Unhappy w/ my butt...

Lowflyer · December 2012

I've been Eggin on my large since Jan and recently just picked up a small a few weeks back. Last week received an early Christmas present to myself, a woo and a stone from CGS

So, 8:45am I put on a 5+lb butt, which was rubbed up the night before.

The fire got a little hot in the beginning but my neighbor helped get it stabilized around 275 dome (wife and I took the baby to ride the Pink Pig). Got home around 1ish, meat was at 154 IT and the fire was out and the temp was 164. So, I take everything out, reload w RO, burn off the VOC's for about 15 min and put everything back in and continue on. Grate temp hung around 275 for most of the afternoon. 5pm rolls around and we're at 189ish IT. The temp creeped up some , I didn't mind, the folks were headed over to eat. Pulled the meat a lil before 7 at 194.

Took it straight to the kitchen and started pulling and it was tough. Every butt I have ever done, the bone has practically fallen out. Not here, I had to fight to get this bone out. Meat seemed tough and dry to me, everyone else said it was fine. Not sure what happened, maybe too lean of a cut? No pics of the pulled product. I think this is the 1st time I've been disappointed w anything off the Egg. Oh well, we shall move forward! Gotta decide what to try today. Go Falcons!!

hartofatiger · December 2012

just curious. do you usually FTC? i always do and they turn out great. i'm not sure it matters, just wondering what else you changed. sometimes you just get of tough piece of meat. It looked great in the pics!

Lowflyer · December 2012

I always have FTC. This time I didn't cos of time constraints. I've heard several ppl on here say that u can pull directly off the Egg. I'm starting to wonder. I thought the meat looked great, but looks can be deceiving.

lousubcap · December 2012

Sounds like it wasn't done-sure fire test is the ease of bone removal-still a challenge-needs more cook time. I seldom find one that is finished in the low 190's-more than likely it's around 202-205*F for me. YMMV-

Lowflyer · December 2012

lousubcap said:
Sounds like it wasn't done-sure fire test is the ease of bone removal-still a challenge-needs more cook time. I seldom find one that is finished in the low 190's-more than likely it's around 202-205*F for me. YMMV-

Could be. It's pretty hard to screw up a butt, and I feel like I did. Just feel like all the cooks should be getting better, and they will.

double · December 2012

I agree with lousubcap sounds like it was pulled to early.

U_tarded · December 2012

yup not done is my assumption. every hunk of meat is different but i usually check the bone at around 195 + and when it almost comes out with no resistance I know we are good to go.

GrannyX4 · December 2012

I just finished cooking 48 butts this fall and I know that some butts are just tough no matter how they are cooked. When all else fails blame it on the pig but they should have been cooked to closer to 200.

dayzed&confused · December 2012

I'm not satisfied with my butt either but that's a whole nother story. In my opinion I think yours (pork butt) wasn't cooked long enough. I have found that the length of cook time is just as important as internal temp. I cooked a 10 lb butt Friday night. I put it on at 8pm, 210 degrees and the next morning internal temp was 156 degrees. I bumped the temp up to 235 untill internal temp reached 180 degrees and at 3pm I wraped it In Foil and cooked it untill 5 pm. At 3pm I put boiling water in a cooler to warm it up. I put the butt in the warm cooler at5 pm and we pulled it at 7pm making for a 23 hour low temp cook. I use a BBQGURU heat controller which makes controlling the temp a snap. Also I used a large amount of Dizzypig Dizzy Dust for the rub. It turned out great.

reh111 · December 2012

Did a brisket flat during the day and then put a butt on about 8:00 pm. Woke up at 3:30 and decided to check it and fire was completely out - I had been cooking all day with it and had re-plenished it when I put the butt on - lump wasn't burned up - lots left - when I went to bed about 10:00 it was 250 -

Anyway, at 3:30 I took the butt off, turned the oven on to 225, put the butt in a dutch oven, poured in some wine for moisture and left it. Smelled good when I woke up this morning and about noon I checked and the bone pulled out easily. Pulled it with tongs and it is great. Just can't figure out why the fire went out.

henapple · December 2012

Every time I've been unhappy I know I've pulled it to soon.

thailandjohn · December 2012

dayzed&confused said:

I'm not satisfied with my butt either but that's a whole nother story. In my opinion I think yours (pork butt) wasn't cooked long enough. I have found that the length of cook time is just as important as internal temp. I cooked a 10 lb butt Friday night. I put it on at 8pm, 210 degrees and the next morning internal temp was 156 degrees. I bumped the temp up to 235 untill internal temp reached 180 degrees and at 3pm I wraped it In Foil and cooked it untill 5 pm. At 3pm I put boiling water in a cooler to warm it up. I put the butt in the warm cooler at5 pm and we pulled it at 7pm making for a 23 hour low temp cook. I use a BBQGURU heat controller which makes controlling the temp a snap. Also I used a large amount of Dizzypig Dizzy Dust for the rub. It turned out great.

I agree with the very low and slow method, starting very low and bumping up the temp a couple of times during the cook.....I know the turbo method will cook the meat to temp, but it does not taste the same to me.....if you pull then mix in a lot of sauce, it doesn't matter because the sauce is the main flavor....I use no sauce and let the people sauce as they like My cooks usually take 15 to 17 hours for 8 to 9 lb butts

Lowflyer · December 2012

henapple said:
Every time I've been unhappy I know I've pulled it to soon.

