First smoke on the new 26

[LaTuFu]

Saturday I did my first smoke on the new 26.  I went into this knowing it would be somewhat ambitious, since I'd only done one dry run with the kettle.  But I've smoked pork many times on other grills and smokers, so I felt confident I could manage it with the kettle.



I set up a fuse (3x2) and used some bricks to help with heat retention and deflection.  The 26 really gives you a lot of room for this.

http://imgur.com/a/e9LTT.  Album link

The butt cooked along well, the kettle managed temps very well.  I spent more time than I thought I would adjusting vents back and forth, but it maintained 225-250 very easily all day long.  I only refueled 2, maybe 3 times at the most.  I did not foil, I let it cook its way through the stall, and pulled off the grill at 190, wrapped and rest in a cooler for an hour before pulling.  The internal temp was exactly where it should have been (190) when I pulled it.  But, the bone did not slide out easily when I pulled it.  The meat was a little tougher than I would have liked, too.  The bark was excellent and the flavor was there.  Looking around at my notes, I finally think I found the culprit:  This was a fresh shoulder from a local farm.  I bought it from a buddy who slaughtered it earlier this spring.  It was vacuum packed after slaughter and processing.  No brine or anything added.  All I did to the shoulder was the same thing I always do: Dry rub, no injection.  I did add apple juice on the outside whenever I refueled.  Prior to this, I have always smoked store bought pork, which is usually packed in a brine solution.  I think that might have made a big difference in the tenderness.  I'll verify this theory with a store bought shoulder sometime soon.

I cooked wings after that.  I lit up a 1/2-3/4 chimney of new coals, put them in the baskets, and lined the wings on either side.  The "rookie mistake" I made with the grill on this setup, I didn't do a full basket of coals.  About 1/2 way through, I started losing temp and my wings were not quite ready.  I then compounded my mistake by adding unlit coals to the baskets to get the temp back up.  Big mistake, the smoke from the incomplete combustion of the new coals ruined about half of the wings.  As much as I have cooked over my lifetime you think I would have known better.  But, at least I only ruined half of them, and only the wings.

Overall, a great cook session, I learned a lot about how to control the kettle's temps.  Very, very pleased with the decision to get the 26.

[1buckie]

If you'd like to go by temp, go to 202~205 & your bone will likely pull easily......a long foil wrapped rest (like 1-1/2 to two hours) also with towels wrapped around it in a  container like a small cooler works wonders.....most important part of the cook to me........

The pork I use usually comes from Sam's Club.....un-enhanced, IBP pork butt.....the 'enhanced' (brined) stuff, or not, is not so much the culprit as letting the collagen finish cooking all the way.....

[TheDude]

I just did my first one, a couple weeks ago. I started probing with my instant read once my Maverick read 190°. Once it went in like butter, I rested in a cooler (as stated above) for about 1:20. Bone pulled right out. Meat pulled like butter.



All tips I learned here.

[Lumpy Coal]

What do you mean the smoke from the incomplete combustion of the unlit charcoal?  Is this from briquettes, lump, does it matter?  I add unlit lump all the time.  Am I ruining my stuff and don't even know it?  Ruin toxic or ruin taste?

[LaTuFu]

@1buckie I am certainly not ruling out that possibility. I pulled it at 195, wrapped it and let it rest an hour. I've done many butts in the same way and had the results you describe. It's why I am surprised that it turned out the way it did.

I only suspect the meat because we've been eating the other cuts (chops, ribs, sausage, etc) and while the flavor has been excellent, all of the cuts are leaner than their store counterparts. I've never in my life had to add fat to pork sausage when cooking it. Until this one.

I may be wrong about the Brine in the packaging, but I know it is packed with some liquid during processing. I have assumed it was Brine similar to turkeys.

[LaTuFu]

@lumpy coal I should probably be more specific. When I refueled, I had wings directly over the new coals, and then put the lid on before they lit. The initial ignition was the white acrid smoke.

[Troy]

@Lumpy Coal I should probably be more specific. When I refueled, I had wings directly over the new coals, and then put the lid on before they lit. The initial ignition was the white acrid smoke.

Ahh the good ol' kingsford blue bag white smoke of doom.
Live and learn.

Keep some lump handy for mid-cook refuels, or get another chimney going in an unused grill.

[Lumpy Coal]

Ya, I normally use lump, it's in the name, probably why I never had an issue before.  However, the last bag of charcoal (bought by my wife) was Kingsford briquettes,  she said they were all out of lump. 

[LaTuFu]

Yep. I did chicken breasts the next day. I used lump for that. Imagine that, no problems.

[LaTuFu]

@Troy I plan to do one or the other going forward. I do the same thing when I am doing long cooks with my camp Dutch oven.

[1buckie]

@1buckie I am certainly not ruling out that possibility. I pulled it at 195, wrapped it and let it rest an hour. I've done many butts in the same way and had the results you describe. It's why I am surprised that it turned out the way it did.

I only suspect the meat because we've been eating the other cuts (chops, ribs, sausage, etc) and while the flavor has been excellent, all of the cuts are leaner than their store counterparts. I've never in my life had to add fat to pork sausage when cooking it. Until this one.

I may be wrong about the Brine in the packaging, but I know it is packed with some liquid during processing. I have assumed it was Brine similar to turkeys.

Hmmmm......maybe it was a bit more lean & it actually started around the corner to slightly dry?


Kinda odd, but the small farm & specialty raised stuff can be quite different

[LaTuFu]

@1buckie, yeah, that's what I am wondering.

I'll do another shoulder soon.  We'll see if there is much difference, I'll most likely get the pork from Sam's Club or Kroger.