OK, smoking the first butt right now and one temp question

Might be in a fat pocket. Just open it up and reinsert in another area and see if the temp is the same. You'll add an extra half hour to the smoke but it's got a ways to go anyway and you'll put your mind at ease.
After reading so comments about temperatures, thermostats and variances I started using 3 thermostats. One poked in a ball of foil to moniter the smoker temp and two in the meat so I get an average cooking temp. If I've got two pieces of meat I put one in each.

quote:

Originally posted by Mile Hi Smokin':

After reading so comments about temperatures, thermostats and variances I started using 3 thermostats. One poked in a ball of foil to monitor the smoker temp and two in the meat so I get an average cooking temp. If I've got two pieces of meat I put one in each.

How do you do the cords then? Just close the door on the wires?

Hi Steve
I just put them down the smoke hole and set the read out boxes on top. The only time I run one out the door is if I'm preheating the smoker before putting the meat in so I don't have to fumble with it in a hot smoker.
Let us know how your smoke came out.

OK thanks. It's been 11.25 hours and the temp is at 171. The girl is HUNGRY and looking crossed eyed at me. I told her

'It's done when it's done.'

How'd it come out? Most of the butts I've done take 18-22hrs to reach 195 so I imagine you're dinner was late. After reading the forum til my eyes hurt I always plan on starting my smoke way early, even the night before and hold it until eating time or even reheat if it's done way to early. Make sure to keep notes of every smoke, they really do come in handy down the road.

quote:

Originally posted by Mile Hi Smokin':
How'd it come out? Most of the butts I've done take 18-22hrs to reach 195 so I imagine you're dinner was late. After reading the forum til my eyes hurt I always plan on starting my smoke way early, even the night before and hold it until eating time or even reheat if it's done way to early. Make sure to keep notes of every smoke, they really do come in handy down the road.

It didn't finish until about 10:35pm. And it wasn't as moist as I was hoping, although I'm not sure exactly how juicy it could have been.

That said, except that a 4ish lb butt took 13.5 hours, it wasn't bad for a first smoke.

How was your girl with eating at 10:30? If it'd been my girl of 35 years I'd have been eating alone. Good smokey flavor? I've had some of mine come out a little dry at times, what I do is after shredding I pour some apple juice into the shredded meat and mix it up.
What temp did you cook it to?

quote:

Originally posted by Mile Hi Smokin':
How was your girl with eating at 10:30? If it'd been my girl of 35 years I'd have been eating alone. Good smokey flavor? I've had some of mine come out a little dry at times, what I do is after shredding I pour some apple juice into the shredded meat and mix it up.
What temp did you cook it to?

No eating untl 11:15 since I had to let it sit for a half hour. She was, well, not quite on board with 'it's done when it's done.'

Flavor was good. Does the meat with the apple juice take on the juice flavor?

Anything I can do to ensure it's more moist when it's done?

I've been able to just barely detect the flavor of apple by only tasting the meat on it's own. By the time you serve it and maybe add some BBQ sauce or other sauces never. I will even add it to the leftover before reheating and it's great! Heck, I think you could add some beer, wine, orange juice etc and it would only help the finshed product especially if it's a little dry.
It can be tough to get timing down exactly without alot of experiance (which I don't have)but after keeping notes I always plan on a longer smoke and sweat out how to hold it until serving time rather than than how to hold off serving time, thus the apple juice.
Smoked a prime rib this weekend and figure an 8lb roast would take longer than a 5lb I started 2 hours earlier than previous smokes and ended up holding it for 3 hrs. Everyone said it was the best they've had but I was way stressed when it reach my target temp so early. All that said it was better than holding up dinner and aswering to the hostess!!!!

How many times did you open the door during the cook ?

quote:

Originally posted by GLH:
How many times did you open the door during the cook ?

Not once. Closed it at 9:00am; opened it at 10:35pm.

When you have the chance to read through more of the search on butts,you'll see my $0.2 many times.

First, check the temp your cooker shelf actually runs.

With experience,you'll pick your cook temp,for when the finishing might suit you.

Check the boil and freeze points on your therm.

Cookshack may recommend running the therm wire down the vent hole, but I can't remember.

If I have several wires running,for some strange reason,I arrange them on the door side,so I can maybe guess which is which and close the door.

On my small CS,I liked to buy two packs around 15-16 lbs,which is how the market receives them.

If only cookin one,I like my shelf to average around 235º.

A full cooker,around 225º.

If cooking several,I put the probe in the smallest.

It has a chance to finish first.

Remember that low and slow bbq is not linear for weight X temp= finishing time.

You are rendering fat,and breaking down collagen.

Thus, a 1/4 inch pork steak cut from the butt,fried a minute on each side in a 375º skillet, would be DONE,but not pullable.

Thus, it could take the same number of hours for four lbs to render and come tender,as eight.

The traditional CS cooks very moist,so I've not found pans of liquid to be helpful.

I pack as much rub and sugar on a butt,as it will hold,

a couple hours before the cook.

I might? open the cooker,around the 7-8 hr mark,on Big 8-10 butts.

I see if they need to be rearraged,or flipped over.Sometimes flipping keeps them from breaking.

If had had a spritzer of apple juice,I might? give them a squirt for flavor.

My personal experience has been that low temps,with a SINGLE big butt,in a Smokette,will plateau about 192º and be plenty pullable.

I like to get mine done several hrs early and foil,maybe with a spritz of apple juice,or some of Smokin's vinegar sauce.

Cooler for several hrs,and pull just before serving.I never worry how long they are in the hotbox,as long as they are temp safe.

As an example, Ribdog and I put a large case of 7 to an eight lb butt in Sat night, about 6-6:30PM around 225º.

They came done about 6:30-7:30 AM.

We double foiled them,into a cooler,and about 6:30 PM Barbara and drbbq pulled them.

They were still too hot to touch.

They were close to perfect.At least 3-4 hrs resting is a great thing.

When we pull our butts,we like to add a little more rub and some AJ,or Smokin's Vinegar Sauce,mixed in to taste.

Give 'em a couple sauces,on the side,to try on their own.

Once you've run your cooker a few times,and taken good notes,you'll know pretty much within minutes when things will happen.[on many common items]

Check your therm, about every cook,and then use your experience to guide what you are trying to accomplish.

Don't be opening the door and playing with the meat,although a quick glance won't kill you.

Well,I'll get off of here,before someone accuses me of makin' a Smokin' post.