ASAP Butt help needed


 
C

C. Moore

TVWBB Member
Two 6 lbs. butts have been on smoker since 9 last night. Grate temp was 240 at 11:30 last night. At 6 A.M., it had dropped to 170. Don't know how long it had been there. I added some coals and got it up to 210. It was still there when I left the house at 8 A.M. Question 1 is: do I have a problem since the smoker temp got so low for an undetermined amount of time? Question 2: Once these things are ready (which I estimate will be around noon), what is the best way for me to keep them until 7 tonight when I can get home and pull them?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Charlie in South Carolina
 
You should be fine. Just make sure that the internal temp of the finished product is up to 190-195 degrees before you remove it from the smoker. Double wrap the butts in heavy duty aluminum foil and then wrap them in a towel. Put the wrapped packages into a cooler to hold until you are ready to pull them. Since you are waiting such a long time between removing the butts from the smoker and pulling, prior to putting the butts into the cooler, I would suggest that you warn the inside of the cooler first by putting some very hot water in the cooler before you put in the butts. After the cooler has warmed, pour out the water, put in the butts and secure the cooler tightly. When you are ready to pull the pork, just to be safe, check the internal temp of the pork to make sure that it is 140 degrees or more.
 
did you check your vents on the bottom? maybe closed too much? did you use a full ring of coals? as far as storing you can go by what frank has posted.
 
Frank S. and J. Pavone,

Yes, I did check bottom vents and two were opened completely and one was opened one half when I hit the sack. When I cranked it up at 8:30 last night, I minioned one chimney of lit kingsford over one chimney of unlit. In the past, based comparatively on threads here that I have read, my smoker is among the most air-tight. I have had this set-up last close to 18 hours in the past. Something happened last night, though, that caused my temp to drop and most of my coals to exhaust themselves.

I will head home and wrap them before too long. Thanks again.

Charlie
 
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