# Doing my first boston butt on Oklahoma Joe offset smoker...



## lsilber (Jan 13, 2015)

I have only done two things so far on my brand new smoker, ribs and a brisket. The ribs were awful and the brisket was great, but a little over cooked maybe...

Anyone care to walk me through the steps for a successful butt??

So far I have...

8lb butt, bone in

rub with mustard or olive oil

wrap in saran and put in frig overnight

I have natural lump charcoal and oak wood and apple/hickory chunks..

fat cap up

drip pan with water

Grill temp will be around 225 (as close as possible)

Take off at internal temp of 195 for pulled pork

Wrap in foil and let sit for an hour or so

Any other thoughts or suggestions?


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## lsilber (Jan 13, 2015)

This was part of the brisket...













image1.JPG



__ lsilber
__ Jan 13, 2015


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## jbills5 (Jan 13, 2015)

I would pull it at 203-205 and then wrap and let rest in a cooler (no ice of course) for pulled pork.  You can spritz with apple juice every couple of hours during the cook if you would like.

I also like to cook butts at 250 to help speed up the cook a bit.  Also, are you wrapping during the smoke or going unwrapped for a lot of bark?


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## lsilber (Jan 13, 2015)

Thanks, jbills...I will let the internal temp get a little higher than 195.

I am not planning on wrapping during the smoke.


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## timberjet (Jan 13, 2015)

No need for water in the drip pan, it is not necessary. Yes, the rest in the cooler is very important. Double wrap in foil with some liquid like apple juice or cider and then wrap in towels and into a dry cooler for at least an hour. Make sure you start early, you will be looking at 12 to 16 hours there.Maybe even more. I like 225 low and slow. You just can't rush perfection.


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## lsilber (Jan 13, 2015)

Thanks Timber!

Was the drip pin for the moisture just for when I did the brisket? Trying to slowly learn what is for what.


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## gary s (Jan 13, 2015)

That's some nice color and bark on that brisket, can't wait to see the pork.  I got on a couple of butts and some ribs as we speak

gary


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## timberjet (Jan 13, 2015)

The drip pan is merely for saving the juices and keeping your smoker cleaner. You want to save that stuff. It is real real good. When you wrap that Butt, at the end of the cook, pour the juices in a jar. Stick that in the fridge while the Butt is resting in the cooler. The fat will congeal at the top of the jar. scoop it out and what you have left is pure flavor. You can add it back into the pulled pork or save it for soup starter or gravy. Good stuff. Water pans do not add any moisture to meat. They are there for temperature stabilization and heat recovery only. Definitely not necessary in an offset.


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## themule69 (Jan 13, 2015)

All of the above is good advice. I go between 225° and 250° depending on the amount of time I have. I don't use mustard or oil for a binder. I do wrap overnight if I have the time. I don't foil not even at the end unless I am going to have to hold the temp for hours.. I go to between 200° and 205°. I always allow at least an hour rest. I don't spritz and I don't put water in a smoker. I use a drip pan and as said above use the juice from the pan for adding back to the meat or I freeze in ice cube trays then move it to a ziplock bag. I can then get out a cube or 2 for whatever I want to flavor later. Keep the lid closed and be patient because it is done when it is done. Not when you want it to be done.

Happy smoken.

David


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## lsilber (Jan 13, 2015)

Thanks for the replies fellas. I think I have a good grasp of how to roll. Keeping the temp will be my main focus now. Once I use the chimney starter to get the natural lump charcoal started in the fire box and then I add the wood, do yall add more charcoal throughout the smoke, or just keep putting wood in?


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## jbills5 (Jan 14, 2015)

Lsilber said:


> Thanks for the replies fellas. I think I have a good grasp of how to roll. Keeping the temp will be my main focus now. Once I use the chimney starter to get the natural lump charcoal started in the fire box and then I add the wood, do yall add more charcoal throughout the smoke, or just keep putting wood in?


I would put some unlit charcoal in your firebox along with your smoking wood and then add the lit on top of it.  This is known as the minion method.  Helps control the burn and also allows you to not have to constantly add charcoal through the smoke.  You shouldn't need to keep putting wood in as after four hours or so the pork butt won't take any more smoke.

Also, if it is cold where you are, the offset will most likely burn through your charcoal pretty quick so keep an eye on your charcoal and your smoker temps.


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## lsilber (Jan 14, 2015)

Jbills, the two other times I put a small amount of lump charcoal sort of in a circle in the firebox, once the chimney starter was ready, I poured the hot coals in the center of the circle I had made. Once that burned for about 20-30 min I added wood and then stabilized the temps.

The brisket smoked for about 10 hours and I was adding wood every hour or so to get the temp cranked back up. Am I doing this wrong?


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## jbills5 (Jan 14, 2015)

I don't think so.  With offset, unless you have those crazy competition insulated fireboxes, you will have to tend to your fire more.  It sounds like what you are doing is right.


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## lsilber (Jan 14, 2015)

Perfect. I know it's trial and error, but I am at least trying to make sure I am going in the right direction.


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## gary s (Jan 14, 2015)

Pictures we need pictures  !!!!!

Gary


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## lsilber (Jan 14, 2015)

Gary, firing it up Sunday!!


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## gary s (Jan 14, 2015)

We will be watching   

Gary


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