First overnighter...smokin' a butt.

Wanted to do a butt for Superbowl and had planned on doing it either Saturday or, at the earliest starting Friday night. Well, Mother Nature decided she was gonna dump a snow storm on the Mid-Atlantic so I decided to start it tonight (typing this around 1AM Friday).

Figured I would try to beat the snow so I started the cook at 6:30PM, Thursday evening. Of course I'm going MM (first time for that as well!) but I got it settled in pretty well around 230* (it's been between 210*-235*).

I've been walking out with the flashlight about once an hour to check on it, deathly afraid of going to sleep and having the temp run away or the fuel burn out. I did check the water level last time out and it's still in good shape...nowhere near needing a refill.

So, as I write this out, I'm at the 6hr mark but haven't dared pop the lid to take a peek at how things are going. I went light on the rub but did use Chris Lilly's injection.

Guess I will stick the Thermapen in around 6AM or so and depending on what it reads, I'll setup the probe thermometer and leave it stuck in the butt so I can keep a good eye on the temp of the meat.

Wish I woulda kept a log of the cook though. I do have a couple questions...

1) Do I need to foil this thing at a certain temp? It's due to finish any time between 6:30-830AM or later so I'm not in any time frame where I need it to be done so we can eat right away.

2) Once I do hit the pulling temp, and set it to rest...what's the generally used rest time? An hour? Longer?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JimMcG:
Wanted to do a butt for Superbowl and had planned on doing it either Saturday or, at the earliest starting Friday night. Well, Mother Nature decided she was gonna dump a snow storm on the Mid-Atlantic so I decided to start it tonight (typing this around 1AM Friday).

Figured I would try to beat the snow so I started the cook at 6:30PM, Thursday evening. Of course I'm going MM (first time for that as well!) but I got it settled in pretty well around 230* (it's been between 210*-235*).

I've been walking out with the flashlight about once an hour to check on it, deathly afraid of going to sleep and having the temp run away or the fuel burn out. I did check the water level last time out and it's still in good shape...nowhere near needing a refill.

So, as I write this out, I'm at the 6hr mark but haven't dared pop the lid to take a peek at how things are going. I went light on the rub but did use Chris Lilly's injection.

Guess I will stick the Thermapen in around 6AM or so and depending on what it reads, I'll setup the probe thermometer and leave it stuck in the butt so I can keep a good eye on the temp of the meat.

Wish I woulda kept a log of the cook though. I do have a couple questions...

1) Do I need to foil this thing at a certain temp? It's due to finish any time between 6:30-830AM or later so I'm not in any time frame where I need it to be done so we can eat right away.

2) Once I do hit the pulling temp, and set it to rest...what's the generally used rest time? An hour? Longer? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm a newbie at this like you but have completed two successful pork butt bbq's and after doing tons of research, found that everyone recommends pulling off the butt at 190 degrees internal temperature. Wrap the butt in foil and the goal is to hit an internal temp of 220-230 degrees.

I wrap mine in foil and place them in the oven for about 2 hours and pull em. Both times they have been perfect.

Best of luck and look forward to hearing how they turn out!!

Thanks...I went out around 2:30 or so and found the temp reading just under 200 so I gave the barrel a tap of the foot near each vent. Temp rose just a bit but not for very long. Popped open the door and saw I was all but out of fuel (8hrs in). Poked around a bit and saw I still had some hot embers so I threw a bunch of unlit in. While I was hoping it would catch, I lit about a half (maybe a little less) a chimney and threw it in through the door once it was ready. Didn't know how I was gonna get em in but by luck, the grates on my char griller are just skinny to fit through the opening. So I grabbed one and used it as a ramp to slide the hot coals down. Worked pretty well but one of those fireplace shovels woulda been great to have. So the temp shot up to 250 right away. Choked the vents a bit and now have it sitting near 225. Not sure how long it will last. Would be nice if it did until sunrise so I could see better and try for a more long lasting solution.

