I bought a new Masterbuilt electric smoker and I'm going to attempt to make smoked pork butt this weekend. Does anyone have some good tips and recipes?  I've looked online and there is some differing / conflicting information, which leads to some questions:

1.  Soak the butt in brine overnight and put on rub while smoker comes up to temperature, or put on rub and wrap in plastic overnight?


2. What type of wood chips? I bought mesquite but it seems like hickory might be more mild and better to start with?


3. Soak chips in water or apple juice, or insert dry? Masterbuilt videos show dry chips.


4. Use water tray? If so, fill with water or the brine from above?


5. Wrap butt in foil after it reaches certain temp and then put back in smoker, or keep bare?


6. Continue with wood chips the whole time, or only for first 4 hours or so? Some sites say wood chips are a waste after the first few hours.


7.  Any store bought rub recommendations, or is it better / cheaper to just make your own?


Any other tips / tricks? Aside from returning this electric smoker and buying a BGE? I am hoping to start with pork butt and then eventually move on to brisket which is my real preference.


Thanks.

Microwave it, then boil it in water and then put it in the oven.

I use good shit as my go-to when I rub my pork.

Read and digest for immediate compliance:

^ I like the Amazing Ribs guides.  I usually give one a once-over before I get the smoker going so I remember all the tips in the process.

I don't brine my pork, I just pull it and let it start getting up to room temp in the AM.  (I am a big fan of brining turkey when I roast in the oven, but have smoked many chickens and pork shoulders/butts without brining.)

I prep the meat by rubbing it with plain yellow mustard as a binder, then apply the rub.  I try different recipes for pork with salt, brown sugar, pepper, cumin, etc. but for a brisket I just go salt/pepper.

With pork, I do install the tray and add a bit of water.  The juices will start dripping in there and add to the mix.  I do keep a squirt bottle filled with apple cider vinegar to quickly spray down the meat every hour or so.  I try to not open up the box unless I have to.

I start the smoker to get it up to temp and then add a chip loader worth of dry chips.  I then add more every 45 minutes to an hour for the first four hours.  I may add a bit more later on depending on cooking time, but keep the chips stocked early on.  You can see how many are left by pulling the chip loader and peeking in.

For pork, I find hickory and mesquite a bit heavier on flavor.  You may want to try an apple or pecan wood if you can get it.

A probe thermometer makes things so much easier.  I put the probe in to the center of the meat straight off, but only attach the thermometer after a couple hours to see how it is coming up in temp- which brings us to "the stall".

The stall is the trickiest part I have had to deal with.  You will see the temp rise, and rise, and you think you have a line on when the meat will get to target temp.  But it hits something like 165 and just sits there...for hours.  That's the stall.  Evaporation puts things in a standstill for a bit.  You can get out of the stall with time, or by using the "Texas Crutch" and foiling the meat.  You will see it start to climb in temp after that.  I use time whenever possible- just be aware it may take a couple hours longer than you thought if you work through the stall naturally.  (I did a set of ribs for 8 hours once.  Amazing!)

Good luck and have fun!

Just last night I smoked a butt in my Masterbuilt electric.

1: I’ve found the “sweet” in the brine can actually contribute a good deal. 1 cup of salt + 1 cup of Brown sugar/honey/molasses/canesugar syrup/ etc.  I’ve been liking brown sugar. For the rub, I coat it in mustard then rub in a packet of whatever store bought “bbq rub.” I do this ~ hour or two before putting the butt in. Basically I just do it as it’s warming up.  Never tried a “only dry” rub, or overnight for the rub. Slathering on the mustard really gives a nice thick bark though.

2: I just grab a handful of whatever chips. I’ve got a lot of different flavors. Last night I think it was maple that I used. I’ve found on pork… the taste difference is slight. However it is VERY evident on birds; chicken, turkey, duck. It’s also easy to get an overpowering smoke taste on birds. I recommend only filling the hopper once with any bird. Pork is good for ~3-4 times without getting smoke flavor that is too stong.

3: I haven’t found that it realy makes a difference when it comes to how long the chips last or their smoke content. Adjusting the venting at the top make much more of difference. Start it full open, to get it going, then to half once it starts billowing out.

4: Absolutely! Makes all the difference in moistness of meat. Fill with water or apple juice.

5: I’ve tried both. Keeping bare makes for a “harder” bark, wrapping will let it cook abit faster after you’ve added however much smoke flavor you wanted. You wont "stall."

6: Kind of addressed above. For pork, you can fill the hopper acouple times; which will probably be 4 or so hours. Birds, only that 1st initial smoke.  This is a “feel it out” type deal, to see how much of that smoke flavor you like. For the 1st time, I’d say refill the hopper twice after the initial load dies out.  Error on the side of less smoke.

7: My store bought buck fifty packet rubbed into mustard has made everyone that has tried it happy. The whole mustard thing kind of threw me when I 1st read about it. I thought it would give the meat some weird mustard taste, so I was hesitant to try it. Totally not the case, the mustard + rub mixed into it = heavenly awesome bark.

