First pulled pork in the egg - added stats

quacker · Post by **quacker** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 9:34 pm

After seeing everyone post these awesome photos of pulled pork I thought I should have a go myself.
So up I got early morning and placed the pork that I had prepared late the night before into my egg.

I then remembered that I needed a drip tray, rookie mistake...

With the spare time I thought "why not make up an Excel spread sheet and plot this cook".

As you can see It hit the stall and I had a bit of a brain fart and opened the vents a little, this caused a steep rise in temp. At this stage hunger had set in so I wasn't fussed about controlling it to much.

This was the final product, for my first attempt I must say I am very happy with the end result.

I have to ask how others set theirs out ?? I had a mix of cherry and apple chips but I still am confused with the smoking process.
I waited longer this time before putting the meat in but I have had a roast chicken with a slight bitter taste from the smoke. what would cause this ??

greeny03 · Post by **greeny03** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 9:43 pm

Very nice! Can't help you with why it was not real smoky! I have found that using the deflector has stopped how smoky the meat has gotten. My wife does not like overly smoky taste. When the deflector wasn't involved the meat would be very smoky, from maybe the charcoal flaring up also. The only other thing when you compare chicken to pork is the chook in my mind, more receptive to absorbing the smoke! Also I remember reading that the meat will only absorb the smoke in the first 40 minutes?!?

talisker63 · Post by **talisker63** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 11:43 pm

That's what I call good work. Smoke is a factor of what smoke wood, now much and when and how open the top vent is...
If it want smokier I open the bottom more and close off the top

Card Shark · Post by **Card Shark** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:49 am

quacker, that was quite a bit of work putting that spreadsheet together. Looks a pretty good result to me. Perhaps next time keep the temp even all the way through the cook. It's easy to over smoke so less is better.

Have a read on how this bloke does pulled in an egg. One of the most knowledgable old school blokes I've read. Keep up the good work! CS http://www.nakedwhiz.com/elder.htm

quacker · Post by **quacker** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 12:32 pm

That's a good guide, thanks for sharing.

I still am unsure with the smoking process. Going by that guide he prepare a chimney, firebox full with a chunk of hickory in the middle.. Charcoal alight and placed in the middle, plate setter in and food on. close the lid and settle the temp.
others say to get the egg fired up and stabilized before adding the wood and food, this allows the vocs (Nasty's from what i read) to be removed.

Card Shark · Post by **Card Shark** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 3:17 pm

The reason he does the smoking early is so the meat has a chance to absorb the smoke before the out layer starts to cook and seal. I like this method of lighting as I've found the larger the fire you light the harder it is to control the temperature. Starting slow and keeping it low is how I cook but everybody’s different. You'll need to experiment to find what best works for your style of cooking. The type of charcoal also can make a big difference. The harder the hardwood the less it burns and will be needed for the firebox. E.G. Gidgee / Ironbark filling 2/3 of a firebox can last up to 20 hours.

Livewire · Post by **Livewire** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 5:47 pm

greeny03 wrote:Also I remember reading that the meat will only absorb the smoke in the first 40 minutes?!?

Greeny03

The rule of thumb from what I have read and from memory what Chris (UrbanGriller) has explained also is that meat will absorb smoke up until about 50C

So in a low and slow once the internal has reached say 45 the outside will only be getting close to 50 so don't waste anymore smoking wood, that is if you want a deep smoke ring

Also I find pork and beef get a much better smoke ring than poultry

Glenn

Livewire · Post by **Livewire** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 5:53 pm

Quacker

Good looking result

Rather than having to be around to record the temps for the spreadsheet why not consider a Stoker unit will control your temp as you request and it records as many temps as you have probes (5 plus one for fan on a base unit)

Glenn (I love my Stoker)

Card Shark · Post by **Card Shark** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 6:05 pm

Impressive Glenn.

quacker · Post by **quacker** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 7:51 pm

Wow that stoker looks amazing...

beermee · Post by **beermee** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:55 am

great work quacker, look great.

and thanks for the link cardshark - thats a seriously good step by step guide.....

Gary

Livewire · Post by **Livewire** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 12:13 pm

Beaver wrote:You on a kamado?
You should have much more stable temps than that.

At one stage i was getting a 3f swing on red gum charcoal (hot burning) if i set my pit up right

Beaver

Of course I'm on a Kamado, look at my signature

Cook temp are normally very stable as you say and the first graph indicates this

The variations in the second one for the Brisket and Pulled Pork I put down to gremlins and some damp charcoal (should not reuse what was left in the Kamado when doing a low and slow, lesson learnt) on a wet winters night

The food still came out brilliant for my son's 20th birthday party, so no drama

Glenn

urbangriller · Post by **urbangriller** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 7:58 pm

Glenn,

I don't have a Stoker (yet), but if I'm reading this right, in the Lamb cook, the fan is running most of the time? In the second cook, it cuts in and out?

Cheers
Chris

urbangriller · Post by **urbangriller** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 8:35 pm

Certainly what I'm seeing is uneven burn rate on the charcoal, and probably a fast (hot) charcoal at that, could also be an air leak. Same thing happens with pellet cookers, they run till the target is reached then stop delivering fuel, but they have no ability to bring the temp back if the fuel overshoots. The first burn looks perfect,the charcoal is starving for air and as a result always under the fans control.

Cheers
Chris

Livewire · Post by **Livewire** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 10:27 am

urbangriller wrote:I don't have a Stoker (yet), but if I'm reading this right, in the Lamb cook, the fan is running most of the time? In the second cook, it cuts in and out?

Cheers Chris

Chris

The fan is cutting in and out in 10 to 20 sec intervals and the graph does blend them all together when it is spread over the long period

This pic better resembles most of the cooks and it stuck like glue to the 105C setting until I bumped it to 110

Beavers comments about top vent may have something to do with the fluctuations but I usually run with about a quarter of the daisy wheel hole open

The Stoker has a draft flap to assist with reducing the natural airflow

Glenn

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