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Smoking Brisket, Ribs, Pork Butt

by Daren W
(Greenfield, IN)

What my smoker looks like

What my smoker looks like

Good Morning!

I have been TRYING to imporove my skills at smoking meat and have had marginal success. I bought myself a char-griller Duo with smoke box to start with. Here are my questions.

1) How long do you leave the brisket alone before you flip it while smoking it with indirect heat? What temp should I be shooting for and how long. I have done 14 hours at 200 degrees and it was ok, I have 10 hours at 250 degrees and it was OK. I would like to have something better then OK.

2) On baby back ribs how long and what temp should I shoot for on those? I did some ribs yesterday (1/18/09) for 3 3/4 hours (4 pounds) at 200 degrees and they were OK, not great not bad just OK.

3) I am wanting to smoke a pork butt as well and I am not sure what I should be doing there either.

I am pretty new at smoking meat and I am trying to just have fun trying different things.

THANKS!

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Smoking Brisket, Ribs, Pork Butt

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Apr 05, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Smoking
by: John

I have an Electric smoker and have used it twice. the first time I done Pork loin and it was very good and tender. Today I done meatloaf, baked beans and mac and cheese. I think everyone should try it.I smoked it at 225 F for three hours and had apple juice in the drip pan.
Jan 20, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		Gaining Experience Smoking Meats
by: SmokerBill

Hi Daren,

It sounds to me like you're doing a great job at getting experienced in the meat smoking game. Everything you smoked so far has been edible, which is good for a beginner.

I remember the first thing I smoked. It was pork chops, and I cooked them in a makeshift smoker made of rusty pieces of sheet metal in the backyard. The pork chops were so smoky they made my tongue numb and tingley. I had to throw them away. What a pity.

Here are a few suggestions for you.

1.) For brisket, try different dry rubs, and give injecting some marinade a try. Be sure to baste them after the first 4 hours or so. Depending on how you serve the brisket, you'll shoot for different temperatures. For slicing, the internal temp should be around 185 degrees. The meat will be tender, but hold together when sliced. Somewhere between 190-200 degrees, the brisket will become very tender, and can be shredded for sandwiches.

2.) You don't want to cook pork ribs until they are falling apart tender. The meat should hold its shape, have a little firmness to it, but at the same time be very easy to chew and bite off the bone. Again, experiment with different seasonings, marinades, and types of smoking wood.

3.) Pork butt can take even longer that brisket to smoke. I like to baste them with a mixture of vinegar, beer and a little hot sauce towards the last part of the smoke. Keep the smoker at near 225 degrees and it'll be fine.

The main thing to do is keep at it. Keep a recipe log to track your progress. It will help you make improvements as you gain experience smoking meats.

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