Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Temperatures

Options
Chemical Eggineer
Chemical Eggineer Posts: 26
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
My first cook on my large egg is a 8.2 lb boston butt. Put the butt on at 7:15 pm with internal T = 48. Dome T has been 250 whole cook. It is now 2:30 am and my probe reads the internal T as being 175. That seems really fast. I was told the guideline was 1.5 - 2 hours per pound. A guideline, I know, but still I don't think it should have reached 175 in 7 hours. I calibrated the probe before using it, and it seemed to be in order. I understand the last 20 degrees to my target of 195 will take longer because the fat will start to render, but does this seem like a very fast cook to you guys?
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Egg Static
    Egg Static Posts: 11
    Options
    I am no expert on butts... cooking my third one now, right along with you, and my experience has been the cook time at 250 degrees is closer to 1.5 hours per pound. Mine first two butts cooked faster than I thought they would but they turned out fantastic. You may hit plateau and stay at same temp for awhile which will lengthen your cook. Advice I've seen on the forum is that pork butts are really forgiving and hard to mess up. That's been my experience so far.
    I put my butt on on 12:30am MT at 250. Will see how it does.
    Good luck to you.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 'Q Bruddah
    'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
    Options
    I did one butt cook and it lasted 19 hours. I understand the plateau can last a few hours and then you still have a few more degrees to go. I also understand every cook is different and when they are done they are done. Did you claibrate your dome thermometer before you started and know that you are cooking at 250°F?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Frank from Houma
    Frank from Houma Posts: 5,755
    Options
    Not all butts are created equal. You're butt is mightyfine.

    Enjoy
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • civil eggineer
    civil eggineer Posts: 1,547
    Options
    It can hit numerous plateaus where the meat temp will not rise for hours (4+) and may even drop a little. Don't worry, the butt will settle in and take fore ever to come out of the plateau.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Options
    Your meat is probably now in the plateau and will probably stay there for several more hours before the temperature starts to rise again. Here's more information: Plateau Defined

    Good luck!
    The Naked Whiz
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Chemical Eggineer
    Chemical Eggineer Posts: 26
    Options
    I did calibrate the dome thermo as well. Got up several times in the night to check. Dome T started slipping to 200 at around 5. I opened both vents wide, but have been unable to raise the dome T. It is now after 9, and dome T is still about 200. As best as I can tell, the internal T never went above 175. It is now going down as well, at 166. If it ever went higher than 175, it was in between my checks, but I doubt it. There is some grease in the drip pan, but not very much. I may have to finish in oven. A crime, I know, but the egg just isn't getting hot enough!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • maXim
    maXim Posts: 468
    Options
    Chemical Eggineer,

    had the same problem as you, dome temp stuck at 210 most of the night. So this morning I checked my temp with my Thermopen and guess what...270 :blink: that's from the top. I did calibrate my thermometer last weekend so I'm now thinking its time to order a tel-tru!
    Not saying this is what happen to you, just saying maybe your dome thermo might be stuck?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Frank from Houma
    Frank from Houma Posts: 5,755
    Options
    Did you try a wiggle wod?

    Only need lump and a draft to get the temp back up.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 'Q Bruddah
    'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
    Options
    Your grate may be full of ash and in need of a wiggle rod to clear the holes and get air to the lump which may have gone out. How much lump did you start with?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Chemical Eggineer
    Chemical Eggineer Posts: 26
    Options
    Well, I checked the min/max setting on my probe, and it claims the internal T reached 210 at one point! I'm not sure if I believe the probe though, as I checked every two hours and never saw a T above 175. I will recalibrate the probe in boiling water in a few minutes. If that is true, it means the butt cooked much faster than I would have expected and is now cooling down along with the egg. If the probe re-calibration checks out, should I just write this off as an odd cook and serve the butt? Is there a test for doneness that doesn't require a thermometer?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 'Q Bruddah
    'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
    Options
    A butt that cooks to 175° would be really tough to pull. 210° should fall apart. You should be able to easily grab the bone and have it come out clean.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Chemical Eggineer
    Chemical Eggineer Posts: 26
    Options
    Probe recalibrated to 208 in boiling water (same as before the cook), so it is reading about 4 degrees below actual. However, i could not easily twist the bone out. So, I have no idea. I guess that means it is not done. I have depleted my supply of lump now, so I guess I will try to finish it in the oven. :(
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • h20egg
    h20egg Posts: 168
    Options
    I started mine at 10 pm, 235 degrees, and bumped up to 250 around noon the next day. It finished at 5. It was perfect; I had to cradle the damn thing to get it off the grill without falling apart!

    I've now acquired a thermapen, maverick 73, as well as a non remote meat/oven thermometer and the BGE probe. I had to calibrate the BGE probe, all others agree. ONE CONCLUSION: Temperatures vary wildly at different places in the dome and around the meat. Granted, maybe +/- 20-30 degrees may not make a big difference in the quality, but it can in the time. I've decided to cook by the oven probe near the meat and the BGE probe not so much. In the end, what really matters is the food temp, so guess it's all a matter of personal choice and learning. Egg on.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Chemical Eggineer
    Chemical Eggineer Posts: 26
    Options
    The fat never rendered. I am finishing in the oven now, and am in the middle of the plateau. I don't blame the egg. I blame the egger and a crappy temperature probe! I will get a thermo pen and Mav ET-73 for next cook and keep egging.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories