Pulled pork guidance needed from the experts

[Nate]

Thanks again. I've held an 8#r for 5 hours before and was just as mentioned previously, to hot to touch. So I'm not to worried about that. That was with the traditional cooking method. The smoke braise method is what I've posted here before. This method I cut up the pork into baseball sized chunks, cook for 3 hours then braise in beer and vinegar for the next 5 hrs. This is what I'm not sure about holding and what it would be like after the hold. Of course I would take it out of the braise liquid and FTW. Either way, I ordered a maverick et733 yesterday to assist in the overnight cook. I just didn't want to go out and check on temps all the time. Hopefully the maverick works as I'm imagining. I'll post pics too.

[1buckie]

If you're going to chunk & braize, I would think it should be fine.....can't see where having an extra moisture element would cause anything to go haywire?

I guess if you decide to go that way, just foil wrap & bundle them up as normal.....

That link I put on Pg. 1 was 2 butts, with therms & 2 without therms the next night.....all 4 ran just fine.....Stubb's, wood chunks dry & a little bit of lump chips sprinkled along the chain to make sure there were no breaks in the burn......

Starting earlier in the evening like you are affords a good chance to watch how things go before sleep time.....it'll be great.....have a fun time with it !!!!!

[mike.stavlund]

I thought I'd post up some numbers from my most recent cook, just to add to this thread for future reference.

Did two 8-9lb butts, injected and then with rub.  Ran my WSM between 230 and 250 overnight (with large water pan).  Took them off at 190 internal after just 12 hours (by far my fastest cook ever).  Double-wrapped in foil, then each wrapped in an old bath towel, then both tucked into a smallish cooler.  8 hours later, removed one butt for a birthday dinner, and it was nice and hot.  Really juicy, too.  TEN AND ONE-HALF HOURS after I took them both off the smoker, I retrieved the second butt from the cooler and temped it with my Thermapen at 134-136.  So the 'cooler method' nets not only some tasty shoulders, but a long-lasting kind of suspended animation of food safety. 

[Nate]

Good to know that it will hold that long Mike. I figure I'll start my cook between 6-7p tomorrow night and cross my fingers they'll be done by the time we need to leave for the party a 7a Saturday morning. Gotta get their early to do up some turds.

I have 17.5 lbs of boneless pork shoulder. Grills are set up too. Figure I'll start the fuse with 6 briquettes each unless someone suggests differently.

[1buckie]

They look like bombs....ready to go off....................

You can start off with a few more coals, as the cold meat going on tends to create a big dip in temp right at the start....10 + gets a good rolling start...........

Have a Grate Cook !!!!

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[Nate]

Warming up with some hot links and dogs on the JJ. Simple link sandwich with a mustard bbq sauce we made for the pulled pork. Also made some Carolina bbq sauce.