Need some HELP STAT - Smoking first Butt on new BGE TOMORROW

[Sowbug2000]

Christmas came early to my house....twice actually, but that's another story.....got a large Big Green Egg (BGE) last Friday and I've cooked an awesome "prime cut" ribeye, chicken wings, shrimp and scallops and some skinless, boneless chicken breasts to put over pasta! AWESOME, I love this thing....

Anyway, I'm formerly a Weber Kettle man.....and I need some of yall's expert advice on how to smoke two butts on a large BGE.

I've seen some guys talking about 18-24 hrs....not ready to tackle that....I'm looking at 12-14 hrs tops. Worked on my weber...ought to work here.

Anyway, can yall help me???!!! I'm smoking tomorrow morning!!!

BBQ nachos on Saturday night!!!

Thanks!!!!

Sowbug2000

[Alien BBQ]

Cut the butt down to 6 lbs and you will be on target.
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeloberry

[Sowbug2000]

Any suggestions specific to the BGE - and how to smoke a butt on it?

I'm curious about how long it will take (estimate) and how to get it up and going from the get go!

I just don't want to make any (senseless) mistakes.

My Weber has a hinged grate, so it was easy to add charcoal or wood without a problem.....the BGE doesn't have a grate like that.

Anyway, I appreciate any BGE-specific advice!

Can't wait to get this baby cranked up....or down, that is!!!

[Harry Nutczak]

www.nakedwhiz.com will have almost anything you could ever want to know for the BGE, and some items you wished you didn't know too.
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Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

[G's BBQ]

http://www.eggheadforum.com/wwwboard/wwwboard.shtml/wwwboard.shtml


There are many forums devoted to the egg....I found one you can try for future questions...

Here is another http://eggsbythebay.proboards70.com/
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California State Grand Champion-Shake,Rattle & Smoke-July 2007
American Royal Invitational 2007-11th place Ribbon Brisket
2nd Place BBQ Sauce-Best On The Mountain Rib Cook-Off-Horizon Casino, South Lake Tahoe-May 2008

[Sowbug2000]

I found the biggreenegg website/forum. Surprisingly...I didn't think it was that good. And I printed the 150 page BGE cookbook from Nakedwhiz.com.

Just curious if anyone had any first hand, "sure fire" recipes for Butts on the BGE....

I'm sure I'm worrying about it too much.....but I am "Type A" personality...so, go figure!

I'll try to take pics and notes and share the results on Monday!

THANKS for any and all replies.....and I'll be watching til 5pm CST!!!

Happy Grilling/Smoking this weekend!!

[Sowbug2000]

I'm gone!!

Need to pick up some Q supplies and devise my plan!

I will report on Monday, hopefully with pics, my first BGE Butt experience!

[pullit]

well how did it go?

[Harry Nutczak]

cooking BBQ at home is supposed to be all about relaxing and tipping a few back, or rolling whatever up (your choice) and relax for those 12+ hours and have a great meal ready when it is all done.

First off, Relax and let it cook, if it is a disater, your only out a few dollars anyways with the current cost of pork.
Although it is very hard to screw up a butt, the only thing that will kill it is high direct heat.

Low, Slow & relax and enjoy the smell!
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Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

[Sowbug2000]

Okay guys, here are the results.....straight up!

I'll give you the play-by-play, and I welcome any comments, critiques, etc.

6-pm I started by brining the Butts (approximately 11 lbs and 6 lbs) mainly in salt water, with a pinch of the rub, and a splash of beer....for luck! I brined them for about 10hrs.

4-am Then, I took them out of the brine and rinsed them off, rubbed MAYONAISE on them and dusted them with my rub (Emeril Essence recipe made from scratch).

I filled up the lump charcoal almost up to the "Fire ring"? and mixed in some dry Apple wood chips with the lump charcoal (Nature Glow). I put some soaked Apple wood chips on top and one soaked chunk of Hickory wood on top.

Put them damn Butts on at 4:40am with the fire at about 220 F and went back to bed....got up at 6am and the temp shot up to 300 or so. Cut it back and went back to sleep....got up at 7am and it was at 250 or so.

I was fiddling with the firebox and daisy wheel trying to get the temp between 220 and 240 off and on all day. My digital thermometers aren't so accurate anymore, or one of them may be off...the smaller Butt reached 200F internal, but I had trouble getting the Bigger Butt (Baby Got Back at 11lbs) up to 2 Hundo.

I wrapped the Butts around 3pm and basted them with a Honey and Brown sugar (heated) basting sauce once an hour (about 3 more times).

The 6 lb Butt was for a co-worker and I just wrapped it, bone in tact. I hope it turns out.

The 11 lber, the bone didn't quite "fall out", BONE DRY, like the last one I cooked for 14hrs on my Weber....which is what I was hoping for. I mean, I didn't have to really tug it out of there, but there was still some meat left on it. I didn't end up pulling all of the butt apart, but cut it in half and froze part.

It ended up okay, I guess. I'm very critical of my cooking and my expectations were pretty high on this one. But, all in all, I guess for my first attempt at a long, slow and low cook....it turned out acceptable, but not great.

I tried to attached some photos, but couldn't figure it out.

[pullit]

sound like you did good to me.
The 300 deg temp at the start may have hurt you a little but other than that sounds like good BBQ....

[DawgPhan]

I would bet that you cooked it too long or something..I have noticed in my limited cooking on the BGE cookers is that they dont cook the same as a kettle or my WSMs...they seem to cook faster and i think that it is because all that ceramic sucks up all the heat at first and then begins to radiate it back into the meat.

Just my experience...also I didnt see you mention the plate setter or whatever they call it...the ceramic plate that goes over the coals and below the meat...it helps you cook indirectly in the BGE...couple things to think about.

[Sowbug2000]

Sorry, yest the plate setter was in there, upside down, and a drip pan with apple juice was sitting under the meat.

I was actually thinking the bigger butt needed to be cooked LONGER....cause the bone didn't slide right out and the butt didn't fall apart....

[Reflect]

I normally do two butts at the same time. I also rotate in ABTs and fatties.

Most times, keeping the large BGE at 225-250 it takes around 18 hours. Most butts I do weigh around 7 lbs each.

I did 4 pork buts at the same time this last weekend. it was waaaay to cramped (I have to pick up a grate extender for sure). They took 20 1/2 hours to get to 195 degrees.

Take care,

Brian

[gotwood]

I dont think you need to bother brining....it may even bring about a ham flavor.

If you want inject some of your favorite liquids into the chunk o' flesh.

Over the next two or three times using it to slow BBQ you will find the proper settings to keep it running at temp without having to reload.

I would let the temperature come up slowly and when you have it steady then add the meat.

[Reflect]

Once up to temp shut down the intake damper (bottom) to around 1/8 inch.

Take care,

Brian

[Sowbug2000]

Thanks for the advice, guys....

I will have to incorporate some of your suggestions next time.

Also, I forgot to mention...I don't think the "smoke ring" was pronounced enough...and the smoke flavor wasn't quite there.

Again - I mixed in a couple or three handfuls of dry wood chips with the lump charcoal and put some damp chips and one hickory chunk on top.

And I didn't add any more charcoal or wood chips throughout the 14 hr cook. What do yall do for smoke?

[gotwood]

dont bother with chips
use chunks and dont soak them
i put chunks near the fire and some directly on top