No one ever told me... (or how I pureed a pork butt...)

kc_roots · Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Sioux Falls, SD

Newbie here, or had you already guessed...

After many hours of lurking, I thought I had learned enough to smoke a 9lb butt. Long story short, the charcoal fueled smoker I used (maybe brinkman?) has very poor/NO air control - open base that I had to stuff with rings of aluminum foil just to get up to 200F. Anyway, after 12 hrs in the smoker and only up to ca. 140F internal temp, I put the butt in the oven at 215F - between work and kids, it was another 12 hrs before I rescued it from the oven. PERFECTION! HEAVEN! We probably ate 2lbs while we pulled it. Then I tried to mix the sauce in. By the time I was done, the texture was kinda like a fresh cow-pie and visually not far off either... So, 2 questions (so far).

1) I'm guessing now that you don't apply sauce until right before serving. Yes/No? How do you avoid the strained carrot texture?

2)Equipment recommendations for an occasional backyarder - maybe once a month or so. Charcoal fueled is my only requirement, aside from something that doesn't need coals added every hour and a half to maintain temp.

Thanks in advance, Tim

Lewis & Herschel · Posted: Oct 15 2006 Post subject:

You over cooked it and probably over sauced it.

I recommend a WSM.

skybob · Posted: Oct 15 2006 Post subject:

I'd agree with the WSM, it appears to be a very good smoker. I'd add some of the rub you put on the butt before smoking it into the shredded pork. And have the sauce on the side. Plus, don't shred it into too small a pieces. Leave the pieces big enough that you can tell it's pork, not puddles.

kc_roots · Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Sioux Falls, SD

Wow, that was fast. Thanks for the input. I've heard good things about the WSM. Hopefully Santa will think I've been good this year.

Skybob, was that a PowerCat? We don't see too many up here in Sioux Falls. I preferred the old Willy the Wildcat logo myself (K-Stater from '81 to '90 on the party plan...)

skybob · Posted: Oct 15 2006 Post subject:

Yep, it's a photo of a flaming powercat that's on the side of both my PT's. I'd have to agree that the Willie of old had a certain aura around him. My wife and I went there in the late 60's, the Vince Gibson/Lynn Dickey era.
She graduated, I, well, uhhh, ummmmmm, oh that's right, the draft came along, yeah, that's what happened. Nothing like getting good old #32 in the draft lottery. Shortly followed by a nice letter from my draft board deciding that I didn't need a student deferment after all.

BBQMAN · Posted: Oct 15 2006 Post subject:

I would also go with a WSM. Weber makes a great cooker! Very Happy

I serve sauce on the side, and avoid the cow patty deal every time! Wink

Skybob, glad to see you pulled through with your sense of humor intact! Very Happy

I know lots of other's that were not near as fortunate.............
_________________
BBQMAN
"I Turned A Hobby Into A Business".
Providing "IMHO" Since 2005.

Jeff T · Posted: Oct 15 2006 Post subject:

Tim
It sound like you have this one....

What i had to do to get higher temps was, take off te vent cap on top and get a piece of exhaust pipe from a auto parts place and make a cap with a damper that you can close up to stop heat loss like this.....

Then take the coal pan and drill a series of holes in the bottom and add a coal grate to raise the coals up so the ash dont choke off the heat and the coals get more air. Then take the water pan and fill 3/4 th the way with a non toxic washed play sand called "handy sand" most home stores like Menards or lowes has it. Cover with heavy duty tinfoil, making a dish to collect drippings.

The cap will trap the heat in.
The sand will jack the heat up at least 12-25 degrees
The coal grate will keep the coals burning hot.
Holes in the coal pan will give it more air to breath.

Doing these mod`s i can get and maintain 225 -250 with spikes to 275 but be carefull the sand gets hot and retains heat. I can get 6-7 hours from a load using charcoal. Also add one or two wood chunks (not chips) every 45 minutes to an hour to maintain heat and give ya smoke. You will be maintaining heat temps by adding wood chunks.
Ditto on the WSM i have one also and they work great but try these mods if this is the one you have. Basically they are a POS but will work a whole lot better doing these mods.
Well..... hope this helps and good luck.
Jeff

kc_roots · Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Sioux Falls, SD

Oh, its a brinkman alright, but not nearly that nice. My wife heard me comment a few years ago that I wanted to try smoking a turkey. Rather than start with an expensive setup, she got me an old used one like this to see if we would get into things or not

http://www.brinkmann.net/images/products/OutdoorCooking/810-5301-C.gif

kind of like the WSM, but without any enclosure on the bottom and you let all the heat out everytime you open the door to refuel/stir coals.

Basically, if it's under 70F outside temp, forget it. I've done one fantastic turkey, one crap turkey, one fair butt, and one fantastic butt, sort of (see above). Someone with better skills could probably do more consistent job, but it would be nice to be able to Q something without making sure we had enough hot dogs, 'just in case'...

I've done lots of 5lb pork roasts and ribs on my large weber kettle, indirect with a home made heat shield running from to to bottom between the coals and meat (old llicense plates and tin snips). I've got bacon wrapped pork loin down to an art in the weber, but I'd love to be able to do more butts, more turkeys, better ribs, etc... year round and larger yield.

allsmokenofire · Posted: Oct 16 2006 Post subject:

Ahhhh....the ECB(El Cheapo Brinkman). I think most of us started on something similar, I know I did. There are plenty of threads discussing mods you can do to help with temp control. Do a search for "ECB mods" and you'll have a good start with helping you manage temps better. Wink

_________________
Mike
Team Enoserv

Jeff T · Posted: Oct 16 2006 Post subject:

Tim that`s ok i have one of them also. Do the sand in the pan trick and also the holes in the coal pan and add a great. You will get temps of 200 -225. If ya go ahead and get a WSM you`ll love how well they work right out of the box.
Good luck, Jeff T

Roo-B-Q'N · Posted: Oct 17 2006 Post subject:

Tim, don't give up on your ECB. Half the fun is getting to know your smoker and what makes it hum. I just got a ECB (Gourmet) And did chicken thighs for the first cook. I have no idea what I pulled off that thing the first time, but it sure wasn't the chicken thighs I put on there. We had hot dogs that night as well. Laughing

Used it this weekend to finish of some butt, and after messing around a bit with it got it to stay at @ 250 - 275. I need to do a few mods to make it easier to control. Just part of finding out what is going to make her hum.
_________________
Tom
Large Spicewine
Oklahoma Joe's Offset
Backwoods Party
WSM
ECB

kc_roots · Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Sioux Falls, SD

Thanks for the advice and support - I'm waiting for someone to offer me a lifesaver (anyone remember that commercial?). I've got to make some repairs to the deck before the snow flies, while I've got the drill out I'll work on the mods. I suppose a true bbq-er would fix the deck since he had the drill out for the mods... I'm working on it. Thanks again.