My first Boston Butt

[dannyubc]

I got a MES 30 for Father's Day. I've smoked a couple of chickens and some rib tips...I'm smoking my first Boston Butt (8.4#) tomorrow. And I have a question or two:
First what I've done:
I rinsed it off and then I scored the fat cap; then I injected it with Creole butter; then I covered with a Pork Rub put it in a big bowl and put it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap.

My questions are:
Do I smoke it fat side up or down?
Do I put it directly on the grill (with a drip pan) or in a disposable aluminum pan?
Anything else that could trip me up?

Thanks in advance,

Danny

 

[dr k]

I got a MES 30 for Father's Day. I've smoked a couple of chickens and some rib tips...I'm smoking my first Boston Butt (8.4#) tomorrow. And I have a question or two:
First what I've done:
I rinsed it off and then I scored the fat cap; then I injected it with Creole butter; then I covered with a Pork Rub put it in a big bowl and put it in the fridge covered with plastic wrap.

My questions are:
Do I smoke it fat side up or down?
Do I put it directly on the grill (with a drip pan) or in a disposable aluminum pan?
Anything else that could trip me up?

Thanks in advance,

Danny

I do fat side down since I usually don't put rub on the fat side and it doesn't get stuck to the grate.  Same with brisket.  The meat side seems to have more contact with the smoke when it's up and makes a good bark.  There's plenty of fat inside so it doesn't need to render the fat cap down over the meat if it's fat side up.  It may not matter much since it's a long smoke.  I use a disposable aluminum tray with a large piece of foil inside for a drip pan while smoking to throw away later.  I reuse the aluminum pan if it doesn't have anything leaking into it.  Some people wrap in foil at 160* or so or put in an aluminum tray covered with foil till 205*.  I just wrap in large foil.  It's a pain to get the smoke off of kitchenware.

 

[fourthwind]

The age old question of fat up or down has to do with the type of smoker and the amount of heat under the meat.   Since you are cooking on the MES you really do not have the kind of heat being generated to need the meet protected by having the fat side down.  What I found worked best in the MES was to trim every bit of fat I could off the outside, and run it on a grate about a foil pan with water in it.   When you get up about 155 to 165 and the bark looks nice, you can wrap and finish to your desired temp.

 

[bgosnell151]

Like Fourthwind, I try to trim the fat cap off. I never put any water in the tray though with mt MES

 

[dannyubc]

Thanks to everyone for their advice...the butt turned out great...I didn't think it would take as long as it did...it took 15 hours for a 8.5 lb But...but it was great...the information I got here was invaluable. Ian. Looking forward to what's next. I'm thinking about an A-Amaze-N pellet smoker for these long smokes.

 

[benjaminkramer]

Thanks for sharing details. 

Did you have a probe thermometer in the meat or a smoker thermometer? I've been trying to get a feel from other MES30 owners what the variations are on their units. 

 

[dannyubc]

I only used the meat probe on the MES30 so I don't know if there was any variation. I know when hit 163 it hit the pause...it actually dropped to 161 and held for about two hours...when it finally started to rise again...I pulled it @ 165 double foiled it and put it back and kept it @ 250 til it hit 205....I cut the heat and opened the door...it coasted to 208. After about 15 minutes i brought it inside and let it rest for another hour...the bone came out clean and it easily pulled with a couple of forks and my hands....hmm hmm good I put a little on a small plate and topped with a little sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce....I was proud! The help I got here saved me...it I hadn't sent time reading here I would not have known about the "stall" and would have freaked out.

 

[bgosnell151]

Maverick digital thermometer has 2 probes. The best of the best if you ask me.