Re: What's in your smoker?
 

On the Virtual Weber site, I had some posting about my first pork butt and dealing with temps/tenderness. The conclusion I came to was when cooking with something bone-in like a pork butt, you perform the "bone wiggle" maneuver of sorts. Thus if the bone doesn't feel like it's just gonna slide out from the meat literally falling off the bone, keep on cooking. It seems as long as you keep cooking it slow enough, to hell with what a thermometer says as you just go by the feel of it.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Kinna-sorta, this is why I asked you about 10 posts ago how it felt when you jabbed it with a fork and twisted, and what Jake was explaining about the connective tissues breaking down. :)

You have to hit certain internal temps for the connective tissues to break down and hold there before they will melt. Meat can be made to fall apart and have bone wiggle at a lower temp before all of the connective tissues have melted and it's final texture will reflect this.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

so... My bacon is evidently "too smoky" for my wife. Looks like the next smoke session of bacon will use mesquite, apple, pear or plum and I will try to achieve a lighter smoke flavor for her.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Pete, IMO, mesquite can be almost as strong as hickory and plum can be pretty potent. I'd go with apple, pear or alder if you want to keep things mild, or cut your smoke time down (or both).

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I have posted this before, but I have had butts which were done perfectly and the bone was solid in the meat still. You really NEED to get a reliable thermometer. I have been wrong just going by the temp before, but it's rare. Also, you might not have been going at 220F. Those pics you posted look like the bark was a bit dried out which results mostly from a higher temp (since you stated you only let them smoke for ~8 hours).

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

What is controversial about foiling??:confused:

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Different schools of thought on BBQing. One camp, often describing themselves as more traditional, tends to express feelings that the braising effect caused by the last few hours of cooking in foil results in an undesirable, over softened texture, some go as far as to call it cheating. Others will argue that the softer, moister texture of the more separated meat is more desirable and with the foil, the breakdown of the connective tissues happens much faster (which it does).

I've seen people debate the topic for pages and pages over days. Right up there with fat cap up or fat cap down and cello on or cello off.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Thanks for the advice. It is easier to learn from listening than learning via dollars and meat "wasted."

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I will get a thermometer for sure, but I think the idea is that you have to rely more on how it seems to want to pull apart more so than the temp itself.

I didn't find the bark to be dry at all. It held around 225 for the first few hours and maybe for a stretch over the last 2 hours, was probably closer to 250 because I failed to see that the water was nearly gone, explaining why I didn't get the temp to come down after almost closing the vents completely.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Then it's just the pictures then. What kind of rub did you use?

I can see your point on the texture of the meat. However, the old adage goes "if you're looking, it ain't cooking". By having a good thermometer, you don't have to start feeling texture until the internal temp is at least 190. Before that, you would be going by time, which can bite you.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Doing some spare ribs tonight. These are not my usual 6 hr ribs, but more of a "I'm hungry and ribs would be good" kind of quickie!

Have them over some Cherry smoke with one of my rubs on them. About an hour from now I'll be in Pork Rib heaven with some corn on the cob and a nice cold Heavy Horse Scotch Ale from Big Sky Brewery!
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...0412-00169.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Looking like a good start there, Forrest!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I'm so friggin hungry right now. I keep hittin the sauce....BBQ sauce that is. :D

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

The outside was dark, but it was soft and moist to the touch. I really didn't do much of a rub and my wife did it actually. I think it was just a relatively light coating of season salt, garlic salt, and some pepper honestly. As I said, this was a last minute/hurry up and get it on the grill type of thing. Next time, I'll probably follow this method: http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/pork2.html

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I finally remembered to take before and after pics this time. However the after pics were after we ate, LOL.

Before (new yardbird rub, which is now my new favorite):

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...4/IMG_7461.jpg

After:

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...4/IMG_7463.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Looks killer Wayne and yep, Yardbird is the bomb. We made a bunch of money using it in comps for a while!!!

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

Thanks Brent. Coming from you, that is a HUGE compliment. Since around the first of the year yardbird (and all plowboy rubs) has been MSG free. I was hesitant to use it previously and I really liked the dizzie dust I had been using. But this yardbird made it taste just right. Also it seemed to make a better bark.

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

I just did my first brisket, it turned out ok, needed to foil a little earlier than i did, i foiled it at 183, i was working in the yard and forgot about it, then i was like crap, ran over and said 183, wanted to wrap it at 180. O well, i also maid Burnt Ends, Moo-inkBalls, Beer Brats, Baked and Sweet Potatos, and Corn on the cob, all on the smoker...

Brisket(Flat) Sliced
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/...t%20Meal/3.jpg
Burnt Ends
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/...t%20Meal/8.jpg

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/...t%20Meal/4.jpg
Moo-Oink Balls
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/...al/MooOink.jpg
Beer Brats
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/...t%20Meal/6.jpg
Corn, Baked/Sweet Potatos
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/...eal/photo1.jpg

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

How about sodium content? I want a good rub with no salt, does one exist?

Re: What's in your smoker?
 

you could make your own, with less salt? i know sometimes i use Byrons, and that crap is loaded with sodium... have tried googling low sodium rub? dont know what kind of results the rub part might give you...lol

Here is from another forum i am apart of, pretty cool stuff

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=43026