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Temp fell during the night on a pork butt

I went to bed last night with the egg set at 225  and the meat was at  127       I awoke this am at 6:00  am  and the temp of the egg was at 75  and the meat was at 140  quickly I opened up the vents  fanning the intake and it started to climb back got it back to 250 and left it there stable. and the meat didn't start to rise again till about an hour later about 7 sh.  meat temp was climbing here and there for a couple of hours , kinda stop n go climb.  Now almost 10.00 am and the temp is 162,    do you think  its safe , and wondering when it ever plateau'd , even though. It was smoked with some apple and hickory chunks. I  put this on around 5:30 last might  usually when we does these they take around 19 hours to cook, time on this one is shorter. and we have 2 butts on  which I would think would of taken longer, what do you think?

Comments

  • My temp goal is for 70....  is this correct?
  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    Whenever I do an overnight smoke I get the temp settled into 275-300 dome range which puts the grid temp in a range of 225-275 appox depending on how long the egg has been going, then I close it down just slightly before going to bed to make sure temp doesn't go up during the night. Seems to work good on the xl :-)
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
  • dougcrann
    dougcrann Posts: 1,129
    This is the reason I use a FlameBoss or Auber controller. I have no problem getting the Egg to temperature without it, just like the piece of mind knowing that the temperature is being monitored 
  • JohnnyTarheel
    JohnnyTarheel Posts: 6,629
    I have found 275-280 temp is the sweet spot for butts. Egg maintains temp and the end product is great. I was in the camp of it had to be 225... I have converted...  
    Charlotte, NC - Large BGE 2014, Maverick ET 733, Thermopen, Nest, Platesetter, Woo2 and Extender w/Grid, Kick Ash Basket, Pizza Stone, SS Smokeware Cap, Blackstone 36"
  • Thanks for all the tips and advise......I forgot to mention I m going to wrap these in foil and a towel and cooler them let them rest a few hours, so ya'll are saying pull them when they hit 220?

  • 220 is high, I would shoot for the 200 to 205 range when they probe with a thermometer probe like butter
    Parker, Colorado
  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    Pull at 195-200. Also my experience is the ceramic gets heat sunk over time so the longer it's been going the closer the dome temp and grid temp get to each other. 
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
  • DeltaNu1142
    DeltaNu1142 Posts: 266
    edited April 2016
    I had something similar happen in February, with a controller, but it's because my lump was spent. It recovered just fine once I took a look at the temperature on the app and refilled the firebox.

    Check out the thread here.

    Just extrapolating, here--and there are a lot of variables that would affect this estimate--my guess is your fire was out for 2.5-3 hours if you caught it on the way down. If your butt was at 140 IT when you found it, you're probably just fine.
    LBGE | CyberQ | Adjustable Rig | SmokeWare Cap | Kick Ash Basket | Table Build | Tampa, FL
  • Darby_Crenshaw
    Darby_Crenshaw Posts: 2,657
    Just fyi... No need to foil, cooler unless you are done many hours early. This isn't like resting a roast




    [social media disclaimer: irony and sarcasm may be used in some or all of user's posts; emoticon usage is intended to indicate moderately jocular social interaction; the comments toward users, their usernames, and the real people (living or dead) that they refer to are not intended to be adversarial in nature; those replying to this user are entering into a tacit agreement that they are real-life or social-media acquaintances and/or have agreed to or tacitly agreed to perpetrate occasional good-natured ribbing between and among themselves and others]

  • fishepa
    fishepa Posts: 211
    I have found 275-280 temp is the sweet spot for butts. Egg maintains temp and the end product is great. I was in the camp of it had to be 225... I have converted...  
    Totally agree.  I usually cook everything at 275 or higher now.  I also just don't have the time to sit around all day usually.
    War Damn Eagle!
  • DeltaNu1142
    DeltaNu1142 Posts: 266
    fishepa said:
    I have found 275-280 temp is the sweet spot for butts. Egg maintains temp and the end product is great. I was in the camp of it had to be 225... I have converted...  
    Totally agree.  I usually cook everything at 275 or higher now.  I also just don't have the time to sit around all day usually.
    Convince me... I still go overnight at 225, or sometimes lower.

