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Here goes the 1st low and slow pork butts!!

24

Comments

  • MGOBlue
    MGOBlue Posts: 12
    I put two 8lbers on at 9:45 last night and didn't touch it until 06:00 to bring the temp up a bit. The temp was down to 190, got it back at 225 now. Guests arrive at noon, gonna try to wrap it by 10:00.
  • DMurf
    DMurf Posts: 481
    Hi! I am doing my first low and slow pork butt tonight. I'm having a very hard time regulating the temp. I am trying to keep the temp around 250 but it wants to stay around 275. I don't want to shut the vent and daisy wheel down too much in fear of smothering out the fire. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
    @brandydavis

    Have you calibrated your dome thermometer? It is crazy but mine was off by 80 degrees for a year before I finally calibrated it, now I am rock steady at 250 when I used to be at 330 without knowing. Use a pot of boiling water and place the tip in without touching the bottom and it should read about 225. If you need to adjust use pliers on the nut in back and turn it to the correct temp. 

    Good luck!
    David
    BBQ since 2010 - Oh my, what I was missing.
  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852
    IME the egg tends to have a sweet spot it goes to. Looks like you might have found yours.
    @liz, so any beer left? How's it doing?


    You can always tell who is up tending a low and slow. Lol
    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • JWBurns
    JWBurns Posts: 344
    Hi! I am doing my first low and slow pork butt tonight. I'm having a very hard time regulating the temp. I am trying to keep the temp around 250 but it wants to stay around 275. I don't want to shut the vent and daisy wheel down too much in fear of smothering out the fire. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
    @brandydavis

    Have you calibrated your dome thermometer? It is crazy but mine was off by 80 degrees for a year before I finally calibrated it, now I am rock steady at 250 when I used to be at 330 without knowing. Use a pot of boiling water and place the tip in without touching the bottom and it should read about 225. If you need to adjust use pliers on the nut in back and turn it to the correct temp. 

    Good luck!
    I thought the boiling point is 212... So the temp gauge should read the same, true?
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    I would be more worried about triggerimg the "low level beer alarm" than the BGE and the butts.  I'm sure all these cooks will turn out great.  Happy B'day USA!
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • LizzieSamps
    LizzieSamps Posts: 894
    Awake, hubby checked at 7 and temp was 225. Hopefully did not drop more. Out there I go! Should I open a d put a temp probe in?
  • LizzieSamps
    LizzieSamps Posts: 894
    Some temp was 200, probe temp in each one was about 158. So I think we are going ok. I am bring temp back up now.
  • LizzieSamps
    LizzieSamps Posts: 894
    Hi! I am doing my first low and slow pork butt tonight. I'm having a very hard time regulating the temp. I am trying to keep the temp around 250 but it wants to stay around 275. I don't want to shut the vent and daisy wheel down too much in fear of smothering out the fire. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
    @brandydavis

    Have you calibrated your dome thermometer? It is crazy but mine was off by 80 degrees for a year before I finally calibrated it, now I am rock steady at 250 when I used to be at 330 without knowing. Use a pot of boiling water and place the tip in without touching the bottom and it should read about 225. If you need to adjust use pliers on the nut in back and turn it to the correct temp. 

    Good luck!
    I thought the boiling point is 212... So the temp gauge should read the same, true?
    Doh, I have not calibrated! Praying to the BBQ gods that I am not very far off. Too bad I don't have a thermapen! I read last night someone spot calibrated with that.
  • I am smoking alongside you all.  My egg ran a little hot and now my 3 butts look to be almost done (195F).

    Anyone have any suggestions on the best strategy from here?  Dinner is at 4-5. Foil and oven set to 150?  Foil and cooler?  I posted pics on a post right above this one.

    Cheers!
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168

    Looks like you have be cooking them for about 7 1/2 hours.  If you don't have a simple remote thermo (one with a wire from the probe to an external to BGE read-out) then if you are good (and lucky) you can use an oven-proof bimetallic and insert it so you can read the temp through the DFMT (thereby not having to open the dome to get a read).  I use a bimetalic as a back-up and align the desired finish temp to vertical for ease.

