So Frustrated....Assistance Appreciated

[Tequila King]

I also forgot to ask another important question. Did you start with the meat just below room temperature or did you take them out of the fridge and put them on the grill?

I'd say they were close to room temp, as got them directly from WholeFoods, so time from store to seasoning to grill was in the 45 min range I'd estimate.

 

[SmokeOCD]

Ok, will def do this today. Just to confirm is a bit about 10 to 15 mins?

Long enough to make toast. So maybe half that time.

 

[C. Keeper]

You will need tomatoes, bacon, and lettuce for sandwiches after the test.

 

[SmokeZilla]

I'd say they were close to room temp, as got them directly from WholeFoods, so time from store to seasoning to grill was in the 45 min range I'd estimate.

That’s good. I find anything above 50 (but not too long above the mid 40s gives me more consistency. Based on your description the only thing I would change is the first phase. Moving it up to 3 hours and looking for slight cracking in the bark. You can also look for the meat at the end of the bone to retract a little but the St. Louis ribs can be a little tougher and not show some of the traditional signs.

As a suggestion, pick up some Babybacks and try the 3-2.75-.5 method. Your results may put you back in the game and give you incentive to tackle the STL’s again.

 

[Buckeye smoker]

Yes, cook to temp not a time*..curious did you sync your probes? And then sync your rtd to the probes? That's a good start if you haven't to make sure you are actually cooking at a temp close to what you want. Also, Smoke tubes are cheap if you don't have one...that'll help add smoke when cooking at higher temps. And 3-2-1 and 2-2-1 are proven methods that'll get you close to the results you want.

 

[RattleR]

That is the side that the heat flows out the stack.

Easy way to check the temps on your grate is to do the bread test. Lay out pieces of bread evenly spaced on the grate and turn the heat to 300º or so, let it bake for a bit and look at he differences in the bread, this will show the hot spots.

Nice idea, to think I spend the time to do a probe survey using a known seperate temp probe. Old metrology habits are hard to break but I like your method for sure!

 

[Tequila King]

Long enough to make toast. So maybe half that time.

Did the top layer with attached. Results than did the bottom layer but they all burnt because my temp stayed at 335 most of the time. So demoralized.

 

[SmokeOCD]

Did the top layer with attached. Results than did the bottom layer but they all burnt because my temp stayed at 335 most of the time. So demoralized.

View attachment 17450

View attachment 17451

Right back is hottest, like everyone has been telling you. You proved that. Middle Back left is also pretty warm. If you have meat in those areas, be careful and rotate what's hanging out in those areas. Now go feed some birds in the back yard with the uber-dark stuff, make sandwiches with the rest.
You're doing fine, really. Listen to us - it'll be OK.

 

[Tequila King]

Right back is hottest, like everyone has been telling you. You proved that. Middle Back left is also pretty warm. If you have meat in those areas, be careful and rotate what's hanging out in those areas. Now go feed some birds in the back yard with the uber-dark stuff, make sandwiches with the rest.
You're doing fine, really. Listen to us - it'll be OK.

Ok, got a bunch of Lumber Jack pellets, I think I'm going to dive into pork butt ville over the weekend. Going to put it in dead center....can't go wrong.....

 

[Jim6820]

Ok, got a bunch of Lumber Jack pellets, I think I'm going to dive into pork butt ville over the weekend. Going to put it in dead center....can't go wrong.....

That’s the right attitude; full speed ahead and damn the torpedos.

 

[SmokeZilla]

I like the way you’re going to put the “kick” back into the “butt”!!! As a suggestion, depending on the weight, fat content, and time for eating, you may want to inject. As you select your butt try to get a bone in, and look for something that looks pretty uniform end to end and side to side. If you can’t find one, don’t be shy about trussing it up so it is uniform in size and density throughout. That will assist in keeping the cook even. You can also place the butt fat cap down if you are afraid of burning it but I prefer putting the fat side up on hopes of getting a good melt of fat flavor on the butt. This method does require trimming the cap to about 1/4”-1/2” thickness. ProTip: You can score the fat cap in 1-2” squares but don’t cut all the way to the meat, and the seasonings may have a better chance of penetrating. Also, based on your toast experiment, your hot spots are in the same places as the 3 or 4 I have cooked on. Since you know where the hot spots are, mitigate the heat risk by using an elevated shelf in those areas when you have a full grill and space shortage. As you can see from the top (furthest from the front) row of toast, the highest temps were on either side of the heat deflector and that should have been expected as the fire has it’s first opportunity to rise in that area. Whenever I place anything on my grill I will use a secondary deflector, a fireproof brick of similar crutch to keep the heat evenly distributed. It also serves as a good reminder that those zones and anything in them can be trouble.

Good luck with the butt. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Thor8594]

Did the top layer with attached. Results than did the bottom layer but they all burnt because my temp stayed at 335 most of the time. So demoralized.

That looks normal, you just mapped out the grill and now you know where to place your protein on the grate.
This my friend is learning the tool.
Keep plugging away and before you know it you will a "Grill Master".

