Temp increase overnight

Pig Picker · June 2001

Cooked a pork butt over the weekend but had a little problem with keeping my temperature under 250*. When I went to bed the temp was at 230ish and the Egg was smoking nicely. I checked it at 3 am and the temp is at 300*. The bottom vent was open maybe 1/4 of inch and the daisy wheel vents not much wider. I set the daisy wheel nearly closed and put the bottom vent at 1/8 inch. Checked it again that morning and the temp was at 275*. I left the vents where they were at and stuck my probe in. The meat registered 181*. Another 5 hours an it was ready to take off. The temp finally got near 250* toward the end. In total only about 14 hours for a 7 pounder.[p]My question is why did the temp increase so much from bedtime, 11:30pm, to 3 am? The only thing I can think of it that I didn't allow enough time to soak my chunk of hickory wood before I added it. I only soaked the 2 inch by 2 inch chunk for 3 hours or so.[p]No real harm done as the meat pulled just fine and had a tremendous flavor. The only noticable effect was the outer part of the meat near the surface of the butt seemed a bit drier than normal. Of course during one late night snack, CPPLT (Cold Pulled Pork, Lettuce and Tomato) sandwich, it was divine as ever. My oh my, it really hit the spot![p]PP

Nature Boy · June 2001

Pig Picker,
Not sure based on your description, but me thinks that you did not give it enough time for the ceramics to heat up, and the temp to stabilize. With 250 degree cooks, I have found that 2 hours is about the right amount of time before you can truly call the fire stabilized. You went to bed at 11:30, what time did you fire up humpty??[p]Just some thoughts.
NB

Pig Picker · June 2001

Nature Boy,[p]I had the fire going in the Egg around 10pm. The temp seemed to stop at 225* around 11:30pm but it was probably slowly still going up. If I had stayed up a little later I could have caught it long before it reached 300*.[p]Thanks for the advise. Now if I can only stop having nightmares about someone stealing my butt out of the Egg while I sleep [p]PP

Nature Boy · June 2001

Pig Picker,
Funny you mention the dreams. For my first few overnight cooks, I did not sleep well, and kept having Q dreams. In one dream I came out to check on the brisket, and the firebox and everything had crumbled and caved in taking the meat and the grate with it.[p]After a few more overnighters you will be more confident, and get a sound sleep![p]Later!
NB

Temp increase overnight

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