Foiling your butt


 
I think I'm in the minority here, but I foil. I'll foil at 160˚F and continue until the butt is done. I like the moistness and the captured juices in the foil that I add back after I pull the pork. Others will add that it ruins the bark, but I like it the way it turns out with foil.

Next.... :)
 
I'm am in aggreement with Mike. I have always foiled and everyone loves the butts I cook. Just my 20 cents (adjusted for inflation).
 
I don't foil. Never saw a need. I like a long cook. Good excuse to drink beer. Of course I sometimes wait until after breakfast before I start drinking. :)
 
I do HH butts and foiling is a necessity. I go by time at a certain temp and when the color looks good I'll foil.
I've done away with checking on internal temps on butts, I just go with what works for me.:wsm:

Tim
 
Mike Willis said:
I think I'm in the minority here, but I foil. I'll foil at 160˚F and continue until the butt is done. I like the moistness and the captured juices in the foil that I add back after I pull the pork. Others will add that it ruins the bark, but I like it the way it turns out with foil.

Next.... :)
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I'd recommend you tried both ways, then make your decision. Personally I'm in the 'foil' camp.
 
I have done it both ways. I foil when the butts are close to done but are taking their sweet time getting "done". However, after the butts are pulled and the bark and juice are all mixed together, you can't really tell the difference between foiled and not.
 
I'm in the no foil camp for butts. I've even done one high heat butt un-foiled and it turned out great. However, it's mainly a laziness issue with me. I don't feel like taking it off to foil it. I will foil ribs.
 
I've smoked a tone of Pork Butts and have done a lot of repeated side by side testing to determine my own opinions of the long lasting, always to be debated questions. Here's my way and I've listened to my trusted tasters repeatedly, unanimously agree... fat cap down, no injection, mustard slather, foil. I understand those may be fighting words to some, but that's what I've determined is what works best for me. I foil at 170-175... I feel it develops the bark very well. I also foil two butts in a pan at a time with tented foil that is drooped over the center of each butt.
 
I've never foiled it before and have a good bark. My last one was amazing. Fat cap down and once i take it off, i put in the pan fat cap sup. My silly logic is the juices will flow down from the hot fat cap while resting. I also make sure to mix it all really well after pulling to distribute flavors.
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
I don't feel like taking it off to foil it.
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Dustin, I don't take it off...the butt goes in the smoker on a small rack straddling an aluminum pan. When ready, the foil goes over the butt and just over the sides of the pan, then I crimp the foil around the pan to seal it. I start with pineapple juice and water (50/50 mix) in the pan and let the pork drip into that mix. :wsm:
 
No foil on brisket. No foil on shoulder...

And while I prefer no foil on ribs, my wife prefers it the other way... so I'm reverting...
 
Al Silverman said:
I have done it both ways. I foil when the butts are close to done but are taking their sweet time getting "done". However, after the butts are pulled and the bark and juice are all mixed together, you can't really tell the difference between foiled and not.
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Same here. I usually don't foil till around 175-180°it, I like the long smoke time. Then i foil till done and let rest in a cooler for 2-3hrs. turns out super tender.
 
I recently placed a post that said, i just smoked my last butt wo foil. Ive dine it both ways many times and simply produce a better product when foiling at appx 170 then remove the foil for the last hour to firm, dry the bark. I dint like the added step of foiling, it just works.
 
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