Ok boys and girls - this will be a running post that I will update several times today.
6:30am
Alarm went off, and I popped up and shuffled out to the garage to get charcoal and starters, and then roused up the dogs to go outside to "take care of business", and shuffled over to the SNSK. I pulled everything out of the SNSK, and filled the fire bowl with lump from the bag of B&B Hickory Lump, and nestled 3 large chunks of hickory wood under the charcoal, per lighting recommendations in the manual. Put a single Royal Oak Tumbleweed in the center, nestled it in, and lit. Left lid up, and bottom vent fully open.
One thing is for sure! That grill won't be the pristine white inside for much longer!
6:45am
Coals in the center were nicely lit. Went ahead and installed the upper charcoal grate, the diffuser (plate setter), and decided to try using the Drip 'N Griddle (DNG) as a drip pan on TOP of the diffuser, with some water to prevent it getting gunked up. Installed the grate, an air temp probe, and closed the lid. Left the vents on top and bottom wide open.
7:00am
The temp was up to about 150F, so I closed the vents down a bit to "2" on both top and bottom.
7:15am
The temp was approaching 200F, so I went ahead and grabbed the butt from the fridge where it had been dry brining overnight, rubbed it down, and put it on the grate.
At this point, I adjusted the vents down to "1", took a few outside shots, and I've been monitoring things.
8:15am
The temp was hovering just above 200F with top and bottom set to 1. I opened the top vent to 1.5, and the bottom vent to 2.
8:53am
The air temp is 230F, the meat is at 28.2F (it had been in the deep freeze until 2 days ago). Vents still at 1.5 top, 2 bottom. I may adjust the bottom a little to try and increase the temp, but right now, this is looking pretty good. The plan is to throw 2 slabs of Saint Louis style spares on at noon, and eat those for dinner at 6pm, and have the pulled pork over the weekend.
9:15am
Grate level temp is up to 242F, dome thermometer reads around 280F. Going to leave vents alone for now, as I really wouldn't mind things stabilizing around 275F for this cook, to get the butt done faster.
9:50am
Grate level temp is up to 256F, dome reads about 320F. Adjusted top vent down to 1, bottom vent to 1.5.
10:00am
Grate level temp is at 259F.
10:15am
Per some advice, I decided to put some spacers between the DNG and the diffuser. Probably a good idea, as all the water in the DNG had boiled off, and drippings were burning. I used 3 nuts I found in the garage. During this, I put the grate from the DNG on a side table, along with foil, and set the entire 22" cooking grate over there. After putting everything back in the grill, I discovered a casualty.... my Thermoworks Smoke! Still working... but no longer pretty...
. I gotta get used to these smaller side tables apparently!
10:25am
Had to head out the door to a medical appointment, and with the upward trend having the temp at 262F, I dropped both top and bottom vent to "1", and ran out the door.
12:15pm
Back home with two slabs of ribs, prepped them, salted, then rubbed with MMD, and out to the grill. Temp had dropped all the way to 230F - so I suspect settings of "1" top and bottom will be good for running at 225F. Since I need more heat, I cranked top to 1.25, bottom to 1.5, and we will see where that takes us. I tried two different ways of fitting two racks of SLS ribs on there. First, nestled around the butt, second using the elevated grate. I don't like the crowding, so used the elevated grate.
With the spacers in place there was still a little water in the DNG, and no burning drippings. Probably no more photos until the cook is done, as I think there is a limit of 10 in a post, but I'll continue a play by play. Hopefully the temp will start coming back. There were spikes up and down as I moved things around. And I am aghast! I got some rub and pork rib juice on the gasket to the left, looks like. Better go back and wipe that with a wet paper towel!
Right now, I will comment that at this point in the cook, using my kettle+SNS, I think the butt would have more bark 5 hours into the cook. Bark seems lighter (to me) in Kamado mode, than what I am used to.
1:00pm
Temp is still down at 205F, butt is up to 136F. I need to go check probe placement on the grate probe. I will say that the probe will be super high if not above the diffuser or drip pan, and is much lower in the thermal shadow of the diffuser and drip pan. Adjusted top to 1.5, bottom to 2. We will see where that takes things in the next hour or two.
2:00pm
Yvonne told me it was time to go meet the new grand-daughter, so we took off, grill left unattended! At this point the pit was back to 225. meat was 145.
5:00pm
I was tapped to go pick up a prescription for my daughter, but came by and brushed a layer of Sweet Baby Rays on the ribs, and checked on things. The off away right again. Pit was 230, meat was 157. I opened the bottom vent to 3, top vent to 2.
6:00pm
We got back, threw together a salad and some veggies, and I pulled the top rack of ribs. We were hungry! Pit was 260, butt was 158 - still in the stall!
First rack of ribs was great! Not my best work, but really good. They could have gone a tad longer - most of the meat pulled cleanly from the bone, but not all.
7:00pm
Pulled the other rack, leaving the butt. Pit 260, but 162 - getting out of the stall. Set top vent to 2, bottom vent at 3.
8:00pm
Pit 262, butt 172. Tempted to go open all vents wide and crank it, as I want to go to bed in 2 hours!
9:00pm
Pit at 263, meat at 178. Opened bottom vent to full. Left top vent at 2.
9:15pm
Pit up to 288, meat at 184.
9:25pm
Pit up to 300, meat at 185.
9:45pm
Pit up to 311, meat up to 189.
10:30pm
Pit was 330, meat probe hit 203, and I pulled that bad boy!
11:15pm
Let it rest for about 30-40 minutes on the counter, then pulled/chopped/panned and into the fridge for the weekend meals.
I'll draw up some conclusions after I think about it over the weekend. For now, pleased, still learning!
