First smoke

[dannyboy]

New model 2 arrived I got it broke in and I'm ready to do my first butt. I'm using Divot,'s brine so if someone would please post me the smoking instructions. I've read 30 threads still haven't found the basic instructions I'm  still learning how to search and find stuff.  Temp, ounces of wood, rest time. I can't wait to try this thing. Thanks in advance.   DR......

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[NDKoze]

Hi Danny,

I use Diviot's brine all the time and these are the notes that I have saved for my use:

Instructions:

1.   Mix ingredients and heat over medium heat until the salt is dissolved and the ingredients have melded.

2.   Cool in fridge.

3.   Add to brining container with the Butt and place back into the fridge.

4.   Brine meet a minimum of 8 hours and a max of 48.

5.   After brining is complete, remove and discard the brine.

6.   Thoroughly rinse the Butt under cold water.

7.   Pat dry and then apply a heavy coating of plain old yellow mustard. Make sure you rub the mustard into all the cracks and grooves. Don’t worry, the mustard flavor goes away and you won’t even taste it. The purpose of the mustard is to create a binder for the rub to adhere to the meat with. This gives the smoked pork butt that think flavor packed bark that so many people covet.

8.   After applying the mustard, liberally apply a rub of your choice all over the butt, and then place back into the fridge uncovered for 30-60 minutes. This allows the spices to get all happy happy happy.

9.   Add additional rub and then add the Butt fresh from the fridge into a cold smoker. Meat can only absorb smoke flavor until it reaches 140 degrees or so. So adding the cold meat to the cold smokers allows for the maximum amount of time for the smoke to absorb into the meat.

10.   Add a water pan (Foil Mini Loaf Pans work great) with Beer, Apple Cider/Juice, Soda, etc. to add flavor, provide a heat sync, as well as provide a moist smoking environment.

11.   Smoke at 225 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees.

12.   Remove the Butt from the smoker, immediately wrap the butt in two layers of heavy duty foil, and then place in an empty cooler with a couple of old towels on top to rest. Rest for a minimum of 30 minutes, but preferably for 1-2 hours before pulling.

13.   Remove Butt from cooler and pull and eat plain or add sauce of your choice.

[DivotMaker]

Danny,

Thanks for trying the butt brine (hehe...I can never write that without chuckling)!  Gregg pretty much hit it, but I have a couple of differences in technique...

First, I wouldn't keep a butt in this brine for longer than 12-13 hours (based on a 8-10 lb butt).  Otherwise, it will be really salty!  You are not curing this butt for a ham, just sealing in moisture and adding some flavor!

The only other thing I differ in opinion on is the rest in the fridge after brining.  I know a lot of folks do this, but I don't.  I rinse the brine off, pat dry, and cover in yellow mustard and rub, then right in the smoker!  I use this technique because I am usually up between midnight and 4 a.m. throwing a big butt in the smoker...no time to dilly dally!    I've never been less-than-satisfied with the results this way.

Totally agree with everything else he said!  Didn't see his wood choice, but I use a variety on butts.  I like 5-6 oz of straight hickory, combo hickory/cherry, oak, straight cherry (probably my best choice), and pecan.  Wood is very subjective, so find the woods you like through experimentation!

[dannyboy]

Thank you guys for the instructions My first butt is going in about midnight. We r having our preacher and his wife over tomorrow night for dinner So that lets  u know how confident I am of  this smoker. I can't wait to see the results.  Divot thanks for the wood update I needed that info

[NDKoze]

Mine have never been too salty at all. But, then again, I brine my poultry overnight too and many others wouldn't dream of doing that. So, maybe I like a little more salt, I don't know.

The rest in the fridge is not really necessary I guess. I just put it back in the fridge while I get the smoker all foiled and wood added and ready to go.

For wood, I pretty much have always used straight hickory or straight cherry or a combination of the two. I find that the hickory and cherry pair very well together.

I am planning to order some other woods at some point to try some different kinds. But so far, I have been pretty happy with the hickory/cherry combo.

