1st time pulled pork.......... help all you gray-beards

wingfoot

I bought a crayovac pack of pork shoulder from Sam's in preparation for cooking my first butt. This will be my first really long cook on my large BGE. I've had good success with temp control on 5 to 6 hour cooks doing ribs. I plan on following The Naked Whiz's and Elder Ward's method for building my fire. After reading the thread last week about the danger zone, I'm thinking I should start out about 300 dome until the Polder gets to about 150, then back her down to about 220 dome and let'er go until she's done. Any thoughts on that strategy? Also, any other advice you may have will be greatly appreciated. I haven't had any good pulled pork since I moved from North Carolina. [p]One other note. The combined weight of the two roasts is about 16 pounds. Do I need a Polder for each piece? And is it a problem cooking them both together? I'm not planning on doing anything elaborate prepping them. Probably just some apple juice and Dizzy Dust. I do have an injector, though............. still in the package.[p]
Thanks in advance.[p]Mike

BYC39

wingfoot,[p]I start with a lot of smoke, which holds the temp down.....maybe 30 minutes or so....at that point the smoke starts to deminish and when the dome temp hits 200-220. I darn near close the vents to about 1/8 inch or the width of the flat end of the ash tool and find I can hold temp at 225-235 for the required cooking time.....I never hit 300 and rarely touch the vents until I am ready to pull the bounty....just my way but it works and I have not seen the emergency room yet....[p]BTW....I'm from South carolina and I will only eat pulled pork from MY Egg...you can keep what they serve in restaurants

TRex

<p />wingfoot,[p]First of all, regarding the danger zone, I always start my butts at the same temperature I'm going to use for the entire cook. I've done quite a few and haven't died yet :-) I guess my thinking is that the very inside of the butt hasn't been in contact with anything so even if it takes a bit longer to come to temperature it has less probability of getting the yuckies in it.[p]I think your strategy could work, though, but it might take a little while to get your temperature back down after cooking at 300 for several hours. [p]I usually rub my butts with yellow mustard and a mixture of Dizzy Dust and turbinado sugar. I've done two at a time and the only thing that changes is that it may add some time to your total cook. Ed (Grillmeister) has done four butts at one time on his Large. You don't really need a Polder for each butt - they should finish really close to each other - when one gets close, you might want to check the temp of the other just to make sure they're running neck and neck.[p]Good luck! Don't worry, everything will turn out great.[p]Cheers,[p]TRex

GrillMeister

wingfoot,[p]I think you would be better off starting with a dome temp of 250. Just let the egg stabilize for at least a half hour at that temp. It will work much better when all that ceramic mass is up to temp rather than just the inside.[p]That's my story and I've stuck to it for loads and loads of butts.[p]Cheers,[p]GM

StumpBaby

wingfoot,[p]Hmmm..the egg is thick ceramic..and once you get that puppy up at a high temp for long it will take a really long time to get back down. You SHOULD be aware of the danger zone, and worry about it, but that don't mean you gotta crank up your beginning temp to 300. If your butts are bone in then there's no reason why you can't put them in there when your temp is right at 225, or maybe 250, because nobody done poked them or whatnot to get the bacteria into the center there where they'll grow into nasty tiny little wet poop makin creatures at best..and at worst..well..did you ever feel like your uvula was on fire and only your stomach and your sphincter had ideas on how to put it out..It ain't pretty, so all you gotta worry about is getting the outer most parts above the danger zone in 4 hours.[p]I don't think there's anything wrong with cookin them both at the same time, some folks say add 1 maybe 2 hours to your cooking time total..not per pound..good lord you ain't makin pork jerky..but I've found that if you isn't crammin some 5 butts in there and restrictin airflow in the egg then it's prolly in the same ballpark as cookin just one.[p]I had two polders when I started, but now they done both broke and I don't use none cause I'm comfortable with my meat..now don't spread that around none cause there'll be them paparazzi watchin me wash down at the creek next time..as if folks need ta see that..I mean a photo is one thing..but you gotta follow it up with a story..and what can they say what they can talk about on tv nohow..a country man done found a one eyed eel and he's tryin to kill it with some soft soap..that ain;t news in these parts I'll tell you that..anyway I got no polder cause of the soapy eel prollem..so tords the tail end of the cook I poke them butts with a slow readin thermometer to make sure they is headin in the rite direction and get an idea where they is in terms of the cookin cycle.[p]Now there'll be folks what have all kinda probes in there left and right and wires all over the place like them pork is an open heart patient..and there's somethin to be said for that..for knowin zacty what temp the meat is at in every step..and thats how I started..but truthfully over time I backed off..and I know my cooker and the temps and whatnot..and like I said I'm comfortable with mine own meats..even if it looks like an eel.[p]Now as for the grey beards..I don't know nuttin bout that..but yesterday my nine year old littlun got herself a summer top what had some kinda built in underside..my wife said its on accounat some girls her age is started to mature..sheegolly..that scares the majeebers outta me so I may get grey beard hairs yet..that and my shotgun polished up...[p]StumpBaby

mad max beyond eggdome

StumpBaby,
hey. ..nice to see you stump. ..how's them shingles doing?? feeling any better? . ..lots of newbies runnin around the forum that need a good "stumpin" . . .[p]hope you, the fuzz little misses, and the little fuzzy ones all have a great fourth!! . . .and no fair being cheap and telling the kids that lighting your farts is as good as going to see the town fireworks display!! . . .that might have worked fine last year, but it shouldn't any more. ..

StumpBaby

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]Turns out it wasnt so cheap none either..cost me a pair of pants..a pair of undies..a bucket of grammas amazin blazin bun blister balm..and an ole bottle brush. Good lord..some things is tied directly to the bellybutton my friend.[p]The shingles is gone..the back pain is back..but I'm dealin best I can. I really miss mine old stumpish self..maybe I'll be fully back before long.[p]StumpBaby[p]

wingfoot

StumpBaby,[p]Thanks for some great advice......... and some of the funniest stuff I've read in a long time. [p]Mike

wingfoot

Thanks to all of you. One of the best things about owning an egg is this community. I'm following all of your advice and am going to let the egg stabilize at about 240 for 30 minutes or so and leave it there until the butts are done. Will post pics of the finished product.[p]Regards,[p]Mike

tn slagamater

wingfoot, be sure to wrap aluminum foil around your Polder cable(not the probe,just the cable section that is inside the Egg). It will protect your Polder cable. They fail at pretty low temperatures if not protected. Enjoy the butt!