Bone in Pork shoulder

JohnInCarolina

JohnfromKentucky said:

if it is out of coal, so then I just light more and keep going?

Checking it now

edit:
It was low, but not out. I put some chunks wood on and more charcoal and put everything back in. Did I smother the fire or will it burn the new wood/charcoal?

It'll get going again, but you might pick up some bad smoke if it's not wrapped.

I'd wrap it in foil and throw it in the oven to finish it.  You won't get the bark you'd really want but it will have plenty of smoke flavor.  In fact it's not picking up much more smoke now that it's already past 150 or so.

JohnfromKentucky

Langner91 said:

Yes.  You will have to carefully take it all apart.  Make sure you have a non-flammable landing spot for that plate setter, that SOB is gonna be HOT!  Kids and dogs need to stay away.  Use welding gloves and don't carry it far!  Then, put it all back together.  If there is any lit charcoal still in it, the new lump will ignite in a few minutes (give it 10-15 with the dome open) and then put it all back together.  Don't worry about smoking wood, or anything else at this point.  You just want to get the meat done.

Thanks. I didn't leave the top open much after I poured in the rest of the charcoal. I'll keep an eye on it.

It did look so good, I'm starving! Can't believe I gave up alcohol for lent. what was I thinking?!

Langner91

*Picture me clicking the Agree button*

JohnfromKentucky

Here's my gloves, picked them up in Texas last year. and my grilling space..please don't judge me too hard! and finally a pic of the butt

JohnfromKentucky

JohnInCarolina said:

JohnfromKentucky said:

if it is out of coal, so then I just light more and keep going?

Checking it now

edit:
It was low, but not out. I put some chunks wood on and more charcoal and put everything back in. Did I smother the fire or will it burn the new wood/charcoal?

It'll get going again, but you might pick up some bad smoke if it's not wrapped.

I'd wrap it in foil and throw it in the oven to finish it.  You won't get the bark you'd really want but it will have plenty of smoke flavor.  In fact it's not picking up much more smoke now that it's already past 150 or so.

ok, I just saw this, not sure why I didn't see it earlier.

It's been back on the grill for 30 minutes unwrapped. Should I remove it now and put it in oven to finish off or just continue on?

Langner91

JohnInCarolina said:

JohnfromKentucky said:

if it is out of coal, so then I just light more and keep going?

Checking it now

edit:
It was low, but not out. I put some chunks wood on and more charcoal and put everything back in. Did I smother the fire or will it burn the new wood/charcoal?

It'll get going again, but you might pick up some bad smoke if it's not wrapped.

I'd wrap it in foil and throw it in the oven to finish it.  You won't get the bark you'd really want but it will have plenty of smoke flavor.  In fact it's not picking up much more smoke now that it's already past 150 or so.

Sure, you could finish in the oven.  But, just think of the story you will tell about your first pork butt!

Actually, that would have been smarter than tearing that hot thing apart.  Glad you came out with all your arm hair.

JohnfromKentucky

I will just leave it on and finish it. does it have to be 190-200 degrees to pull it off? I'm afraid that it will take too long to be ready for dinner...

danhoo

JohnfromKentucky said:

if it is out of coal, so then I just light more and keep going?

Checking it now

edit:
It was low, but not out. I put some chunks wood on and more charcoal and put everything back in. Did I smother the fire or will it burn the new wood/charcoal?

The coal should start up just fine.  What is the IT of the butt?  

Foghorn

JohnfromKentucky said:

I will just leave it on and finish it. does it have to be 190-200 degrees to pull it off? I'm afraid that it will take too long to be ready for dinner...

Yes.  Like a brisket, it needs to be 190-208 to finish.  It will probe like "buttah" when it is done.  Start probing at 190.

If you really want it for dinner, wrapping in foil and cooking at 350 is what most folks here do to speed up a cook.  The oven might be a great choice.  You'll lose a little bark that way but the meat will be good and moist - and you'll minimize how long you have to wait for dinner.

danhoo

JohnfromKentucky said:

ok, I just saw this, not sure why I didn't see it earlier.

