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Getting ready for first pork butt

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grEGGorys
grEGGorys Posts: 168
in EggHead Forum
I plan on a low/slow pork butt on Tuesday. I have a new DigiQ and I am wondering what I really need to know. I plan on using my plate setter legs up with a drip pan and then the grill. Do I need to put any fluid in the drip pan? I plan on about 250-275 temperature for about 8-9 hours. It is almost 5 pounds with a bone. I plan on wrapping it in foil when it gets to 200 internal temperature. Am I missing anything? I would like it to turn out good since the wife is not much of a meat eater and I am hoping to impress her so I can do more in the future. Thanks.
Gulf Coast FL
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  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
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    Raise the drip pan off the PS using the BGE feet, balls of foil, or something to keep the drippings from burning. No need for fluid in the pan Once you get to 200 - 205 when you wrap in foil, place in a cooler, wrapped in towels until ready to eat. It will stay hot for hours.
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
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  • grEGGorys
    grEGGorys Posts: 168
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    Thank you for the hint on raising the drip pan. I never thought of the drippings getting burnt. My egg came without the feet so the foil hint was also appreciated.
    Gulf Coast FL
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  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
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    No need to put any liquid in the drip pan, but use some kind of spacers between the drip pan and the plate setter.  You can use coins, or washers, or crumpled up alum foil.

    I'm sure you have a good rub and will have it rubbed up good.  I spray mine with apple juice about every couple hours, but some people don't touch them until they get to temp.

    Don't try to time it, just go by your internal temp as all pieces of meat are ready when they are ready.

    You will love the DigiQ.  Good luck.
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  • grEGGorys
    grEGGorys Posts: 168
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    I was planning on using Dizzy Dust regular grind all purpose barbeque seasoning and I have read where two butts of the same size cook for different times. I was planning on pulling and wrapping by temperature and not time. Thanks.
    Gulf Coast FL
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  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
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    Hard to go wrong with Dizzy Dust.  It will be good.  One last thing, I find they are ready at 195 and seem to be a little more moist than at 200.

    When you pull it, throw a tablespoon or so of DD in the pork while you are pulling it.
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  • grEGGorys
    grEGGorys Posts: 168
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    I will pull at 195 upon your suggestion and will toss in Dizzy Dust when pulling. Thank you again.
    Gulf Coast FL
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  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
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    One last thing I do is use the finishing sauce of Jeff Phillip's.

    Here it is:

    This is Jeff Phillip's recipe, he is the moderator at www.smokingmeatforums.com.

    Finishing Sauce
    1 Cup Cider Vinegar 
    2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar 
    1 Teaspoon Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning 
    1 Teaspoon Course Black Pepper 
    1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes 

    Warm the Vinegar up enough so that it disolves the Sugar well. Then add the remaining ingredients. 

    I use it in one of those clear Ketchup bottles you can get from Wally World for about $0.99. Snip a little bit larger hole out of the spout with a pair of scissors. Once all your ingredients are mixed together, put your finger over the top, and shake vigorously. 

    Randomly squirt this over warm freshly pulled Pork, then kind of mix it up with gloved hands. This adds very little heat (despite the Red Pepper) and mellows out the stronger, gamier parts of the Shoulder. The Vinegar also helps break it down even more for some REAL juiicy pork. 

    Personally, I eat it just like that, but your guests can add whatever "Q sauce they prefer once it's on their plates or bun! 
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  • Jscott
    Jscott Posts: 174
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    Instead of using balls of foil, I went to my local ACE and got the largest nuts they had. 4 of them will last you a lifetime.
    Just my .02 worth...
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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    Ace sells coco de mer? Or Brazil nuts... ;)
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  • calracefan
    calracefan Posts: 606
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    195-205 is a guideline, the meat is ready when your probe slides through with very little resistance. This may be 195 or it may not happen until 205, there is no set temperature.
    Ova B.
    Fulton MO
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  • grEGGorys
    grEGGorys Posts: 168
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    Today is the day! Started heating the egg at 7:20 this morning, it took almost an hour to get to temp but I finally got there! Need to work on fire building! Cooking with plate setter legs up, drip pan on foil balls - hope it's ready for dinner tonight...
    Gulf Coast FL
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  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
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    Butt doesn't look too big(?) so you should have it finished in time!!  And you can always keep it in the "rest cooler" for a long period of time...
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  • grEGGorys
    grEGGorys Posts: 168
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    It is only a 5 pounder so I shouldn't have a problem!
    Gulf Coast FL
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  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
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    Don't forget to wrap those probe wires with a couple of layers of foil --  that portion inside your egg.  Burnt probe connections can get expensive...
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  • grEGGorys
    grEGGorys Posts: 168
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    Do I need to wrap them if they are steel wrapped cables? I have them over the leg of the plate setter so there is no direct line with the coals. Also having trouble with the temperature. I set the pit temp at 265 but it is now at 335. I have closed the daisy wheel 3/4 so there is only small holes showing and the temp has stabilized there. I hate to close it anymore for fear of choking the fire out.
    Gulf Coast FL
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Close the lower vent down to the thickness of a quarter

