2nd Failed pork shoulder

Buster

Well I just through out my second pork shoulder in 2 weeks. I put it on yesterday at 11:00 AM. Maintained temp between 225 and 250. Could not get it down to 200 without losing the fire. I observed constantly until 11:00 PM. Internal temp was 145 (using Williams Sonoma branded maverick thermometer. Even added coal about 9:00 PM. Noticed the fire seemed very good on right side of egg, Spread coals to even. Cleaned entire egg prior to lighting. Is 200 -250 that difficult to sustain?

JM3

buster,[p]200-250 isn't difficult to maintain, but for one shoulder, I've never had to add charcoal in the middle of the cook. Using either the Elder Ward method or the dump and light as long as the charcoal is to the top of the fire ring you should not have to add any charcoal.[p]I was having problems initially keeping it at 225 (dome) and when I calibrated my thermometer I found it was reading about 30-35 degrees too high.[p]Don't forget dome temp of 225 is going to have a lower grate temperature where the meat is. You'll be fine cooking at 225, that is what I usually shoot for with no complaints from my family or friends; only rave reviews.[p]Don't give up.[p]John

Mark Backer

buster,[p]There are many folks far more experienced than me, but I'll give this a shot. I assume you are referring to dome temp as 225-250. The thing you have to remember about dome temp is that it tends to be about 15-30 degrees hotter than grid temp. [p]On mine, it's usually right at 30 degrees. That means that a 230 dome is 200 grid, and I'd never finish a butt to 200 internal that way. [p]250 is pretty easy to get and maintain. Any lower than that and you'll probably need the assistance of a device like the guru. While I am sure there are folks that can do it, I have found that it doesn't make a big enough difference to me for it to matter. [p]My goal when butt-ing is to start it about 250-275, and maintain that dome temp until it hits 190 internal (after 17-20 hours). Then, I open the bottom vent wide and, with the top slider closed, open the daisy wheel wide. That will get you right at 300-310 for the last hour to finish. [p]Like I said, I'm sure there are folks that can keep the fire right that low. I've just found that the little temp difference I use makes fire building and maintenance thru the cook exponentially easier. [p]Hope this helps...

Unknown

buster said "..through out my second pork shoulder.."[p]Why is it a failure? At 145 internal its just not cooked enough, right?[p]Ron

drbbq

buster,[p]A couple things.
How much lump are you putting in to start? You shoulkd be filling it to the top of the fire box. Spreading it out shouldn't even be an option.[p]Are you using a platesetter? With a full load and a platesetter, 250 should be easy to maintain. 200 is too low anyway so no need to keep it there.

Mark Backer

drbbq,[p]top of the fire box? Hell, I fill it to about 1 inch from the top of the fire ring. You can always have too much, but using too little lump is bad. There is hardly anything worse while egging than having to add lump during a cook that involves a huge pile of meat...

thirdeye

buster,
what brand of lump are you using? For most of my lo-n-slo's, I mix in about 50% mesquite lump. (Lazzari & Best of the West are the ones I have access to year round) It seems to balance out the fire and keep a real even burn. I think my longest cook was around 18 hrs.

Buster

HML,I should have stated the fire was out when I awoke this morning. That’s what happened last week. I am using Big Green egg coal. I originally was using Cowboy when I purchased the egg last month. However I read that plywood was found in that brand and switched to egg coal. By the way there is plenty of coal left in the egg. The fire just goes out.

drbbq

buster,
I do long cooks with BGE charcoal all the time. That's not your problem. I do need to stir it after a long run, but I just stick my ash tool through the grate for that, and do a little tapping on the bottom grate through the vent door. [p]So it was fine for 12 hours and then you went to bed and it was out in the morning?

fishlessman

buster,
im not sure i understand, what was the internal temp in the following morning.did the fire go out. 225-250 is a good range to cook in. i have dropped to 200 if i thought that the meat was cooking too fast during the plataue stage and wanted to extend my cooking time in the 150-175 degree area,once the meat hits 175-180 you can cook as high as 300 dome temp to complete.

Chuck

buster,[p]My guess is your problem started when you added lump. The lump you started with, as well as all the accumulated ash, probably collapsed into the firebox and clogged your ash grate. As stated in prior posts you should be able to start with more than enough lump and before turning in for the night poke "up" through the ash grate and clear out the ash. Don't give up!![p]Chuck

