Scarrrrry Low & Slow

BigGreenDon

OK, not scary for you all, but scary for this newbie...

This is only the fourth time I've fired up the new XL & I wanted to try some pulled pork. Sam's smallest BB was 14 lbs, and I wanted to train on something more reasonable, so I found an 8 1/2 lb picnic at Publix...

Anyway, I started the egg at 9:15PM and by 10PM I seem to be stable at 220F. To get there, my bottom vent is at about 3/16" and the daisy is at just short of half open.

I'm no longer seeing any smoke, and I worry that the egg could be just coasting now with the fire on the verge of going out. I've got no solid reason to think so, I am just worried in general with this being my first L&S.

Do my present draft settings seem "reasonable" to you all? Is it normal to not see any real visible smoke coming out when the egg is in the settled-down low & slow state? I can feel a slight draft, however...

I'm trying to convince myself that it will be OK for me to go to bed tonight!

Thanks,
Don

whtfarmer

Don, I am rather new at this too, but I have done maybe 6 all night BBs. I try to get my temp at 250 to 270. Butts are very forgiving. My last one took 17 hours at this temp. 220 is harder to maintain and you won't get much sleep. It seems that the temp always raises 20 to 30 degrees in the first couple of hours for me. Good luck.

Carolina Q

Everyone around these parts seems to go for 250, not 220. The only butt I've done so far, on the egg anyway, I did at 250 and it was perfect.

Not sure about the settings. I just started closing the vents down as I approached 250 and let it settle in for a while before I put the butt on. I started early AM and ate a late meal, so I haven't had to worry about getting up in the middle of the night. I did have to tweak it a bit during the day, but not much.

Fidel

Three things:

1. Settle your temps at 250*. You'll thank me later. It's just much easier to maintain and the end product will be just as good.

2. It is not only normal, but preferable to not see any smoke (or just see faint intermittent wisps) when the egg is chugging along at 250*.

3. That 14 pounds of meat at Sam's was a twin pack of two boston butts in the 6-8 pound range. If you're gonna burn the lump, you may as well do the pork and save it for later

Sundazes

I let my egg run at the target temp, 250, for an hour prior to an over night low and slow. If it stays stable for that hour, it's good to go. Once you put the butt on, the temp will drop. Just shut the dome and walk away. The egg will eventually come back up to temp. Dont mess with the settings.

Some of the experts will chime in, as I am fairly new my self.

Misippi Egger

Agree with Fidel - dome at 240-250* minimum.

What you might have seen on here when you saw 220* was a grid temp. For example, I use a BBQ Guru (now called DigiQ), I set my grid temp for 225*. My dome temp will then run about 240-250*, as teh dome is higher than the grid.

A dome temp of 220* would equate to about a grid temp of 200*. It's pretty hard to get you butt internal temp to 200* when the grid is at that level. :ohmy:

Set you alarm clock, if you don't have a wireless remote, and get up to check things a couple of times during the night.

Good luck - you are going to have a great meal!

Bash

Don,

I'd be afraid to go to bed until I saw it stable for over an hour. Your vent settings are more open than I would think for that temperature, so the fear I would have is that it would get too hot.

See Grandpas Grub Vent Settings Visual Guide. Mine look similar on my XL. His pics are on a large, but the XL acts about the same.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=746823&catid=1

Hope it turns out well and you get a good nights sleep. I'd at least check it in a couple of hours.

Richard

RGBHV

Hi Don:

I think you're best off at 250 as well.

Make sure you have enough lump for the fire to burn all night!

I didn't set my alarm for my first overnight cook. The fire for my first cook looked great and (like a new father) I woke up every couple of hours just to take a peak. I'd get up, looked at the egg - if the temp was right, I went back to bed OR, open the patio door and smell the love!

Good luck!

Michael

2Fategghead

Hey Don, Hope your cook is going well. Just think about the end product! :P That will make things all better. Tim

Once you get a few of these low and slow overnight cooks under your belt you will get better and you won't get so nervous.

Here are some Tips, Links & Useful Information for Egger's by Grandpas Grub

Check it out when you get a chance.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=746787&catid=1

BigGreenDon

Hey all!

All is well at 10AM! I only woke up twice during the night to check on things. Hit the plateau sometime after 6AM this morning and the probe is stuck at around 170F right now. Dome temp crept up to 230F. Per the advice I've been given, I'll not worry if it creeps up to 250 or so --- or even encourage that if it gets too late in the day and it looks like there would be a chance of dinner ending up too late...

Thanks,
Don

Doug in Eggmonton

Sounds like everything is perfect, congratulations.

Doug