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • grEGGorys
    grEGGorys Posts: 168
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    I have a DigiQ RX-2 so the bottom is closed on the blower plate. There isn't any gap showing.
    Gulf Coast FL
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  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
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    Don't worry about choking the fire out -- close it down.  That is a very good idea about keeping the probe wire over the platesetter leg -- but even a better idea to wrap --yes the metal clad cable -- in a couple of layers of foil for the one time you close the dome and the cable shifts two inches -- and you don't have temperature control !!  And the foil will stay on for months!!  My replacement probes cost me $26.00  --  can buy a whole lot of foil for that -- not even considering the time waiting for the new cables to arrive..
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  • grEGGorys
    grEGGorys Posts: 168
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    Thank you for the response. I have choked the fire down with the daisy wheel just a crack open. The internal temp is 256 and the butt is 170 so dinner will be good to go. I will make sure I will make sure to wrap the cables in the future since this cook is almost done. Thanks for the info.
    Gulf Coast FL
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  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
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    Now the butt will go thru a "stall" period between 170 and 190, this can add time onto the completion temperature.  One,two sometimes three hours...   So plan accordingly.  You know about "resting" the butt in a cooler -- right??  It can stay, good and hot - ready to pull, in this cooler up to five hours.  So it is easier to finish the butt early and have the ability to pull and serve it after words...  Now you know that your egg will hang near(?) 250 with the top vent closed -- keep that in  mind on your next cooks...   
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    grEGGorys said:
    I have a DigiQ RX-2 so the bottom is closed on the blower plate. There isn't any gap showing.
    Sorry I misssed that. Did you close the damper on the barrel of the digi q down?

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • grEGGorys
    grEGGorys Posts: 168
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    I understand about stall but thanks for the reminder. I was going to wrap and cooler it for about two hours to rest. I knew I got a little late start due to the fire taking an hour to get up to speed. Little Steven: I didn't touch the damper on the barrel of the DigiQ. I womdered about that when installing it. I guess next time I will close it half way. I knew that the first time would involve a learning curve. Thanks.
    Gulf Coast FL
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    You should close it down til you have 1/4 moon shaped opening. Otherwise there is enough space to allow air flow when the blower isn't running.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • grEGGorys
    grEGGorys Posts: 168
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    Update on the cook: I saw the pit temp dropping to about 220 and the meat temp dropped from 170 down to 161. Pulled the butt and checked the pit. The fire had burned down to the grate in the middle and the coals lined the outside of the pit. Stirred the coals and put the butt back on. Temp now at 310 and meat temp back to 170. Dinner will be late. I thought I starts plenty early. I guess I have a lot to learn.
    Gulf Coast FL
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    I just mentioned a center burn on another post. I light my lump in multiple places to avoid that

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    I make a pyramid with the top bit of lump and don't have that problem.

    Yeah, what steven said about the DigiQ damper - 1/4 open is good for cooking in the 200s.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • chris123stock
    chris123stock Posts: 664
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    Welcome to my world, its not as hard as you think,  but it's always good to start early,  and finish early. Then you're ready to eat and the wife is happy,  if it's late,  you are sleeping in the bat cave.
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  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
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    I light my lump with a ten dollar electric element starter, and it lights the center of the lump from the fire grate to almost the top of the lump.  I have never adjusted my DigiQ's internal damper, it is wide open -- works fine for ALL my cooks for three years.  I just finished a five hour cook at 275 degrees on some ribs without a hitch -- with the digiQ installed but the fan ran very little.
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  • grEGGorys
    grEGGorys Posts: 168
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    The cook is done and here are a couple of pictures after they rested for a couple of hours. We did half with the finishing sauce and half plain - we enjoyed both ways. Juicy and delicious! Thanks for all the tips today.
    Gulf Coast FL
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  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
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    Looks great, Congrats !!
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