First butts question


 
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Duane Pullen

New member
So, both of my butts smoked for right around 8 hours (8 pounders each). I held them temp around 225 for the most part early on and then the temps got up to 250-260 even though I was just cracking the vents. I'm guessing it's due to the fact the water was almost gone now that I look back on it.

Another thing-I pulled the butts, wrapped in foil, and placed in a cooler for 2 hours. I just couldn't wait any long as it's time to call it a night. From what I've read, ideally they'd rest for 4-5 hours.

Flavoring/smoke right/color was great for my first try. Only thing I'm scratching my head about is the pork not having the "shredability" I was hoping for to get the pulled pork chunks. Right now, they'd be wonderful sandwich slices/cubes, but not the stringy texture I'm used to seeing when it's pulled. Is this due to me not giving them enough time in the foil or is there something else I'm missing in the process?

Thanks!
 
Duane, what was the internal temp of the butt?
The ideal internal temp for pulling the pork is between 195-205°F
Having water or NOT having water in the pan makes little difference.
Your temp in the WSM was fine and the 2 hours wrapped in foil and in the cooler is good.
Sounds to me this pork did not reach the proper temp for pulling...
 
Agree ... it didn't cook long enough.

IMO, 10 hrs for an 8lb'er at 225º is not long enough.

When 'done' enough for PP, the bone, if it has one, with slide out without much effort and it'll shredd when you stick a fork in it and twist. I usually have to take mine off with neoprene gloves as they practically come apart in my hands.

You only need to hold them for about an hour. 4~5 hours is not 'ideal' - it's just how long you can safely hold them and still be hot.
 
That's probably what happened. I don't think the thermometer is very reliable and was giving me some crazy readings. The only real thing I had to go off of was one of those "forks" that will tell you the various stages of doneness for beff/pork/chicken/poultry and when i poked, it all came back at the max temp. Just tried to make do with what I had and not going to the store to get a new one.
 
Just an add-on to what the others have said, I would definately invest in a good meat therm, something like a Maverick ET-73 0r 732 that way you have 2 probes,1 for the meat and one for the chamber or use both for meat.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Don Reed:
Just an add-on to what the others have said, I would definately invest in a good meat therm, something like a Maverick ET-73 0r 732 that way you have 2 probes,1 for the meat and one for the chamber or use both for meat. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's one of the difficulties I'm having-I was checking out amazon for a thermometer and the reviews aren't the best for what seems to be mentioned here frequently.
 
Duane, I'm doing my first right now. I read Chris' article on smoking a butt and it was very helpful. Basically, you've got to cook it past "done," clear to "tender." Your fork is probably just calibrated for "done" (for instance, for checking chops on the grill) but to get to tender, apparently takes another 30 degrees or more, and a few more hours.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Matt Sanders:
Duane, I'm doing my first right now. I read Chris' article on smoking a butt and it was very helpful. Basically, you've got to cook it past "done," clear to "tender." Your fork is probably just calibrated for "done" (for instance, for checking chops on the grill) but to get to tender, apparently takes another 30 degrees or more, and a few more hours. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I guess that's what I get for waiting until 3:00 to fire it up. I had no intention of doing it yesterday at first, but when I found out it was delivered at lunch time, I decided to come home and get something going. Patience isn't one of my strong virtues, although I'm going to have to get better at it if I want to do well with this "hobby".
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Duane Pullen:
[
That's one of the difficulties I'm having-I was checking out amazon for a thermometer and the reviews aren't the best for what seems to be mentioned here frequently. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I have to admit they can be better and from what I understand is they have made some improvements. The original probe leads where very thin and short plus you had to remove the back to turn it on and the transmit distance was not as good as stated but they now have the longer,heavier leads, it can be turned on with out removing the back and it has an antenna for better transmition, I myself wouln't mind having the ET-732 as soon as I find one cheap wnough.I already have the ET-73
 
Duane,

When I get impatient, I go out and smell the smoldering oak.
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The other thing I need to learn is how much charcoal to use. There was still a good bit of life left after I pulled them off. I put on a 15# bag in the 22.5 WSM and a chimney full on top of it. Burned for at least 2 more hours before I started dousing it a bit and likely had another 2 hours left. The manual mentioned how many briquettes to use, but I'm sure not counting them.
 
Duane, there is nothing wrong with sliced butt. It sounds like you cooked it long enough for that. Pulled pork however requires more time. As you have already discovered. I would say that your cook was very successful. You cooked the meat, it was good and you learned a valuable lesson.
As far as meat temps go when done, temp is a guide only. Tenderness is the goal. Learn to probe the meat and FEEL when it is done. Takes a little practice, but thats ok. If you are like me you will initially pull before it's done. Just be patient, oh, you will gain that if you smoke long enough.

Think of the picture of a big ol pit in the ground, nice coals in the bottom and a couple pigs on a rack on top. Several families sittin' round and discussin' local politics and such as the cook watches the meat. No rush, it will be done when it's done and all will enjoy.

Many Happy cooks to you.

