I am in the "middle" of my first overnighter with my smoker. bought a 10.5 pound picnic and put it on at 5 last night. It was/is down in the 40's right now and I had to "tend" to her a few times over night. I think I should have put more kingsford in it to start with. Will have to add some for sure to get her done. Brined it for a few hours before I put her on, and I have basted her a few times already. It's still dark out, but I shined the flashlight in the top just now and she looks great!! Can't wait. Will be looking to get that Guru to go along with my Nu-Temp I am using now. What an improvment over the Brinkman I had been using the past 2 years! You guys/gals are great for the info you share here....Thanks!
My first shoulder
- Thread starter Bob T.
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Chris Finney
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Bob, welcome to the group.
Sorry you're having to baby sit your cooker so much tonight. But just think if you were using the Brinkman!
Next time fill her up and use the Minion Method. You would still be able to get some sleep without a Guru.
Although, I will probably end up getting one, one day so I can cook while I'm at work. Just not enough time to cook if I have to be there. And yes all, safety measures will be taken.
Sorry you're having to baby sit your cooker so much tonight. But just think if you were using the Brinkman!
Next time fill her up and use the Minion Method. You would still be able to get some sleep without a Guru.
Although, I will probably end up getting one, one day so I can cook while I'm at work. Just not enough time to cook if I have to be there. And yes all, safety measures will be taken.
Looks like it may get done sooner than I thought. It's only been 14 hours and I'm at 180 already. Hope it akes a few more hours, then I'll wrap it and put it in the igloo. Question....do you all wet the towel down when you wrap it to leave it sit? It may have to sit for 3-4 hours, but from wht I have read, that should be ok. The hard part will be NOT to dig in before the family gets home to enjoy lol.
On my first shoulder I jumped in straight in and now I see a mistake, I went by the renowned MR.Brown method and done everything as per the instructions, the only thing is looking at the cooking chart I only brought the meat up to 167F because I thought 170 was the target, now that I look at the instructions again I see he did bring the butt up to 180F and above.(Doooh) It still tasted good though but I wont be eating the leftovers in the freezer.
Greg Rempe
TVWBB All-Star
Bob, why would you brine the butt?
Joe McManus
TVWBB All-Star
Bob,
Don't wet the towel down. If your cooler is "cool", put some boiling water in it to warm it up. I layer the bottome with a brown paper bag, double wrap the meat in Heavy duty AL foil, put one or two dry towels on top. I've held them for 4 or 5 hours and they are still difficult to pull because they're too hot.
Don't wet the towel down. If your cooler is "cool", put some boiling water in it to warm it up. I layer the bottome with a brown paper bag, double wrap the meat in Heavy duty AL foil, put one or two dry towels on top. I've held them for 4 or 5 hours and they are still difficult to pull because they're too hot.
Joe McManus
TVWBB All-Star
hopefully just stating the obvious, but empty the hot water before putting the meat in.
Always pays to reread your posts BEFORE hitting the post button.
Always pays to reread your posts BEFORE hitting the post button.
I take my butts (and I reckon I'd do the same with a shoulder) to 205, so you DEFINITELY have a few hours to go. You can certainly take it off earlier, but it won't shred as easily if you're pullng it. I wrap mine in foil when I take 'em off, and then in a dry towel and put them in a cooler. Some folks pre-warm the cooler by pouring hot water in it (then they pour the water out again before putting the meat in).
Bren, your meat is probably just fine. If it scares ye, take the meat out of the freezer and heat it up on the stove with some bbq sauce or something, or use it to make enchiladas or green chili (both recipes are on this site and are FANTASTIC). Once you got it past 160 you killed all the germs. You're not eating raw pork or anything.
Here, I found this:
"Cook fresh pork to 160 °F (medium) or to 170 °F (well done). Fresh pork cooked to medium doneness as measured with a meat thermometer may still be pale pink inside but will be safe. Heating to 160 °F kills foodborne bacteria -- such as Salmonella -- as well as parasites that cause trichinosis and toxoplasmosis."
Bren, your meat is probably just fine. If it scares ye, take the meat out of the freezer and heat it up on the stove with some bbq sauce or something, or use it to make enchiladas or green chili (both recipes are on this site and are FANTASTIC). Once you got it past 160 you killed all the germs. You're not eating raw pork or anything.
Here, I found this:
"Cook fresh pork to 160 °F (medium) or to 170 °F (well done). Fresh pork cooked to medium doneness as measured with a meat thermometer may still be pale pink inside but will be safe. Heating to 160 °F kills foodborne bacteria -- such as Salmonella -- as well as parasites that cause trichinosis and toxoplasmosis."
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Greg Rempe:
Bob, why would you brine the butt? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Just something to try. I read some others have done it. Next one will not be brined so I can see if it was worth it or not. Call it an experiment.
Bob, why would you brine the butt? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Just something to try. I read some others have done it. Next one will not be brined so I can see if it was worth it or not. Call it an experiment.
Chris Finney
TVWBB All-Star
Shut your vents some and bring you temp down a little if you want it to take a little longer. As long as the cooker is hotter than the meat temp you want to reach, you internal temp of the meat will try to equalize with the surrounding temp.
But, you never know how long it will take to get those last few degrees no mather what the temp of the cooker. You may not need to change anything.
But, you never know how long it will take to get those last few degrees no mather what the temp of the cooker. You may not need to change anything.
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