First attempt at an overnite smoke on MES - need help

[pmpilot]

One of the reasons I went electric was for the ease of keeping a temp. I've done one smoke to date (two weeks ago) and I watched a brisket carefully for first four hours, adding chips and spraying with apple cider, then wrapped and brought temp to 195. Worked great! But now I have a noonish-1pm lunch deal on the 4th. I don't want to pull an all nighter. So what I'm thinking. Any input is welcome.Temp?I want to do an 8lb brisket and a pork butt simultaneously. Figured I'd rub both early on the 3rd. Around 8pm I'd smoke for four hours or so at 225. The last time I got the internal temp to 170 on the brisket then wrapped in heavy foil and finished in the smoker over the next five hours or so to 195. But I want to turn the smoker down, to like 200? or lower, and let it slowly cook. What temp is appropriate? Foil?I guess I'm torn on whether to foil or not. I like the insurance of all the juices staying inside when foiled, but foiling decreases the cooking time and I'm looking at a much longer cook this time. Also, my first attempt was a success but I never got that bark. Bark would be nice. If I don't foil what is the risk of a dry piece of meat as the MES seems to retain plenty of moisture (doesn't seem to be a problem at all).Thinking four hours of regular smoking at 225, down to 200 and uncovered. Wake up six hours later and hope pizza isn't on the menu. Happily crank it back up and or foil for the remainder to get to 200 degrees on both. Plan on setting in cooler for an hour min before serving.Sound about right?

 

[pmpilot]

Typing on the fly here.Wanted to add that the goal is to slice the brisket and pull the pork.

 

[geerock]

I happen to have an mes 40 and regularly smoke butt and brisket overnight. I've become so comfortable with it I don't lose a lick of sleep or even get up to check. I tend to buy around 8 lb butt and full packer brisket but if you have a 7 to 8 lb flat this works too. For smoke I use small chunks. Before i hit the rack I then light up an AMAZN pellet tube and use that to supply smoke for overnight. Put meat in around 8pm the night before and verify that the mes temp is around 215 - 220. Spritz a couple of times before bed. Dont trust the mes controller readout unless you have already verified it. They tend to be off . ..sometimes as much as 30 degrees. Now the meat temp is gonna shoot up quick and is gonna make you un comfortable. You're gonna worry that you are cooking too fast. Don't! As long as you are sure your smoker temp is correct just let her be. (I know you'll be up all night anyway.) They are both gonna stall pretty long at that cook temp but around 9 to 10 oclock the brisket should be where you want and the butt may be ready around and hour or so later. No reason to wrap in the middle of the night. Just wrap and let rest with a little liquid in the brisket (butt you can do with or without) after IT is reached. They'll keep very nicely wrapped in a cooler until ready to serve. If you have a stubborn piece of meat you can always jack up the temp in the morning to get it done in plenty of time. Best of luck.

 

[louxwe]

Let me know how this works out, I did it once for a brisket, but I was still getting up all night checking her, worried something would go wrong, would be interested to see what temps and times you came up with that worked.  I also was thinking about getting up at night once and wrapping her just to make sure they don't get too black or dryed out but at 200 that might take a while.

 

[pmpilot]

Thanks Geerock! I too have the 40", in stainless. I think I'll try it uncovered, at least until I wake.

On a side question, I left my side vent completely open during my first smoke. Because I wrapped I wasn't worried too much about moisture loss. But this is for much longer. Vent open all the way?

Thanks for the info.

-Pete

 

[pmpilot]

This is a pic of my first brisket (or smoke for that matter) a couple of weeks ago. Never got that bark and the rub just pasted out in the foil, but it was incredibly juicy and fell apart with the slightest pull. I split the brisket in half to try two different rub recipes. Everyone preferred the Texas style rub.

 

[pmpilot]

Gonna try a couple crushed briquettes in the ash tray to see if I can get a little ring going too. I'll post pics if I can keep the kids t bay long enough to snap a shot or two.

 

[chiefp]

yep, leave the vent open, all the time. Check you temp with another source to see where you are, some of the MES gauges are as much as 40 degress of. Mine runs 20 degree cooler than the gauge reads.

 

[kragenhunter]

I usually smoke my pulled pork at a temperature of 350 degress and to an IT of 205 and then wrap in foil, a blanket and into a cooler for at least an hour.  The higher temp helps with not having to smoke it as long and it has always turned out great.  I also do this with a brisket and also get equally good results.  I use a water pan which helps with moisture  lose.  I got this idea out of a myron mixon book.  I hope this helps!