Jim C in Denver
TVWBB All-Star
Wrap and into the oven. You can use the oven to raise the temp the last few degrees.
Then turn off the oven and it becomes your holding chamber (replacing the cooler/towels).
Help with temperature
- Thread starter Michael
- Start date
Wrap and into the oven. You can use the oven to raise the temp the last few degrees.
Then turn off the oven and it becomes your holding chamber (replacing the cooler/towels).
HH? Ham Hocks?
timothy
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Yea I really think you are cooking lower then sub boiling like 200 or lower.
You can try letting one of your probes just dangle or hang out in one of the top vent holes.
That is usually 12-15 degs hotter then top grate and you don't have to worry about getting to close to a cold mass of meat or extending into the hot zone. The probe is tempered because it's reading the exhaust and not influenced by any variables.
My 08 WSM didn't have a built in thermo, so that's what I did when first starting out.
You can try letting one of your probes just dangle or hang out in one of the top vent holes.
That is usually 12-15 degs hotter then top grate and you don't have to worry about getting to close to a cold mass of meat or extending into the hot zone. The probe is tempered because it's reading the exhaust and not influenced by any variables.
My 08 WSM didn't have a built in thermo, so that's what I did when first starting out.
Yea, it’s tricky. They all say something different. Just ant to find a spot that’s good and works constantly. Even if I stick with the Weber dome one, if I know it’s about 20-25 lower then grate, I can work with that and not mess with others.
YepYep. Pick one and go with it. If you try to mix or match you'll drive your self bonkers.
That's why when I started by using the grommet opening I never compared it to putting it on the grate itself. I'll learn it this way and not change it.
On the 14.5 WSM the grommet is less than 2 inches below the top grate. I figured it was close enough and it's in the exact same place every time.
Chris in Louisiana
TVWBB All-Star
That does seem a long time for a single pork butt. I usually cook two at a time, and it takes anywhere from 12.5 to 17 hours.
I recently smoked a single 8.8 pounder. Lit 30 briquettes for Minion start with H2O in pan and set bottom vents at about 25%. I don't fuss with measuring grate temps anymore, but the unreliable Weber dome gauge said it was in the 225-50 range for most of the cook. Close enough.
Took 14.5 hours for the butt to get to 195+, and I did not wrap during the cook.
That's a long way from 20 hours, so I think you must be cooking at a significantly lower temp than it appears. It won't hurt it to crank it up a bit.
I recently smoked a single 8.8 pounder. Lit 30 briquettes for Minion start with H2O in pan and set bottom vents at about 25%. I don't fuss with measuring grate temps anymore, but the unreliable Weber dome gauge said it was in the 225-50 range for most of the cook. Close enough.
Took 14.5 hours for the butt to get to 195+, and I did not wrap during the cook.
That's a long way from 20 hours, so I think you must be cooking at a significantly lower temp than it appears. It won't hurt it to crank it up a bit.
Thanks. My Weber dome is about 30 degrees off from the grate. If that is similar to yours (never know) then you would be around 250-275.
But this last one, 18 hours, which is about my normal time. I have done 4 so far and all about the same.
Do you pull at 195? I could probably save quite a bit of time if I pulled at 195 instead of over 200
Tony-Chicago
TVWBB Wizard
Your cooking temp is low.
Maybe 210.
Try 250 or 275
You can cut in half. For bone-in it will be more like 60-40. More bark, saves a bit of time. Wrapping, especially at such low temps, will save a lot of time.
More later
Ps, looks great
Maybe 210.
Try 250 or 275
You can cut in half. For bone-in it will be more like 60-40. More bark, saves a bit of time. Wrapping, especially at such low temps, will save a lot of time.
More later
Ps, looks great
Bruno
TVWBB Honor Circle
Definitely normal.
Bruno
TVWBB Honor Circle
I would definitely wrap, butcher paper helps and keeps the bark set. Last cook I switched to a foil pan and foiled the top, that thing took off, finished quick and it was a big hit.
Chris in Louisiana
TVWBB All-Star
I generally pull butts anywhere in the 195-200 range. The temp will usually vary from spot to spot, so I look for the average to be in that area, and for the probe to go in like butter.
I keep notes, and those pulled at 195 had excellent texture.
Tony-Chicago
TVWBB Wizard
5 hours is the most mine take. But that is at a higher heat.
Start with getting the temp up to about 240-250 if not higher.
Then decide if you want to get more bark by cutting in half or in the extreme, butterflying.
Wrapping will save a lot of time. Especially if you are at a low temperature. Going from 195 to 205 with a pit temp of 210 could take forever. But it should not. One advantage I see here is that the meat is in the 185 to - zone for a long time. That should break up the collagen. Course that may be more important for brisket.
The lower the pit temp the more time wrapping saves.
Your next goal should be to confirm a 250 to 275 pit temp.
Start with getting the temp up to about 240-250 if not higher.
Then decide if you want to get more bark by cutting in half or in the extreme, butterflying.
Wrapping will save a lot of time. Especially if you are at a low temperature. Going from 195 to 205 with a pit temp of 210 could take forever. But it should not. One advantage I see here is that the meat is in the 185 to - zone for a long time. That should break up the collagen. Course that may be more important for brisket.
The lower the pit temp the more time wrapping saves.
Your next goal should be to confirm a 250 to 275 pit temp.
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