Just taking too long...


 
M

M Merrill

TVWBB Member
The last 3 or 4 pork shoulders have taken 20-22 hours before they are done. Why are they taking so long on my WSM?

I purchase 7-9# bone-in shoulders in a standard double pre-pack from Sam's Club. I use a 3-probe NuTemp probe. One probe at top grill level and one in each of the shoulders. (I always test each of the probe/transmitters before each smoke to ensure their accuracy.)

I place one piece (fat on top) on each of the racks. My temp range is 220-235 degrees.

I tried a couple times to increase the temp to 250 after 8 hours. But I feel the meat pulled too dry.

Any suggestions?

Mark
 
If you're certain the meats not frozen (happened to me a few weeks back even though I thought it was fully thawed) it could just be the meat. I use Farmland All Natural pork and it always seems to take at least 2 hours/lb.

Brad
 
If the meat was too dry when you pulled it you probably overcooked it. Are you going by internal temperature rather than tenderness?
 
The time issue has to be the Temp. 220 - 235 is fine to get a quality finished product, but as you have seen you are in for a long cook. I personally run between 260 & 280 to speed things along due to the butts I get from Wegmans average around 9.5 lbs and would take forever if I didn't.

How are you testing for when to pull?
 
I cook at 220-225º and 8 lb'ers always take me 20 to 22 hours, cooked side-by-side. Don't know about pulling dry though .. 275-300º isn't too high for butts.

Bill
 
If anything, it seems that that lower temperatures allow more rendering and thus potentially drier end product.

Dry pork is usually over cooked.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Carl H.:
If anything, it seems that that lower temperatures allow more rendering and thus potentially drier end product. ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don't think so
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I've been cooking my butts this way for years and never had a dry butt. In fact, there are no fat pockets and they're extremely moist.

Bill
 
The meat is never frozen. I always leave the meat overnight in the fridge. And I attempt to allow the meat to reach room temp before placing on the smoker.

My test when pulling is moisture content and tenderness.

Don't you increase the risk of drying out the meat if you smoke it at 275 degrees?

I shoot for an internal "done" temp of 200-205. Is that my problem?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Merrill:
The meat is never frozen. I always leave the meat overnight in the fridge. And I attempt to allow the meat to reach room temp before placing on the smoker.

<span class="ev_code_BLUE">If you put the butt(s) on while still cold, you'll get a deeper smoke ring.</span>

My test when pulling is moisture content and tenderness.

Don't you increase the risk of drying out the meat if you smoke it at 275 degrees?

<span class="ev_code_BLUE">I've never cooked butts at that high of a temp but I have raised the temp up from 220º trying to hurry them up and found the outside to be drier than norm.</span>

I shoot for an internal "done" temp of 200-205. Is that my problem?

<span class="ev_code_BLUE">That could be .. I use to try for 200º but found it to be a struggle to get them there when cooking between 220 and 225º. I shoot for 195º now but if they're stubborn, I just do the wiggle test, checking to see of the bone will come out fairly clean .. If it will, it's done.</span>
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Bill
 
Hello Merrill, I smoked 5 10-12 butts a few ago. The first 14 1/2 hours were 225 degrees and the last 2 hours were at 275 degrees. I took them out when the internal temps hit 195 degrees. Foiled them and served 1 1/2 later. All 5 butts were prepared with Chris Lilly's rub & injection. They were so tender and moist.

http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/fo...80069052/m/329108933
 
I just cooked 2 shoulders totaling around 15-16 pounds.

I cooked them for about 16 hours at 225 until they hit 195. I agree with Bill Hays that I didn't see any fat pockets. I usually buy my meat at a big box store like Sam's or Costco but got these at a local butcher. I'm not sure if there is a difference but these were the pork turned out super easy to pull and very moist.

Maybe next time you want to double check the meat temp with another probe just to prove out your temp.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Merrill:
Don't you increase the risk of drying out the meat if you smoke it at 275 degrees? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
You risk drying out relatively lean meat if you cook it too low/slow. 275 for a butt is not too low/slow. My guess would be, based on how long you say it's taking to reach a target internal, that wherever you're measuring cooker temp is not indicative of the actual, which is probably much lower. I would also agree with Bill-- 200-205 finish temp (before resting in foil) is not necessary. If you are indeed cooking at a lower cooker temp than you think, and taking longer to get to that too-high internal temp, you will get a result that's tender, but at the expense of a cotton-ey dryness.
 
Really good info!

I, too, have struggled with to get the temps past 195. Sometimes up to 3-4 hours more just to reach 205. Next time I will try the "wiggle test" at 195.

Do you think that injecting is the key to obtain moisture?

Also, I don't use water in the pan. I have always used a foiled clay saucer instead. Could this be of concern?
 
I've got 3 butts going right now. Typically I take them to 195 and wrap in plastic wrap and into the cooler for 1/2 to 1 hour.

For me the temps move fairly steady up to the 160-170 mark and then you get to wait forever for the temps to start moving again. Once they start moving it gets to 195 fairly quickly.

I cook at 250-300 on the dome thermo and don't get too picky as long as it's in the range. Meat comes out moist, the bone falls out and the neighbours are all standing around with their mouths watering.
 
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