 

[Tequila King]

I like the way you’re going to put the “kick” back into the “butt”!!! As a suggestion, depending on the weight, fat content, and time for eating, you may want to inject. As you select your butt try to get a bone in, and look for something that looks pretty uniform end to end and side to side. If you can’t find one, don’t be shy about trussing it up so it is uniform in size and density throughout. That will assist in keeping the cook even. You can also place the butt fat cap down if you are afraid of burning it but I prefer putting the fat side up on hopes of getting a good melt of fat flavor on the butt. This method does require trimming the cap to about 1/4”-1/2” thickness. ProTip: You can score the fat cap in 1-2” squares but don’t cut all the way to the meat, and the seasonings may have a better chance of penetrating. Also, based on your toast experiment, your hot spots are in the same places as the 3 or 4 I have cooked on. Since you know where the hot spots are, mitigate the heat risk by using an elevated shelf in those areas when you have a full grill and space shortage. As you can see from the top (furthest from the front) row of toast, the highest temps were on either side of the heat deflector and that should have been expected as the fire has it’s first opportunity to rise in that area. Whenever I place anything on my grill I will use a secondary deflector, a fireproof brick of similar crutch to keep the heat evenly distributed. It also serves as a good reminder that those zones and anything in them can be trouble.

Good luck with the butt. Let us know how it turns out.

Thanks SZ, much appreciated. So for the Pork Butt, I'm going to follow Matt from Meat Church's method

with a few exceptions based on feedback here and my decisions:

1) I'm going to pull out the Bear Mountain pellets I've been using, and put in Lumber Jack Hickory instead.
2) I'm going with a fairly small bone-in butt as its only my family so going to go with a 6 Lb which seems to be the smallest bone-in you can get.
3) Going with Gospel Rub and a little bit of Honey Hog
4) If my injector comes in time, I will use it.
5) Matt does 275 but based on my rib feedback, I'm going to set it at 225, spritzing every hour until it hits 165 degrees.
6) At 165, i'll take out, put in pan, a bit more rub, butter and brown sugar, wrap up and put back in smoker
7) Keep at 225 until it hits just over 200 degrees.
8) Take it out, capture juice in fat separator, wrap in butcher paper for 20 to 30 minutes.
9) Shred and add the juice from the fat separator.

So excited, and can't wait! What can go wrong

 

[Jim6820]

Thanks SZ, much appreciated. So for the Pork Butt, I'm going to follow Matt from Meat Church's method

with a few exceptions based on feedback here and my decisions:

1) I'm going to pull out the Bear Mountain pellets I've been using, and put in Lumber Jack Hickory instead.
2) I'm going with a fairly small bone-in butt as its only my family so going to go with a 6 Lb which seems to be the smallest bone-in you can get.
3) Going with Gospel Rub and a little bit of Honey Hog
4) If my injector comes in time, I will use it.
5) Matt does 275 but based on my rib feedback, I'm going to set it at 225, spritzing every hour until it hits 165 degrees.
6) At 165, i'll take out, put in pan, a bit more rub, butter and brown sugar, wrap up and put back in smoker
7) Keep at 225 until it hits just over 200 degrees.
8) Take it out, capture juice in fat separator, wrap in butcher paper for 20 to 30 minutes.
9) Shred and add the juice from the fat separator.

So excited, and can't wait! What can go wrong

Good plan; great to see you forging ahead. Not sure the final wrap in butcher paper is needed, but I guess it won’t hurt. Are you planning to put the wrapped pork butt back into the smoker, or just rest it in an insulated cooler? If just resting it, a foil cover on the pan and into the cooler would be sufficient, IME.

Good luck with this cook.

 

[Hipplewm]

No 2 BBQ are the same, even 2 RT-700's may have their quirks.
BBQ Recipe's and cooks are more of a guide - not like a baking recipe or rising dough etc
Use them as a rough guide and learn what your smoker wants and refine the process for you

As most have said 275 is probably a bit on the high side for these grills - you can get away with that on an egg or maybe a vertical offset

rotating meat sux, but if you want to fill your grill then you either have to think about something larger or rotating, especially if you have "Hot spots"

 

[Chief_USN_Ret]

Thanks SZ, much appreciated. So for the Pork Butt, I'm going to follow Matt from Meat Church's method

with a few exceptions based on feedback here and my decisions:

1) I'm going to pull out the Bear Mountain pellets I've been using, and put in Lumber Jack Hickory instead.
2) I'm going with a fairly small bone-in butt as its only my family so going to go with a 6 Lb which seems to be the smallest bone-in you can get.
3) Going with Gospel Rub and a little bit of Honey Hog
4) If my injector comes in time, I will use it.
5) Matt does 275 but based on my rib feedback, I'm going to set it at 225, spritzing every hour until it hits 165 degrees.
6) At 165, i'll take out, put in pan, a bit more rub, butter and brown sugar, wrap up and put back in smoker
7) Keep at 225 until it hits just over 200 degrees.
8) Take it out, capture juice in fat separator, wrap in butcher paper for 20 to 30 minutes.
9) Shred and add the juice from the fat separator.