I have a batch of Buckboard Bacon in the smoker right now with hickory/cherry combo and I know it will be awesome.

Good luck.

[DivotMaker]

Hickory + cherry = mmm, mmm, good!

[swthorpe]

I agree...all I use (for now) are hickory and cherry!

[dannyboy]

Here goes my first smoke review.  Butt put in smoker at around midnight or so. Apple juice in the bottom of smoker set at 225 and off to bed I go. Got up around 7:30 and we were in stall at 160. It stayed that way till noon only moving up to 162. I was getting worried, so I turned smoker up to 240 to push it out of stall. Still not moving, so at 1:30pm I turned up to 250. Finally slowly climbed, but slowly. At 4:00pm I was about to panic. Was only up to 185 and we are 15+ hrs into this smoke. I HAD to look. It looked over done to me. So I pulled it, wrapped in foil, into the cooler for 2 hrs. While waiting to try it, I was really disgusted this had not gone as I planned. Unwrapped, tried to cut it, it fell apart. It was juicy as could be, so I let my wife try first piece. She loved it. (She is picky) Flavor was great, juicy, one part was too done, but over all it turned out great. There was no problems with it at dinner time being eaten. 

My question is why did I stall so long? Should I have left it till it moved, should I have turned it up sooner? Why didn't I get to 195?   Thanks for the help. Can't wait to try something else.

[NDKoze]

First, 15+ hours is not out of the ordinary. I know some say 1.5 hours per pound, but my butts are always 2.0-2.5 hours per pound and I have never had a bad one. If you had a say a 8-9 pound butt, I would think you were not our of the ordinary.

I don't ever push my meals out of the stall. That is where the magic happens and I don't want to mess with that. I would rather order a pizza than be forced to push a butt through a stall by increasing the temperature. I did on my last smoke decide to slice at 175 instead of pull because it took longer than I was planning. I love a sliced pork butt occasionally. It made some awesome sandwiches afterward.

This being said, you could have had an issue with probe placement. Is it possible that the probe was inserted too close to the bone? If you were able to pull and it was close to overdone in spots, I question that your internal temp was only at 185. I have taken butts to 204 and not had them overdone.

Just some things to think about.

[Pork Belly]

I agree with the probe placement speculation. If it was an honest 185 it would not have totally fallen apart. Plan the smoke then stick to the plan, you would have been better off starting at 10 Pm instead of midnight. You would have been done in time with plenty of margin. That could have saved you the stress and overcooked section. Good luck on the next one.

[DivotMaker]

What kind of thermometer are you using, and are you sure it wasn't touching the bone?  That can make a big difference.  I agree with Brian; if it was truly at 185, it probably would not have pulled so easy.  Glad to hear it turned out well!

[dannyboy]

There was no bone. It was a boneless Swift Premium from Costco. I just need to allow more time. I had planned on an hour to an hour and a half per pound. Obviously I way under planned. Next time I'm setting on 225 and leaving it. I'll just be patient. 185 may seem early but it was tender and moist.  This whole thing is just different than the BGE. That stall went on and on and on, and I'm watching the clock knowing we had a dinner time set, so I got nervous. I'll get used to it. 

I'm using a 732 probe.(I think) not the top of the line one, but next one down.  I ordered one when I ordered the smoker.

[NDKoze]

The 732 should work just fine.

With the boneless butt, I think you may have gotten the probe into a gap where the bone used to be.

I would strongly recommend Bone-In going forward. If taken to 195, the bone will just slide right out. Plus I believe the bone adds flavor as well.

Don't worry, you'll get it.

With planning on more time, you can always hold one in the smoker at 140 if it gets done early, but it is frustrating when they do not get done in time, if you have a meal planned.

[DivotMaker]

I definitely concur on the bone-in vs. boneless!  That bone really helps it cook consistently.  If you have a Sam's Club near you, I highly recommend them for bone-in Bostons.  Costco, unfortunately, only sells boneless - still can't figure out why!  The Maverick 732 is a good unit - that's what I have, and have never had an issue with it.