First Butt/Picnic smoke w/QView

[smokefever]

I started these at 930 am and have been smoking them at 235 for most of the day. There were times where I would go out to check on them and the smoker temp was down to 200. Anyhow, I have the following pictures for now: When they first went on, at the halfway point, and then there's some NY Strips that I grilled on the gasser while waiting. Hope you enjoy and there will be much more qview to come!

 

[smokefever]

Hate it when that happens, got so excited I forgot to post the pics

 

[rw willy]

They all look great. How did you like 'em?

 

[smokefever]

Steaks were great, still waiting for the q to finish up though. Got about 4 hours or so left on them. I will definitely post more when they come off.

 

[bamahoov]

Hey, smokefever, what did you use in the SFB?

 

[smokefever]

I started with some Kingsford Hickory charcoal and a few pieces of mesquite. Then I ran to Lowes because the mesquite I got from walmart was horrible (looked like mulch). When I got back, I started rotating hickory on and off with applewood. The temp has been a lil low for my liking so I have had to add more charcoal 3 times throughout the day. I'm sure it has alot to do with the size of the meat that is smoking, the snow on the ground and steadily dropping outside temperature. So far though, I think it's doing pretty good considering the conditions and should be right on target for 12-130 am.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Lookin' really nice so far!

I always have had trouble with my SNP on a charcoal burn in the winter...went through about 40 or 45lb of kingsford briqs on a 16+ hour smoke a while back...I like my gas burner when it gets cold out. Part of my trouble is I still have some leakage around the sfb cover and connection to the smoke chamber. Also, my tuning plate reduces efficiency by nature to even out grate temps...a lot of heat goes out the vent.

I did notice your gasser side must get plenty hot even in the winter...those are some sweet grill marks on the strip steaks

Try to keep her hot, or the smoke might seem like it'll take forever...don't give up the ship...you will be rewarded for your efforts in the end with some fine PP!


Eric

 

[smokefever]

Man am I glad you said that. It is right now 14 hours into the smoke and internal temp is 168. Its been pretty slow and haven't noticed much of a stall, more or less a gradual climb throughout the day. I know what you mean about the charcoal, gone through 2.5 bags now just to maintain 225+! Oh well, I absolutely LOVE pulled pork and this day is well worth it, especially if it gets up there to 200 sooner than later

The gasser side gets incredibly hot. I wanted to preheat it to about 375, and with it turned on medium, it shot right up to 400-450. After turning it down to low, it did the job I wanted to. Thanks for the compliment and the reassurance on this cook

 

[rdknb]

Wow looking good

 

[jjwdiver]

Looks real good so far and looking forward to the final view and a report on the taste.

 

[smokefever]

Well it is now 15 hours in, and I have hit the stall

Internal temp has been sitting at 167 for over an hour now, hopefully it decides to change soon. Smoker temp is steady @ 250. I am getting pretty anxious now, its got the whole neighborhood smelling good and has now made me hungry for a post-midnight snack!

 

[beer-b-q]

Looks Great...

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Ah, the dreaded stall has joined the party after all...

I didn't say anything about it earlier...didn't want to hit you with any bad news..it happens, and you want it to happen for the best end results. Your pork is getting really happy right now...the interior has just become a melting pot for all the nasties...

This is what it's all about my friend, so hang in there. The moment of truth has arrived, so just go with the flow and don't second guess your temps...I still make that mistake now and then...trust your probes, unless something really funky happens...oh, I have seen temp drops of several degrees, especially if I have had temp swings with the smoker, so expect that...it'll come back though...patience, patience, and more patience.

I'll be hangin' with ya for a little while yet, but my bed sheets are calling for work in the AM...almost 11:15 PM here now.

Man, I forgot that you're in PA...gonna be a late one for ya...hang tough, and keep busy here on the forums, or anything else that will help you to pass the time easier...you'll come out smellin' like Bbq!

Have a few all-nighters under my belt myself, and each one gets easier, to the point where (crazy as it sounds) I actually look forward to them now. I get a huge feeling of satisfaction from these smokes...pumps me up like a helium balloon for about a week! LOL!!!!!!!!

Eric

EDIT: on temp probes, be sure they aren't too close to a bone, or they can read a lot colder than actual temp.

 

[smokefever]

Well for whatever reason, qview isnt working right now. I will be sure to post them whenever I get up. It is 340 am and I have just gotten done with pulling the pork. As I mentioned earlier, I hit a stall for a few hours, and ForLuv, I wish I would've seen your reply sooner cuz I got anxious and confused about the temp dropping and raising. The meat therm was in the picnic which was almost twice as large as the butt. I pulled it out at 178 and it wasn't quite where it should've been. The butt however, came out great. So, after an hour of pulling. .. . . I separated some for our friends to pick up tomorrow and made myself a sammie. Gotta say it is pretty darn good. Nice smoke ring and the bark was spicy with a sweet aftertaste (thnks to pure maple). Inside was really moist and I still cant get over the flaver. You taste the rich smoky flavor followed by the smooth, sweet taste of the maple, apple juice injection. Sorry for the delay on the view, but I assure you they will be up!

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Hey brother, ya lived to tell about it anyway...that counts for something, too! LOL!!!

I had a feeling I better mention what I did, just in case...those larger cuts of meat can drive ya nuts if you don't fully understand whats happening. Trust me, I know...I had a picnic late last winter that about had me rattled before the night was over...then my GOSM gas burner control valve got itchy and temps started spiking badly...had to dial it down to around 200* so it wouldn't burn the paint off itself.

Then, I found out my probe wasn't in the best position either, but it came out great, and I actually got some sleep the next day, too! That was a cold rainy, then snowy and icy night...a great experience overall.

Hope you got some rest, SmokeFever!

Eric

 

[captsly]

Man I feel your pain!! Last time I did 2 butts on my Cajun injecter electric smoker, I started them at 10:30 before I went to bed, and they didn't hit 195 until 7:30 pm the next day!! It was sure worth the wait though!!
Looking forward to some Qview when you get it up.

 

[smokefever]

As you can see the picnic wasn't quite ready, but I got anxious as it was 16.5 hours in and the meat thermo was actin crazy.







All in all, this was an awesome experience and I thank everyone who helped me out. ForLuv, thank you for being right there in the thick of it

So although they didn't come out perfect, it gave me something to learn from. I took notes throughout the whole thing and will definitely tweak things a little the next time. Thanks again!

 

[bman62526]

Looks great! Way to dive in and get dirty with that new smoker...

 

[caveman]

I love that fat smoke ring. How long did you smoke them & were you using like a chunk at a time? What was that procedure like?

 

[smokefever]

They smoked for 16.5 hours. I used a combination of hikory wood chunks and applewood chips (all lowes had). I started with a few chunks of hickory which would last on average about 1-2 hours. Then I would put the applewood chips once the hickory started smoldering. I went back and forth like that for about 14 hours. The last two I didnt use any wood.
I just got my shipment from CharcoalStore.com, 120lbs of wood chunks (bourbon barrel, pecan, cherry, apple and hickory). Now it looks like time to smoke something else