1-09-2010
OK, here is the deal. My wife got me a BDS4 for Xmas. God, I love that woman!!!! My son is already calling it, "One Bad Doggie" (he is 4 yo). I have already smoked ribs, brisket, and chicken breasts. Tonight I'm going to try a 9.37# Bone-in Pork shoulder/butt to make pulled pork with. I live at 6975 ft. The forecast says clear skys, wind at 7 to 10 mph, humidity at 50 to 34%, low of 18*F and high of 25*F. Tomorrow 7am to noon - clear skys, wind 5 to 8 mph, humidity at 23 to 33%, low of 21*F and high of 45*F. I plan on having it ready to eat at noon for the football games. I think 12 hrs is enough time but please let me know if it's not. Thanks.
Interesting note:
I have a Maverick E-7 and used it to check the readings the BDS was showing. 1st I made sure the Maverick was properly calibrated using boiling water and Ice water tests - it passed. Here are the readings I got. All measurements taken in *F.
Oven set at 200*F
Maverick BDS
212 low 189
264 high 212
212 low 189
263 high 212
Oven set at 180*F
187 low 169
231 high 198
187 low 169
As you can see there was a 40 to 50 *F swing. Now I must let everyone know I did this with both the smoke generator and the Oven on. There was no water in the water pan and the vent was only open ~ 1/16". There was no load (food) in the BDS either.
I would strongly suggest to all new BDS owners (like me) to invest in a digital meat probe that can be used to measure the tower temps. This is the only way you will know the true temp of the tower. Now that I have the temp differences I can compensate accordingly. IE. if I want to smoke/cook something at 200*F I will set the BDS to 180*F.
Welcome to the forum canyonman !
I would think 18 to 20 hours for a butt that size would be pretty close. Better to start early and FTC it than getting it done late. I'm sure others with more experience will help out to.
Check out the recipe site. Old's Place (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/)
Thanks HawkeyeSmokes for your advice. I will start warming up the BDS right now. It's 7:15pm at my house. Thanks again!!
Was there anything in the smoker when you took those temps? The disparity between the smoker and Maverick could be due to sensor/probe position, especially if your probe was more to the middle or front of the tower (sensor is on back wall). As for high/low difference, if the smoker was empty or had a "cold load" in it, the heat could take a while to get to the sensor, resulting in higher/lower temps in the sensor area of the cabinet, and slower response time.
Just for comparison, you can put your remote probe in your kitchen oven set to 200, and there will probably be about a 20 degree swing in there.
Canyonman,
You MIGHT have that butt done in 12 hours but then again you might not. Here's what I would do if I were you. Plan on 14-16 hours and if it is done early double wrap the butt in foil, wrap in a towel and put it in an empty cooler(FTC) or an empty microwave(don't turn the microwave on!). It will hold nice and warm for 4-6 hours hours. Also, open that vent at least 1/4 open. I would open it 1/2 open. If you have not done a butt before here is something you need to know. Somewhere between an IT 0f 145-160, the IT is going to stall for 2-4 hours. That's exactly what you want it to do. Don't bump the oven temp up.
Last info for you. Preheat your BDS prior to the smoking period. Run the temp in the tower up to 270 or so if possible. When you open the door and put in a 9 pound piece of cold meat the temp is going to drop like a rock. When the heat comes back up, adjust your settings accordingly.
Tiny Tim, There was nothing in the smoker it was in the condition I stated above. The Mavrick was hung from the center rack about one inch parallel to it just beneath where the meat will be placed. I have already done the oven thing and it was fun to watch those swings! :D Thankyou for your response I just wanted to know what my smoker was actually running at where the meat is going to be. I'll watch the temps once I get a load in it. I'm sure it will help.
Thanks again.
KnNola, I will head your advice and get it going ASAP. I just want to say thank you to all of the members who respond to my post. You guys and girls have made cooking with a new BDS a lot less of a challenge. Now I got to get that BUTT in! ;D
Canyonman
No problem, Canyon....that's what we do here, help each other out. :)
Looks like you're a fireman from the pic over there under your name...am I right?