Great minds,... I started ours about 6:30 also,... We have 4 pcs of pork shoulder, about 18 pounds total. I added some unlit coal around 3:30, the temp dropped down below 200, and opened all the bottom vents, did my first mop baste. The temperature has gone back up to 225 and stayed there, but my vents are still wide open,... so I am keeping a eye on it so that it doesn't get hotter.
I am preparing this for Sat. and Sunday for Super Bowl. How are we going to keep it fresh until the gang all gets here? I have a large crock that I plan to use,... but should I just keep it in there and refrigerate it until before hand? I think thats what I'm going to do, I cant keep it heated in the crock that long or it would dry it out right?...
Oh yea,... this is my first smoke, I got the WSM for Christmas and have been reading on the forum every night. I am even brave enough that I am not using any water! Seems to work well this way....
Good luck JimMcG...

Good luck guys - my first butt turned out well - but I ended up having to finish in the oven.

The outside temps were just too low and I was using too much fuel to keep temps up.

Crockpot with some apple juice and chicken broth worked like a charm.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Gary Gill:
Great minds,... I started ours about 6:30 also,... We have 4 pcs of pork shoulder, about 18 pounds total. I added some unlit coal around 3:30, the temp dropped down below 200, and opened all the bottom vents, did my first mop baste. The temperature has gone back up to 225 and stayed there, but my vents are still wide open,... so I am keeping a eye on it so that it doesn't get hotter. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yow....that's a heap of meat ya got there, Gary! I'd end up freezing so much of it if I cooked that much. We'll freeze a good bit as it is with this one butt...but, we'll eat good on it for a while. Outside temps here were in the mid 20s overnight I would guess. We're up to 36* now. My temps held very well after I added fuel around 3AM. Kinda surprised because I was just chucking handfuls in and using an old cooking fork to shove them around inside the charcoal ring. Just checked it now and I'm anywhere from 184* up to mid 190s depending on location (hit 200 in one spot but went back near it and it then showed high 190s). Guess I'm gonna pull it off soon.

Oh, btw, first time using this Thermapen...man, that thing is worth every penny. So much better than waiting for my cheapo probe therm to settle in.

A couple things I've learned last night:

1) Doing this in the dark with a flashlight pretty much sucks. Not so bad when you're just having a look at the temp indicated on the lid therm, but boy when I had to add fuel...I was holding my "ramp" (the grate from the Char Griller) with one hand, and pouring coals from the chimney onto the ramp with the other hand...while trying to hold the flashlight between my knees. Complete PITA. Never dawned on me that I have one of those mega-bright job lights that has a heavy clamp on it. Next time I will clamp that sucker to something near the grill and have plenty of light.

2) Now that I know I'm pretty comfortable with maintaining the right temp range and can get 8hrs (in winter) out of the MM, I'll start cooking around midnight. That way, once I get my temp settled, I can go to bed without any worry that I should be able to sleep until somewhere around 7-8AM. I was up until 6 this morning...just didn't feel good about going to bed (I did finally give in around 630 and went upstairs. Set my phone to alarm an hour later so I could check the temp. Did that again for the next couple of hours and now I'm fully awake), especially when the fuel ran out around 2:30. The little bit of sleep helped a lot. That wasn't the issue as much as getting the temp set again and really, not knowing how long the stuff I put in would last. Weather here wasn't very harsh. Like I said, mid-20s and really no wind. I did have a couple 35 gal trash cans, a recycling bin and even a picnic chair set up as something of a wind break, though there really was no wind to speak of.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Gary Gill:I am preparing this for Sat. and Sunday for Super Bowl. How are we going to keep it fresh until the gang all gets here? I have a large crock that I plan to use,... but should I just keep it in there and refrigerate it until before hand? I think thats what I'm going to do, I cant keep it heated in the crock that long or it would dry it out right?... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
That's a good question. I wish I had a Foodsaver cause I'd guess that vacuum sealing portions would be ok to throw in the fridge. As it is, I guess I'll just wrap it in foil tightly and then go into a ziploc bag. Probably use a straw to suck out most of the air.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Gary Gill:Oh yea,... this is my first smoke, I got the WSM for Christmas and have been reading on the forum every night. I am even brave enough that I am not using any water! Seems to work well this way....
Good luck JimMcG... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
You've got more patience than me; I couldn't wait to cook on it and ended up trying chicken the same week I got it. I had been reading this forum for a few months before actually buying the WSM. Good luck with yours as well, Gary.


<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by b mauro:
Good luck guys - my first butt turned out well - but I ended up having to finish in the oven.

The outside temps were just too low and I was using too much fuel to keep temps up.

