Weber Kettle Club Forums
Cooking & Food Talk => Charcoal Grilling & BBQ => Topic started by: addicted-to-smoke on June 19, 2013, 09:05:57 PM
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Eh, I didn't prepare for this and bought the meat on a whim the other day. I'm armed with a OTS 22.5" kettle but could employ my Performer's lid since it has a thermometer, the only type I have.
Not aiming for perfection, just something not raw or burnt. Really should have cooked it today but will hope for the best tomorrow.
Don't have time for a lengthy rub or whatever but I do have time to cook it slowly. I'll be up around 9am and will have to run out and buy stuff.
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Cook it! An hour and a half per pound of meat at 225 to 250. Pull at an internal meat temp between 195 and 200. Wrap in foil then wrap that in a towel and stick in an closed ice chest for another hour.
Wehn ready to eat, pull it and enjoy!
I assume you want pulled pork? And its only a 3 lber?
Rubs don;t need to sit overnight, just coat it and let it sit at room temperature while yo get a fire going..
Pulled pork is the easist to make! Damn, now I want to smoke one.. 8)
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Pretty narrow temp range --- and I don't have any other thermometer than the lid thermometer. Can I reasonably go by time alone if I'm able to maintain a decent temp of some kind as indicated on the thermometer I have?
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One that small doesn't have the fat of a pound of bacon......
Stick it in a pan with a small can's worth (or a little less) of low sodium chicken broth for moisture....
Just what I would do..... ;D
Pretty narrow temp range --- and I don't have any other thermometer than the lid thermometer. Can I reasonably go by time alone if I'm able to maintain a decent temp of some kind as indicated on the thermometer I have?
Yeah, shoot for past 4 hours, push it 'till it falls apart......
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Interesting. What should the temp read on the lid thermometer?
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Hard to tell if you've not done a test against the grate temp...
Say you want to cook @ 240.....the "usual" answer for difference between grate & dome is 25~50
degrees, higher at the dome, so a middle of the road guess would be: 275 at dome, maybe check how it's doing @ 3-1/2 hours.....
Best Guess Dept.......this assumes a lot, try it & see,.......
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Will do, thanks.
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Don't worry about taking internal temp. When the bone starts to easly wiggle and slide then it is done.
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You're absolutely right, harris, but on your first butt it's nice to be able to track the temp and know when you're in the ballpark.
Don't check it too much, though Addict, or it won't cook. ;-) Remember, "If you're looking, then you're not cooking". And expect to experience 'the stall' where the butt gets stuck somewhere between 160 and 180. Don't panic, and don't rush that process- that's where the magic is happening.
Let us know how it goes!
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In a three pound chunk, there might not be any bone to wiggle...........stall may be insignificant, or minor also, just not a lot of mass......let's hope it's the end cap...the money muscle....MMmmmmmmm
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when i started out i would get these little baby butts too. i was basically just trying to get a feel at doing things. temps.... smoke flavors.... times.... etc.
i wouldnt even buy anything. just experiment with the amount of smoke flavor. but thats just me. i also dont foil. especially with that small size. and they would always come out moist.
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It's 1:40. Meat's been on the grill for 15 minutes.
I have one filled one charcoal holder off to the side, a small shallow foil pan for water partially right on top of, or i.e. right near of the coals and in between the meat.
All vents currently open, because I expected the grill to be hotter? (Keep reading.)
Two noted challenges so far:
1) I have to use my standard grill grate, so adding charcoal's gonna suck.
2) The Performer's lid doesn't have a hook. Doh!
The lid thermo reads about 220. Should I forget using the water pan? Took this 15 mins to read from 200 to 220 --- I will definitely resist the urge to open the lid, but I can see now that adding charcoal will slow things down, especially since I'll have to entirely remove the grate.
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" I have to use my standard grill grate, so adding charcoal's gonna suck."
Do you have a flip up w/ the other one......"have to" limits things......
Alternately, when you go to lift out the grate, have the other kettle right there, with no grate in it & set your grate there while noodling....... 8)
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I have a Smokey Joe standing by for setting the grate on top of. The old Performer's not available to the backyard today. It's in the garage awaiting rejuvenation.