    How much time are you guys saving at 275? If I throw a tightly-packed 9-lb butt on, how long will that take?
    LBGE | CyberQ | Adjustable Rig | SmokeWare Cap | Kick Ash Basket | Table Build | Tampa, FL
  • fishepa
    fishepa Posts: 211
    fishepa said:
    I have found 275-280 temp is the sweet spot for butts. Egg maintains temp and the end product is great. I was in the camp of it had to be 225... I have converted...  
    Totally agree.  I usually cook everything at 275 or higher now.  I also just don't have the time to sit around all day usually.
    Convince me... I still go overnight at 225, or sometimes lower.

    How much time are you guys saving at 275? If I throw a tightly-packed 9-lb butt on, how long will that take?
    For some reason the butts I cook always seem to take 2hr/pound.  The last one I did was around 5 pounds and I went about 300 degrees for 8-9 hours.  Tasted just the same as the ones I use to do at 225 or even 250.
    War Damn Eagle!
  • JohnnyTarheel
    JohnnyTarheel Posts: 6,629
    fishepa said:
    I have found 275-280 temp is the sweet spot for butts. Egg maintains temp and the end product is great. I was in the camp of it had to be 225... I have converted...  
    Totally agree.  I usually cook everything at 275 or higher now.  I also just don't have the time to sit around all day usually.
    Convince me... I still go overnight at 225, or sometimes lower.

    How much time are you guys saving at 275? If I throw a tightly-packed 9-lb butt on, how long will that take?
    The last time I cooked two 8# butts at about 280 and it took 9 hours. There was no difference in bark or pulled pork than if I had done it at 225. At 225 you have to monitor more and your time almost doubles. I put the butts on at 7am and took it off at 4:15pm. 

    Charlotte, NC - Large BGE 2014, Maverick ET 733, Thermopen, Nest, Platesetter, Woo2 and Extender w/Grid, Kick Ash Basket, Pizza Stone, SS Smokeware Cap, Blackstone 36"
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    For a basic overview, check out Dr. Blonders page on the stall.

    Convince me... I still go overnight at 225, or sometimes lower.

    How much time are you guys saving at 275? If I throw a tightly-packed 9-lb butt on, how long will that take?

    Someplace, can't find it just now, I saw a chart that described when the stall started, and how long it lasted at various temps. If my recollection is right, around 350F, there is no stall. The meat cooks at about 20 min/lb started from room temperature to pulling, 205-ish. 9 lb = 2hr 15 min. Again from recollection, the chart showed that the meat temps stalls at 150+ at 225F. The relation was not linear, but the end points are 225 = 120min/lb, vs. 350 = 20/lb, with the time dropping off faster as the temp rises.

    Personally, I don't find either the texture or the bark quite the same at the higher temperature, but have gone as high as 300 when pressed for time. The  results were decent.
  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,880
    I would not hesitate to do another turbo butt at 325 or even slightly higher, but for me the results achieved at 250-260 are definitely better. It's not a good/bad question for me, but more about better/best.
    Stillwater, MN
  • SmokingPiney
    SmokingPiney Posts: 2,319
    fishepa said:
    I have found 275-280 temp is the sweet spot for butts. Egg maintains temp and the end product is great. I was in the camp of it had to be 225... I have converted...  
    Totally agree.  I usually cook everything at 275 or higher now.  I also just don't have the time to sit around all day usually.
    Convince me... I still go overnight at 225, or sometimes lower.

    How much time are you guys saving at 275? If I throw a tightly-packed 9-lb butt on, how long will that take?
    I cook butts 275-280. A 9 pound butt will take around 10 hours to probe like buttah. 
    Living the good life smoking and joking
  • Eggzellent
    Eggzellent Posts: 238
    Hans61 said:
    Whenever I do an overnight smoke I get the temp settled into 275-300 dome range which puts the grid temp in a range of 225-275 approx depending on how long the egg has been going, then I close it down just slightly before going to bed to make sure temp doesn't go up during the night. Seems to work good on the xl :-)
    I can understand how the dome temp. more closely matches the grill over time..yet it continually amazes me as to how many different schools of thought there are on how far apart these temps. are on indirect cooks..and which is even 'hotter' at any given time.
    So for the sake of argument here...what is the general consensus as to what a grill temp. 'approximately' is when the dome is at 225 with a placesetter (legs up or down) in use..and the grill anywhere near where most cooks take place?