My pleasure Canyonman. As TT said, that's what we do here! Now...get your butt in that Bradley!
KyNola
Did you rub your butt? :D
Tiny Tim,
yep, I'm a fireman and a paramedic. I'm not trying to brag i just like that pic. I think I will smoke the butt at 200 to 210. What do you guys think?
What do I think? I don't think you're bragging, it's a great profession. I help with our Volunteer Department here (mainly do reports, but do have a light and get to go on the calls and help where I can).
Oh, you meant about the temp...yeah, I think I'd go between 210 and 220 though, but that's me.
Good luck with that butt. I'm sure it will turn out. You are in good hands here.
Paramedics are seen as heroes in these parts lately. Last week we had a police officer stabbed to death while writing reports outside of a hospital. 4 very courageous paramedics jumped in, 2 subdued the attacker and held him until backups arrived while the other 2 attempted to save the officer. As a brother of a policeman on the same force I can't tell you the additional gratitude and respect your profession earned on that terrible night. The paramedics marched right behind the local police force ahead of the rest of the police forces who participated in the procession of over 4,000 law enforcement personnel.
I know you have heard this before but I just do my job and sometimes it requires me to do things out of the ordinary. I don't consider myself a hero because my wife owns that title. Thank you for your support.
Quote from: canyonman on January 09, 2010, 07:27:39 PM
I know you have heard this before but I just do my job and sometimes it requires me to do things out of the ordinary. I don't consider myself a hero because my wife owns that title. Thank you for your support.
Where are you?
My nephew is a paramedic for LAFD
I work for a mid size department in Colorado. Sorry I don't want to get to specific because believe it or not I could get in trouble for representing my department without permission. Crazy huh!! Any ways my department has 20 stations 20 engines, 7 trucks, 3 rescue squads, HAZMAT rig, heavy rescue rig, and 3 battalions chiefs per shift. We serve 450,000 people and are at the forefront of emergency medicine. Sorry, now that is bragging. ;D I just love my job and what I do. I grew up in California and its great that your nephew is working for the LAFD. Thanks for the reply/question.
OK! I would like to send my apologies to everyone on some misleading information I wrote at the beginning of this post. The temp checks I did would lead people to believe the BDS has huge temp swings. It dose have temp swings like your house oven but not as bad as I 1st posted. Here are some new numbers with a 9.37# pork butt, water, and pucks smoking.
Oven temp set at 200
Maverick BDS
212 high 200
181 low 180
209 high 200
181 low 182
213 high 200
184 low 176
214 high 200
182 low 178
216 high 200
That was taken over 2 hrs time
So the BDS seems to be fairly accurate with it temp readings. The swings are a bit large ~ 30*F but I think that might close as the meat heats up.
canyonman, welcome to the forum. Lived in the springs many moons ago.
Have hiked pikes peek numerous times and woke up to see the sun rise in
the "Garden of the Gods" Is the monastery still there?
I have a DBS and you have to remember that the Bradley probe is fixed, stuck in the wall.
And you have a portable probe in the maverick.
And you are right as the mass of meat heats up, the temps get closer together.
Looking forward to seeing your smokes and the thoughts of your friends at the station.
Be safe and get to smokin.
might want to check those pics
they are all the same.
Thanks. I think I have it figured out. Here we go again.
Precook
(http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad313/bmjankrum/Hickory%20smoked%20pulled%20pork/IMG_3472.jpg)
Temp outside
(http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad313/bmjankrum/Hickory%20smoked%20pulled%20pork/IMG_3477.jpg)
"One Bad Doggie"
(http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad313/bmjankrum/Hickory%20smoked%20pulled%20pork/IMG_3473.jpg)
Meat in its new home, for now ;D
(http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad313/bmjankrum/Hickory%20smoked%20pulled%20pork/IMG_3475.jpg)
Baby got back!
