Jumping in with both feet!

RammerJammer · May 27, 2009, 06:40:46 AM

Wish me luck! Might be a little agressive but what the heck...

Two beautiful Pork Butts brined overnight, rubbed up this morning and in the fridge for a 7 PM start. Plan on 4 hours of hickory smoke and slow and easy overnight for a finish sometime midday tomorrow.

Three full racks of back ribs rubbed up for an ~11:00 AM start today. Plan 3 hours of hickory smoke, 2 hours no smoke in a foil boat with apple juice, and 1 hour on the grill low and slow topped off with a coat of three different BBQ sauces (Kraft and 2 to be determined.)

Could someone reply with some advice as to the water pan in the smoker for each above. Thanks!

Tenpoint5 · May 27, 2009, 06:50:09 AM

Quote from: RammerJammer on May 27, 2009, 06:40:46 AM

Could someone reply with some advice as to the water pan in the smoker for each above. Thanks!

Make sure it is in there and is full of water. I fill mine with hot water to help avoid a major temp drop by putting in cold water. You can also add juice or orange soda to the water to get some different flavors going on in your smoker.

OU812 · May 27, 2009, 07:44:41 AM

What 10.5 said.

When cooking on the grill try to cook with indirect heat.

On the BBQ sauce try the KC Master Piece origanal.

KyNola · May 27, 2009, 11:02:10 AM

If you're doing those butts in your smoker the entire time, you need to make sure you check and refill the water pan as needed even after the "smoke" period is over. If you let that pan go dry and the drippings from those butts get down in there, you are at risk of a fire.

The rule of thumb for me is if the Bradley is on, the water pan always has water in it. A couple of weeks ago we had two different guys incinerate their Bradleys in the same week. Suspected culprit was a dry water pan.

KyNola

OU812 · May 27, 2009, 11:22:59 AM

What KyNola said, especially when doing something like butt or brisket

RammerJammer · May 27, 2009, 01:21:53 PM

Thank you for the suggestions. I will be very careful with the water pan especially for the overnight butts.

As for the ribs...

At three hours I boated them seperately with a 1/4 cup of apple juice in each. The outside was darker than I expected and the meat was not pulling away from the bone yet. They are near the end of two hours in the foil (5 hours total) and I think I have changed my mind and will leave them in the smoker for the final hour - then to the grill for saucing.

Can't wait!

OU812 · May 27, 2009, 02:27:01 PM

When I do baby backs, the final hr I unwrap the ribs and put back in the smoker to get the bark back.

As far as ribs go the time frame is more of a point to start checking on them.

Like someone on here said "There done when there done"

RammerJammer · May 27, 2009, 05:07:49 PM

Got to hand it to this group. All the advice and tips I picked up lurking here paid off on my first smoke. The ribs turned out great. Probably cannot say they are the best I have ever had, but being biased they were pretty darn good. Finished off each with a different sauce - all store bought.

Kraft Original - has been a family favorite for years did not let me down.
KC Masterpiece Original - suggested by OU812 - thanks it was spot on.
Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet - One of the house sauces from a local chain that was also great.

Texture was perfect for my taste. Meat was firm, but left a clean bone. The only thing I would change is a little less red pepper in the rub (or a little lighter on the rub) they were a little spicy for the wife and kids. Wow, what's next...OH....

Two 6 lb. butts went in at 7:50 PM. Will do 4 hours of hickory at 225 and straight on thought the night till done at 205 IT tomorrow. Can't wait. This is addictive! :o

FLBentRider · May 28, 2009, 02:44:59 AM

Quote from: RammerJammer on May 27, 2009, 05:07:49 PM
Two 6 lb. butts went in at 7:50 PM. Will do 4 hours of hickory at 225 and straight on thought the night till done at 205 IT tomorrow. Can't wait. This is addictive! :o

I take butts to 190-200F, at 205 it is going to really fall apart!

OU812 · May 28, 2009, 06:07:44 AM

Glad to here your ribs turned out for y'all.

I go light on the rub for ribs and heavy on the butts.

Let us no how the butts go, be prepared for a long wait when they get to about 150 F don't turn up the heat just WAIT.

RammerJammer · May 28, 2009, 07:44:53 AM

I was up on and off all night checking on my "babies." My wife would probably tell you I did not even do that with my kids - DOH!

I put the butts on at 8:00 PM at 225 and got a little nervous and reduced the temp to 210 at about midnight - after the first four hours of smoke. Checked on them at 2 and 4 AM and IT was coming up faster than I thought it would. I haven't really seen the 160 stall everyone talked about. Anyway, I pushed it back to 225 at about 8:00 AM.

I have two seperate probe themometers. Currenty, (10:45 AM) one reads 181 and the other 194. I don't like that much of a difference and will check with an instant read before removal.

So you think I need to pull them between 195 and 200 and not wait until 205?

OU812 · May 28, 2009, 07:57:22 AM

The temp diff between the two is nothing to worrie about its probley two diff pigs that the butts came from.

As far as the cook temp I would pull each one out when each one hits 195 F
Then TFC for at least an hr.

Caneyscud · May 28, 2009, 08:10:20 AM

What OU said - or one got more injection than the other or one was more fat than the other....

What temperature you take them off 195 or 205 is not as important as how long they are at that temperature. I've gotten them up to 190 then reduced the smoker to 190 and held them there for another hour or two (and mopping) and have gotten great results. With barbecue, its not just getting to the temp., but how long it is in those higher temps. H E Double hockey sticks, you could just set your smoker, oven, or whathaveyou at 500 deg and get to 200 real fast, but you'd have a tough piece of meat. But leave that meat in the 200 degree range for a while and you get succulent tenderness, by rendering the fat and melting the collagen.

RammerJammer · May 28, 2009, 12:14:50 PM

Thought I would add some pictures of the ribs and butts - almost 27 hours of non-stop smoking on my first attempt. The butts are FTC'ing right now and will get pulled for dinner. Thanks again for all your help.

Ribs - all rubbed up.

In the smoker at 11:30 yesterday.

One the grill at 6:00 for a slathering of sauce.

Close up - they were nearly perfect!

Butts...

Butts rubbed and in at 19:50 yesterday.

18 hours later - oh my!

Can't wait to do more!

DaBeef2112 · May 28, 2009, 12:21:00 PM

Were the ribs as tender as they look?

I chipped a tooth trying to eat them through my monitor!