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My first butt today!

Doing my first slow & low indirect today on my MGBE.  Seasoned ~7LB butt last night.  Just fired up Egg @ 8:30am.  Planning to sear butt on all sides on cast iron then smoke slow.  I am open to any suggestions but I guess my 2 main questions: what cooking temp am I going for AND what internal temp on the meat?  I'm pretty new to this game so be verbose! :)

My 7 year old named my BGE Shrek because it is big, green & it burps.
My daughter named my Egg Shrek, because it is big, green, and burps.  
LBGE in Arlington, VA
God Bless America!

Comments

  • Chris_Wang
    Chris_Wang Posts: 1,254
    Do you have a set dinner time?

    Ball Ground, GA

    ATL Sports Homer

     

  • Shrek
    Shrek Posts: 67
    Do you have a set dinner time?
    No.. and I have some chicken breasts as back-up incase this goes past dinner.
    My daughter named my Egg Shrek, because it is big, green, and burps.  
    LBGE in Arlington, VA
    God Bless America!
  • Chris_Wang
    Chris_Wang Posts: 1,254
    edited August 2013
    I do 250° grid temp on my Medium until IT reaches 195°. I usually FTC for at least an hour after that, but @Eggcelsior said it really wasn't necessary. Do you have a Maverick or any other device like a Guru?

    Ball Ground, GA

    ATL Sports Homer

     

  • Shrek
    Shrek Posts: 67
    FTC?  Foil Towel Cooler?  I have a wired therm & I will be here all day so can check.
    Thanks!  
    My daughter named my Egg Shrek, because it is big, green, and burps.  
    LBGE in Arlington, VA
    God Bless America!
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    edited August 2013
    I am curious as to the sear. It will take you a while to get the egg cooled off to low & slow temps. If you are wanting a slow cook I would stabilize the egg at 250-275 for a hour or so and put the butt on. Once you hit 150-160* IT you can bump temp to 300-325* if you want to speed up the cook. One of the best butts I have done was cooked at 325* all the way thru with no foil. The bark was outstanding. Unless I am trying to hold the meat to eat later in the day I hardly ever FTC, I don't think it is worth it on a butt. Start checking for tenderness at about 190* or so. To do this you can use you temp probe or a skewer, once it will slide in and out like Buttah everywhere in the meat you are ready to pull. I generally will check every 30 mins after it hits 190.

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • Chris_Wang
    Chris_Wang Posts: 1,254
    Yes to Foil Towel Cooler. Once the IT reaches between 160-170°, you can bump the temp up to 275-300° and finish it off if time becomes a problem. Have fun! What did you rub it down with?

    Ball Ground, GA

    ATL Sports Homer

     

  • calracefan
    calracefan Posts: 606
    Won't searing it first seal it off from accepting smoke ? Like it has been said ,it will take a long time to cool to low and slow temp from searing temp.Just go low and slow !
    Ova B.
    Fulton MO
  • +1 on no need for sear. Just fire it up to about 250 and let it ride. Be prepared for potentially not being ready until fairly late though. Could go really fast, could be 9 or 10:00 before it's at right texture. At any point if you are hungry and need to eat, foil it up to push through the inevitable stall somewhere around 160-170 IT.
    LBGE 2013, SBGE 2014, Mini 2015
    Columbus IN
  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
    edited August 2013
    +2 on no need to sear. Based on time you may consider doing it turbo. It is a late start for low&slow
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
  • Shrek
    Shrek Posts: 67
    thanks to everyone for the suggestions.. maybe the sear was the wrong play.  will let you know.  2 hours in & steady at 250 grid, butt up to 140.
    re: bringing it down from sear temp, I threw two wet chunks of hickory on after sear so that helped.
    My daughter named my Egg Shrek, because it is big, green, and burps.  
    LBGE in Arlington, VA
    God Bless America!
  • Shrek
    Shrek Posts: 67
    ~5 hour mark, IT at 185.  I jacked the heat to 300ish for about an hour or so after IT of 150 but otherwise been at 250 grid temp.  So I am close with dinner still a ways off.  What does everyone recommend?  I'd love to go to the pool for a bit... can I just shut the egg down & leave the butt on at 190ish?  Only talking 2 hours or so...
    My daughter named my Egg Shrek, because it is big, green, and burps.  
    LBGE in Arlington, VA
    God Bless America!
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    I would stick around and finish it out, FTC and then head  to the pool. With cooking at 300* it shouldn't take a whole lot longer.

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • Shrek
    Shrek Posts: 67

    I would stick around and finish it out, FTC and then head  to the pool. With cooking at 300* it shouldn't take a whole lot longer.
    You're right and that's what I'm doing...  So now I have the bottom and top vent fully open and grid temp is 250.  I think I'll be fine with this butt (still hovering around 185) but for a real long cook, like brisket, do you need to re-fuel?  How is that done?  
    My daughter named my Egg Shrek, because it is big, green, and burps.  
    LBGE in Arlington, VA
    God Bless America!
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    What size egg are you running? I have run up to 22hrs on my large with some lump left over. Be careful with wide open the egg will go nuclear pretty quick and you could get a flash back if you don't burp it, unless you are out of lump

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • Shrek
    Shrek Posts: 67
    I'm on a medium.  I think the charcoal all burned out.  I haven't opened once.  Butt still in 180s.  Thoughts?
    Thanks for the help Matt!  
    My daughter named my Egg Shrek, because it is big, green, and burps.  
    LBGE in Arlington, VA
    God Bless America!
  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,865
    Has the temp in your egg been dropping, or is it holding steady? What's it at currently?
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    If you think the lump is gone I would either -A - wrap the butt as to not lose much heat and refill or B fire up the oven and finish it off. I would prolly go for B because you are not goin to gain any more smoke at this point. I would go this route especially if I were happy with the bark. John asked a good question- is the egg holding steady or droppin in temp?

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • Shrek
    Shrek Posts: 67
    pulled the butt off and finished on gas grill for last 5 degrees.  Fantastic bark and flavor!  Will upload pic later.  Thanks for all the help!  #Egg
    My daughter named my Egg Shrek, because it is big, green, and burps.  
    LBGE in Arlington, VA
    God Bless America!
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    Can't wait to see the finished pics!!

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • Chris_Wang
    Chris_Wang Posts: 1,254
    I have a medium and I typically have to load the lump until it almost touches the platesetter for a cook to last more than 12 hrs.

    Ball Ground, GA

    ATL Sports Homer