Rookie needs help

BillyLove

Hello to all. I'm BillyLove, and I'm a rookie. I bought my first BGE last spring, a beautiful XL and I've enjoyed it over the summer with burgers, steaks, chicken and pork chops. I love BBQ...specifically Lexington style BBQ. Those of you in NC smell what I'm cookin. So, I want to dive in with my first low and slow pork butt. I bought an 8 pounder last night and this morning I lathered it up with mustard and sprinkled a nice coating of dizzy dust on it, wrapped it and placed in the the ice box. This evening I cleaned out my firebox and loaded it with a fresh batch of rockwood lump sprinkled with hickory chunks and fired that baby up to 250 dome temp for 1 hour. I loaded my woo2 and 17.5 inch cgs stone...let it warm for another 15 minutes and placed the butt fat side down at 7:30pm. So...here is where I'm lost....I am armed with a thermapen...the more accurate blue one...and a watch. That's it....oh I did buy a B and B sticker from thirdeye Q for the butta test. Where do I go from here.... How long should I cook? At what point do I check IT? Do I let it ride the entire time naked or do I pull it at some point and wrap with foil and return to the egg. Help please!

BillyLove

Dome temp is climbing to about 300 now...attempting reduce air flow and lower temp. I can't close much more or I'll shut her down

henapple

It'll come down. ..1/4 in bottom vent, 1/8 top

BillyLove

Rodger that...thanks

buzd504

Nothing wrong with 300 for a butt.

Dobie

Check it in about 6 hours unless you are spritzing. Should go about 12 hours at 250. Welcome.

Mattman3969

It will come back down like @henapple said but it might take a bit. Set the vent like he said and just hang out for an hr or better. If you manage to get it down to 250 like you want the but will average about 1 3/4 hrs per pound usually. I would start checking at the 12hr mark. Just remember that no chunk of meat will cook the same so this is a estimate on time. Generally the buts will probe like button between 197-205.

BillyLove

I've read many Boston butt posts here and it's given me enough info to get me this far. However, I have no idea what to expect tonight. Some post say you should pull at the 6 hour mark and wrap in foil and return to finish. Some post say don't foil, leave it naked on the grate. Any suggestions?

Dobie

Leave it unfoiled unless you need to speed up the cook.

BillyLove

I'm in no rush....thanks for the info

NPHuskerFL

Dobie said:

Leave it unfoiled unless you need to speed up the cook.

+1 better bark IMHO uncovered.
Enjoy

Mattman3969

+2 on leave unwrapped if you like a butt with great bark.

henapple

I do the wrap, unwrap method.
Wrap for 20 minutes
Unwrapped for 10 minutes
Rinse and repeat.

Mattman3969

henapple said:

I do the wrap, unwrap method. Wrap for 20 minutes Unwrapped for 10 minutes Rinse and repeat.

He's taking about cooking not what you do with bacon out of the public view

stemc33

I wouldn't wrap it unless you want to eat in the middle of the night.

BillyLove

Also I did not add liquid to the drip pan....mistake?

Mattman3969

No. You are fine, no liquid needed in the egg, it will help you stay stabil throughout the cook. Liquid evaporates and temp spikes. Your good.

BillyLove

Thanks mattman

BillyLove

My egg does not like 250 degrees

Mattman3969

Don't chase your temps. Make small adjustments and wait at least 45 min to 1hr before adjusting again. Patience is your friend with low and slow.

BillyLove

I've been doing just that...chasing the temp back and forth. I need to just leave it alone and let it settle down

Smokinpig

If you want a lexington style let it roll at 250 or 275 dome. Do not foil do not spritz. It will need to come off around 195 if you want to chop it lexington style. Figure around 90minutes per pound but pull on temp not time.

Mattman3969

Let it settle on its own and it will make for a more restful evening.

DMW

Post a pic of your current vent settings if you can.

BillyLove

I really appreciate everyone's helpful tips

Mattman3969

DMW said:

Post a pic of your current vent settings if you can.

This is a great idea. Wish I'd thought to tell you that.

DMW

BillyLove said:

I really appreciate everyone's helpful tips

We don't have anything else to do. Seriously, that is what the forum does. 

Oh yeah, we also virtually: hang out, drink, post pictures of what we're drinking, make sophomoric remarks whenever possible, mock people who post trying to sell something. Occasionally cook something. 

Seriously though, this forum is awesome and welcome aboard!

Mattman3969

DMW said:

BillyLove said:

I really appreciate everyone's helpful tips

We don't have anything else to do. Seriously, that is what the forum does. 

Oh yeah, we also virtually: hang out, drink, post pictures of what we're drinking, make sophomoric remarks whenever possible, mock people who post trying to sell something. Occasionally cook something. 

Seriously though, this forum is awesome and welcome aboard!

You make us sound so cheap

BillyLove

Can't post pics...don't know how...but bottom vent is 3/8" top vent right at 1/4" .... Top is smoke ware...not daisywheel

Dobie

DMW said:

BillyLove said:

I really appreciate everyone's helpful tips

We don't have anything else to do. Seriously, that is what the forum does. 

Oh yeah, we also virtually: hang out, drink, post pictures of what we're drinking, make sophomoric remarks whenever possible, mock people who post trying to sell something. Occasionally cook something. 

Seriously though, this forum is awesome and welcome aboard!

Yeah that sums it up pretty good.

DMW

Wish I could help, don't have a Smokeware cap, but certainly don't touch the vent settings for at least 45 minutes between tweaks. And when you do adjust, only adjust one, either bottom or top, not both at the same time. For me, I use the top to "fine tune" and bottom for "coarse adjustments".