Hi, I'm a new member here and new to smoking bbq. Just got a used weber smoker as i wanted to branch out from propane grilling and no longer be jealous of my friends and their slow cooked meats.
I was recommended this site by a couple friends so i thought I'd check it out and hope to soak up all the knowledge needed to succeed in smoking amazing meats for my family and friends.
I'm about to attempt my first smoke of a pork shoulder and have no idea on rubs, amount of charcoal, time, and all that good stuff. Where should i start first in this forum?
Thickness of meat determines cook time. On 10# four inch plus thick Boston Butts the cook time runs like this. 3 hours to 160, 6 hours to 180, and 3 hours to 200 for a total of 12 hours. Wrapping from 160 to 180 can cut that time in half.
Wow! I thought I'd be looking at 6-8 hours but i guess i need to start earlier in the morning. By wrapping, i presume you mean in foil (can you tell how new I am?)
JimmyH wrap it in a double layer of foil as tight as possible. It will also benefit, if you don’t wrap during the cook, by wrapping it and letting it rest in an ice chest for two hours with some old towels to fill up the space. Also, you might consider an overnight cook. Your cooker should be able to run unattended for eight hours.
or at least red through it and formulate some questions from there. Lots of info and lots of stuff to do. But if you are good at following instructions, you can’t go wrong with meatheads method. As you smoke more you’ll get a feel for the methods and your cooker and modify from there. This is how I started off anyhow.
This!!! Follow this method for the best pulled pork you’ve ever had. Follow step-by-step - from trimming, to the rub (Memphis dust is awesome!), the cool, and service - this recipe nails it!
This is absolutely the best place to start for a rookie!
I started at that recipe too, about a year ago. Welcome aboard! This place is an AMAZING source of BBQ information. I wish there was a resource like this for my job!
Cookers:
Oklahoma Joe Offset (older thick steel version!)
Camp Chef Woodwind
OK Joe Bronco
Weber Genesis
Ooni Karu
Weber Kettle
My goal is to eventually have at least one of every style of cooker….. I have work to do. Lol!
Thermometers:
ThermoWorks Thermapen MK4
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE
ThermoWorks Thermopop
ThermoWorks RFX
ThermoWorks IRK-2 Infrared
Maverick XR-50
TempSpike Plus
Other Gear:
Megaforce 3000 Meat Grinder
Weston 7-pound sausage stuffer
Jerky Gun for making poppers. (Game changer!)
Amaz-N-Tube
Original SnS with drip n griddle
Weber Chimney
Fuels Used:
Splits/Chunks, whatever I can get. Usually B&B competition. Favorites are Cherry, Apple, Post Oak, and Hickory.
Pellets, Lumberjack.
Charcoal, whatever is on sale. Currently have a bunch of KBB. Will eventually try B&B. Use whatever lump is on sale in my Ooni.
Propane, Blue Rhino.
Rubs:
Usually make my own riff’s on Memphis Dust and BBBR. Also use Meathead’s commercial rubs and occasionally try something new. I like a couple from Tuffy Stone and Kinder’s. After several surgeries, I’m very sensitive to “spicy” stuff, so I need to be careful about heat levels.
Welcome to The Pit from Houston! You’re on the right track to get started. The recipe pages are chock full of jumping off points to BBQ Nirvana! I really like Meathead’s Memphis Dust on all things Pork. I usually make up big batches of that and his Big Bad Beef Rub (BBBR) to keep in my pantry for when the smoking mood strikes. Learning your cooker and it’s nuances is going to take time and be a crucial piece of your BBQ Journey. The best part is that the people here in the Pit have your back and are an absolute wealth of information. They’ve saved me from a cook gone wrong on more than one occasion! Good luck on your shoulder cook! And as we like to say around here, pics or it didn’t happen!
There is usually a sticky topic for the "Show Us What You’re Cooking!" topic. It changes with the season, but is a great place to get inspired by other members and their cooks. https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...11-2-fall-2018
You could also start your own thread in the recipes, techniques, and food discussions section.
Cookers:
Large Big Green Egg with a Ceramic Grill Store rack system, and the SnS setup.
Weber Genesis SA-E-330 LP INDIGO with SS Grates, Weber Crafted frame kit, baking stone, griddle (2/3), all from Ace Hardware.
For the first time in a long time I have no kettles as I gave them all away.
Everything Else:
SnS #3 with certificate. I was their first customer.
Sous Vide equipment.
SnS and Thermoworks instant read and leave-in thermometers.
Grill Grates for BGE.
Kingsford Blue Bag, Weber lighter cubes, Weber charcoal chimneys.
Rubs with salt: Meat Church Holy Cow.
Rubs without salt: Home-mixed versions of previously sold SnS Grills Rocky's Rub and Not Just for Beef using their recipe. SPOG.
Spices: Lots of 'em.
Howdy from Kansas Territory, Welcome to Th Pit!
Glad yer here, to learn along with me!
Probly th best place to start is tellin us what kinda Weber smoker ya have, then we can give more pertinent advice to ya...
Hi Mr Bones! I hail from the Shenandoah valley, Virginia. I have a Smokey Mountain 18". Im sure it's more than big enough for an 8.5# pork shoulder but was planning size more for multiple rib racks in the future.
Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
1) Any rub. Really. Not saying it doesn't matter, but rather, they're all pretty good. I've mixed rubs together and been happy with the result.
2) Look up "snake method" for charcoal and lighting.
3) You didn't ask, but I use apple wood, cherry wood, or hickory for pork. Honestly I can't really tell the difference, the predominant flavor is always pig.
4) Welcome! This is easily the friendliest forum on the internet!
JimmyH Like she won’t already! Modern conveniences and yer cookin’ outside with fire. LOL
Welcome to the club.
The results will silence the critics. ;-)
LSG Adjustable Grill/Smoker, MAK Pellet Grill, Large BGE with Several Attachments from the Ceramic Grill Store, Weber Genesis E335 Gasser, Cast Iron Pans & Griddle, Grill Grates, Mostly Thermoworks Thermometers, Anova SV Stick, BBQ Guru Controller and Fan
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