Tips: IMMEDIATELY clean it all out.

Remove all the “stock” lower drip baffling and water holder assembly. Just don't use them, period. Major PITA to clean. Instead, on the lowest rack place a flat cookie sheet to catch the drippings. Use a smaller 6x6, cake pan for the water. A TRILLION times faster clean up.

Don’t put the meat probe in, until acouple hours. Let all the potential bad stuff on the skin/surface die. Pressing it in when raw, could be pressing “ikky” stuff into the center of the meat, which can then grow and multiple for hours until it is up to temp.

Clear room in your freezer for bulk buying of meats. Holy crap, I smoke some much stuff now because its stupid easy with the electric and the results are so great.

After done in the smoker and cooking, wrap the butt in foil and let it sit for an hour or so. Really adds to the tenderness/moistness factor.

I like peach wood chips for pork

You did season it prior to now, right?

You need to run acouple loads of chips, at the hottest temp, to clean out any potential manufacturing residues. If you don't do this, you're gonna get some chemical taste in your meat and ruin it.

I hadn't thought of that one.  I do rinse off the meat before I put in the probe, but do it straight off so I don't need to keep the door open very long once things get going.  I just leave the probe hanging until I connect the thermometer after a couple hours.  Might be easier to insert once it's at a decent temp, too.

Rub:
8 parts Brown Sugar




3 parts Chili powder




1 part salt, Cayenne pepper, Paprika, onion powder, garlic powder.





Inject the butt with Apple cider vinegar.

Rub the butt down getting a good coating on it, mustard can be used if it's not sticking, but a light coat of it.

Smoke at 225 fat side down adding hickory wood chips as needed.  Use an internal thermometer to check the temp of the butt.

After the Butt hits 170, it will stall, this is the magic zone, it will sit st 170 for hours, don't rush it.  Also the smoke will no longer penetrate the meat and adding wood is no longer needed.

After about 13 hours the butt will hit 190-195 internal temp, it's done and ready to pull.




 

Salt and pepper it, cook until it reaches an internal temp of 165.
Use apple wood, wet of dry your pref.
Remove after reaching the 165 temp and put it in tinfoil, let it steam for awhile.
Dump BBQ sauce, your pref, on it and wrap it up again.
Put it back on the smoker for about an hour, or until it hits 195.
Remove and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
Shred and enjoy.

Coat with mustard and apply a heavy rub.   Wrap and allow to sit overnight.  

I hate Mesquite smoke, so anything but that.  A mix of Hickory and Apple will yield good results.

Dry Chips is fine, but soaking them won't hurt either.

Always use a water tray.  Water is fine.

Some Wrap, some don't.  I personally wrap mine once I have a good bark.

Keep the smoke going at least until you wrap.  Honestly, once I wrap, I put it in the oven and use the oven's probe to shut it down once it reaches temp.  Then I just let it cool slowly for several hours.

I make my own rub.  The upfront cost is higher, but in the long run, it's much cheaper.  There are lots of rub recipes on the internet.  Pork Barrel BBQ Rub is some good stuff if you don't want to make it yourself.

If you smoke to internal temp, a brisket isn't much harder than a pork butt.  Pork butts are just more forgiving when it comes to overcooking.  


ETA.....Smoke to about 200 degrees internal.  Once you pull it all apart, spread it out and salt it, or apply more rub.  That will give some additional flavor to internal pieces, not just the bark.  

 

I threw a 6lber on Saturday and here's what I did. Night  before I put some oil as a binder and put butt rub on it and wrapped it in Saran Wrap.

Took it out of the fridge before I started up my Masterbuilt smoker. Put the smoker on 250, when it got up to temp put the pork in and added Apple wood chips every hour for the first 4 or so hours.

It stalled from noon until 4 at 165ish and then pulled it out when got to 195.

It was amazing when I ate it. Pulled it and put it on sandwiches and been eating on it since.

for bottom heat electric or propane smokers use the highest rack possible that you can fit it on. This will allow for better circulation and for the heat to dissipate some and make it cook more even if you put it too close to the heating element the bottom can dry out and be over done while the top and center isn't quite there yet.

Also let the meat come as close to room temperature as possible before putting it in.

Just did one over the weekend. Agree with most of the points above. Some things I might change for next time..

I'd wish I would have sprayed LESS apple cider vinegar directly on the butt while cooking. I sprayed every hour or so. My bark was a little on the moist side. Not the end of the world since it still yielded great flavor. If your going that route, I'd spray every 1.5 to 2 hours.

I used Apple wood chunks only. If your after more smoky flavor, I'd add a little hickory, or if it's too harsh, Apple wood is a good alternative.

I smoked a 6.6 lb butt in roughly 9 hours, with the last hour in the oven at 275. I smoked at roughly 250-275 the whole time. Probed at 195 and the bone came right off with hardly no effort. If wish I'd left it on the whole time.

The mustard acted as a great binder. I did not inject, nor brine. Only marinated in rub the night before. Meat was very moist.

