New WSM; Pork Butt Question

[Guest]

My first attempt at pork butt on my WSM was a mixed success. I have done a few on the weber kettle, and had some OK results, and one really good one- it fell apart all by itself.

First, let me say that all thermometers I used were calibrated and checked prior to the cook!

I had a 5.2 pund butt that I put on the smoker for upwards of 8-9 hours. The problem was that I hit a "plateau" about six hours in, where the internal temp stayed at 150-160 for well over an hour, then spiked to 170, stayed, and eventually started to decline. All this time, the cooker was rock solid at around 250 degrees at the top vent, except when I added coals, it moved up to 275 briefly.

After 9 hours, the guests were hungry, so I had no choice but to pull it off and serve. The meat didn't seem done enough to pull apart, so I served it sliced (no complaints).

Anyway, I guess my question is, are plateaus like this common? Any recommendations for next time (different technique, be more patient??)?

Thanks in advance.

John

 

[Guest]

8-9 hours is at the low end of the time range for a 5-pounder. You should figure 2 hours per pound and give yourself some extra time in addition to that, just in case. As far as the "plateau" is concerned, this will happen every time. This is the stage where the connective tissues are breaking down. When this phase is over, the temp will start a steady climb again.