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Less than 10 minutes ago the temp sank to 210. I went back inside for 2 minutes and now the thermo says 230 and climbing and now there's a little ash coming from the bottom vent so I guess I'll choke it a little.
EDIT: Despite holding steady at "230" I closed the bottom vents to 1/2. I started with one basket to overflowing with briquets but all-vents-open sounds like everything would burn out too fast and/or cook to hot?
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Addict, I seriously consider buckie to be one of the world's foremost experts on low-n-slow Weber kettle cooking, so I'm more than a little reluctant to chime in here. But I think you might be over-managing this thing.
In the summertime on a calm day, my kettle runs at 225 with about 5 briquettes to start it, so I'd say you have plenty of fire. Also, remember that this is a slow, g r a d u a l process, so let your kettle do its thing. I wouldn't even check the grill temp for 30 minutes, and I wouldn't expect any adjustment I made to vents, etc. to affect anything for almost that long. Your setup sounds good, so just let it work.
Also, if you're using a non-flip vent, do like the old-timers used to do-- turn the grate until your grate handle is over the coals, and then you can drop fresh coals through the slot.
I would also say that if your grill is coming up to the target temp, be aggressive about choking off the bottom vents to slow it down. It's much easier to tweak things *up* to temp than to try to get a hot fire to burn cooler.
Bottom line: relax. Your kettle was designed to do this. Let it teach you. ;-)
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Very well said Mike !!!
Futzing over it leads to.....wait for it........futzing over it!
Like Hell Fire Grill used to say: "Relax....Have a beer, enjoy yourself...."
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Addict, I seriously consider buckie to be one of the world's foremost experts on low-n-slow Weber kettle cooking, so I'm more than a little reluctant to chime in here. But I think you might be over-managing this thing.
In the summertime on a calm day, my kettle runs at 225 with about 5 briquettes to start it, so I'd say you have plenty of fire. Also, remember that this is a slow, g r a d u a l process, so let your kettle do its thing. I wouldn't even check the grill temp for 30 minutes, and I wouldn't expect any adjustment I made to vents, etc. to affect anything for almost that long. Your setup sounds good, so just let it work.
Also, if you're using a non-flip vent, do like the old-timers used to do-- turn the grate until your grate handle is over the coals, and then you can drop fresh coals through the slot.
I would also say that if your grill is coming up to the target temp, be aggressive about choking off the bottom vents to slow it down. It's much easier to tweak things *up* to temp than to try to get a hot fire to burn cooler.
Bottom line: relax. Your kettle was designed to do this. Let it teach you. ;-)
Awesome tips!
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One other thing: if you're using baskets, it will need slightly more air than just stacked coals....Minion, snakering, banked & the like........In my limited (so far) use of baskets I've found they constrict airflow A LITTLE BIT.....this is also from reading & answering a bunch of questions from people having various small issues....
After that.....no more futzing...... 8)
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Thanks Mike. I know this rube sounds a little panicky. I just want to report what I see in case somebody at Headquarters (that'd be all of you on WKC) notice something amiss I should correct along the way. It's annoying to be asked for hand-holding but that's where I'm still at with grilling so that's why I posted.
my kettle runs at 225 with about 5 briquettes to start it, so I'd say you have plenty of fire.
Wow, I started with a whole lot more than that and yet my temp isn't that high. Is this assuming the same kind of lid thermometer? It's been a good 30 mins or more and the thermo's at 210 since choking the bottom vent.
I suspect curiosity will get the better of me around the 2 1/2hr mark and I'll add charcoal, or at least poke at it and check. But rather than potentially lose a lot of heat "for no good reason" I'll first spin the lid and poke a stick through the top vent to see if it's mostly ash there, or if I still have good coals.
turn the grate until your grate handle is over the coals, and then you can drop fresh coals through the slot.
Damn, and I know I'd already read doing that very thing on this forum previously and yet forgot it. Thanks for this tip.
@1buckie: Thanks for the tip re: baskets choking airflow somewhat. That too seems obvious now that I think about it; in fact I wondered if they'd be preventing ash from dropping down fully and hence my trusty "stick" method for discovering what's truly charcoal vs. what's only ash, since it's all gray ... I still have the top vent all open.