Unknown

buster,
When I do a low and slow, I have had the fire go down to 200 or even lower while I sleep. If it does go down, I take a coat hanger, bend it to poke the grate holes through the bottom door. You can also take the wire and shake the grate through the bottom hole. The ash is closing the holes in the grate making it hard for the air to get through. If you load the fire box to the top, you should never have a problem burning out the wood. I think 200 is way to low. 250 works well and even 275 won't kill anything.[p]Jerry [p]Jerry

egghead2004

buster,
I'm another one who removes the firebox to clean the entire egg before every low and slow. So far for every butt/shoulder cook, I've just dumped BGE lump right out of the bag into the large BGE right up to the top of the fire ring. I open the bottom vent all the way and light the top center of the lump with MAPP gas for about 90 seconds. After 10-15 minutes with the lid open, a nice fire should be seen. Once there is a good fire, I add the inverted plate setter with a drip pan full of whatever liquid I choose for that cook, place the grid on top and close the lid. Then I close the bottom vent alomst all the way, just leave it open about 1/4". The daisy wheel then I just slide over the top and leave the vents are open a little less that half. [p]Then I wait 1/2 hour to see where the dome temp settles. Usualy this will bring me to 230, my personal target temp.
If I have to adjust to raise/lower the temp. I do this now and I wait another 20 minutes for things to settle. By now eveything should be stable and ready to add the meat. Most of my cooks have consisted of 7-9 pounders. So far I've been successful at keeping the dome @ 225-235 for 16 to 20 hours. Once the internal temp of the meat reaches 180, I then raise the dome to 250. If I'm in a rush, then I'll go higher, 275-300 until the internal reaches 195.
Done!!
Wrap it in foil and towels. Place in a cooler until the internal drops to below 170, pull and eat.[p]I have had the fire go out midway through my first cook. I didn't panic, I just removed the meat and platesetter. Then stirred the coals and started with the MAPP gas again. I was worried about this one, though. I left the house for the day fearing it would go out again, but everything turned out fine when I came home.

Buster

drbbq,
Yes, the thermometer was reading 145 internal at midnight. The dome temp was around 225. When I awoke the fire was out the internal temp was 67. Like I said this is my second attempt and second failure with a pork shoulder within 2 weekends. The same thing occurred the first time the fire went out as I slept. I have checked the dome thermometer and it is accurate. I am using BGE fire starter. When I light the fire and close the dome, at what temperature should I begin to choke it down? I have found it quite difficult to bring the temperature down.[p]Buster

Nature Boy

buster,
Sounds frustrating! Sorry you been havin so much trouble. For your next attempt I would definitely suggest trying to hold at 250 or so. If it gets up to 275, it won't hurt anything, especially early on. Like the others have mentioned, your cooking level temps are usually lower. So, now you have a bit more air going through your cooker, and less chance of it going out. 250 is pretty easy to hold. Just make sure and make small adjustments and give it time to stabilize with each adjustment. If it gets up toward 275, close the vents totally for 10 minutes or so, then reopen them to the previous settings. It will start inching down. We've done very well with our pulled pork entries in competitive cooking, and almost never cook at less than 250 dome. 7 pounders take about 16-17 hours.[p]Another suggestion is to try and wake up, at the minimum, every 4 hours. 2 is better. Lots can go on with a fire when you are snoozin away. Keep pluggin away. Your time is due for a real treat next time![p]Happy holidays
Chris

drbbq

buster,[p]Yeah, I agree with Chris, 250 is good, and based on your temp of 145 after 13 hours I'd say you were keeping it lower than that. It's gotta have some air or it will definitely go out.[p]You are using a platesetter right?

usa doug

buster,
When I load my lump, I try to place the large pieces in the firebox first. I actualy "build" the charcoal mound with the large stuff on the bottom and smaller stuff on top. Therefore the fire will get air and the ash will hopefully fall through to the bottom and not stop up the draft. On a long cook always start with a new supply of lump and fill it to the top of the firebox like the Dr. prescribed. [p]This is my Christmas gift,
Doug

drbbq

usa doug,[p]I heard your faux egg is breaking down. Think it will make it til eggtoberfest?

Unknown

Is it necessary to throw away a shoulder if the fire goes out and it cools down, or do you just have start the fire back up and get meat up to a good temp?

tn slagamater

buster, as NBOY mentioned, it is a good idea to check your fire more frequently especilly since you are new at this... have you got a good wife who can go check it if you oversleep ??? Just kidding girls !!

Pakak

Michael from SC,[p]The rule of thumb is - no more than 4 hours in the danger zone, defined as being 40-140°. This includes the time from the grocery to the house, prep time - ANY time in the zone. [p]No, it is NOT alright to reheat the meat, thinking the high temps will kill any bad stuff. It WILL kill the bad stuff, if hot enough for long enough BUT many of the bad bugs produce toxins that are NOT broken down by heat. Therein lies the problem!

Unknown

Pakak,[p]What about if the meat reaches a temp of say 160 or 170 before dropping in temp?

Pakak

Michael from SC,[p]It's my understanding the time is cumulative. It wouldn't mattter that the temp reached that high, the time would NOT start over. Once the temp dipped below 140° you'd just start the clock ticking again for that particular piece of meat. [p]Anyone can jump in here at any time. That's MY understanding. Go to the FDA site, the CDC site and similar government sites. Do searches on "food safety" and "reheating meat". You should see what the food experts have to say about the subject very quickly.

usa doug

drbbq,
After cooking 12 pizzas in Texas, the damn thing fell apart.
The only thing left is the lid. The crack proof firebox broke apart, the exterior base is cracked around the vent hole, the ceramic grate is a real puzzle. Damn good lid though![p]I may need to make a trip,
Doug

Buster

drbbq,
I do not have have a platesetter. Why would that make a difference? I used the grill extender with a drip pan.[p]Buster