Is my Boston Butt done yet?


 
JeffB

JeffB

TVWBB Pro
Internal temp only 184* but been on for 11 hours and probes fairly tender.

Also pit temp down to about 205*. Should I move to oven at 325* to finish it?

Thanks.
 
Got it foiled Jeff?
That will help get it moving up.
If you have time for it to cook longer, then adding more coals will work, but the oven works well too.
I pretty much go by the bone wiggling freely for doneness.
 
Make sure you check multiple spots. I have had issues with lower temp in some points but high in other spots. If the bone is coming out then you are pretty close.
 
Thanks for the posts!! Just moved to oven at 325*. Will recheck in 30 minutes. I never use foil.
 
"Done" is a relative term. To some 184F is "done", to others, not so much. I prefer mine "done" at 203-207F before resting for 2 hours.
 
Bill Elwell said:
"Done" is a relative term. To some 184F is "done", to others, not so much. I prefer mine "done" at 203-207F before resting for 2 hours.
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Yup. I use an ET-732. When it hits this temp, I use a Thermapen to confirm temp but tenderness is the final test. If the probe goes through easy like a hot knife through butter, then it is rest time.
 
Fellow by the name of Jim Minion said to me on this forum several years ago, "If you want to slice a butt take it off at 170. If you want to pull it, take it off at 190". I think moving it to your oven was a wise move, JeffB.
 
Tom Barineau said:
I think moving it to your oven was a wise move, JeffB.
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Agreed. I pulled the BBs and put into the oven for another hour or so at 325*. They hit 195*+ and I pulled, foiled and went into a cooler with towels for 3 hours. 13 hour total cook time (my longest yet) and they were great.
 
I smoke at 225F. After experiencing a couple long stalls I tried foiling at 150F. The first time it cut right through the stall like it never occurred. The second time, more of the same.

Now I foil all my butts around 147-150F and raise the temp up to 250F. They cook until the DigiQ DX2 reaches 207F then they get a 2 hour rest. They've always been really tender and never mushy.

FWIW, with the DigiQ DX2 I now use the Maverick's second probe ALSO for meat. I just set the meat and pit temps the same. IMHO, probes don't know what meat they're cooking. ;)
 
Bill Elwell said:
I smoke at 225F. After experiencing a couple long stalls I tried foiling at 150F. The first time it cut right through the stall like it never occurred. The second time, more of the same.

Now I foil all my butts around 147-150F and raise the temp up to 250F. They cook until the DigiQ DX2 reaches 207F then they get a 2 hour rest. They've always been really tender and never mushy.
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Bill, do you wrap the butts so the juices don't fall through (or does it matter?)? I may try that approach next time around. I imagine it would help to keep the meat from falling apart while transporting to the oven or cooler.

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Jeff, I too, used to pull my buts at 190 to 195, but I found the meat fell apart better at 205-ish.
 
I'm not a big fan of the Texas Crutch, but doing a butt for pulled pork is an exception. By the time the internal gets to 150-160, you should have a pretty good bark, so foil wrapping will just preserve what you've already got. As much as I love crunchy bark on brisket, it kinda gets in the way for pulled pork. The bonus with foil is that you can smoke a decent sized butt in one day.

Jeff
 
I know I'm a little late to this party, so I'll just add my 2C now.
The solution to the "stall" problem is to cook at a higher temperature, I usually aim for 300°-325°. The advantages are shorter cook time, no need to foil or put in the oven to finish, the obvious one- no stall, and one that is less obvious- a more predictable cook time. An 8 pound butt at 300° takes me about 6-7 hours so I can start at 9AM and be done for dinner at 5PM, with none of those accusing "when is it going to be done " looks from SWMBO.
Mike Hermanek has a good point about temping in several spots, I have noticed as much as a 20° difference depending on temp probe placement.
 
CliffCarter said:
The solution to the "stall" problem is to cook at a higher temperature, I usually aim for 300°-325°. The advantages are shorter cook time, no need to foil or put in the oven to finish, the obvious one- no stall, and one that is less obvious- a more predictable cook time. An 8 pound butt at 300° takes me about 6-7 hours so I can start at 9AM and be done for dinner at 5PM, with none of those accusing "when is it going to be done " looks from SWMBO.
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That *is* fast for a butt. Never cooked one that quick yet.
 
Rusty James said:
That *is* fast for a butt. Never cooked one that quick yet.
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I've done 2 hot and fast. The first one was on my offset and I didn't wrap. The 2nd one I did on the WSM and I did. I thought they both turned out pretty well compared to the ones I've cooked low and slow but not AS good. I found the cook on both to be a little less even but the wrapped one was better. Some parts were perfect while others slightly under. I just shredded them both with forks anyway and after I mixed them up you'd never know. Given plenty of time I prefer to cook them between 225 to 250. The WSM is so easy to run that I don't mind a longer cook at all. Sometimes, I really enjoy that crust you get unwrapped.
 
A stall is a good thing - that is when the magic happens. Trying to rush through it or in any way shorten it takes a toll on the finished product. Don't waste your first 10 hours of cooking right by rushing to take an hour or 90 minutes off the total cook. Butt is done when it is done ( I happen to like it at 195-200 degrees.). Barbecue teaches us about patience.
 
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