First Pork Butt

Nitro · July 2010

My first Pork Butt using the Guru for the first time. The butt was about 4.5 lbs, and took about 6.5 hours to get to 200*.

I had a little trouble in the beginning getting everything (piggy, probes etc.) situated in the Egg. In the process I let the fire get too hot (350*). So, I spent the first couple hours fighting to get the temp down. It took a few hours before I got it under 300*. Also, the fan really stokes the fire, so I had to close that off completely for a long while. I did finally get it stable for the second half of the cook though.

In any event, next time I do a slow cook I'll get everything ready to go, BEFORE I light the fire. Then get the Egg stablized, and put the food in fast.

The other problem I had is the smoke ran out too quick (under an hour). Not sure if it's because I didn't add enough, or I need to use chunks instead of chips. Any thoughts on that?

With all that said, the pork was delicious. The only complaint I had is I'd have liked more smoke flavor. But I can't really complain, because I'm learning, having fun and eating great food.

Thanks for looking.

Grillin & Chillin · July 2010

Looks AWESOME! Congrats on your first BUTT

EggSimon · July 2010

came out great, congrats, eggcelent cook !

Chubby · July 2010

Nice job!!

One thought on the chips...

You can usem'...chunks will last longer..but either will work!

If you're using chips...sort of layer them throughout your charcoal. not just on top before you light.

One other thing...since your fire took off on you and jumped to 350...you may have just burnt up most of them initally...possible?

They'll go up pretty quick at that temp!

That said...I dont know how many you used to begin with...but the final results looked tasty!!'

Oh well..damm!!! You'll just have to smoke another'n...lol!!!

Evans

Eggsakley · July 2010

Nice post. Good photography and great lookin chow. Congrats.

ozegg · July 2010

Great looking pulled pork, can't wait to do one! The egg is the best!!!!

2Fategghead · July 2010

Nitro, I'm glade to hear your first butt cook using a Guru went well for the most part.

If I may suggest a few things.

You should try a butt cook with out the Guru if you haven't done so already.

When using the Guru stabilize your egg with the Guru. Simply keep the meat probe outside the egg. Also, have the adjustable rig in place during this process (foil line the drip pan for easy clean up).

While doing this get your butt ready
I would omit the Vrack

When you think VOC's have burned off ie clear smoke pull the AR out and add flavor wood unless you did this while filling the egg with lump. I use chunks scattered though out the lump and omit this step but, If using chips now would be a good time to throw a hand full on.

Now add the butt to the equation by placing the meat probe in the butt and starting your cook.

There is more than one way to smoke a butt and be sure to know how to use your egg if the power goes out.

Good luck and have fun. Tim

cmccoy · July 2010

I am going to try my first butt too. Can you give me a recipe and or some instructions. Thanks

Gandy Dancer · July 2010

Try Thirdeye's

pissclams · July 2010

I bet your smoke didn't run out, it just gets a lot less color in it after the VOC's are burned away and it's a lot less visible.

I usually use a mixture of chunk and chips, about two handfuls seems right, depending on the type of wood.

Cali Fireman · July 2010

Great looking butt!

Nitro · July 2010

That's pretty much the method I used. Very easy actually. Just coat with the rub, coat with mustard, then coat with the rub again. Cook at 250* until internal temp of 200*. About 1.5-2 hrs per pound. Pull and eat.

cmccoy · July 2010

thanks
I am ready

Nitro · July 2010

I used about two fist fulls, and I did disperse them throughout the lump. I also tried to add some in the middle of the cook, but I had the grid holding the stone and drip pan. Hard to get the chips down in the fire.

It was smoking a lot for the first 30 mins. You're probably right about them burning up too quick at 350*. Next time, besides controlling the fire better, I'll use a little more (oe use chunks), and have a clear path to lubp to add more chips if needed.

Thamks for the tips

Unknown · July 2010

I come from the St!ke school of smoking so this is how I view things. Makes sense to me at least.

For chips to make the maximum amount of smoke, you don't want them to burn, rather, you want them to smolder. In order for things to burn, you need heat AND O2. Therefore, regardless of what temp your lump is, as long as the chips do not have access to O2, they should not burn, only smolder.

