Absentee Egging: ...am I tempting fate?

stike

I have a 9.5 pound picnic shoulder that I'm doing lo-and-slo for noon tomorrow. If I were to start it tonight, when I got home from work, I wouldn't be able to put it on til about 7 PM. Too late.[p]So, this morning around 6:30 AM I lit the egg, went and got ready for work, and tossed the shoulder on at 7:30, pegged to 200 degrees dome temp. I figure the 200 will drag out the cook enough that I'll pull it off sometime tomorrow morning, a few hours before guests arrive.[p]Now here's the part where I am simultaneously prideful AS WELL AS a bit trepidatious.[p]I'm fifteen miles away, at work. The wife and kids are gone for the day. The BGE is chugging away (I trust), all by it's lonesome, a safe distance from the house, etc. When my wife left a few hours after me, she called and said "it's pegged at 200 still, and smoke is puffing out nice and continuosly...".[p]Half in jest, I put a sign near it telling whomever might stumble upon it that it's ok, don't panic and call the Fire Department, etc.[p]So, is that irresponsible of me? I mean, it's a CLOSED system, fire-wise. No exposed flame. it's outside. There's no way it can run away at 600 degrees on me, i've got it shut down so low.[p]Wahaddaya think?[p]Am I nuts, or is the egg so rock-solid that it's not much different than being asleep in bed during an overnight cook (which I will be tonight, come to thiink of it)?

Tim M

stike,[p]Don't worry about it causing a problem - it won't. Worry more about if it goes out while you are at work and what you'll have for lunch tomorrow. 200° is too low to cook at without a lot of attention to keeping it there. 250° is a more stable temp to use. Pulled pork is great reheated and it holds it temp for hours after it is done. [p]Good luck with it and it should be fine if the fire doesn't go out.[p]Tim

Lawn Ranger

stike,
Since a good portion of the experts are in Atlanta, I'll give you my opinion.
First, take a deeeep breath and tell yourself that you're not a bad person. OK, now doesn't that feel better? Barring the Egg exploding and spewing lump all over the neighborhood, setting homes, little old ladies, children and stray cats afire..... I don't think you have anything to worry about. The only thing I would fear would be that the temp. either fell or spiked during the time you were away, thus screwing up your cook.[p]The last shoulder I did was about 7 lbs. I put it on in the a.m. like you did and set it at about 225. The only difference was that I was there to monitor it. Never touched it, and it never varied more than a couple of degrees either way all day long. The surprising part was that in 10 hours my polder went off and that puppy was DONE. Don't ask me how, but it was probably my best shoulder cook to date. [p]The bad part for you is that you don't get to smell like smoke all day long.[p]Good luck,[p]Mike

BobinFla

stike,
Worst that can hapen is you'll get a temperature rise, and it will cook quicker, and not be juicy and as pullable.[p]Onother, less disasterous failure would be that the fire goes out. But that's part of the reason that you bought ceramic. It will hold the temperature for a long time, both in the meat, and in the Egg.[p]I frequently will start a butt or brisket and drive from Orlando to the Melbourne area (about 60 miles) and everything has been fine. [p]

stike

Tim M,
I've had a lot of luck at 200-220.
I do the semi-obsessive Elder Ward / Naked Whiz fire-building set-up, and it hasn't failed me yet.[p]I haven't had a flame-out yet (knock wood).[p]Maybe I'll find some tepid meat when i get home.....

chuckls

stike,[p]Well my first lo-n-slo was a picnic cut, also 9.5 lbs. I did mine overnight, starting about 7:30 with the intention of hitting 225-230.[p]The last time I checked it, at 10:30 pm, the temp was about 245, so I tweeked Daisy a smidge and went to bed.[p]I got up around 2:00 am to check, and laid my hand on the dome. Arrgh! Cold! I pulled the shoulder out of the egg and stuck it into the oven. Reliable setpoint at 230. Got up again at 6:30 am, relit the egg, and finished it there. Turned out delicious.[p]So how does my story relate to your post?[p]1. Prepare yourself for a cold egg when you get home
2. If it is cold, consider food safety. You don't want to eat pork that has been sitting cold for more than two hours. Thanks to Wise One for that counsel when my egg went out.
3. If it is still humming along at 200-220, pat yourself on the back and crack a favorite cold beverage! And savor the sweet smell of a lo-n-slo done right.[p]Chuck[p][p]

stike

Lawn Ranger,
Oh, I DO smell like smoke.
I showered for work while the egg was finding it's groove and coming up to temp (all that cold indirect mass took a while...)[p]and before i left i was fiddling away in full office monkey-suit.[p]my hands smell like hickory smoke.
hahahaha[p]i know i could wash my hands, but that'd be a first.

stike

chuckls,
thanks for the encouragement.[p]i once crashed and slept overnight, and having set it for 220, i found it at 215 when i got up.[p]i have my fingers crossed.[p]i don't think it's possible that that baby could spike much beyond 250 the way it's set.[p]i just hope no nosey bugger goes poking around in there.[p]wife's on the way home, she'll call me with the progress report.[p]gonna hafta get her to fiddle with the vents someday so she can monitor the temps without neitherin to bother me at the office, while i'm websurfing... i mean 'working'

stike

BobinFla,
are you driving TO the butt, or AWAY?[p]hahaha

stike

an update: 9 hours later, the unattended BGE was found to be cruising along at 225 when recon spotter returned to the domicile in question, and reported aforesaid to the command bunker

Lawn Ranger

stike,
Hurray! I'll hoist a tankard of grog to your success.[p]Mike

chuckls

stike,[p]Yay!!![p]Enjoy your weekend,
Chuck

BobinFla

stike,
LOL, hadn't thought of that...[p]BOTH. Away from, then back to.
'-)[p]BOB

BobinFla

stike,
I've always wanted to say this and have it in a nice way...[p]I TOLD YA SO!
(-'[p]BOB