Revisted First time bringing, need advice -2015 thread

[Steve81]

Found the perfect thread 'First time bringing, need advice' from 2015, but can not reply to old threads so started this one.
Old thread: https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206102

Gnarlbecue, must be experienced by now.

Going to try my first brine of a boneless pork butt, 3.61 lb. People from pool have been asking for pull pork sandwiches again. So decided to brine. Went out late, after work and bought a pork butt that was priced priced high, $2.29lb. During the winter they were $1.69lb on sale and $1.99. Was planning on injecting, but did not read things first and did not have the apple juice or ginger ale.

Went very close to the Oakridge suggestions on the mix and possible at 95% full strength. There is pork loin but no pork butt for times, so my plan is to get brine 8-10 hours. Spent a few hours with getting the water chilled properly and read 38 degrees. While putting the bag with butt and brine in the frig notice the top was not covered. Had a very large bag, so unzipped and to try to get all the air out, but closed the wrong way and spilled in the frig. Wiped it up and will sanitize tomorrow and went in about an hour ago. Tried to move things around and the butt seems to almost float.

Then plan is to pull out of frig, dump used brine, pat down and dust medium to well with Secret Weapon pork and chicken rub and smoke. Will need to be away for a few hours. Since the propane smoker can creep up 30,40 or more degrees at time will see if a can get it around 210 before leaving. Will bring it up to around 250 while watching it. Cooked butts three times and the last time pull when lower probe say 180 and the other 182. Not all the fat was broken down so will try to pull when the lowest prob temp hits 185 and the upper will probably be closer to 187.

Will let cool for a bit, depending on time and will pull, taste, pull and taste. Then add Yes, Dear finishing sauce, taste, make and wrap the sandwiches. Save 2-3 sandwiches and head to pool with the rest, guessing around 7-8.

 

[Smoke Dawg]

You just have to check the box acknowledging it is an old thread.

I moved it to the top!

 

[IamMadMan]

Sounds like you have a great plan in place Steve... Keep us informed.

 

[Steve81]

This was my fourth pull pork cook and learn some each time and have a few comments and questions.

The cook was 8 hrs and 20 min. My probes read differently and was going by the lower one for air temp. Was wrong and what the majority of the cook was not around 240 but 254. When I did leave for an earn, after turning down the temp to 210/224 (both air probe temps), returned and the later higher temp was 269.4.

Perhaps because used brine for the first time, but yup, you all are right. Cooking to 200 degrees is fine and as you can see the final temp was 198. There was some stuff still not broken down but felt very soft. If you can see the black arrows on the left part of the pulling tray. If I cooked at 15-20 lower and longer, would this have broken down? Second the hard crust, think it was the results of the higher temp.

Need to cook more and need to figure 1/2 lb pre-cook weight per bulky roll sandwich.

PS. Did additional pulling after adding the finishing sauce.

Have already seen an answer in the past how the thickness of the smallest diameter determines the cooking time. So will two similar butts cook the same time. Planning for the next cook with this as a base time wise at 254 and doing one 15-20 degrees lower and getting to a final temp of 203. 10 hours is the max time for a pool night, but could do the cook one day earlier and wrap and put in the frig.