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Aiming for about a 6:00 end time, 4.5 hrs after adding the meat. I may try to wiggle the bone around 5:30. Something tells me that with some consistent heat I'll either be pretty close to that time, or cooking into the evening if the grill has been running too cool all afternoon.
I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage
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"It's annoying to be asked for hand-holding but that's where I'm still at with grilling so that's why I posted."
Not annoying.....this is good......wouldn't want you to be using "Unsound Methods"
" I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage I will not over manage "
^^^^ This kinda stuff helps in the big runup for "Post-of-theMonth"
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Been watching the temp for the last 30 minutes. It sank to an indicated 180. Sun was behind a cloud for awhile. OK, maybe a cheap bimetal thermometer could be influenced by direct sun? I waited, the sun came back but the temp continued to sink.
My Official Yard Stick couldn't reach the coals through the vent. Popped off the lid; stick revealed at least 1/2 coals burned. Rotated the grate a la "old timers method" ... but unfortunately since I'm using a holder, the gap in the grate would have put coals between the holder and the bowl and I wasn't looking for Yet Another Variable.
I made Executive Decision #1 and removed the grate and filled up the holder again. Immediately they began to smoke. I added 3 relatively small pieces of lump to bring the help party back (or at least make myself feel in control, heh) and put the grill and lid back on. First time I'd seen any smoke from the top vent. And I opened the bottom vent fully.
I may not have enough beer to Effectively Observe. And so Executive Decision #2 is about to commence.
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During this last outing I was attacked by mosquitos. 4 large bites on my ankles, the usual favorite targets. What the hell?
Note to self: Wear socks for remainder of summer when outside. Just ... DAMN.
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You're doing fine, AtS. If you need more heat, just light up a few coals in your chimney, then tong them into place. If coals are being choked off by their own ash, ditch the basket, and/or tap on your legs with a piece of wood to gently move the ash down into the bowl.
And while you're waiting, google 'Minion Method' to see how a few coals can light a bunch more, slowly and without dampening out the original fire. Better yet, do some poking around this site for buckie's 'snake method' to avoid the whole ash-choking problem in the first place. That man is a genius.
And srsly, if this is just too frustrating, you can transfer the butt into your oven. It won't get a ton of additional smoke flavor at the end of the cook anyway. And there are fewer mosquitos indoors.
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Been watching the temp for the last 30 minutes. It sank to an indicated 180. Sun was behind a cloud for awhile. OK, maybe a cheap bimetal thermometer could be influenced by direct sun? I waited, the sun came back but the temp continued to sink.
My Official Yard Stick couldn't reach the coals through the vent. Popped off the lid; stick revealed at least 1/2 coals burned. Rotated the grate a la "old timers method" ... but unfortunately since I'm using a holder, the gap in the grate would have put coals between the holder and the bowl and I wasn't looking for Yet Another Variable.
I made Executive Decision #1 and removed the grate and filled up the holder again. Immediately they began to smoke. I added 3 relatively small pieces of lump to bring the help party back (or at least make myself feel in control, heh) and put the grill and lid back on. First time I'd seen any smoke from the top vent. And I opened the bottom vent fully.
I may not have enough beer to Effectively Observe. And so Executive Decision #2 is about to commence.
I loves me some 'real time updates'.....gotta go do shit, but I'll def. check back in..................
PS: You can be running your dome temp up around 325 & still be plenty OK......
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re: oven
Can't do it, for I am also one of The Charcoal People.
Thermo says 240 now. A peek at the butt through the top vent reveals it's getting some juices up there now. Not 100% of the rub as cooked yet however. I did coat first with mustard to help it stick but maybe didn't use enough and as a result don't know that I got it evenly coated with rub sufficiently.
I didn't light those new coals, just cleared away some ash and dumped them on top and they lit OK. I plan to ignore it. In fact, I have. Just came back from completing Executive Decision #2.
That's right --- I went from running to check it every 30 minutes to leaving the house (with no one home) while a controlled fire simmers behind my house. From panicky to stupidity all in the same afternoon, because that's how I roll.