    With two butts going they will finish at different times (unless you are extremely lucky).  One other point-225*F on your dome is a bit low.  With the nominal grid to dome off-set of 20-40*F it will take forever to get to the finish-line.  You  may want to bump it up to 250-270*F (somewhere in that range seems to be a BGE "sweetspot".)  Good luck and don't run out of beer (or limes:)) Happy B'day USA!

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • LizzieSamps
    LizzieSamps Posts: 894
    I am smoking alongside you all.  My egg ran a little hot and now my 3 butts look to be almost done (195F).

    Anyone have any suggestions on the best strategy from here?  Dinner is at 4-5. Foil and oven set to 150?  Foil and cooler?  I posted pics on a post right above this one.

    Cheers!
  • LizzieSamps
    LizzieSamps Posts: 894
    I am no eggspert but know this answer FTC. Foil towel and cooler!
  • LizzieSamps
    LizzieSamps Posts: 894
    Thanks I am back up to 270, I have a temp probe in with wire to the outside. It is just a cheapy Taylor but will have to do. I would have bumped it up when I saw it was 225 but hubby didn't know better. All is good since the temp was not crazy low at 9.
  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    edited July 2012
    I am smoking alongside you all.  My egg ran a little hot and now my 3 butts look to be almost done (195F).

    Anyone have any suggestions on the best strategy from here?  Dinner is at 4-5. Foil and oven set to 150?  Foil and cooler?  I posted pics on a post right above this one.

    Cheers!

    Tim, if your butts are at 195, you need to see if a fork turns easily and or a probe sliding in like butter, sometime between now and 205 degrees, you will be there. Foil, towel, cooler and it can rest up to 6 hours for sure. Do not pull it until you are ready to serve. Remember, the sauce makes it moist also so you will be fine.



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

  • Eggucated
    Eggucated Posts: 213
    edited July 2012
    I'm feeling lazy today. Got up at 7:30, cleaned out the egg, dumped my lump, installed partyq, rubbed the butt, and cranked the heat to 350. Butt went on at 8:30, should be done by 3:30-4:00 then FTC until dinner.

    My first anttempt at a higher temp butt.
    Thanks, Mike "Live in such a way that if anyone should speak badly of you, no one will believe it."
  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    Thanks I am back up to 270, I have a temp probe in with wire to the outside. It is just a cheapy Taylor but will have to do. I would have bumped it up when I saw it was 225 but hubby didn't know better. All is good since the temp was not crazy low at 9.




    I love this... "hubby didn't know better."

    Although this seems backwards to me, I think it is cool as hell to see another female egger!



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    I'm feeling lazy today. Got up at 7:30, cleaned out the egg, dumped my lump, installed partyq, rubbed the butt, and cranked the heat to 350. Butt went on at 8:30, should be done by 3:30-4:00 then FTC until dinner.

    My first anttempt at a higher temp butt.
    Please keep me updated on this. I am thinking about trying it as well.



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    Thanks I am back up to 270, I have a temp probe in with wire to the outside. It is just a cheapy Taylor but will have to do. I would have bumped it up when I saw it was 225 but hubby didn't know better. All is good since the temp was not crazy low at 9.
    Your cheapy Taylor will do just fine-I have one that has outlasted one Scientific American and one Weber remote.  All you need to do is "trust your indications" unless you have very good reason not to.  Nice work on the evening temperature control-if you nailed it that well on the first go-round then you are a natural.  Time to work on the hubby training program.  With luck he will want his own and presto-a 2 BGE family. How's the lime and beer supply:)? 
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • 3MBBQ
    3MBBQ Posts: 26
    Pull when done - FOIL, wrap in Towel, place in cooler - it will stay HOT until you are ready to pull.

  • LizzieSamps
    LizzieSamps Posts: 894
    We are going to be ok, I found another case in the garage, just not unboxed into the fridge yet.  It has been so hot here in IN for week so not much consumption or hanging outside!  It's been so nice to not heat up the house with the oven.

