2 questions

buzd504

slantback37 said:

Would there be VOC's in that chunk of apple wood as well??

Not of any consequence.

Philly35

BYS1981 said:

I have a controller and I have it for one reason and one reason only - to sleep during a 250°F cook with no worries.  For any other cook it isn't necessary, especially once you get the hang of the temps.

I use a maverick for this. I don't have a controller. I can sleep with no worries knowing I got the vents set properly and the maverick alarm will go off it it falls below or goes above set temps. And if it does, I just crack the bottom vent one way or the other and go back to bed. 

johnmitchell

slantback37 said:

Kind of hard to say. I have pushed a garbage cart at a hospital for the last 27 years. Every smell seems to be the same. I'll have the wife smell it.

Dang... Now that is a great chirp... Not trying to be insensitive but that is funny..

Sea2Ski

Since the back of the egg seems to usually get a bit more heat, point the legs to the hinge.  That should cook them hotter, and keep the breast a bit cooler. 

slantback37

Okay. Legs towards the hinge. Will do.

There are a couple of different styles of that thermapen on ebay. I bid $40.00 on a used one, but was outbid.

BYS1981

Philly35 said:

BYS1981 said:

I have a controller and I have it for one reason and one reason only - to sleep during a 250°F cook with no worries.  For any other cook it isn't necessary, especially once you get the hang of the temps.

I use a maverick for this. I don't have a controller. I can sleep with no worries knowing I got the vents set properly and the maverick alarm will go off it it falls below or goes above set temps. And if it does, I just crack the bottom vent one way or the other and go back to bed. 

To each there own, I prefer to remain sleeping and not have to worry about an alarm. I am a heavy sleeper and prefer not to have my wife wake me up when an alarm is going off.

BYS1981

@slantback37 grab a thermopop for $30

slantback37

I think I will. Don't think I want a used one.. Never know what you will end up with in the end..

jtcBoynton

You won't find Thermapens at many retail stores. Just order one from Thermoworks directly. A Thermapen is an investment in good cooking. By the time it wears out, it will have cost you less than 10 cents per cook. Considering you may be cooking $50 of steak or $60 of salmon, etc, spending 10¢ to make sure you get it right is something I wouldn't worry about.

slantback37

I bought the Thermopop. Got it on sale for $21. and some change.

I did the spatchcock chicken. Tasted great. Had rubber skin. Though putting butter over and under the skin. I got the breast up to 165. Wanted to be sure. The thigh did come in at 180. There was a little blood near the wings, so I just cut them off. I went indirect. Boy it takes some time to light that Rockwood. Seems like there is a lot of little tiny pieces in there as well, but it all worked out okay. I didn't put a piece of apple wood in. That will be something to play with in the future. Next the wife wants me to do a 9 or 10 Lb turkey we have in the freezer. Most times I would deep fry it, but I would like to try it on the egg. We both love crispy turkey skin. How do we do that, and still be able to keep a rub on the skin?? Again.
Again. Thanks for all of your help. It helped out a lot. Learning the difference between ggod smoke, and bad smoke..

jtcBoynton

Best to start with dry skin if you want it to be crispy. Butter = not crispy. Higher heat helps get the skin crispy, but makes getting the meat cooked just right tricky. There have been lots of discussion on how to get crispy skin on poultry. There are many methods, so go back through some of the old discussions and then pick a method that you think will work for you.

slantback37

Okay.

xiphoid007

A couple tricks:

1) I find the back part of the egg is hotter, so I aim the darkmeat back so it can get cooked to a hotter temp, letting white and dark meat finish at the same time.

2) if you ice the breasts for 30 min first (usually for a big chicken or turkey) you lower that temp a bit and help the 2 reach doneness at the same time. Just fill a ziptop bad with ice and rest on the chicken/turkey.

3) I spatchcock the bird a day before and leave in the bottom of the fridge to dry the skin. Then I loosen the skin and rub a butter or oil based wet rub between the skin and the meat. It flavors the meat better and I think it helps the skin crisp.