In an hour I'll maybe have to decide to check the bone, or more likely add more coal and be cooking until 6:30 or 7? Of course I'm completely guessing but so far it's my guess that the cook has been going slower than desired, even for a small butt. Thankfully no one's home but me. I have no audience expecting to get fed.
Somewhere towards the end, or maybe after the meat's off and resting, I'll toss on a corn cob still in its husk.
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Yes, I'd seen some of the Minion and snake methods already. I understand the benefits but remain on the fence for now. What I mean is, if I can get an expectation under way how it works with holders I may stick with them even if it means adding coals along the way and other hassles. I want a smidgen of experience doing it this way first before changing too many variables.
@1buckie
I don't recall how many briquets one holder holds, 10-15? But I've never seen anything more than 240 at the dome all day, even with vents fully open. Since I got home and began typing and uh, re-typing this post it went from 240 to 220. I hope what they say about butts being forgiving is true.
"gotta go do shit"
Ironically, I have stuff to do here and this slow cook could have been that opportunity as well but it appears my "to do" list includes learning how the dome thermo reacts and what to do, or NOT do, about it.
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"But I've never seen anything more than 240 "
If, I say, IF....your grate temp is 40 deg. lower, which might be the case, then you're cooking @ 200 or less..........it can stand to go a bit higher.....that's the 'forgiving' part they're talking about..........
"while a controlled fire simmers behind my house. From panicky to stupidity all in the same afternoon, because that's how I roll."
^^^^ I really like this......I've run 5 & 6 kettles all night long & slept thru everything........
"But the ever versatile kettle reigned supreme"
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One more thing before I go do shit.....
My friend Carmen, on the Smoke Ring had this to say about pork butt:
"I will prevail. No pig will ever get the better of me." ~~> Italian Skewer
Cop an attitude, man...... 8)
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Meat's been on the grill for 4 hours. Peeking through the top vent I can see a little of the top layer has "pulled away" or whatever and can see pink. I see this as a good omen. Thermo's down to about 200. Figure I'll add some lump to bump things up for a little while.
Popped the lid and poked around on the meat. Definitely shrank, the flat bone's now sticking out one side about 1/4". Prodded and squeezed a little with tongs and the meat seems to move around the bone.
I may require a beer to celebrate Our Progress Thus Far.
My wildass guesstimate (with WKC help) was 6:00pm (4.5 hrs) but now, instead of adding fuel, have decided to let it be even as it cools down slowly and cook even longer. Check back in another hour. The truth of it is, if I didn't have to pull the grate to add fuel, even a few pieces of short-term lump, I probably would have. But I'm lazy and have Willed the Kettle to Commit.
P.S. What'll happen if I cook too long, even at too low a temp?
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Hey addicted I did the same thing on one of my rib smokes this year. Thought I would have ribs ready in 3-4 hours and it took close to 8 to get done. My temp was actually 40 degrees under what I thought I was running at. I use the cheap $10 weber digital thermometer, Walmart has it this year. Since then I haven't had any trouble. I'm sure it's not 100% in the money but a few degrees is much better than the 40 I was off before. The weber thermo isn't an instant read it takes a few seconds to get a read. I know there are better ones out there and will eventually replace it for sure.
I think there is a point where after so many times something clicks for each person. In the beginning I worried way too much about it. I tried the minion method with ok results but once I found the snake method that buckie made I have had much better results. My only problem in countered for the snake method was starting the fuse in a hot kettle. I had cooked dinner then decided to do a long cook over night. I couldn't get it to run where I wanted low enough. After removing everything and a bit of a cool down it worked perfect again.
Keep at it! It is actually easier than it seems.
"my kettle is more powerful it will do almost anything."
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Heres another tip. I fyou plan to open the grill to add some fuel and you worry about temp loss. Crack the lid for a few minutes and let some extra air in. That will help crank the heat up before you compeltely remove the lid.
Also, I really like to wrap my butt in foil and then in a towel and let it sit for an hour before pulling.
