First smoke ever. Any tips?

[SmokedGouda]

Just got my model 2 smoker delivered as a birthday gift from my awesome wife and both of our parents!  I'm seasoning it now and the hickory smells so good, I can't wait till I add meat to the equation! We are having our parents over on Saturday and I want to break it in. I'm trying to decide what would be better to make as my first ever smoke. Not just on the Model 2. First smoke on anything. The wife and I are HUGE brisket fans and we LOVE burnt ends. I would love to make that but I feel like pulled pork might be a better option for the first time. Since I'm short on time and haven't figured out where to get the meat from yet, I'm wondering if it would be easier to make and to find a Boston butt rather than a whole packer brisket. I would imagine that making the burnt ends is more difficult than the pork.
Any tips are greatly appreciated!

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[Limey]

My first smoke was a Boston butt, quite a while ago, and it turned out great. Butts are very forgiving and great confidence boosters. Make sure to get a big one and brine it. Lots of good information on the forum. Good luck.

[swthorpe]

Between a boston butt and a brisket for the first smoke, I recommend the boston butt.    For my first smoke several years ago, I went with a couple of racks of BB ribs.   The ribs take about 5-5.5 hours, while the boston butt will take several more hours depending on the size of the butt.   

If you do go with a butt, I suggest getting one that is at least 7 pounds and figure 1.5 hours per pound for your time.  And, also allow an extra 2 hours when the butt is done for a resting period---double wrapped in foil and placed in a cooler with towels.   The rest period is important to allow the juices to redistribute into the butt before you pull it.

Let us know how you make out!

[drains]

whatever you choose be sure and read this before you start http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=2151.0
By the way welcome from Texas! A big ol' pork butt is a sure bet on a first smoke. get a bone in butt not a boneless.

[SmokedGouda]

Thanks for the tips everyone! I'm going to go with the pork and give the brine and rub recipes from the Lazy Q guide off the website. Another thing I've seen is the use of a water/juice pan. Any thoughts on using something this first time?

[flying smoker]

Welcome from TN, Phil!  I got my #2 in Jul and have to agree with the others that a bone-in Boston Butt is a great place to start.  I did not use a water pan when I smoked mine.  I think there's enough fat in the meat to not require it.  Others may disagree.  I doubt it will hurt if you use one as you want high moisture anyway.

Good call reading the Lazy Q guide.  Lots of great tips in there.  My 2 cents before your first smoke...
1. take the time to cover the top of the wood box and the bottom of the SI with foil
2. get some heavy duty gloves to handle the meat (transfer from SI to cooler for rest; post-rest tear apart; etc).  I got the pair I have from Academy Sports.  You can search their site for "Outdoor Gourmet® Adults' Insulated Heat-Resistant Gloves 2-Pack".  You certainly don't have to buy from them or even get these gloves, but they're pretty good for handling hot food, racks, smoke boxes, etc.
3. leave the door open while the meat rests so it'll cool more quickly.  The sooner you can get the smoke box out, the sooner you can start the cleanup.  The longer you wait, the more the juices and fats set up and more "elbow grease" will be needed to clean up.

Anyway...just thoughts from another newbie.  Again, welcome to the family and I look forward to seeing pictures of your successes!!  Enjoy the Lazy Q life

[SmokedGouda]

Thanks for the tips everyone, it turned out great! I didn't use a water pan this time, but it was still very moist. Brined for 13 hours first. It was about 9.75 lbs. It took 14 hrs to get to 190 and then I wrapped it and let rest for 2 hrs before pulling. Incredibly moist and tender. It was delicious! Can't wait for the next one!

[drains]

Looks like it came out perfect Phil! Congratulations on the successful first smoke. Keep on smokin!

[Sodaking27]

Looks great Phil. Anxiously awaiting the results of my first brined shoulder.

[DivotMaker]

Congrats, Phil!  Brined butts are always great, and so hard to mess up!  If you want a "sure deal" for folks to enjoy, you just can't go wrong with it!  Now, if we can just get you to figure out how to rotate those pics - I can't stand on my head, like I used to!

[SmokedGouda]

Sorry about the pictures! I can't seem to figure out how to rotate them once they're uploaded. I made that post from my phone.

[AlinMA]

Sorry about the pictures! I can't seem to figure out how to rotate them once they're uploaded. I made that post from my phone.

Take the pics with the phone oriented vertically. Use a editor such as Pixlr to rotate existing pics.

[SmokedGouda]

I'll give that a shot next time, thanks!

Speaking of next time... I'm doing a brisket for my next smoke!

1 last question for now... What could I change if I wanted to get the bark a little crispier? It was still mostly crispy but some parts were less.  Should I have trimmed more fat off it? I saw somewhere that it might be because of wrapping it in foil and that butcher paper might help with the crispness of the bark. Anyone try that?

[DivotMaker]

Phil, most folks don't look for "crispy" bark, as much as "chewy" bark, on pork butts.  You want the bark to blend with the pulled meat, and not really standout as "crispy" (imo).  What temp did you smoke it at?  235 will give you a more firm bark, but not crispy.

[SmokedGouda]

Pardon my ignorance. Crispy was a poor choice of word, but firm sounds much better and more what I was thinking I enjoy. I smoked this one at 225 so I'll try 235 next time. Thanks Tony!