Need help ASAP with butt

Coonbutt

Put a 7 1/2 boston butt on yesterday around 6PM and everything was fine, the dome temp was at 240 when I went to bed at 12am. I woke up this morning at 7am and the dome temp was 180 and the internal meat temp was 125, should I raise the temp or throw the meat away? I dont't want to poison everyone, but at the same time I hate to waiste food if it can be saved. What should I do?

Canugghead

you're fine, just raise temp and continue cooking, at 180 dome, the grid temp is not likely to be below the dreaded below 140 ambient danger zone.

Grand Oeuf Vert

Your meat should be OK. Bring your dome temp up and carry on. Add a bit of cook time to compensate for your temp drop.
You need to investigate why this temp drop happened. Two things may have caused it. Not enough lump or the way the fire was built to survive a long cook.
But for now carry on...you'll be fine.

Ex-Gasman

Good luck, did the same thing a few weeks ago and had to throw out 16 lbs of butt.

Buxwheat

I agree w/ the two Canadians. Don't pitch it. Try using a Wiggle Rod or a piece of coat hanger to clean out the holes in the grate below the lump. Then get your dome temp up and finish it.
You might have ash accumulation which damped out your fire, or you might have gotten aggressive with your vents last nite and dampened the draft too much in response to an increase in dome temp. Takes a good while for the temp to equilibrate after making a change in your vents once all the thermal mass has come up to temp. Got to let everything stablize for a good while before making further changes. Better off leaving the temp a little high than trying to lower it just before retiring (unless you are willing to check on it hourly). Always "Wiggle your Rod before going to bed."