I don't think you can cook to low or slow, but the internal; temp of the meat needs to reach the magic number. I do believe you can overcook anything and dry it out. Been there, done that. 8)
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At some point it will stop cooking and stay in a warming state. It may render some more fat but if it dips too low the temp won't be high enough to keep the cooking process going. I'm a fan of pulling it and covering with foil while it cools off the grill it really helps the juices stay in.
"my kettle is more powerful it will do almost anything."
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This is a great thread for a newb like me, great information in here!
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Please don't be afraid to crank the temp up. I cook all my butts at 275-300 and I've never had a bad one. The bark is great and I'm eating a 9 pound butt in under 7 hours......and that's with a long rest in a cooler.
Chris
Sent from my Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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Yeah, Chris is right about almost everything.........ramp the bugger up & power thru to the big finish.........
Only thing i don't get about what he said is this:
"I'm eating a 9 pound butt in under 7 hours......"
Only takes me 30~35 minutes to eat a 9#'er.....once it's finished, that's only about 4.5#
oH, AND ABOUT THIS:
"P.S. What'll happen if I cook too long, even at too low a temp?'
How I 1st did low & slow was putting something on, having too many beers (in the olden days, 23 years sober the day after the big convention) or being too tired & FALLING ASLEEP.....next morning or sometime in the middle of the night, wake up, rush out, still sputtering & completely rendered & tenderized.....I have a very good record of doing this & having it not go to completely dried out....maybe 6~8 times in say, 38 years...... ::)
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I went back outside around 6:30 and the grill's so cold the thermometer's gone off scale, at 140. OK, not a huge surprise since I'd left it to die down. Meat seemed about the same and was telepathically letting me know it was done.
Honoring its wishes I removed it and wrapped in foil on a tray while the neighbor came over to chat. He starts telling me I've got "pot" growing on the side of my house and if I don't want the po-po seeing it I better yank it. Like an idiot I believe him and walk over to look. It's "pot" alright, a cooking pot the kids found in the creek behind the house and had been playing with outside to "cook" yard discoveries like rocks and branches.
Grate off, I'd tossed the corn on, next to the charcoal holder but nothing was much happening. I tossed 3 pieces of lump on but they never really caught. Whatever. I put the corn in the coals and it cooked. Remember this is corn still in the husk.
The meat had now been sitting about 20 minutes because my neighbor Likes To Talk. Inside, I first pulled out the bone because that's what the Internet says to do I'm smart like that. I won't claim it just slid right out but it wasn't a huge yank either. Some meat was attached. The fat on the bottom couldn't be pulled because it fell off on its own.
I got two large serving forks and began pulling. I would say it was more like tearing, I couldn't get it very "flaky" so much and expended more effort doing this that I'd hoped would be necessary. But everything looked cooked.
Next up, some pictures and then an assessment.
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As they say on those home re-decorating shows, here is THE REVEAL.
You can see the bone protruding at the bottom/left of the image.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/181646/images/bostonbutt1.jpg)
That's a large serving fork on a serving dish making it look like a smaller amount of meat.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/181646/images/bostonbutt2.jpg)
Dinner, bachelor style. Eating right from the plate used to pull apart the meat, with the motherfuckin' serving fork, and baked beans from the saucepan.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/181646/images/bostonbutt3.jpg)
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I'm happy with the tenderness and ease of cooking despite some "interesting" temp swings. The rub was something I found online and has a lot of good flavor but didn't necessarily blend all that well during the cook. What I mean is, on the outside pieces the rub flavor is a little too strong/spicy.
Next time I'll coat with more mustard and use less (thinner) rub. I don't think I used enough mustard and found myself almost clumping the rub on in spots to get coverage. But what do I know? Maybe it's just too strong of a rub.
And let's talk about smoke flavor, shall we? This is so wonderfully smoky I can't imagine wanting to add smoke chips of any kind during the cook! It'd be too much. All the smoke flavor came from the hardwood charcoal briquets plus a few random lump pieces.
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I'd still like a respectable thermometer some day but until I can afford one, what I accomplished today works. For my next one I may ditch the single charcoal holder. Doing so should permit more coals, more heat, more airflow and maybe I could have used that today.