Crockpot with some apple juice and chicken broth worked like a charm. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I've done that with butts I made on my Char Griller....works well. Apple juice is magical

Ok, I'm off at 1030...Thermapen shows 193 and up poking all around. Did hit 201 in one spot near the bottom. Triple wrapped it in foil and threw it in a cooler to rest. Top did look a little dry in one spot. One thing that concerns me a little is that I couldn't twist the bone out...nearly everyone says when the bone comes out clean you know you're there. Hopefully I just got a stubborn bone

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JimMcG:
Ok, I'm off at 1030...Thermapen shows 193 and up poking all around. Did hit 201 in one spot near the bottom. Triple wrapped it in foil and threw it in a cooler to rest. Top did look a little dry in one spot. One thing that concerns me a little is that I couldn't twist the bone out...nearly everyone says when the bone comes out clean you know you're there. Hopefully I just got a stubborn bone
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sounds like you tried to pull the bone out prior to wrapping it?? If so, that would explain why it may have been hard. I have always pulled my bone out after it has been wrapped in foil for a couple hours.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JimMcG:

A couple things I've learned last night:

1) Doing this in the dark with a flashlight pretty much sucks. Not so bad when you're just having a look at the temp indicated on the lid therm, but boy when I had to add fuel...I was holding my "ramp" (the grate from the Char Griller) with one hand, and pouring coals from the chimney onto the ramp with the other hand...while trying to hold the flashlight between my knees. Complete PITA. Never dawned on me that I have one of those mega-bright job lights that has a heavy clamp on it. Next time I will clamp that sucker to something near the grill and have plenty of light.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You might also consider a headlamp, something like this: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.479

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Nate C:
Sounds like you tried to pull the bone out prior to wrapping it?? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yep, that's right...so by the sounds of it, if you can pull it out straight from the cooker, the meat might be overdone...but if it comes out easy enough after the rest, should be ok?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Larry D.:
You might also consider a headlamp, something like this: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.479 </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
That's a good idea too...I do have a pair of Sears safety glasses that have dual LED sets on each temple. I've used them in the past but they don't put out a great bit of light.

gotcha...thanks for the info. butt's been resting for about 2hrs 40mins now. Guess I should open it up and look into pulling it.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JimMcG:
gotcha...thanks for the info. butt's been resting for about 2hrs 40mins now. Guess I should open it up and look into pulling it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Let us know how it goes!!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Nate C:
I have read several people state that pork is harder to pull at 190 vs 220-230. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm certainly not the world's foremost authority, but I have never heard of anyone trying to cook a butt to a temperature of 220 degrees. Generally, the end temperature is in the range of 190-200 degrees.

OMG, this thing came out great! Sorry to sound like a teenage girl, but I think it's the best one I've ever cooked. I'm beyond happy with the result.

I barely trimmed this butt at all...maybe just a little of the fat cap. I read somewhere on the forum about some very good meat in between the cap and the "false cap" (think I have that right). Well, when I took the butt off the grill, what was left of the fat cap was still stuck to the grill. I got it off and threw it on top of the butt before foiling. For various reasons, this thing rested for nearly 4 hours! Opened it up and it had definitely gotten darker. Took the fat cap piece off ready to pitch it and saw the meat on it. Oh my God, that was tasty. Ate it all, hehe.

I started going through the meat which separated in BIG chunks (I assume by muscle section). As Nate said, the bone came right out, nice and clean with little effort. I was amazed at how good it looked (and tasted). After I got the sections apart and removed any residual fat, I pulled most of it with my hands instead of the bear claws I have. Once I got it pretty much pulled, I did a little bit of fine tuning with the claws. Can't wait to get this one a bun!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Larry D.:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Nate C:
I have read several people state that pork is harder to pull at 190 vs 220-230. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm certainly not the world's foremost authority, but I have never heard of anyone trying to cook a butt to a temperature of 220 degrees. Generally, the end temperature is in the range of 190-200 degrees. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have probably misunderstood then what I have read. I thought I read that once the butt is pulled off the grill (at 190) and wrapped in foil for 1-2 hours, it continues to cook in it's own heat and will reach a level equivalent to approx 220 degrees internal. This will allow a butt at 190 that still might be tough to pull the bone out tender after wrapping and easier to remove. This was the problem Jim was having and why I mentioned the temperatures pre wrap and post wrap.

This thread talked some about this. http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/fo...80069052/m/814109914.