So excited, and can't wait! What can go wrong

Been following this thread, and I have a few questions?
1- I must have missed it, but who told you not to use Bear Mountain Pellets? (I would like to know the logic behind that. I use them almost exclusively, and they are a top 5 Pellet brand, hands down. Who ever told you different is wrong. Hint very few pellet brands use actual tree bark when creating pellets. you WANT this.)
2- Your steps are very good, with one exception. you already wrapped it at step 6. You don't need to wrap it twice. When you get to step 8, Don't bother trying to unwrap and pull the juice, and then wrap back up.
Just leave it wrapped, put it in an empty Cooler ( Think beach cooler) wrapped in some old towels (like blankets). Leave in there for anywhere between 45min to 4 hours. This is called letting it Rest. THen when ready unwrap it, capture the juice and start "pulling" shredding the pork. The bone should come out clean with nothing on it using just your fingers. The erst of the meat should almost fall apart with your hands.

 

[Foodkid]

Ok, so I've had my RT-700 for almost a month now, and am obsessed with smoking. It's a whole new world for me, as I've never done it before, only issue is.......I stink at it Nothing I've made has been any different than a gas grill, never get any smokey flavor, and worse, some things have been downright terrible. My frustration reached an apex yesterday, though.

I smoked 3 racks of St. Louis style ribs. I followed Matt from Meat Church's method to a T:

Pellets: I've used Bear Mountain Gourmet BBQ since Day 1
Temp: 275
Rub: Meat Church Honey BBQ

I smoked them uncovered for 2 Hours 20 Minutes, spritzing with apple cider vinegar halfway through. Removed, put in 2 layers of foil with brown sugar, Parkay and Rib Candy....placed meat side down for another 1 Hour 40 Minutes.

The two racks on the left were partially burnt on top, and the rack on the right, was almost all burnt on top. No smokey flavor, nothing. The parts that weren't burnt were actually not bad, but nothing special at all.

What am i doing wrong here, or what should i be troubleshooting?
Thanks in advance.

TK

Ribs are unforgiving you may want to start with a pork butt. Here is a general answer for smoking meat. I would start a smoke at 225 or lower. I never go over 225 unless I have wrapped and I really need to I mean really need to. Allowing enough time for a cook is very important, be patient. Also resting time is equally important. Wrap up the meat and put it into a cooler and forget about it for at least an hour or two. Finally, don't pay attention to the clock. Cook by inside temp, feel, probe, and look. Certainly not gospel but it is what I have discovered on my smoking meat journey. I hope it helps

 

[DenStinett]

The way we get the most Smoke into our Meats is to NOT use "Binders" and/or too much Rub
If your Rub isn't sticking, spritz the Meat with your 50-50 Apple Cider Vinegar and Water, then apply the "Rub"
We've never gone with those Name Brand, Store bought Rubs .... a simple blend of Ground Garlic, Onion and Pepper, oh and of course, Salt

MEAT

SMOKER TEMP

SMOKING TIME

MEAT TEMP

RUBS OR SAUCES

MISC INFO

Pork Ribs

U-4.5hrs@180+0.5hr@275 - W-1.0hr@275

6+/- hours

200 - 210

GPS&O Blend for 24 hrs Spray/15 mins@3 hrs

Wrap in Alum Foil after 5 hours rest 15 mins minimum

Our Pork Ribs:

Oh .... YES, I use a Smoke Tube with a "Comp Blend" for extra Smoke

No Sauces, just Smoky goodness

Oh, and by the way:
Welcome to the Forum and the RecTec Family

 

[DesertRat]

I’ve been smoking for a few years now, today still consider myself a beginner. Particularly on the peloton 590. But I’ve really enjoyed reading this thread. I’ve learned some things. I practiced my profession for over 40 years and learned something nearly every day. Smoking is an art and a science I believe, and T King is off to a good start using this forum for information.

 

[Grilltreats]

I place mine in cold and smoke at 275° for three hours without opening the lid. I then rub on some Q and go another 30 minutes to an hour with no wrapping. Mine get plenty of smoke but I use Lumber jack 100% hickory and I sealed my lid with a thick gasket from Amazon made for a Vision grill that helped to hold in smoke longer and evened out the grate temps more. There is also more smoke coming out of the drip chute and getting on the meats. Not a RT endorsed idea, but it clearly is better for grate temps and smoke flavor. I have had my 700 for five years now. You can also put some dry wood chips/chunk on the heat deflector plate before lighting that will generate more of the smoke flavor you are probably used to to get you through the transition woes. I went through this coming from a Kamado Joe ceramic lump charcoal cooker. The pellet grills have lots of smoke flavor, but it is a much cleaner smoke and takes time to adjust to.
https://www.amazon.com/LavaLock®-Hi...21pAnSA==&sprefix=vision+grill,aps,167&sr=8-4