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Yeah, Chris is right about almost everything.........ramp the bugger up & power thru to the big finish.........
Only thing i don't get about what he said is this:
"I'm eating a 9 pound butt in under 7 hours......"
Only takes me 30~35 minutes to eat a 9#'er.....once it's finished, that's only about 4.5#
oH, AND ABOUT THIS:
"P.S. What'll happen if I cook too long, even at too low a temp?'
How I 1st did low & slow was putting something on, having too many beers (in the olden days, 23 years sober the day after the big convention) or being too tired & FALLING ASLEEP.....next morning or sometime in the middle of the night, wake up, rush out, still sputtering & completely rendered & tenderized.....I have a very good record of doing this & having it not go to completely dried out....maybe 6~8 times in say, 38 years...... ::)
True story, hot and fast is the way to go.
Sent from my Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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"I won't claim it just slid right out but it wasn't a huge yank either. Some meat was attached. The fat on the bottom couldn't be pulled because it fell off on its own."
Close......counts in hoseshoes, hand grenades, slow dancing & pulled pork..... 8)
Looks pretty dang good from here.......the way the meat tears are, and your description, I can tell it would have been good to go either a bit longer or at a bit higher heat.......still looks llike dang fine eats to me !!!!
Them little grate thermometers are 4~5 bucks & if you're going to open the lid to add coal;s, just takes a quick look......having them inside the lid, where I usually can't see them, forces me to trust the process...... ;D
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Yeah, Chris is right about almost everything.........ramp the bugger up & power thru to the big finish.........
Only thing i don't get about what he said is this:
"I'm eating a 9 pound butt in under 7 hours......"
Only takes me 30~35 minutes to eat a 9#'er.....once it's finished, that's only about 4.5#
oH, AND ABOUT THIS:
"P.S. What'll happen if I cook too long, even at too low a temp?'
How I 1st did low & slow was putting something on, having too many beers (in the olden days, 23 years sober the day after the big convention) or being too tired & FALLING ASLEEP.....next morning or sometime in the middle of the night, wake up, rush out, still sputtering & completely rendered & tenderized.....I have a very good record of doing this & having it not go to completely dried out....maybe 6~8 times in say, 38 years...... ::)
True story, hot and fast is the way to go.
Don't doubt it at all.....had some go like that last month....didn't even get the chance to get the drip beans in the cooker.....
I've done some on purpose & some on accident hot & fast & conclude, for me, I like them better a 'little' slower.......
Seemed to lose more juice cooking @300~325 & not as much time for smoke flavor......
Not bad but, 260~275 I just personally like better, faster than 225, but enough time for those other things to happen........ ;D
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that looks really good! didya eat the whole thing?! ;-)
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Hey......A-to-Smoke......
Found this video that shows some stuff using baskets.....may help if you'd like to stick with that method for the time being.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaUUrc9rLmI
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I like your plate shots ;D I have cooked many butts and have learned one thing each one cooks differently than next, even when you have two the same weight, the way it is made up will make it cook longer or shorter depending on fat and connective tissue content. When cooking with a drip pan and water you have to take into account you are heating the water up first and burning fuel to do so(along with robbing heat) so starting with a hotter fire if you use water in your pan would be the way to go.
I no longer take internal temps nor do i take it off at a set temp, i will use a probe (a ice pick will work fine) to check for doneness (probe like soft butter) when it probes the way i like i take it off, i foil my butt when the bark is set (when you can't rub it off) and probe thru the foil. Once it is off i let it sit for a bit then i open the foil to let it cool down, once it is cooled enough to not burn me i pull it and enjoy.
I cook at 270 to 280+ and never had a dry butt yet, plus i let it "happen" all on it's own ;D
I have learned a lot from Harry Soo (Slap yo' Daddy BBQ) when i took his class, it has helped me turn out some good food as a result :)
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Good rundown, Ron...... :)
I like that Harry Soo guy, strikes me as a real even dude, very attentive to his craft.....
I've taken to wrapping for a couple hours & not being concerned about "soft" bark.........after that length of time, tightly wrapped & a towel around that, coolered, the whole thing's juiced thru & I just bear claw it all up.....there's usually almost no shaggy, fatty bits left & everything's edible......