If you put them on the top of the lump, if you have the egg stabilized perfectly, you should have an anoxic environment at the top surface of the lump therefore making ideal conditions for the chips to smolder rather than burn. I don't really see the point of having chips mixed throughout the lump where a lot of it will simply burn away (of course, some will also smolder because they will be hot enough to smolder but will have no access to O2).

I could be wrong but that makes sense to me.

Nitro · July 2010

Actually I'm now pretty good at stablizing the Egg without the Guru. I figured I'd try the Guru on this short(relatively) for practice, before I do an overnight cook.

I definitely need to adjust the Adjustable Rig though. My main problem was I couldn't get the lid shut completely. The VRack was up too high and hitting the lid. I finally got it closed tight but not before the Egg was too hot. Next time I may 86 the VRack and just place it on the grid. OR I might try to lower everything. I do kinda like the idea of the VRack for carrying the butt to and from the Egg. I'll have to experiment on a cold Egg.

Thanks for the reply though.

Nitro · July 2010

I'm more going by the taste. I like a little more smoke flavor. Could also be because the butt cooked faster, on account of the fire was too hot for the first half. Maybe if the cook was longer, it would have had a little more smoke flavor. Just guessing.

NC-CDN · July 2010

I was wondering about your daisy wheel. Did you leave it wide open during the cook? Or was that an early pic just getting the lump going? Love that rub too.

I agree with Tweev. Mine smolder. They way I figure is if you spread the wood around the lump it is going to combust at different times anyways. You can't get it to completely burn off to a clear smoke or whatever folks talk about. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I'm loading up on VOCs....who knows. I've tested water and soil chalk full of VOCs and SVOCs. It is what it is.

Keep cookin!

Nitro · July 2010

Very Interesting... Anymore opinions on this?

Nitro · July 2010

Good luck to you. Let us know how it turns out.

Unknown · July 2010

A couple times I've been smoking some chicken and I've noticed that I no longer have smoke. When that happens, I shut the vents, get the egg back to anoxic and the smoke returns. Then I crack the vents back slowly to maintain the smoke. Pretty neat.

The anoxic thing is why you don't need to smoke chips in an egg.

Nitro · July 2010

Actually that was an early shot while the Egg was coming up to temp (under 200*). I had the whole thing closed for half the cook trying to get the temp down. Once I finaly got the Egg stablized I had the top vent shut and the Daisy Wheel open about halfway. Also, I had the Viper's vent about halfway open. Everything was stable(250*) at that point.

Nitro · July 2010

Interesting... However, I did have the vents closed for a while trying to get the temp down. I never did see much smoke after the inital 30 mins though.

"The anoxic thing is why you don't need to smoke chips in an egg"

Do you mean "soak" chips? Just curious what you mean.

cmccoy · July 2010

there seems to be alot of confusion on the internal tempature for pork shoulder. I have seen 170 - 200 on the internet what is your opinion?

Nitro · July 2010

BTW, I had a pork sandwitch today. Very tasty, even leftover and cold.

Thanks again for the replies.

Unknown · July 2010

Yeah sorry, '*soak'.

Nitro · July 2010

I read around 195-200, but the butt can be done before or after. Not sure how you actually know it's done without checking the temp though. Maybe an Eggspert can weigh in here.

Also from what I read the butt will hit a temperature plateau and stall around 160-170. Then after a while start to rise again. Mine seemed to keep rising the whole time, but I didn't pay that close attention. Maybe if I plotted the temp every 10-15 mins, I could see it. Hey there's an idea for the next cook. LOL

Unknown · July 2010

I think that the length of time that a butt stays in a plateau is a function of the temperature of the egg and the fat content of the butt. Fattier butts stay in the plateau longer and take longer to cook and leaner ones are known as 'Turbo butts'.

This is of course conjecture on my part.

Nitro · July 2010

Makes sense...

Unknown · July 2010

Here's a little write-up I did a couple weeks ago about the topic more/less. More of a thought experiment. It haven't receive forum-wide acceptance but it seems logically consistent to me.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=928329&catid=1

Unknown · July 2010

'It haven't'???- The ONE thing I hate about not being registered is not being able to go back and correct grammar and spelling. 'it haven't...' yeesh...

First Pork Butt

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