6:30am
Alarm went off, and I popped up and shuffled out to the garage to get charcoal and starters, and then roused up the dogs to go outside to "take care of business", and shuffled over to the SNSK. I pulled everything out of the SNSK, and filled the fire bowl with lump from the bag of B&B Hickory Lump, and nestled 3 large chunks of hickory wood under the charcoal, per lighting recommendations in the manual. Put a single Royal Oak Tumbleweed in the center, nestled it in, and lit. Left lid up, and bottom vent fully open.
One thing is for sure! That grill won't be the pristine white inside for much longer!
6:45am
Coals in the center were nicely lit. Went ahead and installed the upper charcoal grate, the diffuser (plate setter), and decided to try using the Drip 'N Griddle (DNG) as a drip pan on TOP of the diffuser, with some water to prevent it getting gunked up. Installed the grate, an air temp probe, and closed the lid. Left the vents on top and bottom wide open.
7:00am
The temp was up to about 150F, so I closed the vents down a bit to "2" on both top and bottom.
7:15am
The temp was approaching 200F, so I went ahead and grabbed the butt from the fridge where it had been dry brining overnight, rubbed it down, and put it on the grate.
At this point, I adjusted the vents down to "1", took a few outside shots, and I've been monitoring things.
8:15am
The temp was hovering just above 200F with top and bottom set to 1. I opened the top vent to 1.5, and the bottom vent to 2.
8:53am
The air temp is 230F, the meat is at 28.2F (it had been in the deep freeze until 2 days ago). Vents still at 1.5 top, 2 bottom. I may adjust the bottom a little to try and increase the temp, but right now, this is looking pretty good. The plan is to throw 2 slabs of Saint Louis style spares on at noon, and eat those for dinner at 6pm, and have the pulled pork over the weekend.
9:15am
Grate level temp is up to 242F, dome thermometer reads around 280F. Going to leave vents alone for now, as I really wouldn't mind things stabilizing around 275F for this cook, to get the butt done faster.
9:50am
Grate level temp is up to 256F, dome reads about 320F. Adjusted top vent down to 1, bottom vent to 1.5.
10:00am
Grate level temp is at 259F.
10:15am
Per some advice, I decided to put some spacers between the DNG and the diffuser. Probably a good idea, as all the water in the DNG had boiled off, and drippings were burning. I used 3 nuts I found in the garage. During this, I put the grate from the DNG on a side table, along with foil, and set the entire 22" cooking grate over there. After putting everything back in the grill, I discovered a casualty.... my Thermoworks Smoke! Still working... but no longer pretty...
. I gotta get used to these smaller side tables apparently!10:25am
Had to head out the door to a medical appointment, and with the upward trend having the temp at 262F, I dropped both top and bottom vent to "1", and ran out the door.
12:15pm
Back home with two slabs of ribs, prepped them, salted, then rubbed with MMD, and out to the grill. Temp had dropped all the way to 230F - so I suspect settings of "1" top and bottom will be good for running at 225F. Since I need more heat, I cranked top to 1.25, bottom to 1.5, and we will see where that takes us. I tried two different ways of fitting two racks of SLS ribs on there. First, nestled around the butt, second using the elevated grate. I don't like the crowding, so used the elevated grate.
With the spacers in place there was still a little water in the DNG, and no burning drippings. Probably no more photos until the cook is done, as I think there is a limit of 10 in a post, but I'll continue a play by play. Hopefully the temp will start coming back. There were spikes up and down as I moved things around. And I am aghast! I got some rub and pork rib juice on the gasket to the left, looks like. Better go back and wipe that with a wet paper towel!
Right now, I will comment that at this point in the cook, using my kettle+SNS, I think the butt would have more bark 5 hours into the cook. Bark seems lighter (to me) in Kamado mode, than what I am used to.
1:00pm
Temp is still down at 205F, butt is up to 136F. I need to go check probe placement on the grate probe. I will say that the probe will be super high if not above the diffuser or drip pan, and is much lower in the thermal shadow of the diffuser and drip pan. Adjusted top to 1.5, bottom to 2. We will see where that takes things in the next hour or two.
2:00pm
Yvonne told me it was time to go meet the new grand-daughter, so we took off, grill left unattended! At this point the pit was back to 225. meat was 145.
5:00pm
I was tapped to go pick up a prescription for my daughter, but came by and brushed a layer of Sweet Baby Rays on the ribs, and checked on things. The off away right again. Pit was 230, meat was 157. I opened the bottom vent to 3, top vent to 2.
6:00pm
We got back, threw together a salad and some veggies, and I pulled the top rack of ribs. We were hungry! Pit was 260, butt was 158 - still in the stall!
First rack of ribs was great! Not my best work, but really good. They could have gone a tad longer - most of the meat pulled cleanly from the bone, but not all.
7:00pm
Pulled the other rack, leaving the butt. Pit 260, but 162 - getting out of the stall. Set top vent to 2, bottom vent at 3.
8:00pm
Pit 262, butt 172. Tempted to go open all vents wide and crank it, as I want to go to bed in 2 hours!
9:00pm
Pit at 263, meat at 178. Opened bottom vent to full. Left top vent at 2.
9:15pm
Pit up to 288, meat at 184.
9:25pm
Pit up to 300, meat at 185.
9:45pm
Pit up to 311, meat up to 189.
10:30pm
Pit was 330, meat probe hit 203, and I pulled that bad boy!
11:15pm
Let it rest for about 30-40 minutes on the counter, then pulled/chopped/panned and into the fridge for the weekend meals.
I'll draw up some conclusions after I think about it over the weekend. For now, pleased, still learning!
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