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@Cookingmama
Naw, but had some more tonight.
Ron, interesting about the ice pick, thanks. Another tool for the arsenal.
Regarding this: "I cook at 270 to 280+" -- again, this is grate temp, or lid temp? I always feel like I should ask since lid temp wouldn't be the same as down at the meat. Thanks.
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Hey......A-to-Smoke......
Found this video that shows some stuff using baskets.....may help if you'd like to stick with that method for the time being.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaUUrc9rLmI
I'll say this. The baskets do reduce the amount of available fuel you can ignite, because the holders always take up some space near the outside of the bowl you could otherwise be filling with charcoal.
That said, at this point I'll take that tradeoff if it means not having to worry about long term effects of heat damage "crazing" to the bowl. Not that I want to resurrect that discussion here, but it's part of my reasoning for sticking with the basket. That, and it cost me $15 so I want to see what it can do.
Regarding that video. Thanks, I'd seen it but forgotten the very last part about shielding the cool incoming air from going anywhere but to supply air to the fuel, for more even heat distribution. I'd like to think the small drip pan I had under the meat partially served the same purpose. But foiling off the entire bottom save for what's under the charcoal seems like it'd be more effective yet, AND I could skip the drip pan.
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"Not that I want to resurrect that discussion here"
That's OK......I was about to ressurect it anyway....not being one to leave well enough alone.............
8:05 PM....decide to go ahead & cook for a potluck tomorrow, even though i was feeling shitty....
Hem & haw for 3 minutes, move stuff around, lite leftover coals 1/4 chimney..........
8:08 ~ 8:15, load two kettles with rings & wood...........
(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd520/1buckie/1st%202013%20chicken/Rebellion%20Dogs%206-21-13/RebellionDogs6-21-13018.jpg)
8:16 ~ 8:19....set in lit coals to start burn & heat cookers.....
(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd520/1buckie/1st%202013%20chicken/Rebellion%20Dogs%206-21-13/RebellionDogs6-21-13015.jpg)
8:19 ~ 8:29......score fatcap & rub butts......
(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd520/1buckie/1st%202013%20chicken/Rebellion%20Dogs%206-21-13/RebellionDogs6-21-13021.jpg)
(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd520/1buckie/1st%202013%20chicken/Rebellion%20Dogs%206-21-13/RebellionDogs6-21-13020.jpg)
8:30....set meat in......
(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd520/1buckie/1st%202013%20chicken/Rebellion%20Dogs%206-21-13/RebellionDogs6-21-13026.jpg)
Temp....225 on one, 230, the other one......this will rise as it gets rolling, shooting for 260 approx.
(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd520/1buckie/1st%202013%20chicken/Rebellion%20Dogs%206-21-13/RebellionDogs6-21-13025.jpg)
(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd520/1buckie/1st%202013%20chicken/Rebellion%20Dogs%206-21-13/RebellionDogs6-21-13026.jpg)
25 minutes to set 15# of pork........dogs are excited.....
(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd520/1buckie/1st%202013%20chicken/Rebellion%20Dogs%206-21-13/RebellionDogs6-21-13032.jpg)
can update, if you'd like.......
PS: those are not drip pans.....they're holding space for beans..........................
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Live update:
1 kettle running at 290, shut 1 daisy vent....
Other at 280, pulled OT vent from 1/2 open to 1/3 opem
12:30 AM, beans go in........
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Damn, buckie, you are a maestro. A true master of the craft. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience and expertise here.
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Well, it's kinda like get it on & get it done.....roll the butts outta the package, quick rinse, no mustard or other stuff, score w/ sharp knife ( almost the only time I use a real sharp one, usually a reasonably sharp Henckels bread knife for everything else ) work the rub all around & in, it will stick & melt good enough, set, don't throw, them on the cooker......
Same on the charcoal.....dump a bunch in the mioddle & start flipping them over to pile on the edge, work around, set some blocks on top & lite.......
Most time consuming part tonite was shuffling boxes around to find the right wood chunks.....