Buttless on Father's Day

Rblument · June 2012

So what did I do wrong? I fired up my grill at 9:30 last night and put on a 7 lb butt about 10:15 to cook between 200-210. Stayed up until about 1 am when it was going good at 210. Went to sleep and woke up about 8 and the fire was out. IT of pork was about 110 but am afraid to serve b/c don't know what time the egg died and afraid of bacteria and food poisoning. Kinda sucks because having 11 people over today for father's day. So just went out and bought more ribs and chicken and will live with that. someone told me to do an overnight at that temp you need something called an "automatic stoker." What's that. Any thoughts. This BBQ is tough stuff. Still learning after several months.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · June 2012

you absolutely have nothing to worry about with the meat. Fire it up and finish it if you want to. You can worry about the fire later but the meat it 100% safe to heat and serve. I've done it dozens of times when learning and many people on here have as well. Nobody has gotten sick and there is essentially a zero % of getting sick under those circumstances.

Keep at it and your fires will get more and morestable.

jay75 · June 2012

Aww man! Don't say you chucked it?

DMurf · June 2012

The BGE is a great tool but it does have it's limits, from everything I have seen trying to maintain a fire below 250 overnight does require external help. The 'Stoker' you have heard of is a little fan motor attached to temp sensors that will keep the air flowing, especially for those extreme Low-n-Slo cooks. I have done several cooks at 250 dome, once I calibrated my thermometer, and they have run 20 hours plus without me touching the BGE. It is amazing but we need to work in the zone of the tool, or get some outside help.

Keep trying and you will get it, from just where you need to set your lower and top openings to approximately how long a cook will take. My challenge is always on higher temp cooks as I do not pay enough attention and over cook my steak.

nolaegghead · June 2012

Tough break on the flame-out. After extensive research and based on my budget, I bought this one: http://www.thebbqguru.com/products/DigiQ-DX2--(Build-your-package)-.html

LOVE IT.

They're only useful for cooking between 150-450F. Pizzas and grilling I don't use. But highly recommended for smoking and baking.

There are two thermocouples -- one has an alligator clip you attach to the grate. The other monitors food temp. The way it works is you set a grate temp, there's a fan that blows air into the bottom damper until the grate set point is reached. You can set a food set point (like 195 for pulled pork). When it reaches that temp, it'll beep like crazy. Holds the grate temp perfectly.

I spent around $300 on

The Cen-Tex Smoker · June 2012

The BGE is a great tool but it does have it's limits, from everything I have seen trying to maintain a fire below 250 overnight does require external help. The 'Stoker' you have heard of is a little fan motor attached to temp sensors that will keep the air flowing, especially for those extreme Low-n-Slo cooks. I have done several cooks at 250 dome, once I calibrated my thermometer, and they have run 20 hours plus without me touching the BGE. It is amazing but we need to work in the zone of the tool, or get some outside help.

Keep trying and you will get it, from just where you need to set your lower and top openings to approximately how long a cook will take. My challenge is always on higher temp cooks as I do not pay enough attention and over cook my steak.

Nah- I can go days and hold temps. I went 248 all night and it's still sitting there right now. It's all in how you build the fire. I have never used a stoker and have done hundreds of briskets and butts without one. They are cool, but you definitely do not NEED one. Want one? That's a different story. Not for me though.

jay75 · June 2012

Nah- I can go days and hold temps. I went 248 all night and it's still sitting there right now. It's all in how you build the fire. I have never used a stoker and have done hundreds of briskets and butts without one. They are cool, but you definitely do not NEED one. Want one? That's a different story. Not for me though.

+1

Rblument · June 2012

Thanks everybody for your thoughts. Yeah. Prob overreacted. Have an 87 year old woman coming and wife freaked and insisted I toss it. At 63 and married 37 years, I've learned u gotta pick your battles. Next time I think I'll keep it a little closer to 235-240 overnight, sleep a little less, and turn it down a bit in the morn. Also need to pay more attention to building the fire, using more hardwood and sifting thru to get the bigger pieces.Happy father's day to all.

