My First long cook this weekend

I got my E20 late May, but was on my way to a 2 week vacation. Got back, but only 11 days till my next 2 week vacation, so didn't get a chance to use it much. I just did a pork loin, which came out great.

This weekend, our local homebrewing club is having a "Summer Chill" event on a mountain just outside Tucson, Arizona (my home). Some of you may know that Tucson is regularly over 100F during the Summer, and this month is no exception. Mt. Lemmon is at 8,000 feet elevation and is 30F cooler than here in Tucson. Since veryone knows that brew and Que go together like love and marriage, they have invited members of the AZ BBQ Association. I and one other are the only ones who can make it, so I will haul my E20 up and do some of the meats for about 30 people .

Friday, July 17, will get up there around 1300 and unload and fire up the E20. With only about 5 hours till dinner, I will be doing baby back ribs and chicken breasts (I don't eat chicken, but I guess others do).

Saturday will be the better test, doing 2 pork butts. The other BBQer will also do 2, so we can see which ones come out better.

I really would have liked to do a bit of testing first. But I feel pretty comfortable with the E20, having read much of the great advice given here, plus having some previous experience with a WSM.

Friday and Saturday, we will also be sampling lots of good home brew.

Will take some pics.

Give yourself more time five hours is gong to have you rushing around.

Loghting the coals at 1300 hr means thay wont be ready till perhaps 1330 then you have to load the smoker while catching the temps on the way up . prep everything the day before if you are stuck with those times. Set up the smoker, clean the ribs and chicken, have all your tools ready etc the day before.

Thanks for the additional pointers, Dr_ Ky

The start time was based on the fact that the campground usually doesn't allow check-ins before 1300. I just found out we will be able to check into the campground earlier, so I plan on being there by noon. That "should" allow me to have the meat on by 1300 or thereabouts. We actually don't have to have the meat ready until about 1900, so it should allow more than enough time. My only concern is how long it takes to get the E20 up to temp using the minion method. I have the water pan about 1/3 filled with fine sand and will add a foil pan with water. However, being camped out on the mountain, will not have hot water for the pan.

The ribs and chicken will be readied Thursday, cleaned, rubbed, and wrapped. All of my tools, gloves, charcoal, and E20 will be the last things to go into my truck, so will be first out.

Mike_P_in_Tucson wrote:Thanks for the additional pointers, Dr_ Ky
I have the water pan about 1/3 filled with fine sand and will add a foil pan with water. However, being camped out on the mountain, will not have hot water for the pan.

Why not take 2 chimney starters and use one of them as a stove to heat up the hot water for the pan?

That's a thought. But I also had another thought. I am bringing a small camp stove (got to have my coffee in the AM), so I can just use that. Don't know why I hadn't thought of that before.

But, going with your idea, I can start heating the water at the same time as I light the charcoal in the chimney.