I like this! This is my first disappointment. I think I pulled it too soon and I didn't use WGWW lump either. RO is my everyday lump, Wicked will be used next time. I underestimated the lil 5lb butt. Thanks for all the input.

cazzy · December 2012

Lowflyer said:
I always have FTC. This time I didn't cos of time constraints. I've heard several ppl on here say that u can pull directly off the Egg. I'm starting to wonder. I thought the meat looked great, but looks can be deceiving.

The lack for FTC wasn't the culprit. As others have pointed out, it likely was pulled too early. For briskets and butts, I usually start checking for "tenderness" at around 195. Every cut of meat is different so pull it when your probe slides in and out like your temp checking butter. With that, don't pull at a specific temp and just tell your guests that good BBQ takes time if they have to wait a lil bit.

Also, FTC isn't a requirement. IMO, there is no added benefit to FTC in regards to the final product. This is not a fine cut, so you don't have to let juices redistribute. The internal moisture is gelatin so if you can withstand the heat during the pull...get after it and dig in.

Lowflyer · December 2012

cazzy said:

Lowflyer said:
I always have FTC. This time I didn't cos of time constraints. I've heard several ppl on here say that u can pull directly off the Egg. I'm starting to wonder. I thought the meat looked great, but looks can be deceiving.
The lack for FTC wasn't the culprit. As others have pointed out, it likely was pulled too early. For briskets and butts, I usually start checking for "tenderness" at around 195. Every cut of meat is different so pull it when your probe slides in and out like your temp checking butter. With that, don't pull at a specific temp and just tell your guests that good BBQ takes time if they have to wait a lil bit.

Also, FTC isn't a requirement. IMO, there is no added benefit to FTC in regards to the final product. This is not a fine cut, so you don't have to let juices redistribute. The internal moisture is gelatin so if you can withstand the heat during the pull...get after it and dig in.

I agree!! I just thought a 5lb butt on for almost 10hrs and the temp was so close that it would be done. I was obviously wrong and will correct next time out. Live n learn!!!! Love my Eggs!

jeroldharter · December 2012

Maybe your thermometer was misplaced? Good to confirm with a Thermapen in a few spots.

double · December 2012

I cooked 2 10 lb butts yesterday pulled them at 200 figured it was a good sign that I could slice them with the therma pen!

Stargaze · December 2012

I let my butt sit for about an hour before even thinking of shredding it. Gotta let it rest for a while.

Lowflyer · December 2012

I didn't even think of using the instant read thermometer and I think letting it sit for a few would of helped. Will try again soon!! Thanks for all the tips.

nolaegghead · December 2012

Cook it until it's done - it wasn't done. The rest isn't necessary other than to let the meat cool so less moisture evaporates out of it when you cut/pull it. If you want to eat in 30 min, or an hour, just let it sit in the open. If you want to eat it right way, start pulling right away. Tenting/foiling will steam the bark, making it a little softer. If it's done, it's time to let it cool down.

nolaegghead · December 2012

I found a post from Stike that explains this in more detail:

stike

July 24 Posts: 15,320

the idea of resting originated from resting a roast or a steak. even then, you wouldn't rest a roast (or steak) under foil or in an insulated environment, because it would keep cooking.
people here it seems (old forum, actually) started to conflate the two separate ideas: resting a roast; and keeping pulled pork warm when it's done early by wrapping in a cooler. they are unrelated ideas, but they got melded.
it's been said that "juices" redistribute in a resting steak/roast. not quite what is happening. the roast cools, and that means less juice flows out when cut. the cooler the meat is, the better able it is at holding juices in. imagine the roast as leftovers in the fridge the next day. juice is still there, but it certainly isn't running out when you cut a slice.
so, we rest in order to allow the meat to continue cooking a bit (carryover) and then to actually cool. that's why a half hour rest for a roast is often what's suggested. takes a while.
barbecue isn't moist because of juices in the meat. those juices are mostly long driven off by overcooking the meat to 200 or so. there's SOME moisture from water in the meat, but not as much as if you'd stopped cooking it at 140, and sliced it. but then, for ribs or PP, it'd be tough. so we overcook it, the moisture is unfortunately driven off (mostly), but the meat falls apart. the melted fat and gelatin (from converted collagen) 're-wet' the meat in a sense. fooling you into thinking it is moist (from water). it's not really.
so, if you wrap and rest barbecue, you will steam it a bit, softening the bark. the non-existent juices aren't there to rest, and the meat is well overcooked anyway, so no need to care about carryover.
eat it right away. or maybe allow the pulled pork to cool before shredding (i don't though). if you try to allow it to cool in a cooler, you're fighting logic. it'll stay warm.
and so that's why it's done. simply to keep it warm. your butt is done 4 hours before the guests arrive? cooler it. it'll be piping hot four hours later.
but it is ready to eat, and (IMHO) at its peak quality, the moment it comes off the BGE

cazzy · December 2012

@nolaegghead I was going to paste Stike's response too...just didn't feel like looking for it.

As I stated above, doesn't have much to do with the final product.

Bottom line, save your foil for when you're done too early and don't make your guests wait when you're done on time! :)

FlashkaBob · December 2012

Stargaze said:

I let my butt sit for about an hour before even thinking of shredding it. Gotta let it rest for a while.

I let my butt rest as well..... usually during the whole cook !! =))

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