1st pork butt cook - stuck at 155


 
J

Jamie Mathews

TVWBB Member
Started my 1st ever pork butt (a 10 pound bone-in) on the 26.75 inch kettle last night, assisted by my new Maverick dual probe...

Lid temps averaged 270 degrees for 8 hours, maverick says grill temp is averaging 225 degrees. The meat temp has been stuck at 155 degrees for 90 minutes, and I confirmed with my Thermapen.

Is this a normal plateau?
 
My experience, though more limited than other thinkers on the board, tells me that any plateau around that temp is normal. I've given up completely on trying to time butts; they have minds of their own. Just keep the heat steady, although I would increase it to 275 were it me, and things will moderate. Everything seeks balance, including temps and butts. Good luck.
 
Yup, perfectly normal, really annoying watching nothing happen for a few hours! As was stated by mr Bounds I would up the temp personally but you certainly don't have to! It will be worth the time!

Clark
 
X2...it will stick around that temp then shoot up.... Based on your time stamp you should be just about pulling it off.
 
Thanks to all! Not sure why the timne stamp is 3 hours behind...I'm in CT, it'a about 9:50 AM, and I'm still at exactly 155. Interesting.

Hoping to have this for dinner at 5 PM, 7 hours from now...
 
Good luck with the butt Jamie, I am at the other end of the spectrum. Threw 3 - 9 lb. butts on at 3, planning to eat around 7 and the fastest butt is already at 175. No worries, if they are done early its off to the cooler. Where in CT, I brought my set up to my buddy's house for his party, smokin in Simsbury but I live in Farmington.
 
Shouldn't be a problem, you'll pick up speed once you break the plateau, if you really find it is cutting close just foil it and finish it at a higher heat, 325 or so.

Clark
 
I have always been told the plateau is where all the good stuff happens, connective tissue breaking down, that sort of thing. It may not be entirely true, but thinking that way sure makes it easier to deal with the non-changing temps you get for a while.
 
Oh yeah it is normal. When I did my first but I hit 160 within the first 4 hours and then it held at 169 for about 5 hours before it began to creep up again.
 
One more vote for, yep, normal.

Every butt will be different, depending on connective tissue and fat. It will keep the temp down while it's rendering it into succulent, fall in love piggy. Drier or smaller ones (since a lot, especially what you buy in grocery stores, are usually pieces of whole butts) might break through in an hour, whole, really nice ones might go 3 or even more.
 
Don't sweat it, I did three butts Thursday night - one went a little over 20 hours and STILL wasn't 190° (pulled it at 185° - was fine) Other's went 18 hours. However, the TJ's charcoal was still going strong - I even cooked HH Ribs Thursday before I put the butts on. Ran about 28 hours without refilling and slightly less than a full ring at beginning. - Still had a few hours left on it I'm sure - probably longer if I had not done HH Ribs to start.
 
Kind of a response, kind of a question: Does it matter if the butt is bone-in or boneless as far as stall/finish time? I've got a 5.5lb boneless in the freezer and am trying to make a plan here (though I may be WAY over thinking it).
 
My own two cents after doing butts a few times. Yes, the plateau is normal as has been discussed (and it can certainly hang there for 90 min or mor)e. First time it made me nervous wondering what was going on.

The other quirk I've experienced all three times is that post-plateau, the meat will chug along to about 183 and then drop. 182, 181, 180, 179....Hey, what's going on here? A little adjustment of the vents and coals and, after about an hour of this, the meat goes on to the finish line. Sometimes you think, based on the progress it makes to 160 or more that you will be done soon, only to find that you will in fact fall under the usual 1 to 1.5 hours per pound formula. And boy is it ever worth the wait!!!!!

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I'll be interested to see any input on the boneless question too. I've been seeing a lot of these in the supermarkets but have only done bone-in butts to date. My guess is the cook time would be a little quicker with a little less mass etc... but not a whole lot. But those in the know have the answer I'm sure.

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