First overnight Pork Butt on Small Egg

Timvanee

Hello fellow eggers!

After reading about your experiences and cooks, it's now time to share some experiences of my own. Got a small BGE in November from my wife, and have been cooking quite a bit over the past month. Two weeks ago it started getting colder (and snow) here in Pennsylvania, so have not been as active on the egg, but wanted to share this cook with you.

Bought myself a 7 pound pork butt at the Italian Market in town, rubbed it with Dizzy Pig and sat in the fridge for about 10 hours. Rub had drawn some moisture from the butt, which must be a good thing right Put the butt on the egg at around 10pm on Saturday for my first overnight cook, estimating to be done around noon on Sunday.

Filled the egg up with lump (RO) and lit in the middle, dropped in some chunks of cherry wood. As the temperature was stabilizing around 250, I hit the bed and checked temperature every two hours or so... Unfortunately, I think this is due to the smaller amount of lump that goes into the small egg, my fire burned out around 9am... Dropping the IT from 158 back to 130. In an effort to salvage the pork, I relit the egg, foil wrapped the butt and finished until 205 IT.

End result was pretty good, but could have been more moist... Think this was due to the fire going out.. Anyone with similar experiences and ways to cook 10+ hours on the small egg?

Look forward to learning from all of you!

Charlesmaneri

I dont have  a small but I would suggest loading more lump rite from go I would even say go over the fire ring .I had that happen on my very 1st cook I had never used a Egg and didn't put enough lump in so when I got up in the morning my fire was dead ,so I relight and cooked on ,since if I'm doing a over night low and slow I load up the fire box almost till it touches the plate setter  and have never had a problem thats my .02 worth 

R2Egg2Q

Certainly load up as much lump as will fit on your Small. Using a lump that is denser than RO helps a lot as well.

Cookinbob

I don't have a small either ( though I want one).  You could try cooking it Turbo.  I would think the fire should be good for 350 for 5 hours, and the pork will be just as good.  You will sleep better too!

MrCookingNurse

I've never taken my small past 7 hours. I just use the large so I don't have to worry.

Mattman3969

Cookinbob said:

I don't have a small either ( though I want one).  You could try cooking it Turbo.  I would think the fire should be good for 350 for 5 hours, and the pork will be just as good.  You will sleep better too!

+ 1 on the turbo. You can easily get 7hrs out of the small on a full load of a good lump. I got 5hrs out of mine at 325* only filled to top of box without the top ring on because I need more room.

Timvanee

Thanks for the pointers... Will try both methods (more lump, turbo) on the next cook.

Raymont

Same thing happened to me with my small. I had used RO charchoal filled as much as possible. I am convinced small can't go over 6 hours  with a platesetter, DigiQ and pork butt on.

jrdavies

I have a small and have done pulled pork a few times. If you build the fire properly it will last as long enough to complete cooking pulled pork (10-13 hours).  The first time I did it the fire burned out even though there was fuel left.  I had just dumped the lump in and it burned down in a conical shape.  Check the section on building the fire in the following article, it might help, http://www.nakedwhiz.com/pullpork.htm. 

Worst case though you could finish it off in the oven.  After about 6 hours I doubt the meat is absorbing much smoke flavor.  You might need to find a way to add moisture to replicate the result you would get in the egg.

Hope this helps.

JD

Timvanee

Used this method of building the fire.. Big pieces in the bottom, smaller as you go up... Will try again some time soon, however running out of bacon so might make some bacon first

Hi54putty

11 hrs is pretty strong. I cook mine butts on my small at 325. They always turn out great and I don't run out of lump. No need for foil. Give it a try.

henapple

Try Rockwood if you can get it.