Calling ATOT chef - wet smoke.

[Denly]

Bought a chimney, added a batch of charcoal now it still won't go over 200f. Should I move pork to top rack, water to bottom rack and leave the charcoal wide open?

 

[MongGrel]

Water should be near the bottom to begin with in my experience.

Sounds like your air flow somehow is really borked if you can't get it over 200.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

This is not roasted meat, this is BBQ. Smoked pork butt for pulled pork is not cooked to rare, medium etc... It is cooked until it can be pulled apart and shredded. Cooked low and slow to give the connective tissues time to break down.

Considering it's what I've done for a living for the last 40 odd years, I'll go with my own trained experience. The time required for home use cuts and smaller consumer based smokers is less than mass quantities in commercial units. The Chef has spoken. So, let it be written. So, let it be done.

 

[Jeeebus]

Considering it's what I've done for a living for the last 40 odd years, I'll go with my own trained experience. The time required for home use cuts and smaller consumer based smokers is less than mass quantities in commercial units. The Chef has spoken. So, let it be written. So, let it be done.

lol ok... you show me a single person other than MagnusTheBrewer that recommends smoking pork butt to 160 degrees and then we'll talk Mr. Master Chef.

 

[Jeeebus]

When smoking hot and fast, you will have less bark. The shorter amount of time it spends in the smoker, the less smoke flavor. Especially if you finish it in the oven it tends to take on the characteristic more of roasted rather than smoked BBQ'd meat. It will want to slice rather than shred when done hot and fast, smoking low and slow makes the meat fall apart for shredding. Hot and fast does not allow enough time for all the intramuscular pockets of fat and tissue to dissolve so you will need to discard these manually when you open the roast up.

While I agree low and slow is ideal... ain't nobody got time for that. I get probably 95% the same result with the high temp smoke followed by wrapping the butt the last hour or two to bring it up to temp. Hell of a lot easier and a hell of a lot easier to predict when dinner is done. I've probably smoked 75 - 100 butts, half of which were done low and slow and half of which were done high temp. I guess if I was cooking for a competition I'd go low and slow, but there really isn't any meaningful difference in the end result for either. Get plenty of bark and plenty of smoke flavor. High temp example:

 

[NetWareHead]

Considering it's what I've done for a living for the last 40 odd years, I'll go with my own trained experience. The time required for home use cuts and smaller consumer based smokers is less than mass quantities in commercial units. The Chef has spoken. So, let it be written. So, let it be done.

Lol. Leave the attitude at home if you want to learn something. Again, this is not roasting meat in an oven. This is southern style BBQ which is a different set of rules.

Home use cut? This is a full boston butt shoulder. It is considered a full sized primal cut of pork.

Have you ever smoked a pork butt with the intention to make pulled pork? Do you think 6 hours at 225 would be enough time to be able to shred the meat with your fingers?

 

[NetWareHead]

While I agree low and slow is ideal... ain't nobody got time for that. I get probably 95% the same result with the high temp smoke followed by wrapping the butt the last hour or two to bring it up to temp. Hell of a lot easier and a hell of a lot easier to predict when dinner is done. I've probably smoked 75 - 100 butts, half of which were done low and slow and half of which were done high temp. I guess if I was cooking for a competition I'd go low and slow, but there really isn't any meaningful difference in the end result for either. Get plenty of bark and plenty of smoke flavor. High temp example:

You can do either, as long as you are satisfied with the results. But I think my best butts have been low and slow as far as tenderness, flavor and moistness.

I have found the bark quality suffers a bit when you wrap the butt in foil. It tends to "wash away" slightly and soften up in contact with the steamy environment. Hot and fast also fails IMO to fully render all of the intramuscular fat. A bit of a waste if you ask me since that fat could have rendered and moistened the meat from within. A reason why I think pork shoulder is the perfect slow smoking meat due to so much fat within.
I'll agree with you on the convenience point. There is something to be said about convenience and planning a meal on time and can understand the reason for the hot and fast method. I know I have sometimes regretted an overnight smoke; waking up every few hours to tend the fire. For this reason, when I do pulled pork, I do as many butts as can fit into the smoker. Vacuum seal and pack the freezer with what we dont eat. Think my record is 9 butts in a 22 inch WSM.

 

[MongGrel]

Considering it's what I've done for a living for the last 40 odd years, I'll go with my own trained experience. The time required for home use cuts and smaller consumer based smokers is less than mass quantities in commercial units. The Chef has spoken. So, let it be written. So, let it be done.

I'm not intending to dispute your experience, but it seems you're mostly focused on using commercial equipment in bulk it appears.

 

[Jeeebus]

You can do either, as long as you are satisfied with the results. But I think my best butts have been low and slow as far as tenderness, flavor and moistness.

