Ideal time to add Boston Butt


 
J

JHerritage

New member
After lighting my coals - and adding my hickory wood chunks - how long should I wait to add my 8 pound pork butt?

1. Immediately - when all the white smoke is jetting out the top? Or
2. 30 - 45 minutes later when the smoke has become thinner, clearer?

Thanks.
 
It doesn't really matter, you can do it either way. I put my meat into the cooker immediately after dumping hot charcoal into the charcoal ring, as you note the white smoke will pass after about 30 minutes.
 
I wait until my temps have stabilized at the temp I want to cook at (250-275), then I put the butts on. Usually takes about 20 minutes or so, and the white smoke is usually gone by then.
 
You'll probably get nearly as many opinions on this subject as there are members of these forums, but like Chris, I like to put the proteins on just after I dump in my starting charge of lit charcoal from my chimney starter and have placed my wood chunks. My reasoning is that some of the smoke will condense on the cool meat as everything is warming up. Since I use lump, I don't think that there is very much "bad" smoke initially, but there may or may not be some with briquettes. I tend to think that there is more bad smoke when using logs on an offset than when using charcoal in general, but YMMV.
 
Since I do the Enrico Brandizzi sidewinder method, I set up, light the coals through the door for about 2-3 minutes, close the door, add the butt, put the lid on and either have more coffee or have a beer, mix a cocktail, and just wait. I think I might be one of the most “hands off” people I know when it comes to the WSM. It does so much all by itself I will send something amiss if I fool around with too much.
 
I have everything ready to go. Meat on, probes in, lid on.
Dump the lit briqs in, do the cold squat, then let everything come up together....maybe 45-60 minutes before I have to fettle the vents for my desired cook temp.
(Time enough to get showered & a bite of breakfast).
 
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I usually add meats when it's time to fiddle with the vents. All vents open as charcoal gets dumped in. Let it get to around 200, add food, and start messing with the vents. It usually works well enough for me. But the beauty of smoking large hunks of meat is that first hour or so of a 10 hour cook is only 10% of that cook. There's time enough for the magic process to correct anything in the startup. And that goes double for a forgiving hunk like pork butt.
 
Meats on, Minion method.
Unlit on the bottom followed by a scattering of smokewood. (I cut my chunks into halves or quarters.)
Lit goes on top. I feel it cleanses the smoke as it passes thru the lit. Usually takes about 20 mins for TBS.
Usually takes an hour to hit my target temp of 275 with a empty foiled pan.
Not all white smoke is bad. Some of it is just moisture burning off.
 
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