I'm surprised nobody has condemned this thread yet as heresy because it doesn't use charcoal.

This is also a tag for rub recipes.

Why does it need to be cooked to 185?

Oh, I thought this was a Hilary thread.

Not sure if SRS.

From http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/perfect_pulled_pork.html



Personally, I take mine to 203 degrees before I pull it.

 

I'm doing a 6 # pork butt right now in a Oster smoker oven.  Alton Brown method.

Brine for 12 hours (molasses and pickling salt and water)
Rub is chili powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, fennel seed, coriander seed
Temp is 210° added about 1qt. Water under pan.
Time about 10 hrs.

No mention of aluminum foil wrap, just internal 200-205°. Let rest for hour.
I used apple wood chips dry.  Not much smoke after a couple hours.

3 hours in at 140° starting from a refrigerated brined butt (about 47°). Cooker holding pretty steady at 215°

Cool, thanks

I've never smoked meat before, usually 145 in the oven, with loin

ahh ok, its right around the sweet spot for pulling.

There isn't any collagen in a lean tender pork loin to worry about so 140 degrees is a good target temp for that cut of meat.

Have to show us some pics of what you did and how it turned out!

Great tips, thanks! Sounds like a bit of experimentation leads to some personal preferences.

New Masterbuilt huh? See that 3" space between the chip box and the back wall? Cover it with something. I used a flattened out tin can I cut up with some tin snips and a couple self tapping screws. If you don't you will be replacing the heating element early because the meats will drip on it and rot it out. Drilling out all those rivets on the back and replacing it is a PITA.

You want a smoke ring? Start 10 briquets in a chimney starter till their white and place evenly across the bottom of the chip tray. Insert tray then add DRY chips as needed through chip chute.

I don't brine a butt/shoulder. I soak it in cold clean water overnight in the fridge to help get rid of all the damn salt.

Wrap the water tray in HD aluminum foil. One less thing to wash. Pour about a half a beer in the water tray. That's all, I use the drippings with a little of this and a little of that to add flavor to the meat after it's pulled.

Don't forget to throw on some Italian or Kielbasa sausage, Wings or 1" thick rings of real Bologna after lunch for some mid-afternoon snacks.

Here we go....

A little bit of rain this morning, so I had to improvise.  Should make our next trip to the beach rather fragrant.
7 pound pork butt, and I pretty much went with this recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/236104/bobs-pulled-pork-on-a-smoker/
I didn't brine it though; instead I put mustard on it and then the rub, wrapped it and let it sit overnight.
I also set the smoker for 220 instead of the 210 this recipe recommended, because I read 225 most everywhere else.  I went with hickory chips instead of mesquite.  I put one of my kids' apple juice box worth of apple juice in the water pan.  Pork butt went in at 0820 EDT.
Doesn't look like it's smoking much in the picture, but there is a nice bit of smoke coming out the top.  From what I've read, it's better go go easy on the smoke versus heavy smoke, so I guess that's what this Masterbuilt is meant to do.  Although I just put in my second batch of chips and it seems like it's taking a while for them to start smoking, maybe because of the remnants of the first batch. I might have to go in and clear out the remnants before adding fresh chips.





ETA:  It was a nice, well trimmed Smithfield pork butt, but I still trimmed a little bit of fat off before putting on the rub.



ETA2:  Smoking pretty well again.
 

So far it sounds good.

 

It should be done around midnight...

I think you might be right. 9 hours into it, and my internal temp is 174.



I turned the smoker up to 230 about 2 hours ago, and to 240 about 30 minutes ago.  Trying to have it ready around 1900 EDT.



 

My pork butts usually take around 16 hours to finish.

 

Do you remember the lessons from when Undefined did his first 'butt'....

This thread http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1845387__ARCHIVED_THREAD____Let_s_talk_about_Boston_butts__Updated_with_butt_pictures__Update__It_s_done___.html&page=4#i58664006

I wound up pulling it around 2000 EDT.  11 hours and 40 minutes of cook time.  Internal temp was at 191.  Not ideal, I know, but acceptable.  It looked like this:







Bone came right out.  I covered it with foil, and then pulled it apart with large forks about 30 minutes later:







It was delicious!  I ate some without any sauce, and then ate some with just a bit of sauce.  My wife and our friends loved it.



Lesson learned, get it on the smoker even earlier if you want it for dinner.  I'd also start it at 225 or 230 versus the 220 I started with.  I didn't brine, and it was plenty moist and tender.



Thanks for the help.  I'm graduating to brisket next weekend.

Looks good!

 
It's hard to screw up a pork butt, I do mine between 200 and 220 degrees (probably why it takes mine 14-16 hours).


Going from one of the fool proof hunks of meat to one not so fool proof (brisket).....

Read up and have fun: http://amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/texas_brisket.html

Smoke at 250.

Thanks for info. I got a smoker like that for my Birthday.

Have a little 7lb butt on the Mastercraft now. Gonna try wrapping in foil and BBQ sauce when it hits the wall around 165. Thanks to whoever posted that. Great idea!