New to BBQ and the PBC here with Questions

[Bart's Beard]

Thanks Kathryn,
You and everyone else have been very informative and welcoming, I really appreciate this list and the people on it.

Questions:
Noah wraps his pork butt at 160 deg. Meathead suggests beginners skip that and just go for a longer cook, simpler with better bark. Thoughts?

Also the only rubs I have came with the PBC and they contain salt. So instead of dry rubbing salt the day before I was just going to put the run on the day before and let it sit overnight.

If the pork butts are 7 or 8 pounds, would y'all cut them in half and go smaller to get more bark?

Thanks, Bart

[Spinaker]

Thanks Kathryn,
You and everyone else have been very informative and welcoming, I really appreciate this list and the people on it.

Questions:
Noah wraps his pork butt at 160 deg. Meathead suggests beginners skip that and just go for a longer cook, simpler with better bark. Thoughts?

Also the only rubs I have came with the PBC and they contain salt. So instead of dry rubbing salt the day before I was just going to put the run on the day before and let it sit overnight.

If the pork butts are 7 or 8 pounds, would y'all cut them in half and go smaller to get more bark?

Thanks, Bart

I wrap my butts at about 175 F to 180 F. I typically wrap when I feel there is enough bark on the beast. Then I wrap just to speed through the rest of the cook. At that point, all I am really going for is bark. The smoke has been soaked up as much as it can by that point so at the end of the cook, all I am looking for is color.

I rub the day before the cook. If its beef or chicken, let it sit in the fridge, uncovered, overnight. Pork should be covered. I don't use the PBC rubs though, I don't care for the excessive salt. Some people love them though.

As for cutting them up, A lot people do that to increase the area that can bark up. I skip this. I would rather deal with one piece of meat on the PBC than 4. I just hook the butts as I get them and move them to the PBC.


I hope this helps, let us know if you have any other questions. Keep Calm, Smoke On!!
-Spinaker

[Bob's BBQ]

I have stopped wrapping butts on the PBC. If you're not in hurry, it turns out awesome butts. Great bark and taste. I've wrapped as well, but I'm a big bark fan and the color and texture are great when un-wrapped. I've hung them and done them on the grate, both work well. I've not yet had to add charcoal to get to 203.

[fuzzydaddy]

I see a new acronym I may start using...BBF (Big Bark Fan).

FuzzyDaddy (BBF)

[Bob's BBQ]

I like it...(the acronym and the bark)

[fzxdoc]

Bart's Beard , I don't wrap my pork butts at all. I really love the "pig candy" bark that results.

For butts over 7 lbs or so, I split them in half so there is more surface area for bark to build.

I hang the butts until they reach about 160, then I move them to the grate because I'm never sure my hooks aren't in a fat vein that softens more than the muscle. I often wrap the butt pieces with butcher's string for extra insurance; for sure I double hook the pieces, also for extra insurance.

The PBC rubs are delicious; I prefer the All Purpose Rub. I think Meathead's Big Bad Beef Rub recipe is delicious for beef. I also like Meathead's Memphis Rub for pork. You can make these rubs with the spices you have on hand and store them in a tightly sealed jar so they're always on hand. The recipes for them are on the main site.

I often use the PBC All Purpose Rub as a dry brine, just as you are planning. That AP rub on pork is really delicious (although I prefer Meathead's Memphis Rub), and on chicken, it's out of this world. Just skip the salt, sprinkle the PBC AP rub liberally over the meat (just as though you're using a salt shaker) and let sit, covered, in the fridge, overnight or up to a couple of days, depending on your schedule.

Kathryn

[fzxdoc]

One more thing, Bart's Beard , some new owners of the most recent PBCs are finding that the lid does not seat tightly. If you see smoke coming out from under the rim of your PBC, that increased airflow can cause the PBC to run too hot. Make sure the lid is tamped down well and check for leaks.

If you happen to see smoke leaking out between the rim of the barrel and the lip of the lid even after you've tamped the lid's rim down well, crimp some aluminum foil over the rim to seal that seam in tightly. The temperatures should then settle right in at around 270-290.

Hopefully, you won't have this problem, but if you read this topic you'll see that it appears to be happening with some increased regularity with new PBCs.

Enjoy cooking on your new toy!

Kathryn

[PBCDad]

One thing I wish I had done earlier is buy an 8 pound bag of kingsford, which is how much the charcoal basket supposedly holds. I know it seems like a waste of money when comparing it to the bigger bags, but I didn't realize how full a "full charcoal basket" was, and what the intent was. Do it once and it will be money well spent.

[Huskee]

Welcome to The Pit Bart's Beard! Nice to have you here, welcome aboard. What a great hobby to be into!

Since this is your first post, please check out our homework assignment post for new members, it contains a few how-tos and please-dos. This will help you learn your way around so you can get the best experience from our forum.

Also, it's very important that you add the domain AmazingRibs.com to your email safe list in case you are ever drawn as our monthly Gold Medal Giveaway winner!

Hope to hear & see more from you!

[Bart's Beard]

Thanks Everyone!
I am running my first set of butts on Saturday, two butts over 8 pounds. So I am cutting them in 1/2 and following the directions on the PBC & this site. Very excited!

[JDenver]

A couple of tricks I picked up from Kathryn's posts that I wished I'd caught sooner make cleanup easier. Put some aluminum foil on the bottom of the barrel - under the coal basket - makes emptying the ashes easier. And put the coal basket in so that the handle runs in the space between the meat to keep the juces from dripping on the handle and caramelizing on it.

[carolts]

You're certainly better prepared than I was on my first PBC cook! The only thing I can add to the above is have lots of foil on hand. I also like some of the "hardwood" briquettes that Kingsford has and mix them with the blue bag stuff. This is my third summer with the PBC and, although I use it year-round, it really gets a workout in the summer months.

Welcome. You're gonna love your new PBC.

[Bart's Beard]

Well the first cook is underway.
My lid leaks all around and no amount of tapping does anything so I am using tin foil to plug holes at the top. We will see how it goes. Also I forgot to tighten the vent cover at the bottom and I used a small magnet to hold it in place. Appears to be working. Temps are a bit variable as I discover these issues and fix them, uhg.

Anyway, I have this thing rolling along and I will just fuss with it as needed. Once i get it figured out I am sure it will be easier. Right now we seem to have settle at 241 deg or so the remote thermometer is a god send.

[Bart's Beard]

The Butts turned out awesome. The lid leaked smoke, i had a hell of a time keeping temps stable and had to add charcoal to get through the cook, however. The food was great, people were amazed. I also made some brats on it and even those had a smoke ring and tasted awesome. So despite my best efforts it was a rousing success. Whew!

[lschweig]

Greetings Bart's Beard, welcome to the pit. You are going to love your PBC. Since I have gotten mine I seem to be using it 2-3 times a week as it is so user friendly.