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HELP MY BUTT WENT OUT

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markho71
markho71 Posts: 8
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Hey guys I'm amost done with my first 18 hour butt on my medium BGE. However, my lupm just burned up and i had to reload and get things going again.

Anyway, I had the fire box packed to the top just like Mr. Ward suggested. Is the Medium model just too small for and 18 hour smoke?

Any tips for a noobie?
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Comments

  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    What was your dome temperature and is your dome thermometer calibrated?

    No the medium will work fine, however, the next time I would fill the lump up into the fire ring or to the top of the fire ring.

    GG
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  • markho71
    markho71 Posts: 8
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    So its ok to get the lump almost touching the bottom of the placesetter? Thanks for the quick response by the way!
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  • PWise
    PWise Posts: 1,173
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    What was the dome temp, and is your thermo calibrated? also what was the internal butt temp? you shouldn't base yourself on saying "it has to be smoked during 18 whole hours", you should be thinking to smoke it until the internal butt temp is the desired temp (which is around 195°F) and that might take anywhere from 10 to 18 hours depending on intial internal temp, mass, fat structure, etc...

    hope this helps!
    cheers!
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  • markho71
    markho71 Posts: 8
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    Dome temp was steady at 200 degrees. As for calibration im not sure how to do that.
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  • ric3677
    ric3677 Posts: 278
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    Dome temp at 200 will take longer to cook than 250. That could be your problem.
    I have cooked butts on a small...atho you have to be very carefull about how you put the lump in.

    Rick in Mt.
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  • PWise
    PWise Posts: 1,173
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    I hadn't seen GG's post when I posted hehe... but yes, it's ok for the coal to be ALMOST touching the platesetter... ther's plenty of air space between the platesetter and the grill and the temp isn't high enough to be a concern...

    cheers!
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    I would leave about an inch clearance.

    GG
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  • markho71
    markho71 Posts: 8
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    BTW the internal meat temp was 175 befor flame out. Thanks again for all the quick responses.
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  • PWise
    PWise Posts: 1,173
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    See, there you have it... if your dome was 200, the grid was near 170, there is no way in this world it is possible to get the internal temp to 195 if your heat source is well below that... it will take forever and you won't be able to pull it...

    the best is to take the dome to 250-300 and with an 8# butt it should be ready in the 10-18 hour range as I said before depending on many factors... but you should get a thermapen or other instant read thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of the meat, which is what is important more thatn the TIME itself it is in...

    to calibrate your dome thermometer, take it out of the egg and put some whater to boil in your stove in a saucepan, measure the boiling water temp and make sure it reads 100°C (you can make an adjustment according to your altitude, but I find this is trivial as it will be only a few degrees off), if it reads something else, there's a nut in the back of the thermometer (I think its 7/16 in size) and twisting this nut will move the needle, so while holding the probe in the water, adjust the needle to 100°C...

    hope this helps!

    cheers!
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  • markho71
    markho71 Posts: 8
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    Yes this helps! I'm opening the daisy as im typing to get the dome temp up to 300.

    Thanks again!
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  • PWise
    PWise Posts: 1,173
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    And with the dome temp at 200 that's as high as it was going to get...

    What you need to do is relight the egg up to 300°F and place it back in to finish cooking until 195... I'm guessing you didn't get enough bark outside due to the low temps, so finishing at a higher temp will help you...

    You will have a real suculent piece of meat as it reaaaallly was sloooooowcooked hehehe :whistle:

    Pleas do post some photos of the finished butt!

    Cheers!
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
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    If it's already been on the egg for 18 hours, you can always just finish it in the oven. It will be fine and taste the same.
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  • markho71
    markho71 Posts: 8
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    Thats probably the best solution for this attempt. I'm going to give it a few more hours and see what happens. But the oven is warming up.
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