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Pork Butt ready WAY too soon! Help!

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TigerTony
TigerTony Posts: 1,078
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I'm really upset about this, what the best way to handle this problem?
Smoking a pork butt for guest this evening to serve around 6:00PM
Bought a 9.75 LB pork butt
Everything I've read says allow about 2 hours a pound . I timed it so that it would reach internal temp of 200 somewhere between 3 and 4:30 PM. I allowed a nice cushion of time I thought. My plan was to foil it in super heavy duty alum, wrap in towel and put in ice chest until I was ready to pull this evening.

Problem is:
Last night i cleaned my large egg filled it with Ozark Oak started the fire and stablized the dome temp at 230 degrees. Waited an hour and place the pork butt on with the maverick probe at exactly 11:15 PM last night. I woke up several times during the night to check and the temp remained the entire time at 230 degrees. After several hours of sleep I woke this morning to a pork butt with an internal temp of 172* at 8:00AM. Problem is it is 10:50 AM and the pork butt is already at 193 deghree. This is several hours before my estimated time of completion.
Now what do i do? Can I wrap it and leave it all teh way until 6:00 tonight? I didn't want to unwrap it or pull it until the guest get here.
Please your suggestions are appreciated.
And what teh heck did I do WRONG? I'm upset about this! Thanks.
I got the dome temp down to 200* and the butt is still at 193 degrees. I'm hoping that it stays below 200 for another hour or so..
"I'm stupidest when I try to be funny" 
New Orleans

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  • Rascal
    Rascal Posts: 3,923
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    If the hold time needs to extend beyond 4 hrs., wrap it well in foil and keep it on hold in an oven @ 200F.
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  • danv23
    danv23 Posts: 953
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    Sorry to hear about that. I agree with Rascal.

    Do yourself the biggest favor on the planet and buy a guru. You'll never regret it and you'll sleep like a baby. Can't overcook your meat and maintains temp to whatever you set it at for the entire cook.

    The Dude: This is a very complicated case, Maude. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you's. And, uh, lotta strands to keep in my head, man. Lotta strands in old Duder's head. Luckily I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug regimen to keep my mind, you know, limber.

    Walter Sobchak: Nihilists! *uck me. I mean, say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos. 

    Cumming, GA

    Eggs - XL, L, Small

    Gasser - Weber Summit 6 Burner

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  • Egg Master 3000
    Egg Master 3000 Posts: 323
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    If I remember right 2 hr./pound is the upper end of the estimation. Maybe your meat was more of the 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hour/pound variety. Also, did you check your dome thermometer recently? I had a rack of babybacks finish a few hours ahead of when I wanted it to due to that reason.
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  • skihorn
    skihorn Posts: 600
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    I have only done a few pork butts, so I am no expert. However, the experts on here say that pork butts can be very unique in how long they cook. That said, I agree with the poster about checking your dome thermometer. I calibrate mine every time before I do a low and slow if it has been more than a month since I last calibrated it. In case you don't know how just remove from clip and hold stem in vigorously boiling water. Unless you are high altitude it should read right around 212. I use a sheet of foil with the stem poked through the foil so I can hold the foil outside the pan of water and let the stem sit in the water. If it needs adjusting just turn the nut on the back with a pair of pluyers or wrench.

    Relax, it will be fine.

    Freddie
    League City, TX
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  • Brimo
    Brimo Posts: 53
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    Recently took an egg class where the instructor did just as you had thought about. He had taken the butt off the egg at 4:00 pm,wrapped in foil,then heavily with towels, stored in a cooler, and at 8:00 pm unwrapped, pulled, and treated the class to his still hot pulled pork. Worked great. I was so impressed that I can't wait to do the same and take as the meat dish to our next gathering of friends. Hope it all works out.
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  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
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    I always check my butt with my thermapen just in case your Maverick probe is off or in a pocket of fat...
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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
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    If you wrap it in foil and several beach towels and then into a cooler, it will hold for 7 hours or so. See my ceramic FAQ for a more in depth answer....
    The Naked Whiz
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  • TigerTony
    TigerTony Posts: 1,078
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    After I posted this morning, I managed to get the dome temp down to 200 fairly quickly and was able to hold the internal meat temp under 195* for several hours. It just climbed to 199*, now I'm going to wrap it in foil and towels and place in a ice-chest until time.
    Whew! It's going to work out after all.
    I'm putting a Guru on my wish list and will definitely calibrate my dome thermometer.
    Whiz, I refer to your site often, Thanks!
    "I'm stupidest when I try to be funny" 
    New Orleans

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  • Jeffersonian
    Jeffersonian Posts: 4,244
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    Let us know how it all turned out.

    I did a couple of butts last weekend that finished around 7am when I was hoping for around noon. I just wrapped them, plunked them into a 185* oven until 1:00 or so, then wrapped them in towels and put them in a cooler until dinner. Came out perfect.
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  • TigerTony
    TigerTony Posts: 1,078
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    When teh internal temp hit 200* I wrapped it in two sheets of super heavy duty foil a towel and placed in an ice-chest. 4 hours later I unwrapped it and I was very surprised at how much heat it had retained. I pulled it, for all to enjoy. It was awesome, everyone loved it. "best ever"!
    "I'm stupidest when I try to be funny" 
    New Orleans

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