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First smoke, first butt... questions about bark

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    First smoke, first butt... questions about bark

    Hello all,

    Smoked my first pork butt this past weekend. It was also my first smoke ever. I followed Meathead's pulled pork recipe with an 8lb butt. I started it on my Weber 22 w/SnS at 8am and the temp fluctuated between 225 - 250 degs throughout the day. It stalled around 4pm at 174 deg and didn't budge. I was getting dirty looks from the wife and kids around 7pm so I wrapped it in foil and threw it in the oven (I let the coals die down too much). It hit 198 deg around 7:45pm so I decided to just pull it then. Most of the butt was tender with maybe 20 percent dried out. The biggest thing that bothered me was that the bark tasted a little like charcoal. I think the issue was that I put the butt on too early. I think I lit the charcoal and put the butt on 5 mins after, ie, I did not follow the instructions on the SnS website. Besides putting it on early, any thoughts on charcoal taste and ways to minimize or prevent it?

    mikey


    After trimming fat
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    approx 4 hours in
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    #2
    I put my meat on before I drop the hot coals. Place meat, dump hot coals onto a wood chunk, run wide open until I get about 10 degrees from target temp.

    You use any wood?

    Comment


    • mikey
      mikey commented
      Editing a comment
      I used applewood chips I bought at a hardware store.

    • mikey
      mikey commented
      Editing a comment
      Are you using a full chimney of lit charcoal? From what I'm reading on the website it seems like unlit coals on top of lit coals could be the root of my problem. Seems like you are using all lit coals. Thoughts?

    #3
    I recommend chunks for a long cook. I even use a chunk if I’m reverse searing a steak with the SnS. I’ve had an issue one time with an overly charcoaly taste. It was when I let the coals die down too much and I threw a bunch of unlit coals in right at the end of the cook, so the last hour or so had tons of heavy charcoal smoke.

    Comment


    • mikey
      mikey commented
      Editing a comment
      Feel like I may have done the same thing when adding more charcoal. Will be more careful/aware next time. Thanks!

    #4
    Unlit charcoal will do that. Next time, give it 15 minutes or so and you should be good. Those initial 12 briquettes need to be fully lit before the rest of it goes in.

    Comment


      #5
      How much chips did you use? Too much can over smoke the meat - especially if you just dump them on the hot coals. Try to find some wood chunks. Lots smoke with hickory, but some think apple or cherry, (most fruit woods), give a better flavor on pork. And start with just one or two chunks. This will allow you to sneak up on the right amount for your taste. If 2 chunks are not enough, try 3 the next cook and so forth.

      You can cook a butt as high as 300* without problems. So if the butt is behind schedule, crank up the heat.

      Cutting the butt in half will reduce the cooking time and give you more bark.

      If you have to pull it before it is tender you can slice it thin across the grain and it will seem tender. Remember, pork is actually well done at 150* to 160*, but it won't be tender until it has time to render the connective tissues.

      Comment


      • mikey
        mikey commented
        Editing a comment
        I used 2 handfuls. I'll do a little less next time. Seems like most people prefer chunks. Are chips wrong or problematic? I started a dozen coals in the corner of the SnS and filled up the remaining space after 5 mins when I saw the first coals were lit. Then I placed the 2 handfuls on top of the unlit coals.

      • Steve R.
        Steve R. commented
        Editing a comment
        Chips will work, but they can flame up too much and affect the temperature of the kettle. Chunks will give you a slower and longer lasting burn.

      #6
      Also don't be afraid to finish it in the oven. I've only ever finished one butt on my Kettle and it didn't taste any better then any of the ones I finished in the oven. Once I can't maintain 250 degrees anymore the butt gets wrapped and into the oven it goes.

      Comment


      • mikey
        mikey commented
        Editing a comment
        That's good to know. Takes the refueling variable out of the equation.

      #7
      If you plan to wrap, give yourself a good 12 hours from when you put the butt on to when you expect to eat. If you plan to not wrap, give yourself a good 16 or 18 hours from when you put the butt on until you plan to eat. With a pork butt, dry typically means undercooked. And you would logically think the exact opposite . The fun is in the practice!

      Comment


      • mikey
        mikey commented
        Editing a comment
        Thanks for addressing the dryness. That blows my mind that it's because it's undercooked. Are those times for 225*?

      #8
      mikey, (too long for comment box) roughly, yes. Typically the longer the meat cooks, the longer it stays up at that "done" range, such as in a faux cambro where the meat is held hot and its temp slowly wanes, that's when the fats and collagen in the meat 'melts' and gives it that juicy soft deliciousness we all know & love. When it hasn't done that yet is when it can feel dry, and we think it's overcooked. Of course, it is possible to get a dry hunk o' pork that won't get better, but most likely it needs more time.

      Comment

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