Need Tips on Smoking Boston Butt

SETenn wrote:
Hey guys, thanks for the tips. I am using a cheapo Brinkman electric smoker, one that looks like R2D2 off of Star Wars. It was free so I cant complain. I have been looking at it today and may have figured out the problem. The water pan is huge, almost the entire diameter of the smoker. There is just enough room around the edge of the pan for smoke to enter the top of the smoker where the meat is located. I am thinking that by placing the meat in the center of the smoker right above the water pan that a lot of the smoke never reaches the meat and escapes between the dome lid and the body of the smoker.

I have placed a small metal grate above the element and plan on placing a smaller water pan on top of it. This also raised the pan so I can get more wood chunks around the element. On the factory set up the pan sits so close to the element that using decent sized wood chunks was almost impossible. I will just have to check on the smaller pan more often to make sure I have water in it.

Thanks again. Any other ideas are appreciated.

I had one of those for years until iI got a propane smoker. The drip pan is just fine, the smoke WILL get around it and saturate the meat, I've done plenty of butts in that smoker.

I have a gas smoker I set at about 200* and after the first 30 minutes of smoking that's it. I continue without smoke, low and slow until done. Some times I finish wrapped in foil. Sliced meat has a nice edged smoke ring, with great smoke flavor. I've tried smoking longer than 30 minutes but noticed little difference in flavor. Works for me and cuts the cost of a smoking. I buy chips and a bag cost me $5.00, not cheap. I use about a dollars worth and happy not to burn up a whole bag.

IMHO, You need the insulating ability of Earth. Metal loses heat to the outside Atsmosphere. You can use a Ceramic Smoker or for a low-cost option use the Alton Brown Method of Smoking in a Terra Cotta Flower Pot with a Hot Plate and hardwood Chips.

Whoops. I have an electric/charcoal one story Brinkman and I can tell you that the electric is borderline, especially when tryimg to keep a pan full of water hot.
What I would do is either leave water pan out and put some aluminum foil over part of the lower grate or leave it empty. Put lots of wood in a pie pan or loaf pan on the electric and smoke it for about 3 hours, or in my case I would use a probe and take it to 145 or where it stalls. I would then wrap it and put it in the oven at around 300 and take it to 190/200 degrees, then rest it 30 minutes to let the juices get drawn back in.

Hey guys, thanks for the tips. I am using a cheapo Brinkman electric smoker, one that looks like R2D2 off of Star Wars. It was free so I cant complain. I have been looking at it today and may have figured out the problem. The water pan is huge, almost the entire diameter of the smoker. There is just enough room around the edge of the pan for smoke to enter the top of the smoker where the meat is located. I am thinking that by placing the meat in the center of the smoker right above the water pan that a lot of the smoke never reaches the meat and escapes between the dome lid and the body of the smoker.

I have placed a small metal grate above the element and plan on placing a smaller water pan on top of it. This also raised the pan so I can get more wood chunks around the element. On the factory set up the pan sits so close to the element that using decent sized wood chunks was almost impossible. I will just have to check on the smaller pan more often to make sure I have water in it.

Thanks again. Any other ideas are appreciated.

What are you smoking them on? I've done one on a Brinkmann smoker similar to this ...



...and it was a PITA because the charcoal bowl would fill up too fast and with the water bowl right above it, it was difficult to remove any buildup of ash. I got it to work and it was good.

But the second time, I used my Weber kettle grill like this...



..and it was so much better and easier to use. I have a grate that is hinged on both sides and have two charcoal baskets (one on each side). I have a drip pan that I put in between them and pour some applejuice in it. Speaking of that, I use a rub, but only put it on it for about 30-60 minutes before smoking. I also inject appple juice into it.

Here's the recipe and instructions below that I use. Works great and tastes good. If you put the rub on and let it sit overnight, you might find it to be a bit spicy. You can cut out or cut down on the cayenne.

Ingredients:
- Boston Butt – about 8-10lbs of pork – pick one with the bone in
Then you will need a rub for your butt made up of:
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 4 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 teaspoons onion powder
- 4 tablespoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 3 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper – a little more if you like your butt with a little kick
If you want to have more of a sweet flavor to your butt, you can add to the rub mix
- 5 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
Adding brown sugar gives the meat a sweet taste, but will also cause the meat to turn a dark color as you cook it as the sugar caramelizes. Cooking without the brown sugar results in more of a salty flavor and the meat will be a deep red color. It is just a matter of taste and what you like.
Mix all these ingredients together as the rub for your smoked Boston Butt. This will store for weeks in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

Cooking Instructions
1- Apply a thin coat of mustard to the butt. You can use the cheap stuff or if you like it a little more tangy, use dijon mustard. The mustard provides some flavor, but also provides a base for the rub to stick to.
2- Generously rub your butt with the rub recipe above. If you plan ahead, you can wrap it up and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator to allow the spices to penetrate the meat.
3- If you prefer, inject your smoked Boston Butt with apple juice to add flavor and to keep it moist as you cook
4- Heat your BBQ to 225F degrees and put your butt on the grill. Indirect heat works the best and add your favorite soaked wood chips to add the smoked flavor
5- Plan on cooking the smoked Boston Butt about 60-90 minutes for every pound in the roast.
6- Every 2 1/2 hours, open it up and turn the roast to ensure even cooking. Mop your roast with combination of apple juice and olive oil to keep it moist
7- The meat is done when the internal temperature is above 190F degrees. The lower you keep the temperature, the more moist the meat will be.
8- Don’t be afraid to start early because it can take longer than expected. If it gets done early, you can always wrap it in foil and put it in a cooler. It will keep warm for hours after it is done. At least let the smoked Boston Butt sit for about an hour after you take it off the grill so you don’t burn your fingers as you pull the meat.
9- Serve with your favorite sides, salads, and drinks.

I smoke it with hickory chunks on a V rack in my Big Green Egg for 20 hours (really) at 225. I take it off when internal temp hits 185. Falls apart with a fork. Tastes like bacon. Most of the fat drips off. When you cook it this way, it reaches 140 and hits a plateau for many hours till the collagen dissolves.

Most delicious thing in the world, except maybe my ribs . . . .

I think the problem is that you're using chips rather than chunks or other large pieces and the chips just burn right up. If you can't find anything locally you can get Weber chunks from Amazon.

Also if your nose is in the smoke a lot during the cook it'll deaden your taste for smoke once dinner time rolls around.

If you hang around the smoker much during the cook, your taste buds will get overloaded with smoke and the meat will taste much milder. See how the smoke taste comes through the next day.

Try downloading the cranky buzzard smoking workbook.... I've used lots of his ideas...

http://bubbachow.com/Workbook/workbook.html