Planning on pulled pork for the superbowl! I,m going to pick up a 6-8 lb butt, I plan on injecting CT sauce on friday and applying Bad Byrons rub and into the fridge to rest til saturday. I figure to start 4 hours of smoke at 225 saturday afternoon and let cook thru the night at same temp til IT hits 190(expecting 20-22 hrs), then FTC for 3hrs. Anyone have any advice or does this sound like a good plan?
Sound like a real good plan to me!
sounds like you have a good plan and right on target
Just make sure you check the v-tray for blockage and the water bowl before you hit the sack.
That's what I would do! ;D
Make sure you get it out of the fridge at least 2 hours before going into the smoker. ;D
I always get nervous doing butts in that I have had 8 lbs that took 20+ hours and some that took 16. So I usually do mine the day before. I put them in the 2nd from the top rack, a pan under the butt to collect the juices.
When done, pull and put inthe fridge. The next morning I would put in a crock pot and add some of the juice. It turned out fanatastic and was ready when needed.
Thanks for the help everyone! I will post the results. The thing I was most uncertain about was injecting the CT, I have never used it before, but have heard everybody on the forum comment on it.
Allow as much time as you can in case they are "stubborn". If you come in early, don't worry, you can go SEVERAL hours in a good FTC, and a lengthy FTC actually improves the end product (it's not just staying warm; it's still cooking and doing some happy magic). Also, I pull at 195 (but you'll get differing opinions on that).
Just did 2 4 lb'rs on the weekend. They were stubborn for the size. They were in for 17 hrs so give your self lots of time. I injected the ones before these with CT and they were great. These ones were good but woould have been better injected with CT. Pulled them at 190f but should have left them to 195f as Hal said. One was fine but the other was harder to pull and after 2.5 hrs in FTC they were still too damn hot to handle. I had to break them apart and let cool for awhile. Good luck and remember it is very hard to make bad pulled pork so don't fret none.
Doug, you have a good plan. With that size of butt I would fully expect you to be done in time. I have two butts totaling around 14 lbs that took right at 24 hrs. First was done earlier of course. BUTT, if you have not smoked several butts to feel comfortable with timing, then start earlier on Saturday. The longer they FTC the better in my opinion. Heck, I actually like to pull my butt and put in the fridge a day or two then reheat in a crcokpot with a little apple juice then some Vaunted Vinegar. In my very humble, very little knowledge opinion, it is better a day or two later!
Oh yeay. I always take my butt to at least 200* I like my butt to fall apart!
Give us some pics my friend!
I like your plan. And be aware that if they finish Super early (which has happened to me before), you can just leave them in the smoker and take them to a higher IT. Obviously you don't want to let them get above 205 IT (getting the meat too close to the boiling point of water is a bad thing), but your plan allows for more cooking and for longer FTC if necessary, while still giving plenty of time to make sure they're ready in time, so I'd say it sounds like a great plan.
I've never injected a butt with CT cause of the flour.
It may be good.
I'd rather have a more liquid injections that blends
in with the meat more.
But then again a butt makes a lot of liquid inside
by itself.
In away you are right Sonny. The one I injected with CT now that I think about it, since you mentioned it, the Ct didn't spread threw the meat rather it stayed in basicly the spot I put it in. But when I pulled it, it got scattered around the rest of the meat and it did add flavour threw out. Likely as you said the flour kept it from melting into the meat.
Just to update! Fired the butt (11 lbs) in Saturday @ 12:30 p.m, 2 hrs. maple and 2 hrs. apple @ 215. Cooked thru the night at 215, at 6:30 this a.m the IT is at 189 so I dropped the pid to 200 hoping I could stretch the next 6 degrees out til 11:00 then ftc for 5 hrs. I must add that the Maverick et 732 has already paid for itself, I was able to sleep like a baby with the receiver at my side and the high/low alarms set. The reception on this unit is all they say it is, as my bedroom is probably 150-175 feet away from the barn where the smoker is in so it works well even thru the many walls between.
Great job on the smoke. I did the mod to the maverick et-73 and i can get reception from the neighbors house, love it no more checking during the night.