Mark
 
Duane, I always have leftover charcoal, nothing wrong with that...
Better to have more than not enough.
just close up all vents when the cook is complete and they'll die out.
Use them for your next cook.
 
Thanks for the advice.

Although it didn't turn out quite like I had hoped, the flavor was there, which I guess was the most important thing. I really had no idea how much wood to add for smoke and I think it provided good flavor but not being overpowering. I think that was key considering I've read that hickory can be a bit overpowering with pork. The loin turned out near perfect and that was just trying to guess when to pull it off for certain.

Guess I'll be getting a thermometer on amazon and will plan on doing an overnight next time so I can give it a lot more time. Sadly, I'm already trying to think of when to fire it up again when I've got 15#+ now for a family of 5. I'll probably do the Mr. Brown method next time. Like I said, I did little prep as I stopped at Sams Club, got the meat, came home to assemble the grill/season the meat, and it was on as soon as the fire was ready.

As far as the "bark" goes, is it traditionally soft or is it more of a crust of sorts? Mine was dark all around, but it was more soft than it was a crust.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jim Lampe:
Duane, I always have leftover charcoal, nothing wrong with that...
Better to have more than not enough.
just close up all vents when the cook is complete and they'll die out.
Use them for your next cook. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

In my case, I used a full 15# bag of Stubbs and then filled the chimney from another bag. I think I may have had the right amount if I had waited the additional time I should have to get the temp to the range needed to pull it. Strange thing was that I closed all the vents and it didn't seem to have any sign that it was slowing down at all.
 
Hey, Duane. From the sounds of it, you didn't have a failure, you just had a different kind of success.
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That's not especially uncommon for smoking meat -- especially for new smokers.

Here's one more set of opinions:
1) Buy a thermometer -- not a meat tester. Whether you get a Maverick or a simple instant read meat thermometer ($5 - 10) isn't important. (Most of us end up with several.) Being able to get reasonably accurate temps as you learn is. The Maverick and other probes will let you "monitor" your meat progress -- an instant read will let you either measure temp after some guesstimated time, or verify your probe (after all, the probe only measures temp in one location in the meat).

2) Read Chris' item in Cooking Topics about smoking pork butt (or anything else you want to try). Either you're reading the wrong things or you have misinterpreted, because you have some fallacious reasoning (you cooked by time, the "ideal" 4 - 5 hour rest, etc.). There are also lots of threads here on first time butt smoking that address all these questions. The more you read, the better your potential for great results (and it gives you something to drool over between cooks).

3) As you said, you need to plan a little better. Don't pin yourself to a window or a deadline -- especially when doing a long, large meat cook. Your meat could be done early (then you have to keep it warm and monitor to be sure the temp stays above at least 130*). Or more likely it will fool you and need more time -- maybe a LOT more time. As you indicated, you CAN keep it warm if it finishes early -- or even reheat it. But it you run out of time (let's see, you have one example, right
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) and per chance your starving guests are waiting, what are you going to do? Best to plan (or hope) to finish a little early and enjoy the party than to feel rushed, have things not be right and potentially end up with a bad cook.

So welcome to TVWBB and to a great hobby ("way of life"). We've all been there -- some of us recently and some so long ago they've forgotten. It's not so much patience as giving yourself enough time and practice.

Rich
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Duane Pullen:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jim Lampe:
Duane, I always have leftover charcoal, nothing wrong with that...
Better to have more than not enough.
just close up all vents when the cook is complete and they'll die out.
Use them for your next cook. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

In my case, I used a full 15# bag of Stubbs and then filled the chimney from another bag. I think I may have had the right amount if I had waited the additional time I should have to get the temp to the range needed to pull it. Strange thing was that I closed all the vents and it didn't seem to have any sign that it was slowing down at all. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


That's not an especially huge amount of charcoal for a long cook like this. Apparently the full chimney worked for you, but if it's a Weber chimney (they are somewhat larger than the cheaper ones), full may not be necessary (or even desirable) for a low and slow or a shorter cook. But you'll figure that one out.

I like Stubbs myself, but if you want to save quite a lot on charcoal (depends on how deep your pockets are), Kingsford works quite well also and at Memorial Day, the 4th and Labor Day, Lowe's has great prices. Just be aware that they produce a lot more ash which can smother your fire so you may need to stir or "kick the legs" to knock the ash off.

Rich
 
I'm loading up on the Stubbs 15# bags for $4.25/bag, so I think that's pretty reasonable. Seems to be darn near what the Kingsford twin pack is going for at HD right now.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Duane Pullen:
I'm loading up on the Stubbs 15# bags for $4.25/bag, so I think that's pretty reasonable. Seems to be darn near what the Kingsford twin pack is going for at HD right now. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If I could get Stubbs at $4.50 a 1 lb. bag, I would try to buy a 10-year supply!

Rich
 
Duane, I think I read on here that butts have diffrent muscle groups and those will hold diffrent temps depending where your probe is. I smoked a butt recently and when shredding I noticed a small part of it just didnt shred like the rest of it, still was good but I could for sure feel a diffrence, the overall butt though was well tasty and I have another one coming up soon.
 
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