UDS pork butt questions - (help!)

[dboxx]

I'm at the end of my fourth uds cook, third time for pork butt. Here's my situation:

1st cook - pork butt on for 12 hours at temps 225+. never did get above 160 per meat thermometer. pulled from grill, rested for 30 minutes. Pork was done, tender and pulled easily. Also, best I'd ever had!

2nd cook - determined to hit magic 190 - 200. Started 4 am. cooked for 13 hours, temp never got above 160. Guests about to riot, so I pulled from grill, rested for 30 minutes. Again, pork was done. tender and pulled easily.

3rd cook (today) - put pork butt onto a 300f UDS last night at 9:30. set valves. checked at 3 am (250) and again at 6 am (250). I'm now at 15 hours and guess what? temp is still 160 internal! I checked thermometer with boiling water and it's within 5 degrees.

Am I missing something? I continually read of cooks around 12 hours, but I'm blowing by that and still not hitting temps.

Thanks,

Dave

PS. all butts bone in around 7-8 lbs.

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

I would swear it is the thermometer had you not tested it. You have stumped this chump.

[kindollbbq]

That size pork butt, on a UDS should cook even quicker than that. Food in the UDS cooks quicker than normal. It almost sounds like a thermometer problem, but you said you checked that so I honestly don't know what to tell you. Good luck though. You'll figure it out.


Brandon

[likeadeere]

thermometer. Has to be. I cooked a 7lb on the UDS, @ 225-250 for 14hours. At about the ninth hour, it sat at 160 for 2-3 hours - then it rose up to 190. When the temp started to rise I could see the fat starting to pool up on the surface - Are you seeing the pooling (rendering) of fat into liquid? It's gotta be the thermometer.

[Meat Burner]

Dave, were you using the same thermometer on those cooks? May try a different one as a butt at 160 should be too tough to pull. You should have to slice it at that temp. Other than that, this is the first time I have heard that happen. Very odd indeed. Let us know what you come up with.

[dboxx]

Finally pulled off the grill at 2pm, 16 hours. Internal temp indicates 190. The probe goes in like butter, I may need a new thermometer. Although I'm pretty sure it's accurate, based on testing it in boiling water.

I believe that maybe, in an attempt to keep the lid on as much as possible, I'm not allowing the thermometer to reach max temp. I stuck it in and left it for a few minutes and it read higher.

Thanks for all the quick replies. I'll post a quick pic.

Dave,

[AJP]

Get one you can just leave in and read while it's cooking. For me it takes about 16 hours or so at 225 to get to 200 on an 8lb butt.

[Meat Burner]

Dave, include a pic of your thermometer if you would. Might help someone recognize it. Thanks. Glad you are getting it figured out brother.

[sdb25]

Sounds like it was just in the stall around 160, which happens on every cook. Mine usually spend a good 3 hours at 160 before coming up to temp. Sounds like the last one you waited out, and it came up to temp just like it should so the thermometer must work.

I would say, just be patient, open another beer, and wait. One thing with butts, if I'm going for a certain finish time, I know I can always pull it and put it in the cooler until I'm ready to pull. I've let it rest 4 hours before, and it still turned out perfect.

BBQ; it isn't a perfect science, but it is a tasty one!