Multiple smoking advice

mgaluzzi · Newbie Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 27

Okay, so I'm smoking for guests for the first time, and I'm planning on pulled pork, baby backs, and a beer can chicken. NONE OF WHICH I HAVE EVER ATTEMPTED BEFORE Very Happy

So i need some help. I think i got some good recipes for all three as far as sauce and rubs go, but i need some advice on how long to cook each item (how to stagger them) and at what temp i wanna keep things at. I plan on eating about 7 pm tonight and the pork is an 8 lb boston butt. HELP!

Alien BBQ · Posted: Feb 25 2006 Post subject:

Corndog is right but try this... to shorten the cooking time on the pork.

http://www1.thesmokering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2355&highlight=pork
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mgaluzzi · Newbie Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 27

thanks for the help guys. I had put the pork on at 5 this morning and currently at 12:30 its at 140, so i think thats goin okay. I had heard the chicken would take about 6 hours, while the ribs about 4 or 5, so i just threw the chicken on, and was planning on the rib in an hour or so. I'm just having so much trouble right now maintaining any steady temperature. I have a homemade smoker and i dont know how to fix my problem. Here are some pics

Full view http://photobucket.com/albums/e352/mgaluzzi/?action=view&current=Frontsmoker.jpg

Front open
http://photobucket.com/albums/e352/mgaluzzi/?action=view&current=Frontopen.jpg
(I'd be putting the smokestack on the right side, grate level of course, and have it go out about 3 inches or so horizontally and then 90 degree turn up, and have that part be 36 in. Sound about right?

Main Chamber
http://photobucket.com/albums/e352/mgaluzzi/?action=view&current=Insidegrate.jpg

Smoke box (minus the grate)
http://photobucket.com/albums/e352/mgaluzzi/?action=view&current=Coalbox.jpg

Opening to main chamber
http://photohttp://photobucket.com/albums/e352/mgaluzzi/?action=view&current=Coalbox2.jpg

Backdoor/Pan insertion point/cleaning access hole
http://photobucket.com/albums/e352/mgaluzzi/?action=view&current=Backdoor.jpg

Adjustable Air Intake
http://photobucket.com/albums/e352/mgaluzzi/?action=view&current=Airwheel.jpg

I have since added a smoke stack and a side air intake, but it seems perhaps the problem is that my grate in the firebox is only a few inches from the bottom and ash tends to build up. For instance, when i started this morning, i put on some non lit charcoals, followed by a chimeny full of lit ones, and then a few wood chunks (semi-minion method). Things were fine as the temp rose to about 250, and i brought it down to about 230 b adjusting airflow, but as the day has worn on, i'm fighting a losing battle, and currently temp is at 175, and i just added a fresh batch of lit charcoal about 10 minutes ago. Could all this be resulting from ash build up underneath the grate??? Or is there something else im missing. Sorry for the long post, but i'm getting frustrated!!! : )

allsmokenofire · Posted: Feb 26 2006 Post subject:

I think you're right w/ the ash build up. It is preventing the charcoal from burning properly due to the lack of oxygen. It looked like you have an air intake on the underside of the firebox. Perhaps you could fish a coat hanger or someting up there to remove some of the ash. I didn.t take a good look at the firebox door, but if you don't have a lip on the firebox, you could use something to scrape some ash out there.

Hang in there... Cool

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mgaluzzi · Newbie Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 27

Things turned out decently. I ended up having to "stop" the smoking process 2 times to take the grate out and clean up underneath it, but it worked okay (just a pain in the (pork)butt). Chicken was delicious, pork had to be finished in the oven due to time restraints, but the ribs, i dunno what happened. They weren't very "fall of the bone" tasty. They had a nice flavor, but they were pretty tough, and i couldn't tell if they were under, or over done. They were just pink all through out and kinda rubbery. I dunno. But i think im gonna be back in the shop working on some firebox mods for next weekend. Any tips on the ribs would be welcomed.

P.S. - sorry no pics this time Sad

krazylegs · Posted: Feb 27 2006 Post subject:

Lets see how you did your ribs, what kind of rub did you have on them, and what type were they baby backs or spares? did you foil them? did you do the 3-2-1 method (spares). explain the process of hiw you do your ribs, and that way we can assist you. I'm glad your chicken came out good, I'm still not that good with Quein chicken. I guess its because I have been consintration on ribs, brisket, and butt.

mgaluzzi · Newbie Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 27

For the BABY BACK ribs, i basically just took em out the fridge, put a standard sugar/paprika type rub and rubbed it down, wrapped um and put em back in the fridge for about 2 hours, then put them on the smoker with the pork and chicken, and waited for the tell tale signs of finished ribs - meat pulling away from the ends of the bones, flexibility when picked up in the middle ( i hear a 45 degree bend is a good sign of em bein done). However, after about 5 hour of being on there (around 200-215, i have issues keeping the heat up but its being worked on Razz

) the pork and chicken had just finished, so i took em off, and wrapped the ribs in some foil to finish em off in the oven - about 1 hour at 275, and then i ate em. Flavor was pretty good, and the meat was cooked, but like i said, they were pretty pink throughout, and not very tender. I dunno...

P.S. - They weren't in foil on the smoker, just in the oven.

sledgehammer03 · Posted: Feb 27 2006 Post subject:

The ribs were not done yet. I fond it takes 6-7 hours for trimmed spared at 250-270.

DawgPhan · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 12 May 2005 Posts: 3444

basically, never attempt to do something for the first time when you have guests coming over. They are going to expect to eat at a certain time and you can rush any of this stuff..You can just get online and ask some questions mid smoke and expect things to work themselves out..and if the ash thing was going to be a problem that is something that you should have known about. Make some adjustments to your firebox for the ashes, then grab you a butt and put it on one AM real early like..and just watch it..mind the temp and see how long it takes...next time it will be a lot more enjoyable for everyone....

You will enjoy smokin a lot more when you get the kinks worked out..

mding38926 · Posted: Feb 27 2006 Post subject:

DawgPhan · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 12 May 2005 Posts: 3444

mding38926 · Posted: Feb 28 2006 Post subject: