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Pork butt

Egg-on-Medford
Egg-on-Medford Posts: 160
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I'm on staycation and actually got up at 7 to cook.

rubbedpork6lb.jpg

Like electing a new Pope:
smoke2-1.jpg

See'ya in a few hours:
porkon0715.jpg

Was pretty steady around 250 dome, but the temp crept up to 280 after about an hour. I eventually ended up here with the vents to get down to 250.
ventstartbot.jpg
ventstarttop.jpg

After a few hours, the temp had dropped to 220 and I ended up here after several small adjustments--took almost an hour. Didn't want to overshoot again.
ventendbot.jpg
ventendtop.jpg
Does this surprise anyone? That's pretty open for 250. If it matters, it's around 50 degrees here, but it was cooler when I started.

After 8.5 hours, this 6 lb butt was at 185 and I brought it in and put it in a chest til dinner.
doneat185deg.jpg

It was pretty tender and we liked it. I think that's a smoke ring on that big chunk towards the upper left. I wonder why I don't do this more often.
done.jpg

Comments

  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
    Looks MITEEFINE to me. :)
  • Goody
    Goody Posts: 102
    Nice cook! That is a good smoke ring! Hey it looks like you basted the butt in something, if so what was it. Or am i just seeing things and that is nothing more than the natural juices and the rub?
  • Hawg Fan
    Hawg Fan Posts: 1,517
    Nice job. Makes me hungry for a PP sandwich.

    Any road will take you there if you don't know where you're going.

    Terry

    Rockwall, TX
  • BigA
    BigA Posts: 1,157
    next time you need to cook more at one time for left overs!! :laugh: :laugh: :)
  • fire egger
    fire egger Posts: 1,124
    Good job, looks good!!!
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Weird temp thing. My 250° looks pretty much like your first vent settings - all day long. Just curious, why did you pull at 185°? Most go 10-15° higher. Much more tender and pulls easier then.

    Looks tasty though!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Goody wrote:
    Nice cook! That is a good smoke ring! Hey it looks like you basted the butt in something, if so what was it. Or am i just seeing things and that is nothing more than the natural juices and the rub?

    just the rub!
  • Carolina Q wrote:
    Weird temp thing. My 250° looks pretty much like your first vent settings - all day long. Just curious, why did you pull at 185°? Most go 10-15° higher. Much more tender and pulls easier then.

    Looks tasty though!

    I don't do this a lot. I quickly googled and saw a couple of 180-190's. I should have checked here ahead of time, 'cuz it was a little hard to pull. Too bad, as the temp was steady at 250 and there was no rush.

    Still don't get why I had to have the vents open so much. I doubt that I was running low on charcoal; I filled it with fresh lump up to the top of the bowl.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    haha. SLICED pork is good too! :) I've been where you were, before I knew there was a target temp. Used to just throw the butt on and figured 10-12 hours should be enough. Before I signed on here.

    As for egg temps, could be some smaller chunks of lump clogged up the holes in the grate. Therefore you had to open the vent more than usual. Next time, use a wiggle rod to clean out the holes in the grate. Bent coathanger works - just stick it through the bottom vent and poke up thru the holes in the grate to dislodge whatever's there. I don't usually have to do that in the middle of a cook, but I always do it before.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
    Sage advice my friend! ;)
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    haha - yeah, scary, ain't it?! :blink:

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    Looks great. That is one nice smoke ring.

    Still relatively new, but I have found every once in a while the temps just do something odd. I think 95% of the time it is just due to air flow.

    Like Q pointed out it could just needs some wiggle rod action. One time I found some gravel in my lump that I think was causing the issue. I would wiggle rod and the temps would go to normal, then this d@mn rock would find it's way back in the grate and throw things off again.

    Also not a bad idea to pull out the fire ring/fire box and clean out. I did this recently and I was surprised to see the ash pile I had managed to push to the left and right of the fire box.


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    Thanks Mike. Now I want some butt of my own. Yours looks great. Tim :P
  • looks excellent. try bad byrons butt rub sometime it is very good.
  • done mostly pork butts on my egg so far. usually do two at a time around 7 to 8 pounds a piece. Most of the time have my vents more like your first pic where they were barely open, but a few times have to open it more like your second pics.
    Not sure what makes the difference, maybe wind and outside temp or somthing.
    Usually fill my firebox up to crack between it and fire ring.
    Cook at about 225 to 250 for anywhere from 12 to 18 hours. Leave it on the egg until meat kind of falls apart when you pick it up by the bone.