First cook on the new OK Joe.... Gonna be an all nighter!!!!

mwillis · Last edited by mwillis on Jul 04 2009; edited 1 time in total

Well, I got the Longhorn seasoned up yesterday and cooking on it tonight. Bought a couple of butts on sale a while back and thawed them yesterday and today. Two butts weighed a total of 21.8 lbs. The biggest one is about 12lbs, and the other around 10 lbs.

I gave them the ol' mustard massage and rubbed down with Butt Rub and a little extra black pepper. I sliced the fat cap on one of them and left the other as is.

I've got RO lump and Sam's Choice briqs for fuel and pecan chunks for smoke. Not sure yet how long a burn I'll get out of each load, but the temp is holding nicely. The thermo is mounted too high off the grate. Got to lower it, no mods done at all... yet. It reads about 300 but I show about 240-250 at the grate.

I'll post some pictures later. It's gonna be a long night. I got a couple of racks of spares going on later, around midnight, or so.

Later,
Mike
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Pigslips · Posted: Jul 04 2009 Post subject:

Can't wait to see those pics.............. Cool

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stringbender128 · Posted: Jul 04 2009 Post subject:

Sounds great! Pics please! Very Happy

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Beertooth · Posted: Jul 04 2009 Post subject:

Sounds good Mike. Let's see some pics. Very Happy

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mwillis · Posted: Jul 04 2009 Post subject:

Here's a few from the start of the cook. Sorry about the blurry pics. I got a 500 watt halogen stand light set up, but the camera still had trouble focusing.

At temp

Surely you know what this is.

The new "cook pad"

Me and the Longhorn

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DW · Newbie Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 28 Location: Arkansas

good luck on the all nighter. I laughed when I looked at your picture and noticed all the grills/smokers. I told my wife the other day I needed another cooker and she gave me that look Confused

and asked just how many D@&* grills does one person need?

I guess its a man thing. Very Happy

k.c.hawg · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 17 May 2009 Posts: 1752

mwillis enjoy that new offset.....no better way to break it in than throwing on butts and spares on a 4th of July weekend....for an allnighter.

k.a.m. · Posted: Jul 04 2009 Post subject:

Mike, all nighters can be fun. Its the next day at around 3:00 in the afternoon that wear on me Laughing

I hope your cook went well and I look forward to seeing some finished pics, with all those cookers in the pic it looks like you were ready to do battle Very Happy

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Flickster · BBQ Fan Joined: 02 Jun 2008 Posts: 366 Location: Houston

One can never have too many grills Laughing

I've had a Longhorn for the past year and haven't done any mods to speak of, other than adding some foil around the door on the end of the firebox to help seal the airleaks
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mwillis · Posted: Jul 05 2009 Post subject:

Well, KAM hit it on the head. It was actually about 2PM. I was setting outside with my FIL and wife's uncle and got all "bobbleheaded". It was time to go.

I split one butt between my mom and the elderly neighbors across the street. The other one stayed here. I took my kettle to my wife's grandmother's and grilled burgers and hotdogs, and freshened up the ribs. Gosh, the food! We had beans, slaw, potato casserole, kraut, cukes, peppers, watermelon, homemade ice cream. I think that's it. My BIL OD'd on ribs, I OD'd on everything. I wanted to make sure nothing went untasted.

Overall, everything went well. The butts were possibly the best I have ever done.

As far as using the Longhorn, I had some trouble keeping temps up on it. I needed to maintain about 280 on the lid thermo to keep 240ish at the grate. Mostly I held around 250 in the lid. I got the butts on late, so I needed the extra temp to speed things up a bit. I ended up putting them in the oven at 350 for an hour before we left. They came off the smoker at about 180, and I guess were about 190 when I pulled them. They really needed a little more time.

Flickster, tell me about the foil around the door. I had a thought last night similar to that. I also tried forming a shroud out of foil and placing it against the wall over the stack opening, hopefully causing it to draw from grate level.

Watching the 4th celebrations on TV, getting all choked up everytime a patriotic song is played. The one on PBS in Washington was great. The fireworks were going with the Washington Monument in the background and Stars and Stripes Forever was playing (played on Boston Pops while I was typing, I love that song). Watching the Boston Pops now. God Bless America!

Here's some finished pics of one of the butts. They had a great smoke ring (can't really tell in the pic). Taste was FANTASTIC!!!!!! Pecan smoke with Bad Byron's, and a little Tony's Creole because I was running low in Butt Rub.

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Flickster · BBQ Fan Joined: 02 Jun 2008 Posts: 366 Location: Houston

Nice job - looks like the Longhorn did ok.

The door on the end of my firebox just don't fit quite right and there is no way to adjust without cutting it off and re-welding. So I just fashion some foil around the edge of the door to help control some of the airflow. It dooks like hell, but seems to work OK.

Does your's have the ash drawer as well?
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mwillis · Posted: Jul 05 2009 Post subject:

No, mine doesn't have the ash drawer. I was going to make an ash rake to clean out from under the charcoal basket. I think I have bigger problem with leaks around the cook chamber lid than around the firebox door. I was thinking last night about crimping foil around the edge of the lid to make a temporary gasket.

I know most people put an elbow on the stack inside, but I really thought about cutting it out and moving down just below the grate.

Do you have any problems getting a high temp? I got 300+ right after firing up, but couldn't maintain that for any length of time. After the initial spike I was unable to attain that kind of temp again. I lit a second basket and let it burn for a bit on top of my Kettle, and still couldn't do it.
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Beertooth · Posted: Jul 05 2009 Post subject:

That some good looking pork Mike. Great looking smoker too. Smile

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Camp Chef Pro90 Stove w/ Griddle
1985 22" Weber Kettle
CharGriller
18.5" WSM (Stoked)
22.5" WSM
85 Gallon UDS
Weber Smokey Joe/Mini WSM
Cast Iron Cookware
24" Disc Cooker
Masterbuilt 40" Electric
Char-Griller Akorn

k.a.m. · Posted: Jul 05 2009 Post subject:

Mike, you did an outstanding job on those Butts Very Happy

thats some great looking bark and color. That looks like a pan full of goodness, nicely done my man Smile

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Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

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