First timer and question about squirt bottles

B

bjacobs26

New member
I've learned a tremendous amount by reading posts and trying to study for my first smoke. I'll be making a pork butt on the #2 and had the following question. I see on videos people frequently spraying the butt with a squirt bottle of juice/vinegar/etc but seems to go against what I see here with most people just closing the doors and monitoring the temps. What is the general consensus on the necessity for this ??  Does it really do anything or is it just unnecessary meddling.


Looking forward to entering the hobby today,

BJ
 
+1 I have done many butts and there is no need to spray the meat.  The smokers keep a lot of moisture within so you should be fine.
 
Put water in the squirt bottle and use it on yourself if you get too warm... it has no use with/within your SI smoker.  :)
 
Spritzing and mopping were fine back in the day when I used an offset smoker and had to periodically add wood and rotate meat so as to not have any one piece spend the entire cook next to the firebox. Since the smoker was open, why not spritz?  With the electric, I have not found a need to spritz or to mop. As others have said, leave the smoker closed.
 
Could not agree more. As a fellow newbie I've only done 2 pork butts but there is no need for any squirting/spraying during the cook. Keep the door closed until reaching your desired IT. On a side note, to guarantee the moisture you want, do the brine before cooking. It's outstanding how that meat comes out. Good luck and have fun!!!
 
Thanks guys!!  I'll use the spray bottle to spray myself  to get over the stress of experiencing my first stall. Any advice for the stall other than patience and a bourbon??
 
Maybe JD instead?
Im a new guy as well.  I like to take notes periodically, so that I remember what to expect next time...or note how I changed the wood mix/rub/brine or temp/time for all of these somehow...sometimes on purpose, or more likely by mistake.  That way you can recreate the success and start to remember the nuances of the smoker...like hot spots where your wood burns more...or compare the front or back of the shelf to see if one cooks hotter.  Hard to remember it all when you first start out and are cooking a lot of different things.  It might be a week or month till you smoke the same thing again.
Good luck
Stephen from Kuwait.
 
As a guy who did his first pork butt a few weeks ago, I wouldn't worry about it.  I also have a #2.  You're going to start the smoke around midnight and go to bed.  Don't sit around worrying about the stall.  Just watch for that magic 190 degree mark, pull the shoulder out, wrap it and put it in something insulated, and see if you can wait until dinner time before you rip into it.  We couldn't.  I just finished the last of the leftover pulled pork yesterday and we're planning our next one.  Let us know if you have any other questions and let us know how yours turns out.
 
bjacobs26 said:
Any advice for the stall other than patience and a bourbon??
Click to expand...

Seems like a winning strategy already...  get used to the idea that you can do lots of other things with your time now instead of babysitting the smoker.  I do long smokes overnight and don't even care about the stall.
 
Inject it, rub it, let it rest, close the door, and wait for 192 degrees. Plan for 2 hours per pound. If it's ready early you can let it rest for 4-5 hours safely. Wrap in foil place in a cooler (I use one of the styrofoam ones from Omaha steaks) with towels under and on top for at least an hour. Pulled pork is a matter of simplicity and patience. Every shoulder is different and timing will never be the same.
 
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