It's been back on the grill for 30 minutes unwrapped. Should I remove it now and put it in oven to finish off or just continue on?

Did you temp check it when you had it out?

How is the temp on your egg holding up?

If IT on the butt is above 165 and the egg heat is still going strong, I would  I would wrap it and put it back on the egg. If the egg heat is not doing well I'd wrap it and finish it in the oven. 

if IT of the butt is below 165, then keep it on the egg a while longer.

JohnfromKentucky

it was at 170 at 330pm. It had cooled down to 150ish and now it is wrapped in foil in the oven at 350 to finish it. I really thought it would have been done on the egg by now

danhoo

It's almost 7pm in Kentucky... 

How was dinner? 

RyanStl

It's unfortunate you lost temp and had to reload. The only thing I can think of is not enough lump.

How long did it go? For a 5 lb butt I would have guessed 5 or 6 hrs.  An hr longer if cold out.  For me winter cooking always takes longer 

stuartlowry

Is anyone else a bit hungry? my stomach is always grumbling on this forum.

JohnfromKentucky

danhoo said:

It's almost 7pm in Kentucky... 

How was dinner? 

It was good! Wife said it was the best one we have had. 

@ry@RyanStl I had to stick it in the oven after I wrapped it in foil to get it up to temp. 

Lesson learned: fill it up with even more charcoal than you think. 

And 5lbs takes longer than I thought. 

But end result was fantastic 

WeberWho

With low and slow cooks you can fill your egg up with lump towards the top of the fire ring. With good lump charcoal you can get 20+ hours of low and slow cooking without having to refuel. Just a thought for your next low and slow cook. 

I'm glad you guys enjoyed your cook!

danhoo

Glad to hear. Take some notes and it will be easier next time.

Soon you'll be cooking these in your sleep.

RyanStl

Looks great.  TBH, a famous pit master Henry soo recommends finishing BBQ in the oven. The smoking process is only about 4 hrs and he likes to say after that BTUs are BTUs.

JohnfromKentucky

RyanStl said:

Looks great.  TBH, a famous pit master Henry soo recommends finishing BBQ in the oven. The smoking process is only about 4 hrs and he likes to say after that BTUs are BTUs.

But it's cheaper to finish on the grill in an all electric house! :-) Can't wait for warm weather when I can sit outside all day with it.

JohnfromKentucky

@WeberWho
Thanks!  I was using Royal Oak, which I read was a good charcoal. I'm out of it now so will see what's available locally..I know Royal Oak is.

Mark_B_Good

danhoo said:

JohnfromKentucky said:

Temps sticking around 300. I have adjusted the openings slowly throughout morning to see if it would drop a few degrees...it has not moved all that much. So this temp would decrease the cook time right?

From other posts, I should check temp at around 330pm but maybe I should check at say 2pm?

Since your dome temp is slightly on the high side it won't hurt it to open it and temp check it.

Do you have a pic of your intake opening with it at 300? I'm guessing you are at more than 1/4 inch, maybe 1/2 inch.

At this point the temp is what the temp is just ride it out, but learning and keeping track of the temp based on the inlet opening is a good thing to learn.

Also, you have a new style top vent so I can't suggest how much to have open, except for "not much" 

These pics aren't from a cook I just took them, but from memory, this is about where I'd be for 250F to 275F dome temp.

To get 250F on my XL BGE ... I'd have to have the bottom intake cracked half that opening size. For 225F, I literally have a sliver ... maybe 1/16" open on the bottom intake.

Mark_B_Good

JohnfromKentucky said:

I'll get a picture of the openings. The temp has gone down to around 250. I did check the temp about an hour ago and it was 160-170. 

Temp is 170, grill temperature was around 225-250 so it's cooling down, not sure why. 

