Got Two Butts for my first ever smoke! (Cook is DONE pics are linked)


 
S

Steve Burch

TVWBB Fan
I went to BJs today and got two boston butts. I hope to get them on tonight around midnight to 1:00am and do an overnighter.

I have 200# of the old GOOD Kingsford stashed in my basement.... that that should make it easier for me being my first cook on the WSM. Last weekend I installed the Tru-Temp in the lid so I can keep my temps where I want them. I also installed the Guru eyelets for the polder probe. When I get all set up, I'll post some pics.

Can a few of you experienced guys pull an all nighter just incase I have any questions/concerns during the cook?
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Last, for smokewood I have a LOT of cherry, but it's not seasoned REALLY well.... it's from a large tree that had been down and cut into logs for about 4 months. If I saw that into some fist sized chunks, will that work OK?
 
I'll be up in the middle of the night feeding our 3 month old, maybe I'll check in on ya'. Good luck!
Oh, about the wood, it could probably use a bit more time before you use it. You could always pick up a bag of hickory chunks if you don't have anything else, they're the most readily available and go pretty good with pork.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Kirk Boorman:
I'll be up in the middle of the night feeding our 3 month old, maybe I'll check in on ya'. Good luck!
Oh, about the wood, it could probably use a bit more time before you use it. You could always pick up a bag of hickory chunks if you don't have anything else, they're the most readily available and go pretty good with pork. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I do have some hickory (in a bag).... I was just afraid to use too much and overpower it.
 
Makes me hungry just seeing it. Good luck an good eats.

The hickory will be fine using the same amount as you would the cherry, IMO anyway.

Randy
 
Here is the WSM with Tel-Tru thermometer installed in lid out on the deck.

Smoker waiting for it's time to shine!

I think I may put the meat on in an hour. I was going to wait till midnight.... but am SO excited (but also nervous about it coming out great) that I think it will be lunch tomorow instead of dinner. Maybe even brunch if it cooks fast
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I am not a big fan of hickory. I used too much on ribs a couple of years ago and almost bad enough to throw away, not quite but really close. Anyhow I think the butts will take more hickory than ribs will. On the cherry, I have used wood many times that I didn't let dry as many here suggest, time wise that is and have had no adverse effects. Especially with fruit woods. Now hickory or oak may be another story, but cherry, apple, and sugarmaple seem ok to me.

It actually made the ribs taste like the wood. I used fresh cherry chips once and it tasted like there was marchino cherry juice in the sauce. I used sugarmaple once and it tasted like I basted the ribs using syrup.

If it was me I would use the cherry but thats just my opinion. Have fun!
 
Well, here is the smoker getting up to 250 (I'm using the revised Minion Method)
Getting up to Temp.

And the BUTTS ARE ON!! (7:30PM EST)
Butts are ON

I used 1 chunk of Hickory and two of Cherry (all good sized chunks and the smoker is POURING out smoke now!) that I had. The cherry seems pretty dry... I only used the very inside figuring it would be the most dry. It looks just like the stuff you buy ready to use.
 
It's now 9:00PM (1.5 hours in) and my temp has in the last 10 min or so went from 250 to about 265. I closed one vent, and bumped the other shut a little more. One vent is still at 25%. I hope the temp goes down fairly quickly!

I can't believe how worried I am about the pulled pork comming out good!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by A.Miller:
Do you think your tel-tru could fit thru a guru eyelet?

oh and by the way nice butts! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No the tel-tru won't, but my polder probe will fit. Should I take a temp there? I also have a weber thermo from my gasser. that will fit too.

After I closed one vent, one to about 10% and the last at 25%, my lid temp is back at 250.

I did put the weber thermo in the top eyelet to see what it says..... I'll report back on that later.

I don't think I'm going to sleep much tonight!
 
Is your weber thermo the replacemnt one for a gasser?

by the way, I always enjoy when people post pictures of their cooks. It's kinda like a cook book.
 
Sorry Chris and those on Dial-up! I didn't even think about page load speeds. I'll keep the pics as links from now on.

A.Miller,
The weber thermo is actually FROM my Weber gas grill.... I think the replacements are the same though.
 
Update (11:20PM)
I can't seem to get my temp stabilized! I think I have it and then I don't look for a 1/2 hour and when I return, I have temp of about 262-265.

I just shut two vents and left one open just a hair.
 
Steve,
Don't get too excited about temp fluctuations.
If you're within 25° of your target temp, you're A-OK.

It's a mistake to "chase the temps". Be patient. I've gone to bed on an overnight cook, and got up in the morning to see the temp on 275°. No sweat, turned out fine, just done sooner.

--
Charles

You might be a redneck if...
You’ve ever pawned your birth certificate.
 
I think I got it stabilized good now. It's 1:00AM and I'm going to sleep a few hours and then check on it around 4-5am.

There seems to be plenty of water and coals.... hopefully I'm good!
 
Just wanted to post an encouraging word. Looks like you have things under control. I would echo Charles comments about chasing the temps; it's easy to fall into that trap and obsess over it. I will say, though, that for my pre-guru cooks I preferred having all the vents partially open vs. having 2 closed and one partial. I found that this promoted a more even burn of the fuel. If it was real windy I would sometimes close the vent on the windward side. They key thing, though, is to do whatever it takes to get the temps within 25* of your target and try to chill. In the realm of cooking butts are at one end of the spectrum (very forgiving) and baking is at the other (exact and demanding).

Looking forward to more pics.
 
Well, it is 5AM and I just woke up to check on the butts. Smoker temp fell to about 175, so I tapped some ash off, and opened the vents a bit. I also added hot water to the pan. I then basted and turned the butts.

They LOOK good... I inserted the temp probe and they are about 165 internal. I guess I have a little ways to go! There is a lot of crust on the outside!
 
Now 7AM. I just started about 1/2 a chimney to add. I'm pretty much out of fuel and my temp at the lid is about 215. Meat temp is about 163 in the smaller butt and 160 in the larger one.

Here is a link to the pic of the butts at 7AM (the small one got a little scuffed up when I flipped it!).
7:00AM (about 12 hours in)
 
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