    I was worried that the temp would go up at night, so when I saw it went down I was actually relived.  I know that it can go too low and then you are in food safety issues.  This has really been an experience for me.  I love eggin for sure!  
  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    Lizzie, you are doing great!



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

  • schwaggy
    schwaggy Posts: 17
    I put on two 8.8lb butts last night at 11pm when my dome was holding steady at 275 and grid temp was 250. I checked at 12am and things were the same so I went to sleep. I intended to check overnight but the beers must have knocked me out.
    Here I am at 6:30am with dome of 150 and grid at 125 - damn!
    The hottest the butts got overnight was 126
    I opened the vent and DW all the way but my temps aren't rising. I've got a fresh batch of lump starting in a chimney starter now and will add these to the firebox and try and stableize. Hopefully this works out.

    This thread is what made me decide to try this and it's been nice knowing you're all out there doing this cook overnight with me. Just wish I could have caught my low temps overnight instead of 7+ hours in.

    Luckily I don't need these to be done for several hours so any thoughts or advice is appreciated.
    Will I be ok?

    Schwaggy
    Large BGE, Mini BGE, Weber Summit sitting lonely in the corner...
  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    I put on two 8.8lb butts last night at 11pm when my dome was holding steady at 275 and grid temp was 250. I checked at 12am and things were the same so I went to sleep. I intended to check overnight but the beers must have knocked me out.
    Here I am at 6:30am with dome of 150 and grid at 125 - damn!
    The hottest the butts got overnight was 126
    I opened the vent and DW all the way but my temps aren't rising. I've got a fresh batch of lump starting in a chimney starter now and will add these to the firebox and try and stableize. Hopefully this works out.

    This thread is what made me decide to try this and it's been nice knowing you're all out there doing this cook overnight with me. Just wish I could have caught my low temps overnight instead of 7+ hours in.

    Luckily I don't need these to be done for several hours so any thoughts or advice is appreciated.
    Will I be ok?

    Schwaggy

    You will be fine, no need to worry with a butt. As many others will tell you, it is very forgiving and a great way to learn (which you are.) Just get it off and be fast, load your hot lump, throw it back on and relax. Cook to 195-205 in between testing with a fork and or probe. No worries. You will be fine.



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

  • LizzieSamps
    LizzieSamps Posts: 894
    Schwaggy, good new buddy!!  Thanks for everyone one this thread I waited till the temp was good and set but that meant a 3AM bedtime for this lady.  Not too much later than normal for me.  I have been so happy that everyone has been so responsive and readily offering advice.  Post some pics so we can see how it's coming.  No picks from me till it's done, I only picked up the dome to shove the probe in and shut it up real quick!  Can't wait to see how all these cooks come out!  

    I think I hear a mudslide calling my name!
  • Duke_sta
    Duke_sta Posts: 26
    Pull when done - FOIL, wrap in Towel, place in cooler - it will stay HOT until you are ready to pull.

    Should there be ice in the cooler? Hope its not too dumb of a question but I have always wondered this
  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346

    @lizziesamps

     

    Is that thing starting to smell amazing yet?



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

  • Rolling Egg
    Rolling Egg Posts: 1,995
    Pull when done - FOIL, wrap in Towel, place in cooler - it will stay HOT until you are ready to pull.

    Should there be ice in the cooler? Hope its not too dumb of a question but I have always wondered this

    No.
  • LizzieSamps
    LizzieSamps Posts: 894
    No ice, you want to keep it warm,  kind of the reverse cooler.  You can pour some warm not boiling water in to prime it.  

    Yup - Jason the boys just walked out and said OOOOO it smells so good!! 
  • LizzieSamps
    LizzieSamps Posts: 894
    Ok temp is now 173 on the probe, did I sleep through the stall or is it still coming?
  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    No ice, you want to keep it warm,  kind of the reverse cooler.  You can pour some warm not boiling water in to prime it.  

    Yup - Jason the boys just walked out and said OOOOO it smells so good!! 

    Awesome! I will be doing one for a 40+ person party on saturday and can already smell it!



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."