250 Times & Temps

Do NOT use the book. While that's what you get, I don't think the book has been updated.

Go with many of the times/temps off the forum. ALthough not from the FE forum.

I like to do butts @ 250 and they finish as a rule of thumb about an 1hour per pound. Smaller ones cook faster.

Been to Naples, and old NATO AFSouth many times.

Okie,
Thanks for the quick response. With the cooker full, how do your actual temps run compared with the readout? Do you open the door to get a better texture / bark? The butts I cooked the other night came out looking gray and a little mushy. I realize this was the first cook and I have a learning curve to go through. We did well and raised about 2.5K for little league. Everyone said it was the best they ever had but then again they always say that. I know different.
AFSOUTH is moving to Lago Patria, right next to my house. If for some reason you find yourself back over here, you definitely need to email me and stop in. We've been here about 10 years now and somewhat know the ropes.
Thanks again,
Frank

Hi Frank,

I cant speak for Smokin, but it sounds like the butts werent completed cooking.

What you need to get are a couple of electric thermometer probes that have the digital readout and long metal sheathed cables (like Taylor and Polder). Then you can monitor the temperature without opening the Cookshack and can then compare the internal meat temps with the Cookshack readout. Its ok to open the door occassionally, but if you do it a lot it will increase your cooking times. I would put a couple in for a large cook or one smack dab in the middle rack in the middle butt and keep the door closed.

Hmmm ...a little grey and mushy.... it just sounds as if you didnt cook it long enough and maybe used too much wood. You only need a little wood. I take my butts and sholders off at about 200-205 F internal temps for proper pulling as a rule of thumb, I dont care for that pork "yang" to the taste so I like pulled pork well done.

One additional thing I like to do is when I pull them off the smoker (I do this for my ribs too), I like to fire up a charcoal grill and baste the butts (they are practically falling apart now) and crisp them on the grill for a bit to kick in a little more bark. Once you try this you may be pleased with the results.

Good luck and hope this helps!

Regards,
Preston D

Thanks Preston,
I do use the polders and they were up to temp. I guess "grey and mushy" was a little of an overstatement. They just didn't have the color and texture of the ones I'm used to coming off the offset. I had about 220lbs in there and there was a lot of moisture. All in all I'm pleased with the unit and am sure that with a few cooks under my belt I'll have it figured out.
By the way do you average about an hour a pound as well?
I will be in Poland for the next couple of weeks with limited access to internet, so If I don't respond to a post right away this is the reason.
Thanks again

Hambone: you won't get the same bark you got on the offset in the CS. They will indeed cook pretty fast ... I use about 225 and it's still about 1 to 1.5 hrs per lb. But they should be blackened nicely... gray is odd. Maybe overpacked in the cooker, touching each other? Want them to be set apart even just a smidge...