[ChicagoTroy]

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This is kind of a lame quesion, how scientific are you with everything? usually when I bbq, I just light a fire, check the temp once in awhile of the meat, and thats about it. do you write down recipes, figure out all your cooking times, do everything the same everytime you cook, etc.

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I don't always log everything, and it [censored] me up sometimes. Logging makes things easier if you don't cook a specific thing very often.

I have a remote thermometer I can check that tells me where the pit and food temps are. Otherwise I'd have to go out and keep checking the smoker, which isn't fun.

Beyond that, Q doesn't lend itself that well to scientific cooking. As the connective tissues render in shoulder and brisket, you can hit temperature plateaus that can last an hour before the meat temp goes up any higher. Typically that means you time butt and brisket to be ready at least three hours early, then wrap it in foil, a towel, and stick it in a cooler.

As far as rubs, I tend to use specific recipe ones before I start changing things around. Paul Kirk has a book full of them. OTOH, my brother's a chef and I live with him. We were putting a turkey on and he mixed up a rub on the fly and it was good.

I do try to predict cooking times simply because with something that takes 12-16 hrs. you have to be home when it's done and if you need to turn or baste it.

Only other thing I tend to stand by is I don't cook brisket or butt much over 225, and I never cook poultry under 260, because the skin gets tough and rubbery (unless I'm making pulled chicken, and then it doesn't matter), and lean meats can dry out if you slow cook them without brining.

On that WSM page, the Renowned Mr. Brown is an excellent butt recipe, and very forgiving. It would be a good choice for your first long cook.