Here are the openings. I haven't touched either one in a couple of hours

If I opened my XL BGE that much, I'd be at 400F (at least).  Either your fire isn't lit well, or the bottom plate is blocked ... but that looks like a really new egg, so I wouldn't expect that ... is your thermometer working?

JohnfromKentucky

Yup, I checked it in boiling water about a week or so ago

Mark_B_Good

JohnfromKentucky said:

Yup, I checked it in boiling water about a week or so ago

Somethings going on for sure ... I need to limit my bottom vent opening to about 1/16" to keep the temperature at 225F ... having it that wide (looks like 1.5" to 2" ... it would get REALLY hot in there.

Have you checked the coals? Are they burning?

How did you lite your coals? Did you create a cavity and put a lighting pad in the cavity, then have the top and bottom vents wide open until you start approaching your cook temperature?  If I want 250F ... I start off wide open. When I hit around 200F, I start closing the vents about 1/2 the width of the opening, until it settles on the target temperature.

Some guys even overshoot temp, close the vents to minimum opening, and wait for the temp to come back down (takes hours to get things steady).  But the point is ... they are willing to do that to make sure they have a nice steady burn going.

FrostyEgg

Agreed something is off. At those vent settings i'd be at 350+.

JohnfromKentucky

Mark_B_Good said:

Have you checked the coals? Are they burning?

How did you lite your coals? Did you create a cavity and put a lighting pad in the cavity, then have the top and bottom vents wide open until you start approaching your cook temperature? 

Once I lit the coals, I put the platesetter on and I couldn't see below that. I did what I normally do....I dab paper towels in grease, put about 3 of them in the charcoal, pushing them in so that some of the paper towel is under some charcoal. Then I light them.

Both top and bottom vents were wide open.

Granted, it was raining pretty good when I tried to light it. Maybe the fire didn't really get going?

Perhaps next time, meaning this weekend, I'll keep the platesetter off and watch the coals burn.

Mark_B_Good

Yeah possible the coals got wet.

But do you let the fire come up to temperature a bit before you put the plate setter in.

I always let it come up to at least 200F ... if not 250F before I put the plate setter in ... it drops the temperature, but you normally have enough of a core fire that it picks up and in 15 minutes you're back to target dome temperature.

I would not light a fire, and immediately, or even 5 minutes later, put the plate setter in.  In my routine, I'm putting the plate setter in probably 20 min to 30 min after lighting the fire.

StillH2OEgger

Mark_B_Good said:

Yeah possible the coals got wet.

But do you let the fire come up to temperature a bit before you put the plate setter in.

I always let it come up to at least 200F ... if not 250F before I put the plate setter in ... it drops the temperature, but you normally have enough of a core fire that it picks up and in 15 minutes you're back to target dome temperature.

I would not light a fire, and immediately, or even 5 minutes later, put the plate setter in.  In my routine, I'm putting the plate setter in probably 20 min to 30 min after lighting the fire.

Curious about your reasoning for waiting to put the plate setter in place?

RyanStl

StillH2OEgger said:

Mark_B_Good said:

Yeah possible the coals got wet.

But do you let the fire come up to temperature a bit before you put the plate setter in.

I always let it come up to at least 200F ... if not 250F before I put the plate setter in ... it drops the temperature, but you normally have enough of a core fire that it picks up and in 15 minutes you're back to target dome temperature.

I would not light a fire, and immediately, or even 5 minutes later, put the plate setter in.  In my routine, I'm putting the plate setter in probably 20 min to 30 min after lighting the fire.

Curious about your reasoning for waiting to put the plate setter in place?

I do too to prevent it from choking the fire off when it's just starting. I don't wait long, but definitely don't put it on right away.

Langner91

I don't rush putting the plate setter on, either.  I like the lit coals to spread out a little and I like to burn off some of the nasties from the new charcoal.  Putting that cold ceramic piece in keeps the grill temps in check.  It isn't going to run away on temp in 10-15 minutes.