I decided on a pork butt for the first cook in my new cooker. I picked up a 9.5-pound butt yesterday and seasoned it last night
with a base coat of Killer Hogs AP Rub and then used Mojo Rub BBQ Magic for the top layer.
I fired up the Backwoods about 6 AM this morning using KBB and a few chunks of hickory and cherry wood. I used a full pan of
hot water. It took about 45 minutes to settle in at my cooking temperature of 250 degrees. I am using the Cyber Q from BBQ Guru
today.
After 3.5 hours the cooker is maintaining a steady 250 degrees. It will fluctuate a couple of degrees but is never far from the set
point of 250. It is currently running 247 and the door thermometer is showing 250.
Butt is starting to get some good color and bark. I haven’t decided yet if I am going to wrap. The butt is currently at 140 degrees.
6.5 hours into the cook and the butt is at 166 and in its stall. I just added ¾ chimney of lit briquettes to the cooker. 7.5 hours
on one load at 250 is not too bad. I would probably get a couple more hours at 225. Definitely a smaller firebox then I am use too.
May have to go into the “mod” mode and extend the firebox. Next time I use it I will try to pack the charcoal tight instead of just
dumping some in it.
After a little over 11 hours the butt is done. I had my Cyber Q set for 203 for the butt and I decided to check it at 196. It was
falling apart done. I did not wrap. This is definitely a first for me. Normally I pull them at 203 to 207. Next butt I will start checking
when it hits 190. I know every piece of meat is different, so we will see.
No plated shots as we are just going to have sandwiches tonight.
I can definitely taste the difference between cooking on the Backwoods and the Weber with the SnS. More intense smoke flavor
and less babysitting the temps. The intense smoke flavor may be because this is a reverse flow cooker. I know my wife asked me
if I had used a cherry rub. Of course, I don’t normally do butts at 250 so this also may have made a difference. In the Weber I
usually cook at 230.
So far, I am very impressed. I know it is only my first cook on it and it takes a lot to impress me. I still had probably another 2
hours of charcoal left in the firebox.