(http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad313/bmjankrum/Hickory%20smoked%20pulled%20pork/IMG_3474.jpg)
My modified Maverick E-7. She aint pretty but she gets the job done!
(http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad313/bmjankrum/Hickory%20smoked%20pulled%20pork/IMG_3479.jpg)
I'm about 4.5 hours into the smoke. Should I rotate and flip? Should I baste? I know to pull out at fork tender but what temp do you think is good to check that at 185,190,195?
Just took my last butt off and I took it to 200*
Here in Texas that is melt in your mouth pulled pork.
IMO at least 190* then somewhwere in between that and 200*
really don't know what the altitude does to smokin/cookin.
I know when I moved there it took me two weeks to get use to it.
Thanks for the info. Do you got any pics?
I take pics of bologna sandwiches I make. ;D
I will post you a link.
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=13650.0
NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!
0200 hrs and that's 5.5 hours smoke/cook time. I took out spent pucks, filled the water pan, then turned and basted the butt. My Maverick let me know the temp in the tower was getting above 220 F so I turned the temp set down to 190. Thank got for the Maverick.
(http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad313/bmjankrum/Hickory%20smoked%20pulled%20pork/IMG_3480.jpg)
I'm not pickin, just tryin to help.
Your IT probe is not deep enough.
You want it to reach the center of the meat without touching a bone or a fat pocket.
Hi Cannyonman;
Welcome to the forum.
I just want to make sure how you checked the accuracy of your Maverick, since you didn't say what temperature the water boiled at.
For your altitude (6975) and assuming the barometric pressure was 29.92 inHg, the water should have boiled at 198°F. If the Maverick reported it boiled at 212°F, then it is way off.
Here is a useful link. If you have the barometric pressure you improve your accuracy. You have to scroll to the bottom of the page to get to the calculator.
Boiling Point Calculator (http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/boilingpoint.html)
Good point. I did check the accuracy with the temp for my elevation and pressure. It was around 199.8 F at the time I checked the Maverick. The Maverick was ~ 2 degrees hotter but I did not use distilled water so maybe that is a factor. Anyways It's within the 3 to 4 +/- Maverick states for there probes. I also did the ice and water test before I checked my Bradley. So to my knowledge the Maverick is reading correctly. After smoking/cooking the Butt I found the Bradley to be fairly accurate. It was reading ~ 10 degrees less than the Maverick but the Bradley sensor is on the back wall and my probe was hanging ~ 1" below the center of the meat. All and all I jumped the gun when I did a test on the Bradley with no load or water in it. The lesson I learned was an oven is going to have swings and I just didn't notice it before because I had no was of watching the temps in real time like I can now with the Maverick. I have an analog oven thermometer in the Bradley also just to see what it would read and it seemed to stay right around 200 ever time I checked. It is not as sensitive and it takes longer to register higher or lower temps. So it dose not have enough time at a higher or lower temperature to change its reading. Sometimes low tech is best. Thanks for your reply.
Thanks. I think the angle of that picture makes the probe look like its not as far in as it is. I did go out and check after your post and the tip as far as I can tell was in the center of the meat. Thanks for your help.
Thanks to all of your help the Pulled Pork turned out great!!! I learned alot from you guys.
For your next smoke get a couple of bricks and wrap them in tinfoil. Put one in the bottom next to the water bowl and if you are not using the bottom rack for food then stick the other one on that rack or set it on the v-tray so as not to block the drippings from running into the bowl. These act as a heat mass and help with temp recovery after you put the losd in or have opened the door. You can also heat these in your oven before you put them in if you want. Some folks do but I just let mine heat while preheating the tower, but if I was to do a butt I probably would preheat in the oven.
canyonman, let us know what your fellow firefighters think when you do some smokin for them.
Glad you had a great smoke!
That is fairly accurate temperature for a home use thermometer. The average is +2 - 4 degrees F.
Another thing you might consider is some kind of additional insulation for the smoker!