WSM-Pork Butt Advice/Guidance Please?

[jcnaz]

Hello fellow kettleheads.
I purchased a slightly used 18.5 WSM  last week and today is the first cook. I have two butts on it now that are cruising along at 250°. I will post up what I have done so far and try to keep the pics coming.

I have had some success with pork butts on the kettle but the WSM is all new to me. I used to have an EBC, but I can already tell that this is an entirely different creature!
I have read some advice from Harry Soo, and while I may not follow his competition method to the letter I think it makes a good baseline. Please chime in with any thoughts or pointers that you may have.
Thanks!

Charcoal ring full of Stubb's and apple wood chunks.


A full mini-chimney to start it off.


Butts. Mustard and some homemade rub!


In they go!


Cruising along for an hour now... bottom vents 50%.


My intentions are to monitor the lid temp and keep it 250-275° for five hours before peeking. That is when Harry Soo foils and mops as long as the bark is set. I have not been foiling or mopping on the kettle, so I am not sure about that part. Might just go until the meat is 200°, foil, and set in a cooler to rest for an hour or so...

[jcnaz]

Five hours in. Cooker holding 250-275°
Internal temps are 156° top rack, 165° bottom rack. Bark looks good to me.

[MartyG]

Looking good! Be patient with them - it can take a few more (maybe 4 or 5?) hours to get to 195+. I have not foiled before they get up to temp, but I do when they reach 195 - then it's wrapped tight in a couple towels in a cooler for at least a couple hours. You should be done by, what... 2am? 

[jcnaz]

Pulled them off at 7.5 hrs. Wrapped in foil and in the oven to finish. Internal temp was around 180°. House full of hungry people, so I need to get this sped up. Next time I will start earlier, but today I slept in!:))
Will add a pic when I pull it.

[MartyG]

Hungry people are the most forgiving. There will be many many next times, and it gets better and better. Thanks for sharing the cook with us. Post a pic of the end result if you get a chance.

[jcnaz]

400° oven for 45 minutes. Rested for 30 minutes in a cooler, still wrapped tightly in foil.

The bone falls out...


...and the bear claws do their work!


It was good.

[mrbill]

you asked for guidance, but from what I can see, you don't need it. excellent cook!

[jcnaz]

Thank you Bill. I guess that I wound up running this cook about the same as I do on the kettle. The time variable will take some getting used to, but the practice is the fun part!
Turkey is next!

[mike.stavlund]

Nice work, jcnaz!  Doesn't look like you need much help at all!

I generally start my butts the night before, since I find the WSM to keep to a very consistent temp and I also find that I can stash butts in a cooler for many hours with no poor effects.  If anything, 3 or 4 hours (or even more) in a warm cooler makes the meat even more tender and delicious. 

The more I cook with the WSM, the less I worry and fret about it.  It seems like it loves to sit right in that perfect pocket of smoking temps-- in fact, I haven't had much success with turkey on the smoker, since I have a really hard time getting the thing up north of 300.  I just use the kettle for turkeys. 

Oh, and don't miss an opportunity to do meatloaf on your WSM.  That is incredible stuff. 

[HankB]

Looks great! Anyone who makes their own rub is a guy I admire and respect. (I make my own rubs as well.) Personally, I conserve foil by not wrapping but it looks like it did no harm to your pork.