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Frustrated with a little butt

JBUG99999
JBUG99999 Posts: 263
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I put a small pork butt on this morning and it was stuck in the 180s forever. I finally gave up and pulled it off the egg at 188 a few minutes ago. I hope it's ok, but it was a tiny little thing (5 pounds) and I certainly didn't expect it to take 12 hours. I will let you know if it's ruined. Anyone else run into that problem? It hit 180 around 3:30 and barely ticked up from there....

Comments

  • Hi Julie. I wouldn't worry. I never used a meat thermometer for about the first 13 years of egging, but rather just cooked it til it started to fall apart! I think you will be fine! 5 lbs. has got to be ready to pull by now.
    Happily egging on my original large BGE since 1996... now the owner of 5 eggs. Call me crazy, everyone else does!
     
    3 Large, 1 Small, 1 well-used Mini
  • stevesails
    stevesails Posts: 990
    what dome temp were you cooking at?
    XL   Walled Lake, MI

  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
    Still has to go through the plateau - you need that conversion.

    If you are not sure use the fork test or twist bone test. When it's tender it's done.

    If you need the food done quicker, crank up the heat.

    GG
  • RU Eggsperienced
    RU Eggsperienced Posts: 1,527
    If you were cooking at a really low temp it is possible... BTW at 188 I am sure it is pretty good no matter what.. It is tough to mess up pork butt, it is almost always good.

    Sometimes you can wiggle the temp gauge around a little or it can be hitting the bone or something too giving a weird temp reading..

    Maybe this helps....
  • JBUG99999
    JBUG99999 Posts: 263
    I simply ran out of time to wait for it to go any higher. I pulled it off the egg at 188 so I'd have time for an hour rest before pulling it and heading to bed.

    I checked the temperature repeatedly and it was pretty much about that temp all over. It was not falling apart, but it went ok pulling it. It was a little firmer than I'd have liked it, but need to head to bed tonight and didn't want to be up half the night watching/waiting for it. It was actually slightly dry, so I added some apple juice. It tastes ok, but again, it's not falling apart like I would have liked. Oh well, live and learn. Don't buy a little butt--get the big one and make enough to LAST. (especially if it's going to take the same amount of time!)

    PS Dome temp was between 225 and 250, same as always. Only difference was that this was a little butt instead of the whole she-bang.
  • probe1957
    probe1957 Posts: 222
    Something just doesn't seem right there, Julie. 12 hours to cook a 5lb butt and it still wasn't done? Have you calibrated/checked your thermometers?
  • JBUG99999
    JBUG99999 Posts: 263
    I thought the same thing, so I used three different thermometers. All were within a few degrees of one another, so I don't think that was the problem. No clue what was the problem, though.
  • It must have been an ornery pig that butt came from!
    Happily egging on my original large BGE since 1996... now the owner of 5 eggs. Call me crazy, everyone else does!
     
    3 Large, 1 Small, 1 well-used Mini