Help with temperature


 
Michael,

My temp measurement through the grommet and the weber dome thermometer show the same thing. How did this compare to your probe temps mounted to the grate near the meat?
 
12 hours in and meat is at 175. Dropped a little below 225 on the probes at the 11th hour, so I added more coal.
still have a way to go to get to 203
 
JWorden said:
Michael,

My temp measurement through the grommet and the weber dome thermometer show the same thing. How did this compare to your probe temps mounted to the grate near the meat?
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This was last night
MK4 sticking in grommet - 240
MK4 through the top damper - 253
Probes at grate 230 - 233
Weber thermometer in lid at 200

Using water. Top damper 100% open
 
Thanks

I think your temps look good except for the Weber dome temp. I would pick a method and just go with one.

Is this going to be another 20 hr cook?
 
JWorden said:
Thanks

I think your temps look good except for the Weber dome temp. I would pick a method and just go with one.

Is this going to be another 20 hr cook?
Click to expand...
I hope it’s not going to be. I did start it early enough this time though just in case. Really don’t want a 20 hr cook each time.
 
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Next time when the meat temp reaches 155 or so try wrapping it. It can't hurt to try but it will cut down the cook time.
 
Here's another suggestion. If you want 10-12 pounds instead of getting one large butt get two smaller ones. I have the 14.5 WSM and I found cooking two 5lb butts (top and bottom rack) takes about the same time as one 5 lb butt on the top rack. You may want to rotate them at some point.

I start mine at 7-8 am and it's ready for dinner around 5-6. That includes a one hour rest in a towel. I wrap it at which is normally around 1:00 pm.
 
It’s extremely difficult to find anything smaller then 8 lbs. I honestly haven’t seen a bone in less than 8 around here.

Might try doing this at 250 instead.
 
My local store seems to only have them on the smaller side. I tried a 7lb once and it added a little to the cooking time. I started it an hour earlier just in case. I've never cooked a real big one.

Do you thaw yours out ahead of time? If it's still frozen in the center it will take much longer.

You could just turn up the temp right now.
 
JWorden said:
My local store seems to only have them on the smaller side. I tried a 7lb once and it added a little to the cooking time. I started it an hour earlier just in case. I've never cooked a real big one.

Do you thaw yours out ahead of time? If it's still frozen in the center it will take much longer.

You could just turn up the temp right now.
Click to expand...
They aren’t frozen at all, and they do sit in the rub when I am getting the smoker up to temp. So not frozen. Last time I did have to bump it to 275. Getting from 195 - about 203 took hours.

I don’t want to have to do that though, but we will see. Going to try the boil test on the Weber one after this cook.
Even the two grate probes now are showing a wide difference, but that could be the way the coal was burning when I added more. I just evened the coals out.
 
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Michael said:
Thanks. It’s 9 am where I am, so I will go ahead and wait it out. Started it at 7 pm yesterday just in case.
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Hang in there, Michael! :) You're 14 hours in on that 8 pounder, and in the 180's, looks like you are going to come in just about at that 2 hour per pound estimate (maybe a bit over.) Good eatin' today! :)

R
 
Lots of good advice/comments in this thread. If you want to finish your pork butt faster (with the probe as close to the center the grate as possible but still 1.5 or so away from the meat) you can run a little hotter (up to 275*) or as JWorden has suggested, you wrap that sucker up after it's 160F or so and the bark is set.

I always wrap, and always check the bark but scratching at it with a fingernail. If it's not set, a light scratching will remove part of the bark. If you scratch and the bark is firmly attached, then I double wrap in HD foil, and put a couple of tablespoons of beer or apple juice in there. With wrapping you should get through the stall in about half the time. I would usually plan for 10 to 12 hours actual cook time on an 8 lb butt (in favorable weather).

*You might need to foil your pan and run dry in order to run higher temperatures. Dry pan vs water in the pan is a somewhat controversial topic.... I normally run dry so I don't have the "wet clean up on aisle 5", and my butts normally turn out pretty darn good. Finally, running hotter is more difficult when the weather is against you, and your fighting wind, cold, or rain.
 
Thank. I think trying to get a true good temp reading is a bit difficult. I haven’t moved the grate probes since my initial adjustment last night, and one says 232 while the other says 250. They were just about the same until today. Maybe one is a bit close to the pork and since it is warmer, giving off heat, not sure.
 
If the pork is sweating some liquid could be dripping on the probe. Evaporation absorbs heat and that would cause the temperature to read lower.
 
Butterfly your pork shoulder.

Cooks much faster. More bark. More seasoning.

Especially easy to do if your are starting with an already boneless butt (which is usually what my Costco sells).

And then cook at 275F. And consider ditching the water.

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