First pork butt cook underway - temperature concerns


 
Jim C in Denver said:
Steve.

Did you use water in the cooker?

Water is there mostly to depress temps; not really that much about moisture. That could have been keeping the temps down.

I never use water. Given how my 18 wsm runs, my problem is temps too low. Almost never temps too high.
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Great question.

I bought my pre-2014 18.5” WSM used. Its previous owner modded it, adding a LavaLock door, some gasket sealing and a River Country dome thermometer, and replacing the water pan with a FireDial. So the WSM I have does not currently have a water pan.

I foiled the FireDial. I did not place a pan on top of it.

I also have a problem with low temperatures. Maybe I’m not lighting enough fuel. I used the Minion method, which meant filling the charcoal ring all the way up, then pouring half a chimney of hot coals over it.

Maybe the FireDial is too effective a barrier. Maybe I should have used a whole chimney.

One cook I watched Chris Allingham do he lit two chimneys at once. I think he was probably aiming for a higher temperature with that cook. I’m considering buying a second chimney. I’m not sure I can get above 270 at the grate with the FireDial in place. If I wanted to do Hot and Fast I’d probably not use the FireDial and just spritz every 30 minutes.
 
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JWorden said:
I suggest you keep a journal of each cook. Write down everything you did from what you cooked and size, weather conditions, type of charcoal, wood, water pan, etc. Keep track of your vent settings, times you made and adjustment, wrapping or not, thermometer placement/temperatures.
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Good tip. I use the Meater app, which has a note-taking facility that I used assiduously. See attached.
 

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I like that. Be sure to add your observations it was too salty.

Next time about half way through check the charcoal level through the door and add more if it's getting low. I would also suggest starting early in the morning. I get mine on by 8 am if it's for dinner but I wrap mine and only rest for 1 hour. My local store usually sells them cut in 4-6 lb pieces.
 
JWorden said:
I like that. Be sure to add your observations it was too salty.

Next time about half way through check the charcoal level through the door and add more if it's getting low. I would also suggest starting early in the morning. I get mine on by 8 am if it's for dinner but I wrap mine and only rest for 1 hour. My local store usually sells them cut in 4-6 lb pieces.
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My error was in not trimming, injecting, and rubbing the night before. My objective from now on is to get the fire started no earlier than 7am if I want a 7.5 lb (pre-trim) roast ready by dinner time.
 
I only trim the butt if it has an overly amount of a fat cap on it, don't forget that fat transitions into flavor & moisture & I have never injected one, plenty of fat within the muscle tissue. Since you have a WSM 18 which has a smaller capacity for charcoal, just use a higher temp to cook the butt. Plenty of good advice here, a pork butt isn't about time, it's done when it's done. Also, I am a firm believer of placing it in a cooler for a few hours before serving, obviously this is dependent upon your time constraints.
 
Steve Tiilikainen said:
Hi folks. Currently 20 minutes into a cook of a 7 pound pork butt. Lid temperature measures right around 225º, Meater probe is reporting ~200º ambient temperature. It's a nice day outside; 45º, with the WSM in the shade and little to no wind. Lit about 30 briquettes and used the minion method with 3 chunks of smoking wood. All four vents are fully open at this point.

My previous experience with ribs taught me a hard lesson in overreacting to low temperatures. Right now I'm (correctly, I think) taking no action. At what point should I be concerned that the temperature of the cooker is too low? And if that gets to be the case, what should I do about it?
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This:
 
I'm a lazy cook.
I don't trim the meat unless it is a real akward cut
Don't spray, don't wrap and worse of all, I don't pull :)
I prefer my smoked pork shoulder sliced.
 
You really never need to stress over temperatures unless you got a deadline. Everything between 225 and 300 Cooks about the same....hotter just faster, better outside bark
 
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