SRG Butt for Memorial day dinner

[Roget]

This is my first try at a Boston butt in the SRG.
All my previous butts have been in the Bradley smoker.
I did it per Tommy's instruction to compare it to my past endeavors

Eight pound butt
Rubbed & ready for the cooker.

I went light on the rub.

This is two hours in. I'm not sure about the temp because of the lid being against the cable may be effecting the reading.
I may not be able to use this setup to gauge temps.


Four and one half hours, temp reads 203-206 using instant read thermometer.

 
It was falling apart getting it out of the basket.
Foil,towel,cooler for a couple of hours.

It was a little harder to pull than I am used to, but ended up pulling pretty good. Bone was a little hard to get out.
Nice bark.



In summary, The meat had a very good taste. Not as tender as usual but very good. Some parts seemed to get dried out (overcooked?) Not much smoke. Hard to keep the smoke rolling without turning the heat up.

Would I use the SRG to cook another butt???
OH YEAH!!!
I think next time I will smoke it in the Bradley, then at some point move it to the SRG to finish it. Experiment with the switch time to get the smoke, texture, and moisture that suits me. Somewhere between 4 1/2 & 18 hours sounds good to me.
Or if I am just in a hurry to eat and want pulled pork, straight to the SRG. Gives me many options I didn't have before.

Thanks to Tommy for his instructions. If any of you good fellas have any suggestions to help me cook a better butt, I would welcome your input.

[smokeasaurus]

Tommy has cooked hundreds of pork butts and he knows his stuff.

Ya did a nice job, that pulled poke looks good.

[muebe]

Looks great!

[TMB]

The butt looks good.    Not sure why it didn't pull well since you took it to 203-206?     Mine pull very easy and the bone slips right out.

Not knowing how you FTC'd   meaning I use a Cambro food locker which in it's self is like an oven once hot food is put in.

After 10 hrs my butts are so hot you still have a hard  time pulling them barehanded 

[Roget]

Thanks fellas.

Tommy, I always use a heavy Styrofoam cooler.
After the two hours the butt was still really hot.
It was not really "hard" to pull. Just a little harder than I am use to.
But remember, I am use to cooking it really low for approx. 18 hours.

Any suggestions on how to get the wood chips to ignite without turning the heat up?
I thought about actually lighting the chips with a butane lighter before putting the box back in.

[TMB]

Thanks fellas.

Tommy, I always use a heavy Styrofoam cooler.
After the two hours the butt was still really hot.
It was not really "hard" to pull. Just a little harder than I am use to.
But remember, I am use to cooking it really low for approx. 18 hours.

Any suggestions on how to get the wood chips to ignite without turning the heat up?
I thought about actually lighting the chips with a butane lighter before putting the box back in.

You are referring to the smoker box that's on the front of the SRG right?      If so the best way is to start the unit on high setting for 15 mins then turn to lower setting where as if using a Tommy ring you would need to start on high and 15 mins later lower the butt in and run an additional 15 mins on high to get them really going before turning the unit to a lower setting.

Lighting them with a torch would be a good idea, I just don't own a SRG with that box so cant really tell you.

Now have you seen the SRG/BEESR smoker box mod?   Once you got that box going it does real good about staying lit 

[Roget]

Correct, the box on front.
I got it going good to start. Like you suggested, high heat, then turn down.
The problem I had was when the chips had been exhausted the new chips would not ignite without turning the heat back up. 
I think maybe that is why my butt cooked so quickly. I had to keep turning the heat up every time I replenished  the chips.

I have not seen the mod. I will look it up & study it.
Thanks for your suggestion.