Prepping for first overnight cook.


 
A

Adam B.

New member
Wish me luck. I'm smoking a Boston Butt tonight at midnight. It's 8.5 pounds and I'd like it done in the afternoon. Is this too early? I figured it could take 12-14 hours and it's better to be early than late with a butt! Any good suggestions for bringing the WSM up slow? I only have a few cooks on it and it always seems to fly out of the gates. I am using a 22.5 and plan on using a minion method to start it. I've always just thrown a full chimney in the middle and kept my vents open 100 to start. I was planning on only starting 12-15 briquettes in the middle OC a full ring of Stubbs and starting with my vents really cutback, say 25%. Should this be good? Would putting my meat on from the start make sense to add to the heat sink along with my full bowl of water or should I let it come to temp and stabilize first?
 
You are fine with the time. Butts are forgiving and they can set for 2-4 hours wrapped in hd foil if need be........
 
Your plan sounds pretty solid. A whole chimney of lit is going to really to heat up fast, I generally use a small amount to start and always put the meat on as soon as the cooker is assembled.

If it gets done early wrap it in heavy duty foil and hold it in a cooler with some old towels or newspapers for insulation, it will stay hot for hours.

Good luck and get ready for the compliments!
 
The temperature you cook at will determine how long it takes. Cooking at 250 to 275 degrees should have it ready in the time you allotted.If you wait until the temp stabilizes to add the Pork "heat sink" then I think you'll need to wait until the temp stabilizes. I put the lit charcoal on the unlit, assemble the WSM, and put the meat on. I go to bed once the WSM has stabilized. Enjoy the cook.
 
I dont know if this is true or not but I heard that the meat will only accept smoke "for the smoke ring" untill about 140 deg. so I usually put my meat on right out of the fridge and onto a "cold" smoker. I figure it will give the meat more time in the smoke before it gets to 140..... I am currious as to what some of the more experienced smokers think?
 
Originally posted by Mike Isaacson:
I dont know if this is true or not but I heard that the meat will only accept smoke "for the smoke ring" untill about 140 deg. so I usually put my meat on right out of the fridge and onto a "cold" smoker. I figure it will give the meat more time in the smoke before it gets to 140..... I am currious as to what some of the more experienced smokers think?
Click to expand...

I have heard this as well, so I always go straight from the refrigerator to the smoker. Always makes for a pretty good smoke ring.
 
Meat will take on smoke flavor as long as you continue to supply smoke to it. The smoke is not absorbed into the meat, it accumulates on the surface in a process known as adsorption.

The smoke ring is a chemical reaction and can be created just using charcoal alone or Tender Quick meat tenderizer.

I have read that the chemical process that causes the smoke ring stops when the internal temp reaches 140,but as long as you keep adding wood to the fire the meat will keep taking on more smoke flavor.
 
PLan sounds good to me. Definitely a good idea to start with only 12 coals or so. I just put on a Butt at midnight as well. I just wrapped mine (6:30am). Internal temp was about 160ish, which is where it normally is when I like to wrap. Should be ready to take off somewhere around 10 or so. Good luck on your cook, and give us an update and pics if you can.
 
Just pulled mine off the cooker, 12.5 hours later. Wrapped and put it in a warmed up cooler to keep until later this afternoon, to pull. Could see clear seperation around the bone. It should pull out pretty easy when I pull the pork later today. I hope the flavor is good. I did the Mr Brown's Rub and have some carolina red sauce made up to finish it. Going to make a honey mustard cole slaw for on top. I'll be sure to take a photo of it before and after the pull, along with the completed sandwich.
 
Pulled pork


http://instagr.am/p/NZr2cYvY3h/

Made a honey mustard cole slaw to go with the pork. My wife made beans and macaroni. We had my brother over as our guinea pigs. Needless to say, they want to know when the next cook will be. Everything was awesome. Thank you everyone for the support from this site. I've learned so much in just a short period of time.
 
Well Adam what did you think? Anything you would do diffrent, were you happy with the smoke and flavor..... It looks good way to go.
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I ended up holding it for about 4 hrs before I pulled it. Kept it in the cooler and the temp dropped to 165 while waiting. I thought it may have been slightly dry. It wasn't awful,I mean it just wasn't perfect. I dont know if that came from holding it, maybe cutting off more fat in the prep, or just held it on the smoker too long. I was getting internals at 195 when I pulled off cooker and then in foil it went up to 200. I may try cutting off less external fat next time to see if that helps. I was very impressed with the stableness of the cooker. After I dialed it in by the first hour. I only needed to stir the coals once and add more wood. The temp never went above 266 or dropped below 235 and there was no need for added coals.
 
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