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Keeping temperature down

So tonight I'm about to up the egg for my first overnight smoke. Doing a pair of pork butts. Any suggestions on what temp to stabilize before I put the butts on?

Comments

  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    Dome temp of 250 will get you about 2 hours per pound. 300 will be about 1.25 hours per pound. Just remember, these are just estimates and the cook can vary by hours. Every hunk of meat is different. Cook to temp, not time. Plan to finish early, wrap in Foil, wrap that in Towels and stick it in a Cooler (FTC). It will keep for hours. And check temp of each. Even if they are the same size one may finish an hour or two before the other.
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
  • Thank you sir - how much will done temp drop when meat goes on? Just an estimate, I know it will vary
  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    If temp is stable before putting on the meat, don't worry about any temp drop. Keep your vent settings the same and it will come back up. Opening the dome will drop the temp, because the probe will be out of the heat, even though the additional air/oxygen may actually cause the burn to be hotter. Don't chase the temp. If it was stable before it will get back to there.
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
  • Thanks will let you know how they do
  • The short answer is don't worry about it.  In my experience, the temp will drop quite a bit.  Your Egg should be stabilized for example at 250.  When you put the meat on, you're introducing a large cold mass to the Egg which brings the total temp down in the Egg.  It may take a while for the Egg to reach 250 again, but it will.  So now we've reached full circle in this answer: don't worry about it and have fun! 

    Flint, Michigan
  • Thanks for all the advice
  • Preheat the platesetter in the Egg.  Introducing cold platesetter along with the meat can knock down temps longer then need be.   Throwing smoking wood into the fire before meat goes on can be a bit tricky with a hot plattesetter in place though....work fast and be prepared for a hot piece of ceramics.   

     

    -SMITTY     

    from SANTA CLARA, CA

  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    Interesting that I mix my smoke wood in with the lump. after I start, throw in the setter, drip pan and grid the temp stabilizes. There is some smoke, but not that much. I notice a small change 25 degrees or so when the butt goes on. The smoke starts and the cook continues. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • They're L looking good for first try
  • Mine usually look more like the one on the right.  Did you use a rub on them?  No offense, but they look a little naked.  I always use a rub and I coat 'em heavy.  Also, I never spritz or anything because I think it rinses off the rub.
    Flint, Michigan
  • Didn't spritz, didn't go add heavy in the rub ad I should have -great flavor so far
  • Didn't spritz, didn't go add heavy in the rub ad I should have -great flavor so far

    Great results are all that matter.  I'm glad to hear it turned out!  Keep on Egging and posting!
    Flint, Michigan