Help - pork butt stuck at 180 degrees 20 hours later

chuckwoo

hi everyone,

i cooked a 9lb butt on xl bge last night and did everything as normal.  Used digiq guru so temp was steady 235 all night. Had a stall at 8am at 160 but it climbed later to 180 and then stalled out again.  It's been 20 hours.  I just wrapped in butcher paper and put in oven at 275.  Should I let it cook in oven on lower temp for couple more hours until hits 195 or just get it out now?  20 hours seems long for a steady temp cook.  It's fairly tender - some spots very easy to get probe out, some a little more tug.  Would pull but not perfect and no clue why. 

Thanks 

lkapigian

20 hours nine pounds, something is wrong....I'd bump the temp for sure-did you check it with another thermometer better yet, is the bone loose?? 20 hours is what I take on a 30 Pound Chuck Roll

Carolina Q

Bump the temp to 320-350°. I don't even start checking until 195°. When it probes with no resistance anywhere or the bone pulls free, it's done. Not before, regardless of temp. Assuming you want pulled pork anyway.

chuckwoo

I did use two temp probes including digiq and it was accurate.  Just odd as I have done
these before same way,  temp was perfect on grate at 235 although maybe I should have done a little higher like 250-270.  Maybe there is such thing as too slow

lousubcap

The pig takes a page from the cow-"the pig drives the cook."  You can get equally exceptional pulled pork running higher in the dome (250-270*F) or even turbo (330-350*F) depending on the sugar in your rub.  
Trust the "bone pulls clean" for the finish-line regardless of how or how long it takes to get there.  FWIW-

chuckwoo

So not going to dry it out if oven finish at 290 cook temp?  Going to 195 internal or so 

lkapigian

chuckwoo said:

So not going to dry it out if oven finish at 290 cook temp?  Going to 195 internal or so 

Not @ all

Carolina Q

No it won't. But don't cook to 195°. Cook til it's done.

Rte1985

Don't be afraid when you get towards the finish line to crank up the egg to 350 to finish.  Remember turbo butts go the whole cook at 350.  If time is not on your side crank the temp up!  Also agree on cook till done.  I'm usually in the 198-205 range on most butts.

Mattman3969

Did you have liquid in the drip pan while smoking on the egg?

chuckwoo

I thank you all for awesome timely support.  I finished the butt in oven in butcher paper for exactly one hour at 290 degrees. It has the most amazing bark I have ever gotten from a pork shoulder.   Pulled so easily.  I don't know why i was afraid to crank a little.  One time I cranked the temp on a butt to 350 when it was at stall and it dried out.  I knew this one was close to finished.  Lesson I think was that I cooked it too low.  235 is too low for a pork butt in the egg.  21 hours way too long.  Not sure why it took that long.  Only 9 lbs and I injected with apple cider.  Should have been done in 14-16hrs.  

Mattman3969 - I never use liquid in the egg.  The moisture stays in on its own. Do you not find that to be the case? I am open to suggestions. 

awesome community here.  I haven't logged in for two years and you guys really came thru!  

Biggreenpharmacist

Looks great. But yeah, you cooked at way too low a temp. I usually cook them between 275 and 300 (dome temp). 

Rte1985

I've had two butts that weight hit the second stall at 17 hours cooking around 225.  Had to crank the temp up due to the "I'm hungry for meat belly cramps"! I'm a fan between 250-350 cooking temp.  No juice.no wrapping.  Haven't had a butt come out bad yet.

Photo Egg

chuckwoo said:

I thank you all for awesome timely support.  I finished the butt in oven in butcher paper for exactly one hour at 290 degrees. It has the most amazing bark I have ever gotten from a pork shoulder.   Pulled so easily.  I don't know why i was afraid to crank a little.  One time I cranked the temp on a butt to 350 when it was at stall and it dried out.  I knew this one was close to finished.  Lesson I think was that I cooked it too low.  235 is too low for a pork butt in the egg.  21 hours way too long.  Not sure why it took that long.  Only 9 lbs and I injected with apple cider.  Should have been done in 14-16hrs.  

Mattman3969 - I never use liquid in the egg.  The moisture stays in on its own. Do you not find that to be the case? I am open to suggestions. 

awesome community here.  I haven't logged in for two years and you guys really came thru!  

Depends on where your 235* was reading. 235* dome temp, your pork temp will really crawl as you get closer to target temp. 235* dome is lower at cooking level. Plus, maybe your gauge is off by another 5-10 degrees. Now your cooking closer to 200* at your butt level.
I started my last butt at 225* grate level and bumped it up in the morning to 245* and it went for about 23 hours. It timed out perfect for my planned lunch.

Mattman3969

chuckwoo said:

Mattman3969 - I never use liquid in the egg.  The moisture stays in on its own. Do you not find that to be the case? I am open to suggestions. 

I don't use liquid unless I'm trying to quickly drop the temp inside the egg.  I asked because I thought maybe if you were using liquid it was retarding your cook time