Welcome!

**BradFlood** · November 18, 2016, 09:01 AM

Step #1 - WET BRINING THE BUTTS - (you guys need to update your spellcheck, it's telling me "brining" is not a word)

First, rinse your butt (after all, cleanliness is next to Godliness) Photo #1

**BradFlood** · November 18, 2016, 09:18 AM

Step #1 continued

Now mix up your brine solution in a food grade bucket/container large enough to fit your butt and permit it to be completely submerged in the brine.

BRAD'S BOSTON BUTT BRINE RECIPE (for 1 8-10# Boston Butt)

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salt (I like to use Kosher Salt, but table salt will do)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 quart cold apple juice
- 1 bottle Molson Ice beer (of course you can use your favorite beer)
- 1 quart cold water
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 table spoons Dry Rub (recipe coming later)

Method
- Put dry ingredients in bottom of container & add about a cup of HOT tap water, to dissolve the salt & sugar
- Once the dry ingredients are dissolved, add the apple juice, Molson Ice & water & STIR vigorously
- Add your Butt and make sure there is enough brine to completely cover your Butt, if not, add more apple juice...or another beer!
- Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 8 hours

I usually start the brining the day before and let it sit in the fridge all day. Right before I go to sleep, I take the container out of the fridge, leave it covered and let it sit in the kitchen to come down to room temperature by morning time. This way I am not putting "fridge cold" Butt on the smoker, which can increase the time of smoking by as much as two hours.

Note: in the photo, my Butts are not fully submerged....YET! I wanted to show my Butts before submerging, covering and refrigerating.

**BradFlood** · November 18, 2016, 09:25 AM

Step #2 - OUT OF THE BRINE

When you are ready to Smoke, drain the Butts and pat dry (keeping a little moisture to assist in adhering the Dry Rub)...DO NOT RINSE OFF YOUR BUTT!

**BradFlood** · November 18, 2016, 10:00 AM

Step #3 - RUBBING YOUR BUTT

Just a note, once I've drained my Butt but before I rub my Butt, is when I light my starter charcoal to get the smoker fired up.

Once your Butt is patted dry, it's time to give your Butt a GOOD RUB! I have created my own Dry Rub Recipe that creates an incredibly spicy, sweet bark, or Cracklings, on my finished Butt. Here is my recipe, or of course, you may use your own homemade or one of the rub recipes here on amazingribs.com...but please, I beg of you, don't use a "store bought" one, be creative and adventurous!

BRAD'S DRY RUB RECIPE (good for any smoked meats)

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon dark chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon ground pepper
- 1/2 Tablespoon Hungarian paprika (be careful with this stuff...it packs a wallop!!!)

Method
Combine all ingredients in a glass mixing bowl and stir with a fork until well mixed and all clumps are broken up. Store in a tightly sealed glass container. I used to store it in a zip lock baggie but feel the glass bowl keeps the mix fresher, specially if you make large batches at a time and store it for future use. If the container is not air tight, the rub will lose potency over time. Photo #1

Apply a generous amount of Dry Rub to your Butt and work it into the meat and crevices, covering your whole Butt thoroughly. Notice in my photo, I like to score the thick fat slab on my Butt (I also will pre-trim that fat slab, before rubbing my Butt, if it is too thick.) Photo #2

**BradFlood** · November 18, 2016, 10:34 AM

Step #4 - THE SMOKER UNIT & SET-UP

I've been smoking meats, starting with Boston Butt for pulled pork, for about 6+ years now. I have been a Weber charcoal grill cooker for over 40 years and became quite good, if I can toot my own horn. I have never had a Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey cooked in an oven in my home, usually fully stuffed with my own sausage, mushroom stuffing, and I live in Iowa for 5 years (November & December are frigging COLD in Iowa folks).

So when I decided to start smoking meats, I used my Weber Charcoal Grill to begin with. I eventually branched out and bought a Brinkman side mount smoker about 4 years ago. It was a low end model, made of thinner steel and wobbly wheels, with no ash catcher, etc. I made it work, and work well, for the better part of 3 years, through Connecticut Springs, Summers, Falls & Winters. This past Spring, I wandered into our local BJ's and they had a Landman side mount smoker, made with thick grade steel, metal wheels (I had to replace one of the plastic wheels on the Brinkman, it cost $6.50 buck and $11 shipping...LOL!!!), and ash box. Even better, it was on sale at an almost $200 discount! I bought it and have been using it regularly with excellent results. I still have the Brinkman and use it sporadically if need be, but I love my Landman, for what I do. Photo #1

I cook with Kingsford Competition Charcoal and like to flavor my smoke with fruit woods, preferring Apple & Cherry, in that order. Cherry is the pick for today. I've heard good things about Alder wood and plan to take it for a test run sometime soon. Even though I read in my new MEATHEAD Book that soaking the wood doesn't really make a difference, I'm old school and soak my wood chunks overnight. One reason is that sometimes my charcoal box gets too hot, even with the vents closed, so putting the soaked wood on cools the coals a bit and gets me back where I wanna be.

In my smoking chamber I always have drip pans under my meat, for two reasons. One, to keep the floor of the chamber clean and two, I always smoke/cook with Molson Ice in my drip pans, to assure there is moisture in the chamber during cook times. I can't definitively say whether is makes a difference or not, but that's just how I do things. I keep an eye on the pans throughout the cooking time and add a bottle to each pan when needed, usually about every 4 hours. Photo #2

I get my smoker up to temperature prior to putting my Butt in the smoking chamber. I will run my smoker at 225-250, trying to keep it towards the 225 end as much as possible. I've learned to not be so "diligent" (some would say "ANAL", I say "driven crazy") about keeping it right at 225 and have found that the 225-250 range usually averages out to about 230 or so when all is said and done.

**BradFlood** · November 18, 2016, 10:51 AM

Step #5 - LET'S GET SMOKING ALREADY!!!

OK, so my Butt is well rubbed, my smoker is up to temp, my pans are Molson Ice happy and I'm ready to start SMOKIN'! I place my Butt on the smoker, directly over a drip pan and try to center them about mid-chamber. When I have multiple Butts (or cuts, sometimes I do a Butt & Brisket combo), like today, I keep them separated by at least 2-3", so that the smoke and fully encompass, engulf and caress each Butt!

I use an Ivation digital, wireless thermometer with dual probes, one for the chamber temperature and one for the Butt temperature throughout the smoke. I find them to be very accurate and also agree with MEATHEAD's Book about the big difference between the chamber probe and the lid mounted thermometer. If you want to be serious about this stuff, invest in a good digital, wireless thermometer. I am considering asking Santa for one of the newer digital, wireless thermometers with a smartphone app.

So, I'm all set and ready to start SMOKIN' some BUTT! The Butts were placed in the chamber (Photo #1) at 6:38am (Photo #2) I always take a photo of the oven clock when I start a Smoke, so I can remember when I put it on and have an accurate duration record for the Smoke. I've got a great memory, it's just short some times!

Internal Temp of meat at 6:38am - 66 degrees

Time to close the lid and let them Butts SMOKE! Photo #3