Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Quasi-Boston Butt Emergency - please hel

Options
Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Set up 2 7.5 butts up for a 15+ hour low and slow (195-200) at around 3:30 this afternoon. I was concerned that the temp had dropped to 165-70 after I put the meat on and after 1/2 hour it was still 165-170. I BARELY touched the fly wheel and about an hour or so it was up to 230. After fooling with the fly I've stabilized it at 215-220. Does this totally screw up my low and slow, any suggestions to get the temp down the last few degrees without risk of putting the fire out.[p]Thanks,[p]Signed - Knucklehead
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Ross in Ventura
    Ross in Ventura Posts: 7,234
    Options
    Tiger Smoker,
    You are fine. Relax have glass wine!
    My Best, Ross
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • egginator
    egginator Posts: 569
    Options
    Tiger Smoker,
    I cook my butts at 250. Anything lower than that and I think the risk of the fire going out is too high. I might drop it to 225 in the morning to slow things down, but only if I can keep an eye on it.[p]Ed[p]
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Morro Bay Rich
    Morro Bay Rich Posts: 2,227
    Options
    Tiger Smoker,
    I do all butt cooks at 250 degrees.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    Ross in Ventura,[p]Thanks to all for your quick follow up. Too boot, its started raining and I had to roll the egg under my patio. I love in Elder Ward's Boston Butt instructions how "A" type personalities have a hard time smoking a butt....looks like he was right![p]Thanks everyone and Ross...I will enjoy that wine....
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • East Alabama Egghead
    East Alabama Egghead Posts: 9
    Options
    Ross in Ventura,[p]I like your idea best, Happy Holidays[p]EAE[p]P.S. I bet that ribeye was great and thanks for the pics
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Ron_L
    Ron_L Posts: 163
    Options
    Tiger Smoker,
    First... relax. Have a beer (or your favorite cookin' beverage) :)[p]Second, the butts will be fine. Pork butts are the most forgiving of all of the meats we cook. Like the others who have responded I cook mine at 250 unless I am in a hurry. If i am in a hurry (I know, I know... if you're in a hurry don't Q :) ) I will kick the temp up to 275 - 300. The butts come out just fine. If I am going to kick up the temp i will watch the bark color and it it is getting too dark I will foil the butt for the rest of the cook.[p]Third, I think 195 - 200 is too low to cook a butt. The target internal temperature for the butt should be 195 to 200 degrees (or when the probe slides in like it is going in to butter). If the cooking temp is the same as the target temp it will take a very long time for the meat to reach the target. [p]...ron (Smokin some butts in the Suburbs!)

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    Tiger Smoker,
    I put two 8 pounders on this morning at 9:oo am. I let the temp get to 300 and then put the butts on. I then closed the vent to get the Egg back to 250. It cooked most of day until I raised it back to close to 300 about an hour ago. It is just after 9:00 pm and the temp is 188. I will pull them at 195. It is my theory to let the temp get just above desired temp, put on the cool meat and then bring the temp back down. Only talking 30 degrees or so. Works for me and I am going to have a late sandwitch for sure. [p]MC Jerry
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DynaGreaseball
    DynaGreaseball Posts: 361
    Options
    Tiger Smoker,[p]I've had my egg for about 6 months. Stabilizing the temperature has been the hardest thing I've had to learn. So far I have not been successful getting it to hold below 230° (dome) for a full boston butt cook. Somehow I can count on 240° to 250° every time.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    Tiger Smoker,[p]All I have to say is BBQ GURU!!. Did my first butt this weekend set guru at 235 held there all night/all day. Until it started to run out of charcoal. not the guru's fault though. It does let you know when it is running low though. Best purchase after the egg so far!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Options
    DynaGreaseball,
    i thought i was king of the world when i went 225 for a full butt cook. that took 2.5 hours a pound, and had no more flavor than the easier to hold 250 cooks i've done since.[p]225, 250, or 300. any of those temps is essentially the same cook, but there's a giant difference in the length of the cook
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    UPDATE - So I get up at 5:45 am, Mr. Pig has been smoking for about 14 hours and he's only at about 147, but the egg has been at a constant 200 all night. I need to feed the family at Noon Thirty, so I kicked it up to 250 at 7:30 and we'll see. The smell coming out of the fly wheel is AMAZING![p]I hosted a wine tasting yesterday and I used all the leftover wine as the liquid in my drip pan and put plenty of herbs d'provence in the drip pan. That is one amazing smell, lemme tell ya!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • YB
    YB Posts: 3,861
    Options
    Tiger Smoker,
    When it reaches 170 wrap in foil and kick it up to 300 and you might make it but it's going to be close.
    Larry
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    YB,[p]Mr. Pig has gone up nearly 9-10 degrees in the past 45 minutes so if he keeps going up 10 degrees an hour then I'm golden to eat at 12:30. [p]I'm going to pull it at 195 and wrap in foil and let the residual heat do the rest.[p]Truly, though, words can not capture how uniquely amazing this thing smells.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories