Murphy’s Law

[SouthernSmoked]

On July the 2nd this year I was smoking two butts for our family reunion, which is normally held on the July 4th but since that day fell on a Sunday we held in on Saturday, July 3rd instead.

I've have done a pulled pork for the last 4 years at our reunion and the family looks forward to this, no they demand it. They sometime forget that I live in the Cincinnati area and the reunion is held about 150 miles east. So I always smoke here at home and get up early to drive there using the drive time to my advantage, it is my FTC time.

I started around 5pm the night before and place both butt's in the smoker. Around 9pm I checked to see how the smoke was coming along and it was looking good. Once again I looked at midnight and I thought "Damn this is doing pretty good it might even be done early."

Around 1am I applied a mopping sauce and rotated the racks. I told my wife I was going to sleep on the couch but I had set the alarm for 4am and I also set my phone for 3:45am. At 3:45 I checked on the butt's and noticed that the temperature had not moved at all since 1am, I first thought it's caught at range 165f "no man's land" and it going to be a bit, so I went back inside and started my beans and other odds and ends that I needed. Around 4:45am I went back out to add another mopping and notice the smoker box temp was at 150f, what the @#@&? No heat!!! Now what? Normally not a problem since I own two Bradley Smoker's and a portable unit also, but I loaned my other Stainless Steel unit out to a friend. I fired up the PBS, but this was going nowhere quick since I needed to leave by 8am.

At that time, 5:30a, I went inside to fire up the oven, setting it at 300f. I'm thinking I'm going to be late for the reunion. Remember it is currently in the PBS and around 6am, half hour later, my stove is not heating up. Damn, now what? Think!

I went to my garage to see if I had any wood or charcoal to use on the old brinkman that I've not used in years but no, nothing. Now what? Think!

I'm desperate now, so I foiled the butts and went to my grill, 5 separate burners, turned the two furthest away to high and the other three to low. Around 7:30am the IT hit's 190f and I pulled and FTC.

Everything turned out great and I made it on time.

I called and talked to Brian at Bradley and found it was the inline fuse, they sent and I installed – fixed.

We also found out that the heating element in our stove/oven went out, called sears and picked up the element and now it too is fixed.

What a night but that next day was so rewarding when everyone went crazy over the pulled pork.

[KyNola]

Now that is improvising under pressure.  Nice going SS.

[classicrockgriller]

I am standing and applauding!

I would have went back to the couch and called in sick.

Nice going.

[SouthernSmoked]

True Story!

I was afraid that my neighbors were going to turn on me however - out there banging things around trying to make do that early in the morning.

[TestRocket]

Fighting through the struggle! You done good!

[squirtthecat]

Not snow, nor sleet nor driving rain.............

[SouthernSmoked]

Not snow, nor sleet nor driving rain.............

What's the old saying "When it Rains it Pours!" 

[ArnieM]

You did good SS.  You went against the odds and got the job done.  Nice work.

[beefmann]

I recall years ago my  grand dad  taught  me about Murphy's law.. and he  made it very simple,,,,  what can go wrong usually does,,, that  is when  0 happens...  ... i then  looked at him and said then when the cow 0s we  make fertilizer.



















the moral of  this story  is  no bad how it  might seem its all good as long  as  were  with  family and  good friends