I must be doing it wrong - turbo butt

ElCapitan

I've tried to do turbo pork butt multiple times, indirect at 325 and each time the outside is done and the center is not.  Today I had the butt on for 7 hours and finally pulled it apart and tossed the center back on.  I'm not sure why I can't cook turbo but I've had similar results about 4-5 times.  Do you have any tips before I give up on turbo?

cazzy

Probe the center and don't pull it till it's done.  Every piece of meat is different so cook to temp, not time.  

Carolina Q

How big was the butt? If the center wasn't done, the butt wasn't done. When the bone pulls free or the temp probe goes in in any given spot with no resistance, the meat is done. Not before. Pay no attention to time or temp other than as guideline for when to check the important stuff.

DoubleEgger

A 8-9 hour turbo is not uncommon depending on the butt. Pull at temp. Just be patient, it'll get there. 

Mattman3969

On 9-10lb chunks of pork I have found the same thing as you just described. For turbo I try to stay in the 7ish lb range. The crispy bark I always thought was a treasure once it was mixed into the meat.  What size of roast did you cook?

nolaegghead

In general, the faster you cook a "low n slow", for a given piece of meat, the temperature when it's done is higher.  Other things like fat content (higher, cooks faster, lower temp done) and the age of the animal (younger cooks faster, lower temp done) are variables.  Don't pull it until it's done - you can stab it without resistance.

nolaegghead

As an extreme example, I can cook a butt at 147F for a long time until it's fall-apart done.  Time and temp is needed to break down the connective tissue.

RRP

A turbo butt the size you said and temperature should have been finished LONG before what you said! Have you checked the calibration of your thermometer latetly?

Dave in Florida

I have done turbo butts many times with different size butts, some I have wrapped at 160 some I have not.  I usually cook at 350.  You cannot go by how long the butt has cooked but by internal temp.  I start probing when the center of the butt is at 195 and every 30 mins until I get that no resistance.  The magic number seems to be 200 - 203 for me.  I have had them ready anywhere between 195 and 205.   Stay after it, you will get it figured out.

Sundown

Did you let the meat come to room temperature before you put it on? I've found in the past that helps/

ElCapitan

I haven't calibrated my thermometer since I bought it, a couple of years ago.  I think it was around a 8 lb butt.  I do cook to temp but in this case I think I was confused by a post that said turbo pork butt was around 5 hours.  I started with that assumption and haven't hit it yet.  I do the fork twist to see if it is done.  Hearing a few of you say it can take longer than 5 will result in me throwing away the perception that it can be done in 5 and I'll go straight by temp and probing.  Thanks.

luckyboy

There's a possibility that the but was frozen in the center.I've had that happen.

Hawg Fan

Definitely calibrate your dome thermometer  if you haven't ever calibrated it to eliminate false temperatures.  It sounds like you've been smoking your butts at around 250 degrees when you thought it was 325.  I had a problem with my Small last Spring and it's thermometer was off 50 degrees.

loveTheEgg

ElCapitan said:

I haven't calibrated my thermometer since I bought it, a couple of years ago.  I think it was around a 8 lb butt.  I do cook to temp but in this case I think I was confused by a post that said turbo pork butt was around 5 hours.  I started with that assumption and haven't hit it yet.  I do the fork twist to see if it is done.  Hearing a few of you say it can take longer than 5 will result in me throwing away the perception that it can be done in 5 and I'll go straight by temp and probing.  Thanks.

I did a 7lber yesterday and it took 5 1/2 hours to hit 191. Pulled it and it was as good as a low and slow. First turbo I have done and want go back to those 9 hour butt cooks for sure. Good luck on figuring out your problem.