Adding wood for more meat

[Pooky]

So, having bought a ProQ Excel 20 from Neil of the Royal Q towards the end of last summer, I'm finally getting the time to do some cooking with it!

So far, it's always cooked 1 meat at a time, be it Ribs, Butt etc., but this weekend I'm cooking for a few friends - I'll be starting off with a Boston Butt and then adding 4 racks of ribs later on; so here's my question:

Obviously, by the time I put the ribs on, the BB will have been cooking for a good few hours - Am I right to think that the Butt will have taken on all the smoke it can, roughly in hours 1 & 2, so when I add some more wood chunks for the ribs, it won't effect and over-smoke the butt?

Secondly, when it comes to reloading charcoal, what's the best method? Take the top stacker/s off and add a chimney/half chimney load of lumpwood charcoal as needed (thus causing a spike), or just add a chunk or so through the door every so often, starting a bit earlier?

Thanks in advance for the advice

[Eddie]

Hi pooky, if you are cooking a neck end pork shoulder (Boston butt) that will be a over nighter. Try and get the temp the best you can too 225f-250f and smoke it for 4 hours. Refill the charcoal through the door (large pieces if you can) cook for two more hours. Take off and wrap in good foil. Place back onto he lower level and then place your ribs on the top level and smoke the for 3hours and continue to cook unill done. This should be fine.
Let us know how you get on

Eddie

[derekmiller]

Hi Pooky.
When I do a shoulder and ribs, the shoulder has been on for 4-6hrs. I tend to foil it at that stage to help it get through the "stall" AND to prevent it from taking on too much smoke.
I have tasted "oversmoked" food and it was very bitter. I dont want to replicate that.
I put the ribs on the lower shelf, it takes a bit of juggling with the shoulder but the thermometer probe doesnt reach the lower shelf.
I also top up the charcoal through the door, sometimes lit, sometimes not, depending on whats happened.
This weekend we were topping up with lit, because the wind was causing to burn too quickly.
Derek.

[Pooky]

Perfect - Great advice!

Thank you both

[Pooky]

Just had another thought - Previously I've managed to get good bark on the butt - Will foiling mean I'm bark-less?

[derekmiller]

Not Bark-less, but maybe not as firm/crisp as you are use to.