I have found the bark quality suffers a bit when you wrap the butt in foil. It tends to "wash away" slightly and soften up in contact with the steamy environment. Hot and fast also fails IMO to fully render all of the intramuscular fat. A bit of a waste if you ask me since that fat could have rendered and moistened the meat from within. A reason why I think pork shoulder is the perfect slow smoking meat due to so much fat within.
I'll agree with you on the convenience point. There is something to be said about convenience and planning a meal on time and can understand the reason for the hot and fast method. I know I have sometimes regretted an overnight smoke; waking up every few hours to tend the fire. For this reason, when I do pulled pork, I do as many butts as can fit into the smoker. Vacuum seal and pack the freezer with what we dont eat. Think my record is 9 butts in a 22 inch WSM.

totally agree that low and slow is ideal. I'm just lazy and have no desire to start a cook at 2am or wake up to check temps. The convenience factor outweighs the quality difference, at least to me.

Love my 22" WSM. Only ever done 4 butts at once though.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

lol ok... you show me a single person other than MagnusTheBrewer that recommends smoking pork butt to 160 degrees and then we'll talk Mr. Master Chef.

I never said 160 degrees. When it comes to food, your opinion simply isn't as good as mine.

 

[Jeeebus]

I never said 160 degrees. When it comes to food, your opinion simply isn't as good as mine.

can't tell of you're trolling or just an idiot. You're the one suggesting cooking to 165 degrees on page 1. Guess i was off by 5 degrees. Again, show me one professional who suggests smoking pork butt to 165. since you have 40 years of experience i am sure that will be easy for a genius such as you.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

can't tell of you're trolling or just an idiot. You're the one suggesting cooking to 165 degrees on page 1. Guess i was off by 5 degrees. Again, show me one professional who suggests smoking pork butt to 165. since you have 40 years of experience i am sure that will be easy for a genius such as you.

Once again your reading comprehension is lacking. I said 165 F was "well done." What I did state was 5 to 6 hours at 225 was fine for a 8 pound butt.

 

[NetWareHead]

Once again your reading comprehension is lacking. I said 165 F was "well done." What I did state was 5 to 6 hours at 225 was fine for a 8 pound butt.

Your advice is out of context for this thread. This thread has been about smoking and producing pulled pork from the first post, not roasting a shoulder to 165. 165 is undercooked by smoking standards.

 

[Denly]

ok, from 2-4pm I moved water to bottom rack and kinda get the temp up to 250F. At 430pm the butt still at 130F, I moved it to the tray and foil it then put on BBQ staying at 350F. wish me good luck.

 

[MrSquished]

thinking of you Denly.....I'm thinking of you. Godspeed.

 

[Denly]

now at 180F, going to slice it open at in 15min no matter what. Looking like a total failure.

 

[Ns1]

now at 180F, going to slice it open at in 15min no matter what. Looking like a total failure.

This thread is the culinary equivalent of test in production.

 

[ponyo]

now at 180F, going to slice it open at in 15min no matter what. Looking like a total failure.

Don't do it. Move it to the oven if you must. Cook til 195-200F.

 

[NetWareHead]

Once again, the bone test tells you when it's ready to shred. Not slicing it open!!

 

[Denly]

have to eat it at 185F, getting late in the night. Not a total failure I guess, you can't pull it open but the favor is there, very tender, smoky, salty, juicy and good looking.

What I don't understand is why can't I get the temp up even I moved the water bowl to the 2nd rack. After removing the bowl it moved up to 200ish and kinda stay there. Far from 250F.

How much charcoal u guy use? a full chimney?

 

[NetWareHead]

Post a link to your smoker.

When my temps stop climbing and it plateaus like that (even with the air vents fully open & unburned fuel in the pit), its usually because of ash buildup choking off airflow.

re: charcoal amount, it depend on the length of the smoke. Fish & steaks needs 2 hours, sides & ribs 4-6 and briskets & butts all the way up to 15. And whether you use briquettes or lump.

 

[Denly]

Here
http://www.basspro.com/RedHead-Charcoal-Water-Smoker/product/9992255396/

I was using briquettes

 

[NetWareHead]

Just based on the dimensions, Id say you were getting choked up with ash. Its a small smoker and does not have the capacity to store much fuel for a long smoke or the ash generated from a long smoke. It might be good for ribs or other shorter smokes though.

Briquettes also generate more ash than lump charcoal. If you really want to try again with a long smoke, switch to lump charcoal; it does not burn as consistently as briquettes though.

If you can figure out how to remove some of the ash mid smoke, maybe before you refuel it, that will prolong your smoke times.

Smoking is a learning process and part of that learning is what I like to call a post mortem. Open your smoker to clean it when it cools down. Dispose of the greasy water and make a note if you had enough water. Look at the ash level too.

 

[Denly]

Hmmm, I think it is almost impossible to remove some of the ash mid smoke.. Or I may have to DIY a way ....thanks for the info.

 

[zinfamous]

the "pre-braise" part confuses me. If true, congratulations on your tough, leathery hunk of inedible pork shoulder.

From Friday until yesterday, I tried the 36+ hour sous vide + smoked brisket (But I tried the one with chuck, instead) and hoooooly crap is it glorious.