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Help! tonight's pork butt cook

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Wimbo1029
Wimbo1029 Posts: 15
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am doing my first Boston Butt tonight. Feeding the inlaws tomorrow afternoon for Mothers Day at my house. I am having a problem with temperature control.

My BGE (Large) temperature gauge says the dome temp is about 210F. My BGE probe/remote thermometer says the dome temp is 278F. I am either undercooking or overcooking my meat, and I don't know which one to trust!

I have tried placing the remote probe in different places, including hanging into the dome through the daisy wheel cap. It is constantly 50+ degrees hotter than the thermometer that came with my BGE.

How can I figure out which one to go with? Any thoughts on what I may be doing wrong?

Thanks in advance!
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Did you calibrate your dome thermo before the cook? Stick the probe in boiling water to see if it reads 212°?

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
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    If the dome temp is truly 210deg you should be able to hold you hand on the dome, albeit a little on the warm side. It would be a different story at 280ish.
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  • TRPIV
    TRPIV Posts: 278
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    Carolina Q wrote:
    Did you calibrate your dome thermo before the cook? Stick the probe in boiling water to see if it reads 212°?

    +1 to this.

    Open the egg, remove the dome temp probe. Take it and the remote temp gauge and put them both in boiling water. Boiling water is 212. They should both read 212.

    The dome probe has a nut on the back, you can hold the gauge and then turn the nut until the needle reads 212. (the dial will rotate, the needle will stay still, turn the dial until it lines up with 212.

    If you don't want to adjust the probes, just note what each probe reads while in the boiling water. Do the math and you should be able to figure out how far off the probes are.

    Let us know how it goes.

    Ted
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  • Wimbo1029
    Wimbo1029 Posts: 15
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    No, but there are no instructions on how to calibrate the temperature. I did notice that when I turned it on, both probes read the same temp (74F, which is my approximate room temp).
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  • Wimbo1029
    Wimbo1029 Posts: 15
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    I am able to keep my hand on the dome for about 2 seconds max.
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  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
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    Don't overthink things. Put the probe thing in a drawer and forget about it for now. Calibrate the BGE dome gauge in boiling water as mentioned and set the egg at 250-275. Cook until butt is 195internal.
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  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
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    Get that butt smoking at 250F and let it cook until done. ;)
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  • Wimbo1029
    Wimbo1029 Posts: 15
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    Yes! You guys rock. The thermometer that came with the egg was out of calibration. Thanks for the suggestions to use boiling water to test it. All is well now. Sirens off... for now. :)
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    You're welcome. :) Good luck!!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • jaydub58
    jaydub58 Posts: 2,167
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    As a fairly new face here, just ask your question (as you did) and trust the answers you get!
    This bunch "knows all...........tells all".
    They are great!
    :side:
    John in the Willamette Valley of Oregon
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  • TRPIV
    TRPIV Posts: 278
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    +1 to that. Great bunch on here. Usually spot on with the advice.

    How'd the pork turn out?
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    Good deal...glad you are back on track. FWIW...it wouldn't make that big of a difference if you were 278. The butt is a very forgiving cook so don't let the temp stress you out too much. Shoot for 250 dome.

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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