4) I prefer raised direct at 400-425. I use the adjustable rig and love it. Even for indirect cooks though I still like 375 to 400. The skin gets crispy better at higher temps. Lower temps give you gummy skin.

5) Don't give up! Your cooks will get better, with time and practice, but I can honestly say I've never had an inedible cook. I've definitely gotten better with time! 

jaydub58

I have gotten great crispy skin just mixng in some cornstarch with my rub.
Yum!

slantback37

What is a adjustable raised rig??
Would you also mix some of that rub and butter under the spatched turkey??

xiphoid007

http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/big-green-egg-large-adjustable-rig.html

Yes, you can treat the turkey the same way. Make a paste with oil or butter and the rub and rub in between the skin and the meat. You don't have to, but its another option for crispy skin and tasty meat.

slantback37

I will do that, and rub the skin with a little corn starch to keep it dry. Now can someone tell me about an adjustable riser?? Or is that the one with bolts on a grill??

Nanook

http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/big-green-egg-large-adjustable-rig.html

slantback37

Thanks. I think I will make one. Doesn't  have to be Stainless..

slantback37

Another question. I am going to try another pork butt. I want to try an overnighter. Anything I should be concerned about?? When going indirect. I put that drip pan in lasttme, and the apple juice evaporated. If I nearly fill it to the top. Will there be enoughwater, or juice to make it threw the cook?? I plan to put the lump up to within an inch of the plate setter this time, and set the egg to 225. I will also wait until the white smoke is gone.

johnmitchell

Personally I don't use a drip pan filled with anything...Just an empty pan to catch the drippings, also don't forget to have a small air gap between your drip pan and your place setter. Otherwise your plan and set up sounds great..Enjoy and good luck

slantback37

Thanks. I want it to work, so I don't have to throw away another pork sholder. How long should I figure to cook say a 6 to 8 Lb butt??

johnmitchell

I would say at 225= 2hours per pound
                      250= 1.5 hours per pound
I personally think cooking at 250 is easier to maintain and also then you are not chasing temps as much, but anyway a Butt is very forgiving with temp fluctuations..Good Luck sir.

flexfusion

Go buy a Kamado Joe "Divide and Conquer" set-up and you have more options than one can imagine.  

xiphoid007

I personally prefer turbo method for pork butt. That's 350-375 indirect. It takes much less time. Probably more like 45-60 min per pound. You still get nice bark too. 

I don't use a water pan either. The egg seals so well, the environment stays moist enough. I do put the fat down to protect the meat on the bottom from the direct heat of the stone. 

I cook to an internal temp of 203 and its been perfect every time. I don't mind getting up early either. If its done early I just wrap in foil, a towel, and throw it in a cooler (FTC) until its time to eat. Its stay piping hot for 4-6 hrs easily. 

slantback37

Now it might rain on Friday night. Will that effect the cook time??
Also. I hear fat cap, and fat cap down. Which is better??
If indirect should I raise the grill to even with the felt like I did with that spatchcock chicken??

jtcBoynton

Pork butt is quite tolerant of being cooked at a variety of temps. 

As for cooking time, there is a good amount of variability between individual pieces so take all times as rough.  

225º:  2 hours a pound

250º: 1.5 hours a pound

280º:  1 hour per pound

350º:  45 mins per pound

I generally cook pork butts at 280-290º. This allows for getting up in the morning, starting the lump, having breakfast and coffee, putting the butt on the egg and having it ready by dinner time. I have settled in on this temp because it best fits my schedule. 

xiphoid007

@slantback37 the rain shouldn't affect the cook, but wind can. It can stoke the fire for you and it can overheat sometimes.

As far as fat up or down, that's a debate for the ages. I put the skin side down since I don't use a water pan. The plate setter gets hot going turbo and radiates heat. I think the fat protects the meat and gets nice and crispy as well with the rest of the bark. Just my 2¢.

slantback37

I had heard that with the cap up that it helps to moisen the meat more.
Would a riser be a wise idea when going indirect??

jtcBoynton

With the fat cap up, the melting fat just stays on the surface, helping to wash away smoke and rub. I have never seen anything that demonstrates that it will moisten the meat more. There is plenty of moisture within a butt.