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Patience? or Pull

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22FireBall22
22FireBall22 Posts: 15
in EggHead Forum
My last butt cook failed miserably. Fire went out over night. Dog didn't even want to eat it. Last night, at 6 PM, I put a 12lb butt on the egg, dome steady at 220º, and temp probe inserted. All was well when I went to bed at 11:30, dome still at 220º, IT already up to 148º. This morning at 6 AM, IT was 190º, but dome had dropped to 190º also. Got the dome back up to 220º and the butt continued to cook. Stalled at 195º for four hours. IT dropped to 185º during stall, and is back to 196º. Dome now at 230º. This butt has now been on the egg for 19.5 hours. Instant read thermo shows same IT as probe. Would you stay patient and wait for 205º and tender fall off the bone? I'm not in a hurry to eat. Thanks.


Rules for Living on the Suwannee River
Rule # 1 - Don't sweat the small stuff!
Rule # 2 - Everything is small stuff!
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Comments

  • saluki2007
    saluki2007 Posts: 6,354
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    If you can wiggle the bone then I'd say pull it, othewise bump your temp up to at least 250.  220 is too low imho for the egg.  Mine excels at the 250-275 range.
    Large and Small BGE
    Central, IL

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  • dmourati
    dmourati Posts: 1,268
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    Increase temps.
    Mountain View, CA
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  • Action_Hank
    Action_Hank Posts: 54
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    Dont be fooled by the numbers, that bone should pull right out.  Hang in there!
    "It's not the beard on the outside that counts, its the beard on the INSIDE."

    LBGE   -   Lexington, KY
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited March 2018
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    Don't worry about the meat temp. Wait until a probe can be inserted in several places meeting no resistance. As said, there is no reason to cook at such a low temp. 250 minimum. I do mine at 320 and don't put it on til about 9am. Ready by dinner time. No overnights for me!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    If you are not in a hurry, sure, let it go. Most time in the smoke is the best from my view.

    205F is where butts usually feel like jelly, but do check. Technically, long enough at 190 will be as good as 205 for a short time.

    There can be carry over cooking too.

    That the dog didn't eat into the other seems odd. Does doggy think "Hmmm, not really fall off the bone tender. Maybe I should just stick w. kibble till my human daddy gets this right..." Or is doggy like kitty "If you're not eating it, how dare you offer it to me!"




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  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
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    Probe it in several spots for little to no resistance.  If it was me I'd go ahead and pull it and FTC till ready to eat.

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,349
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    As mentioned above, the finish is all about the feel, temperature is just a guide.  Patience is the watchword as noted in the thread title.  
    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.
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    +3 on the above. FWIW I usually pull at 190-195. I go by feel but it is ready in that range. The only butt that I have had turn out dry was one that I waited forever for it to get to 200. 

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • ibanda
    ibanda Posts: 553
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    I am in the Egg likes to run at 250 degrees camp, and you don't have to wait so long for your food to cook.
    "Bacon tastes gooood, pork chops taste gooood." - Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction
    Small and Large BGE in Oklahoma City.
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  • 22FireBall22
    22FireBall22 Posts: 15
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    Thanks for all the positives. I decided to be patient, left it until it hit 200º IT. Then got ready to pull, and realized I was out of foil. How the hell did that happen. Quick trip to the store, IT was at 212º when I got back. Butt was jelly. Spooned off the grill into pan. FTC now for a couple hours. Can't believe this butt was on for 21 hours. Taste test was awesome. Moist, tender, juicy, delicious. Can't wait for supper time. Still can't believe 21 hours. Will post more pix when pulled and plated.


    Rules for Living on the Suwannee River
    Rule # 1 - Don't sweat the small stuff!
    Rule # 2 - Everything is small stuff!
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  • FHawk
    FHawk Posts: 10
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    Twenty-one hours is nothing.......
    Large BGE, Medium BGE, Small BGE, Large Grill Dome, Large Kamado (2), Small Imperial Kamado.
    Huntsville, AL
    RTR !
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  • 22FireBall22
    22FireBall22 Posts: 15
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    FHawk said:
    Twenty-one hours is nothing.......

    You've cooked a single butt longer than 21 hours??? Wow
    Rules for Living on the Suwannee River
    Rule # 1 - Don't sweat the small stuff!
    Rule # 2 - Everything is small stuff!
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited March 2018
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    22FireBall22 said:
    FHawk said:
    Twenty-one hours is nothing.......

    You've cooked a single butt longer than 21 hours??? Wow
    You said it weighed 12 lbs and you were cooking at 225°. Gonna take a long time. 

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • 20stone
    20stone Posts: 1,961
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    I used to take pride in the 25 hour pork butts I did at 225F, following the Elder Ward recipe (with a good laugh).  However, I have found no downside to running a little hotter (275F) for both butts and briskets.

    However, if you are running 225F, wait it out.  It'll be great.
    (now only 16 stone)

    Joule SV
    GE induction stove
    Gasser by the community pool (currently unavailable)
    Scale (which one of my friends refuses to use)
    Friends with BGEs and myriad other fired devices (currently unavail IRL)
    Occasional access to a KBQ and Webber Kettle
    Charcuterie and sourdough enthusiast
    Prosciuttos in an undisclosed location

    Austin, TX
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  • FHawk
    FHawk Posts: 10
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    22FireBall22 said:
    FHawk said:
    Twenty-one hours is nothing.......

    You've cooked a single butt longer than 21 hours??? Wow
    I actually go 18 hours, religiously, and never ever worry about IT.   I cook direct, exclusively, at 220-230.  I also never cook one bigger than 9 pounds.  You cooked a bigger butt, indirect, temperature dropped to 190 along the way for an unknown amount of time.....  you were never in danger IMHO.  I think you could have gone 30 hours with the setup/temperature you were running, but I don't recommend trying it!    I really subscribe to low and slow.  (I did cook a 20 pound ham once for 30 hours, it was excellent, but for my $0.02, butts are better)

    It looked fantastic.   Looking forward to more pictures and the post-dinner report.
    Large BGE, Medium BGE, Small BGE, Large Grill Dome, Large Kamado (2), Small Imperial Kamado.
    Huntsville, AL
    RTR !
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  • 22FireBall22
    22FireBall22 Posts: 15
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    I let it rest for 3.5 hours and then pulled it with a plastic spaghetti spoon. Pretty darn good if I do say so myself. My dog loved the bone.





    Rules for Living on the Suwannee River
    Rule # 1 - Don't sweat the small stuff!
    Rule # 2 - Everything is small stuff!
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  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,746
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    Glad it turned out so well. Other than holding for timing purposes, it is not necessary to rest pork butt.
    Stillwater, MN
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    Seems pretty normal for cooking at that temp to me.  Nice job.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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