12/30/2015 – Had thawed the pork roast in the frig for about 2 days. Removed fat cap and salted well. Returned to frig for about 18 hours dry brining..

12/31/2015

1. 7 AM – Rubbed roast with Schultz’s Premium Seasoning and Rub received from Tim in Colorado.
2. 8 am – Ambient temp is 60, breezy to windy and overcast. Stayed that way for the entire cook. Lite fire with 10+ briquettes under mesquite lump charcoal in the chimney. It light fine and dumped into the backside of the square fire box. Added more lumps beside and a few on top. Left it to stabilize but the box did not go above 130 and was very erratic—[likely due to the strong breeze and leaky door joints].
3. 8:30 – Placed pork on the rack as temp seemed to be rising.
4. 8:45 – Added on top of red coals am 8” long 1.5” diameter dry pecan log. As it caught the temp rose.
5. 9:45 – Grate temp is 220 but seemed to be falling slowly.
6. 10:25 – Temp had not recovered so added a second equal size log.
7. 10:35 – Temp climbed up to and appeared to be staying above 220.
8. 11:50 – Logs had burned apart and temp fell to 180. Stoked it and added a third short 1.5” diameter log. Came back to 220 by 12:15.
9. 12:45 – had opened up side vents and full open top vent and tem got up to 240. Closed sides a bit and partially over one hole in top. Temp fell to 235. Right side is open equivalent of about an hour on a clock face and left is about 2 “hours” in angle open. At 1pm temp is 230.
10. About 1 PM added about 10 chicken legs. See separate journal entry.
11. 2:45 – Temp has been bouncing around but been above the 220 alarm point for an hour or so. Gave up as it will not be done for dinner. Moved it to the electric roaster set at 250. Internal temp is 162. That was the first internal temp taken as I move the Thermotemp to internal when put it into the roaster.
12. 3:20 – Still at 163 internal. Must be in “the stall”.
13. 3:40 – Internal temp is only 164. Raised the set point on the roaster control to 275.
14. 5pm – Internal temp at 170. Considerable liquid in pan so inserted rack to raise it ½ inch so it did not stew.
15. 5:30 – internal temp is 178.
16. 6:00 – 186 degrees.
17. 6:25 – 190
18. 6:35 – Took Peggy and frank the small end.
19. 7:00 – Carved slices for dinner. Crust was not crackly but not mushy. Nice thick smoke ring with no pink center. Pulled apart easily.

Conclusions:

• Warmed up the next evening in foil and pulled some apart for sandwiches. Crust has firmed up and has a great flavor with the smoke ring meat attached.
• Six hours in the smoker with heavy smoke from logs rather than chunks on coals provided a good smoke ring and crust. Finishing to temp in the electric roaster made it easy to get beyond the stall. Although that is why the crust was not crusty. But, with the ThermoChef monitoring the internal meat temp it was done to perfection.
• The roast turned out well and provided numerous great left over meals. But, the chicken legs were the surprise as they had the same taste as carnival turkey legs. See separate journal entry.