To Foil or Not To Foil...

I have done two recently, and I don't remember the weights (please don't tell Mr. SmokinOkie, as he will chew my hinder out for not taking notes). Both took 16 hours or more to bring up to 195-200 degrees. I put on the rub for 12 hours or so, and then put them into my CS with three or four ounces of apple wood. You don't need foil. After 10 hours I opened the door to check on them and spritz them with apple juice. While doing that I spritzed myself with another Dos Equis. I believe I injected apple juice into one of them prior to smoking as per a post in this board. At any rate, they both were fantastic. After they reached the prescribed temperature, I then removed and wrapped them in foil, then in a towel and threw them into my cooler for several hours.
My wife, my Black Lab and I, then commenced to have a feast.

Good luck, and I am sure you will get several more messages from folks more knowledgeable than I am.

You can foil or not, if you don't it will take longer and you will have bark (wonderful bark). If you foil it will finish sooner but no bark will form. So it's your call.
Jim

First of all Papajack, oops, that's PopaJack....

it's Okie, not Oakie....

I give people the option in the 101's to foil or not and agree with Jim exactly.

The key is to try it both ways and see for yourself. The foil helps retain moisture (or in other words "steams" the meats) and so it will cook fast and will have a different consistency than if you don't use foil.

I'm not hard and fast about any rules except:

Keep good notes so you can learn your own lessons.

and most importantly (and this REALLY appplies to all smoking, but especially Butts)

say it all together forum gang!

It's done when it's done

Smokin' OKIE....

Thanks for the tips. I plan to make pulled pork samichs so I will probably foil it this time. It is exactly 5 lbs. I know its done when its done, but do you have any guess for how long it may take. It was called a pok shoulder blade roast so I guess that is a small butt from what I have gleaned from some of the posts. Also, if it gets done early can I just leave it in the smokette on 140� to hold it? or is it better to pull it right away and then film it to keep it moist? BTW, Sorry for Misspelling your handle, I will get it right in the future for sure! Popajack...the small j is fine.

And it's okay to call me names, just call me and I'll answered.

I know that was my dig back at you, I'll just call you Small J now...NOT.

A good rule of thumb is about 2 hours per pound. At that point, wiggle the bone and the butt will probably fall apart in your hand.

If it's NOT done, wrap it in foil and let it go a little longer (some will even spray it will some apple juice or something like a good Carolina Mop)

If it's done, just double wrap it and turn the smoker down to 140 or even turn it off. The butt will stay very warm for abour 4 hours this way (give or take a little).

Let us know if you have questions and how it went.

And by Sammiches you mean cheap white hamburger buns, topped with slaw and of COURSE the appropriate Carolina Sauce (lexington, east or west).

Smokin