First Pork Butt

[Smokem if you gotem]

First time posting. I've been cooking PB for a very long time on ceramic grills. This is my first attempt on an electric smoker. I'm ok with length of time but my question is on the smoking side. I've read here 4 hrs of smoke, how many bisquettes will I go through? Is there a chart available somewhere that shows how many bisquettes based on length of smoke? I also am inexperienced in using a water pan, does this need water or juice? How often does need attended, every 3-4 hrs?

I'm aiming for a 4:00 PM Sunday start at 225, to have this finish up Monday afternoon around noon. Am I close on the timing? Sorry for all the questions.

Thanks for the help.

[TedEbear]

The Bradley cycles a puck every 20 minutes, so 3 pucks per hour.  Also, you'll need 2 extra "pusher" pucks to get the last puck you want to burn onto the plate.  They sell Bisquette Savers for this purpose but if you don't have them yet you can just add a couple of extra pucks into the stack.  Do not leave the last puck smoldering on the hot plate or it may give the meat a bitter flavor as it burns into ashes.

At the end of the 4 hours you plan on smoking turn off the SG and remove any pucks still inside, dump the spent pucks and add fresh water to the bowl.  Always have water in the bowl to reduce the chance of a grease fire.  Dump any accumulated pucks and change the water every 2 hours, so they do not stack up in the bowl.

As far as cooking time, the rule of thumb is 1.5-2 hours per lb.  However, go by the internal temp of the meat and not by time.  Not all pigs are created equal.   :)  I take mine to 195*F.

And here's a link to the user recipe site:  Our Time Tested and Proven Recipes

[watchdog56]

You can replace the water bowl with a 9 x 13 foil pan. Fill about 3/4 with water and as TedEbear said to change out water often but with the bigger area you should get by with about every 4 hours. I cook at a 225 for temp and a couple of 8 lb butt's it take usually around 16 hours. You can add a cup or 2 of apple juice to the pan. I also take mine to an internal temp of 195 but then pull of and wrap in foil then a towel and into a cooler for a couple of hours. They come out excellent. I will put a rub on the night before and put in trig then take out about an hour earlier and let it get to room temp before going in the smoker.

[Smokem if you gotem]

Thanks for the replies. Is 4 hours enough time to create that smoke ring?

[Habanero Smoker]

You are not going to get a smoke ring when using the Bradley smoker.

Refer to the below link:
Why Can't You Get a Smoke Ring Using the Bradley Smoker

[Smokem if you gotem]

Ok let me rephrase my question. Is 4 hrs enough time to smoke a 8# butt??

[Grouperman941]

4 hours should be plenty of smoke. I usually do 3. 3 pucks per hour. Could be up to 16 hours to cook, but watch internal temp.

If you start with a full water bowl, you should be able to go three plus hours without checking. Personally, I peek about every hour during the smoke just to make sure pucks are advancing and laying properly in the bowl. (Sometimes they stack up.) The main purpose of the bowl is to extinguish pucks with water, but some use juice or other liquids to try and add some flavor.

[Smokem if you gotem]

So I'll be burning up 12 pucks in a 4 hr smoke? That doesn't sound to bad. Is that considered efficient?

[watchdog56]

yes every puck burns for 20 minutes.

[Smokem if you gotem]

Thanks everyone for your input.