did you add more wood???

 

[Mike Drewery]

Just because you don't see smoke doesn't mean you aren't smoking. It's a big rookie mistake that you have to see smoke rolling off of the smoker to get smoke on the food. Good smoke will be thin and blue.

 

[Len Dennis]

He's not saying it but that's what I think he did: saw no smoke or jusr the thin blue line and thought

"oh no, I don't see smoke" and added more wood.

There are so many things a new smoker is trying to do right and so much to read about, it's a natural mistake to make. Only make it once though and you'll remember it forever.

 

[Mike Drewery]

Yep, we all have likely made it, I know I did. And the type of wood you use is a big one too. I used to think that mesquite(sp?) was it ...

He's not saying it but that's what I think he did: saw no smoke or jusr the thin blue line and thought

"oh no, I don't see smoke" and added more wood.

There are so many things a new smoker is trying to do right and so much to read about, it's a natural mistake to make. Only make it once though and you'll remember it forever.

 

[Dave Alvarado]

Yeah, what they all said.

I use about 3 fist-sized chunks of hickory around the edges of the charcoal ring and that's it.

 

[Jake from Iowa]

Well I add a couple chunks every hour or so, throughout the entire smoke. Assuming thats to much?

 

[Len Dennis]

Well I add a couple chunks every hour or so, throughout the entire smoke. Assuming thats to much?

Add 2-3 chunks AT THE START and that's it. Only need the smoke for the first 2 hr on an 8-9 cook. No more.

 

[Jake from Iowa]

Well ok then lol guess ive been doing this wrong for months.........

 

[Len Dennis]

A "chunk" might be defined as 2-3" piece, usually a bit smaller than a baseball (tennis ball size?). You can mix as well. I can only get cherry or apple in chips so I'll add 2-3 chunks of hickory and say 1/2C of cherry wrapped in aluminum foil at the start. So maybe a total of four--3 hickory and "one" cherry. Whether it's 8 lb of ribs (4 racks) or 10 lb of butt, quantity of wood remains the same. Experiment after using this amount. But only a chunk extra per cook. Not enough you can still eat it. Too much and you won't.

Edit--don't bother soaking the wood/chips in water either. Doesn't do a thing.