Should I be worried - UPDATE

JM3

Well, thanks for all the support.[p]Butt one came off right at 24 hours (internal temp of 190). Butts two and three waited for another hour to hit 190.[p]So total cooking time was 25 hours. Some of the best pork barbeque I have ever had though. Very moist and very tender. [p]John

Mark Backer

JM3,[p]Glad yours turned out great. is anyone brave enough to do one of these 24 plus hour jobs anymore without the guru or pitminder or some other such tool. I want to do a low and slow but not freak out and stay up all night staring at the thermometer.[p]

QBabe

Mark Backer,[p]I do all of my low and slows without a guru or pit-minder.[p]While I do get up and check periodically on the temps, I've never had a fire go out and the cooker has done well. Now, maybe I've been lucky, but I think it's more that you learn to trust the cooker and your cooking abilities. [p]I'm not one of the "set it and forget it" group. I set it, check it, and let it do it's thing. I occasionally tweak it, but mostly know that it's going to perform well for me and I'm going to have a wonderful meal![p]You can DEFINITELY do this without a guru or pit minder. And, there's great satisfaction in the accomplishment.[p]Be brave and trust yourself and your cooker,
Tonia
:~)

Mark Backer

QBabe,[p]man. I feel like I should join the army now. Well, the army of food anyway.[p]Thanks for the info though. Before I go investing in all the other technology, I want to try a few just with me, the fire and the Egg. [p]I will probably be emailing you for advice in the near future about this. [p]Thanks as always to this board for all the helpful information.[p]

BluesnBBQ

QBabe,[p]Same here. I don't mind getting up a couple of times at night to check the temp. People have been successfully barbecuing for hundreds of years without any electronic devices.

Grumpa

BluesnBBQ,[p]I like the "old fashion" fun way also. Too many gizzmos in life these days. I'll stay with that which has served me well for nearly half a century.

JM3

Mark,[p]I did the entire cook without any BBQ Guru or pitminder. I got a good nights sleep. I woke up once at 3 AM checked on the egg and went back to bed for another 3 1/2 hours. Fortunately my wife had her wisdom teeth out yesterday so I spent yesterday at home taking care of her, the children, and the egg. Let me tell you the egg was the easiest. I walked out and looked at it every couple of hours. If I wasn't home to do it though, my 10 year can handle it. [p]If I were to go to a competition I mind think about a BBQ Guru, but right now I can't make a business case for it to my wife :-)[p]John

Hammer

JM3,
Glad it came out good. Again, Patience; Patience; Patience!
Your next one will be even better.
Hammer