    My broken down not-anywhere-near-accurate-dual-probe-in-one Polder thermometer has yet to give me a grill temp. lower than my OEM BGE dome probe.
  • everything turned out fantastic , thanks for eveyones imput
  • littlerascal56
    littlerascal56 Posts: 2,110
    I cook all my butts at 300.  Takes about 8.5 hours for a 10# butt to hit 203 degrees.  Everyone rants and raves how good they are.  Easy to keep the XL at 300.
  • bboulier
    bboulier Posts: 558
    I no longer do low and slow.  Too risky and too much work.  As far as I can tell, turbo butts give equal quality. 
    Weber Kettle, Weber Genesis Silver B, Medium Egg, KJ Classic (Black)
  • If you're going to towel them in a cooler for a few hours I would definitely pull them at 195.  I like to normally cook my butts to 203.  The one time I had to let it rest a few hours I thought the texture was too mushy.
  • smokeyw
    smokeyw Posts: 367
    Just fyi... No need to foil, cooler unless you are done many hours early. This isn't like resting a roast





    I would always let it rest for at least an hour. If you cut it immediately most of the juices will just run out. You don't have to wrap it and put it in a cooler unless you need to keep it hot for an extended period of time.
  • DeltaNu1142
    DeltaNu1142 Posts: 266
    I'll give 280-300 a try next time and report back.
    LBGE | CyberQ | Adjustable Rig | SmokeWare Cap | Kick Ash Basket | Table Build | Tampa, FL
  • Darby_Crenshaw
    Darby_Crenshaw Posts: 2,657
    smokeyw said
    I would always let it rest for at least an hour. If you cut it immediately most of the juices will just run out. You don't have to wrap it and put it in a cooler unless you need to keep it hot for an extended period of time.

     No juices gonna run out of a butt. The stall is pretry much the majority of the water being driven out. At 200-205 internal temps, any inherent moisture is long gone, and the 'moisture' in the meat is gelatin (melted collagen) and melted fat, not water 

    when juices run out of a roast, it is a totally different thing. Always rest a roast, sure. It hasn't been cooked way past medium, medium-rare like a butt has
    [social media disclaimer: irony and sarcasm may be used in some or all of user's posts; emoticon usage is intended to indicate moderately jocular social interaction; the comments toward users, their usernames, and the real people (living or dead) that they refer to are not intended to be adversarial in nature; those replying to this user are entering into a tacit agreement that they are real-life or social-media acquaintances and/or have agreed to or tacitly agreed to perpetrate occasional good-natured ribbing between and among themselves and others]

  • smokeyw
    smokeyw Posts: 367
    smokeyw said
    I would always let it rest for at least an hour. If you cut it immediately most of the juices will just run out. You don't have to wrap it and put it in a cooler unless you need to keep it hot for an extended period of time.

     No juices gonna run out of a butt. The stall is pretry much the majority of the water being driven out. At 200-205 internal temps, any inherent moisture is long gone, and the 'moisture' in the meat is gelatin (melted collagen) and melted fat, not water 

    when juices run out of a roast, it is a totally different thing. Always rest a roast, sure. It hasn't been cooked way past medium, medium-rare like a butt has

    I have to respectfully disagree. I have done just about everything possible with a pork butt and they will definitely lose moisture if they are cut right into without resting.
  • Darby_Crenshaw
    Darby_Crenshaw Posts: 2,657
    Ok
    [social media disclaimer: irony and sarcasm may be used in some or all of user's posts; emoticon usage is intended to indicate moderately jocular social interaction; the comments toward users, their usernames, and the real people (living or dead) that they refer to are not intended to be adversarial in nature; those replying to this user are entering into a tacit agreement that they are real-life or social-media acquaintances and/or have agreed to or tacitly agreed to perpetrate occasional good-natured ribbing between and among themselves and others]