Someone tell me what the heck is going on with my pork butt!

[Plaid Palace]

Originally Posted by Smoothsmoke

Sometimes you hit a big stall running at those temps. 275 is the sweet spot for me.

Lesson has been learned for me. I am very new to this Kamado grilling. Virtually everything I have tried has been a first for me. Doing a pork butt is a first. I found a recipe that said cook at 225. So I tried to keep my temps around that time.

What I am learning in this business is that 225 sounds great but more times than not 250-275 is more effective.

[firefighter4634]

Originally Posted by landarc

You are allowing it to get too cold if it is fluctuating down to 205F, that is killing your cook. Personally, I would pull it and stuff it into the oven at 400F and get it done. Raise the pit temperature to 300F or more. You can wrap, I would add some apple juice or liquid, foil wrap, that will help.

What he said!

[Plaid Palace]

Originally Posted by thirdeye

Now that it's in the oven it's not important for this cook... but for future cooks, I'm confused about the thermometer use here.... but I'm easily confused.

Typically the dome thermometer in a ceramic cooker reads higher than the actual cooking temp (at the grate), 20 to 30 degrees in fact. So, going from your dome temps, it appears you have actually been cooking at 185° to 230°.... or am I confused? If so, this still seems like a long time for a small butt, but if we average those temps, you were cooking around 208°, and since you are going to a finish IT of 200°, it will take a long time to get there (your pit temp -to- finish temp is almost a 1:1 ratio)

Now, dome temp has read about 30 degrees warmer the entire time. So the Maverick (which only got down to 205 1 time for about 15 minutes) stayed between 215-235 most of this cook. The dome temp read 240-275 the entire. time.

At this current moment Maverick is read 357 and dome is reading 325.

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by BamaMatt42

Now, dome temp has read about 30 degrees warmer the entire time. So the Maverick (which only got down to 205 1 time for about 15 minutes) stayed between 215-235 most of this cook. The dome temp read 240-275 the entire. time.

At this current moment Maverick is read 357 and dome is reading 325.

Okay, we're getting closer.... where on the grate are you placing the pit probe in order to measure the actual temp? Like, is your probe close to the meat, above the meat or what? Too close to the meat will cause false readings. Also some ceramic cookers have a hot spot. Mine is in the rear, so I avoid putting the pit probe back there. I also don't place it close to the edge of the plate setter.

[Plaid Palace]

Originally Posted by thirdeye

Okay, we're getting closer.... where on the grate are you placing the pit probe in order to measure the actual temp? Like, is your probe close to the meat, above the meat or what? Too close to the meat will cause false readings. Also some ceramic cookers have a hot spot. Mine is in the rear, so I avoid putting the pit probe back there. I also don't place it close to the edge of the plate setter.

Pit probe is sitting about 2 inches to the side of the meat. Right at halfway from the meat and the edge of the heat deflector.

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by BamaMatt42

Lesson has been learned for me. I am very new to this Kamado grilling. Virtually everything I have tried has been a first for me. Doing a pork butt is a first. I found a recipe that said cook at 225. So I tried to keep my temps around that time.

What I am learning in this business is that 225 sounds great but more times than not 250-275 is more effective.

There are a lot of bragging rights associated with cooking lo-n-slo, we've all done it, and you will see a lot of TV barbecuists and authors alike that talk about lo-n-slo and mention 225°. The funny fact is, and maybe some of the old hands are different than me, but the first pit I ever cooked on that had a thermometer was about 10 or 11 years ago when I bought Eggs.... so the reality for me was....for 25+ years I cooked by sight, feel and listening to the meat.

Oh, I like 240° for pork butt.

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by BamaMatt42

Pit probe is sitting about 2 inches to the side of the meat. Right at halfway from the meat and the edge of the heat deflector.

Well that should be far enough away to avoid a false reading. I like to clip my pit probe above the meat, but only because it's easy to get out of the way fast if I need to turn meat or roatate the entire grate.

[Plaid Palace]

Update now the Maverick is reading 315 for the pit temp. Food temp has shot to 189. I would like to get to 200 but I will settle for 195 if it takes a while.

[Plaid Palace]

Here is a photo before I foiled and raised the temp.

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by BamaMatt42

Here is a photo before I foiled and raised the temp.

That set-up is just fine. Hopefully all you needed was that little foil time.... be sure and let it rest a while before digging in, I know it's hard to do but it really helps.

[Smoothsmoke]

Looking good man, let's see her when she's done!

[El Ropo]

Others have said it already, but I'll say it again. Cooking temps in books and recipes are far from ideal IMO. 225 is a silly low temp for BBQ. Next time try keeping the temps in the 260-300 range, you'll cut the cooking times by almost half and IMO get a superior product.

[Plaid Palace]

Almost 9 hours and finished! Got it wrapped and going to let it rest for a few hours!

[bbqbull]

If you are going to rest it please double foil it. Then put into a preheated cooler and wrap it in towels.

[SirBBQ]

Last weekend I put on 2 large butts, 20 pounds total...put the meat on at 7pm and let it cook overnight.........and through the morning......and to 2 pm...at 5am it was at 140, 7am at 148, 9 am 150....finally it broke down and listened to the egg and gave up....pulled it off at 2pm! LONG cook!