Trial and Error + a Question

[Idasotan]

I've tried a couple of different things, including pork butt, brisket, and a turkey (which is currently smoking).

I've learned that less rub, for me, is better.  I've also struggled to find a good pork butt for smoking - I'm hoping that a local butcher can help me out.  My first pork butt was absolutely terrific - the best I've ever tasted.  The three I've made since have not been as good - I've either cooked it too quickly, or put too much rub on it, or both.

The brisket was OK, nothing great.  Again, too much rub for my taste.  I've been using a couple of different rubs - mostly a variation of Jan's Dry Rub.  It has turned out too salty the last couple of times I've used it - my fault for putting too much on.

My biggest problem seems that everything I smoke ends up cooking too fast.  I try to usually keep the temp in the 200-225 range, but the internal temp seems to rise quickly.  For instance, the turkey I am cooking now was put in at 9:00am and at 3:00pm already has a IT of 163.  Any ideas on how to slow it down. 

The quick rise in temp was a factor, I believe, in why the last couple of pork butts weren't that good - they didn't get soft enough to pull easily.  I have pulled stuff out to finish in the oven, but considering how quickly the temp goes up, it seems like it would just run the IT too high.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong...the first pulled pork seemed to cook slower (not sure why - it was the very first thing I did). 

Any thoughts would be appreciated?  Should I just drop the temp of the smoker even lower - to hold it at the IT longer?  Or, should I pull it out and FTC it for awhile?  I've never gone the FTC route - I'm a little leery of pulling it out and keeping it in a cooler for a couple of hours (not sure why - just the idea of food sitting out warm for that long, I guess).


Thanks everyone - I appreciate all the help everyone gives each other, as well as the sharing of successes and bombs!  Happy smoking!

Tom

[Hopefull Romantic]

The quick rise in temp could be because of various variables. First it would be good if you tell us what sort of equipment you are using? Where do you have your smoker placed and do you have your vent at least open 3/4 to full open. Any or all of these could effect the outcome.

HR

[Idasotan]

Good questions - I'm using the OBS, and go with a Maverick for the IT.  The smoker is in my covered screen house, so it doesn't get too much wind or cold on it (at least not yet - winter is coming to Minnesota though).  I have the vent on the turkey I am currently cooking open 3/4 of the way (it was completely open before).

Thinking back, I might not have had the vent as open on the pulled pork.  But I know I do on this turkey, and the IT is still rising pretty quickly.  Everything I read said that a 12 lb turkey would take about 8 hours to get the IT up - mine got there in 6.

[classicrockgriller]

Are you monitoring your cabinet temp with your maverick?   CRG

[Idasotan]

I've tried doing that - I have one probe in the bird, and one sitting lose to check the cabinet temp.

The probe monitoring the cabinet temp always reads higher than the on-board thermometer reads (the one that is part of the cabinet).  Is that normal?

[Hopefull Romantic]

That is not normal as far as I know. The onboard probe usually read a bit higher since it is plugged closer to the heat source on the tower. Please check and make sure that both probes are connected corectly. In other words, the straight probe is the cabinet probe and the one with a curve is the meat's.

HR

[Idasotan]

My probe is the ET-7, which has two bent probes (I'm guessing they are both meat probes).  Given that, the one probe might not read the cabinet temp that well.

That said, I usually base my temp readings off of what the cabinet thermometer says.

[Up In Smoke]

I wouldn't worry too much about the cabinet temp reading different, the IT is the more important of the two.
the only thing that comes to mind......is the internal temp probe in the middle of the thickest part of the meat"
if you get too far one way or the other (especially with whole fowl) you may be closer to the cavity than you need to be
thus picking up more surface heat.

[classicrockgriller]

I would trust the maverick (if it is in the lower 1/3 of cabinet) and adjust your temp from there. Might be why your bird shot up so fast.   CRG

And like UIS said probe several areas of the thickest part.

[Up In Smoke]

one other question. where in the smoker is the meat located?
are you on the upper 2 racks or the lower ones closer to the heating element?
this could cause a quicker rise in temp also.

[squirtthecat]

And like UIS said probe several areas of the thickest part.

Ditto to that...    I've been sitting here for hours waiting for my big pork butt to reach 190. (started at 6PM last night)   It was sitting at 185 for ages...   So I went out and probed a different area.  199.    AHH!  DONE!

[Idasotan]

Good point about where in the cabinet.  The turkey is on the 3rd rack down (2nd one up?) - pretty close to the element.  That could be why it went up so quickly...

Is there a good rule of thumb I should go with - i.e put the food (pork, brisket, bird) on the the top rack when smoking only one thing?  

[Up In Smoke]

I usually put small loads up as high as i can get them.
when doing a full load i will rotate the racks top to bottom to kind of
even out the cook.

[KyNola]

If that turkey you're smoking is already at 163 take it out.  DONE.

KyNola

[Mr Walleye]

Idasotan

When you use a temp probe to monitor the cabinet temps make sure you are measuring the temp the meat is being exposed to. This means having the probe at the lowest meat level. This will tell you the temp the meat is exposed to and in my opinion... the temp you want to monitor. The built in temp probe is usually above the meat and is therefore influenced by the meat and is why it is usually lower.

If you are smoking based on the built in temp you are probably exposing the meat to higher temps than you want and would probably explain your faster cooking times.

Hope that made sense.

Mike