Duganboy · June 2012

Thanks everybody for your thoughts. Yeah. Prob overreacted. Have an 87 year old woman coming and wife freaked and insisted I toss it. At 63 and married 37 years, I've learned u gotta pick your battles. Next time I think I'll keep it a little closer to 235-240 overnight, sleep a little less, and turn it down a bit in the morn. Also need to pay more attention to building the fire, using more hardwood and sifting thru to get the bigger pieces.Happy father's day to all.

235-240 is very much right in the middle of the low and slow range. No need to lower the temperature from that range.

100% agree about picking your battles. That is why you have been married 37 years.

Rich_ie · June 2012

Thanks everybody for your thoughts. Yeah. Prob overreacted. Have an 87 year old woman coming and wife freaked and insisted I toss it. At 63 and married 37 years, I've learned u gotta pick your battles. Next time I think I'll keep it a little closer to 235-240 overnight, sleep a little less, and turn it down a bit in the morn. Also need to pay more attention to building the fire, using more hardwood and sifting thru to get the bigger pieces.Happy father's day to all.

What she don't know won't kill her. Congrats on the 37 years. LOL at pick your battles. I've only been married 16 years and I think I'm 1 and 16000000000000000000000 her favor!! ;D

jn_austin · June 2012

I used a Auber Instruments Egg controller on a pork butt last night. I set it at 215 and at midnight it was dead center 215. Woke up this morning and it was at 216! I went out fishing with the kids as the internal temp was just at 180. When I got back after a couple hours it was just perfect at mid 190's. I am letting it rest now but couldn't wait to eat it. Fantastic color, smell and flavor. Get a controller and never worry about this type of stuff again.

misu · June 2012

A $50 maverick will help for overnight cooks like that, my butt was just saved las night by using one

BigGreenDawg · June 2012

Nah- I can go days and hold temps. I went 248 all night and it's still sitting there right now. It's all in how you build the fire. I have never used a stoker and have done hundreds of briskets and butts without one. They are cool, but you definitely do not NEED one. Want one? That's a different story. Not for me though.

+1

+2 although I would suggest getting a high-Que grate as I thinks it helps the fire burn with less air due to breathing better on low and slow cooks and helps to get up to temp or back down to temp easier with higher temp cooks. I've had maybe 1 out of the last 10 overnights go out and that one was due to just pouring lump in which has allot of small pieces that clogged towards the bottom. I just fired things back up and it was at 195* about 3 hours later. BTW 250* dome temp is the temp you want, much easier to keep going and no different results.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · June 2012

Nah- I can go days and hold temps. I went 248 all night and it's still sitting there right now. It's all in how you build the fire. I have never used a stoker and have done hundreds of briskets and butts without one. They are cool, but you definitely do not NEED one. Want one? That's a different story. Not for me though.

+1
+2 although I would suggest getting a high-Que grate as I thinks it helps the fire burn with less air due to breathing better on low and slow cooks and helps to get up to temp or back down to temp easier with higher temp cooks. I've had maybe 1 out of the last 10 overnights go out and that one was due to just pouring lump in which has allot of small pieces that clogged towards the bottom. I just fired things back up and it was at 195* about 3 hours later. BTW 250* dome temp is the temp you want, much easier to keep going and no different results.

I'm all for it. Just saying you don't NEED it. There are things that help but the egg is good to go with stock parts. That's all I have and once I learned how to use them, I'm all good with temps and long fires etc.

jay75 · June 2012

@TheCenTexSmoker said it right, learn the egg, then decide if you need mechanical assistance!

MDHog · June 2012

I'm certainly no expert, but it seems like a lot of folks err on the side of trying to cook too low, especially overnight unmonitored. Having a dome temp of 250-270 will serve just as well and is less likely for the fire to go out.

Buttless on Father's Day

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