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Two quick questions

Hangfire77
Hangfire77 Posts: 45
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Hey guys I have two quick questions if I may.
I am a new egger (only been doing it a year) and still learning but get a lot of compliments on the food so I am encouraged to keep at it and appreciate the help I have had on the forum so here it goes.

I am smoking a pork butt right now it weighs 7.5# I have an internal temp of 125 I put it on at 9pm Sunday night. I fell asleep at 1 am and the dome had been holding 220 for 3 hours no prob. I woke up early (for me) at 7am and checked the temp and it had fallen to 145 I readjusted and now have it back at 220-230. Here are my questions.
1) Did I ruin the meat? What I mean is because the temp fell below the 220 mark to 145 for I don’t know how long how bad is that? In a worst case scenario I would guess 6 hours. Do you guys think the meat bad now?


2) Is there some way to keep this from happening again (besides staying up all night) I will do some searching but thought I would throw it out here just in case.

Thanks a million for any advice.
James

Comments

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    between 40 and 140 is the danger zone. you weren't in the danger zone, right?

    as always, though, you need to do what you feel comfortable with
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Buckdodger
    Buckdodger Posts: 957
    Hangfire...Not sure about the meat. But I have done several butts and all I can do is pass on how I get the egg ready. This may be over kill but I empty the fire box and remove any smaller pieces of lump that might block the vent holes. Clean out the ash. I stack pieces of lump the are big enuf not to block the vents. About half way up put in three fist size chunks of Hickory. Fill the box to the top. I start the fire with 4 starters 1 in the middle and three in a triangle near the edge. Start the fire and I leave the egg open till I'm sure it is started good. Bottom vent has been all the way open at startup. Close the bottom vent to about 1/8 inch daisy open just a sliver. This will usually get you to 250 dome. If not open the bottom vent a tad till you get 250. Put your butt on indirect. Check the dome temp in about an hour. I have used this method for butt cooks up to 18 hrs and once my lg is stabilized it usually stays put. Pull meat at 195 internal wrap and into the cooler.Good luck.
    Bob
    Alex City, Al

    Opelika, Alabama
  • Weekend Warrior
    Weekend Warrior Posts: 1,702
    If you posted this again on purpose, I wouldn't get into the habit of it. Gives people the impression that you didn't like the first responses. Mark
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    i'm guessing he just hit the back button and it reposted...
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Weekend Warrior
    Weekend Warrior Posts: 1,702
    Yea, you're probably right. He doesn't post much and maybe isn't aware. My apologies to you Hangfire if'n that was the case. Mark ;)
  • Hangfire77
    Hangfire77 Posts: 45
    Yeah I hit the back button Even after reading the "don’t hit the back button" warning I did that. :blush: Sorry!! No one has given me any advice that I haven’t liked so far :) Its because of you guys on this forum is why I kept the BGE after I had a very bad first two cooks. You guys were very very helpful and encouraging about what I was doing wrong and how to fix it. SO I am sorry for the double post it won’t happen again.


    Stike....
    I never hit below 145. If I had to guess it went down around 3am. We had a bad thunder storm come through for about 30 mins and I am guessing that’s what did it. The meat looks and smells great. I am dead on 250 right now and it’s been holding all morning.

    Buckdodger...
    You and I are close on how we prep. I do the same when I am going to do a long and slow. I empty the box out and clean the ash and holes out. Then put the big stuff under and work up. I like the idea about the starting of the fire. I will try that next time. The Naked wiz has a method that sounds good also. He takes a chimney starter and fills it with lump and gets it raging hot and dumps it on top. Spreads it out then waits for thing to settle.

    Also thanks for the tip on the draft door. I am still trying to find the sweet spot to get me close at start up and that will hope fully get me in the ball park.

    Weekend....
    No prob no apology needed :)
  • On my first overnight butt cook had everything cooking along fine. Then a hard rain came through(4" in about 1 hr.). The Maverick 73 monitor low temp alarm went off and when I looked at the monitor and the temp was dropping fast. Looked out the window and it was sure nuff raining. I had the rain cap on the egg so wasn't worried about water getting in but the temp drop scared me. Went out and cracked the bottom vent a little more(mistake?) and chased the temp the rest of the night. I think I should have left the Egg alone and showed it some trust to bring up the temp when the rain quit. The hard rain probably just cooled down the ceramic mass and the fire was still doing it's thing. Got a patio umbrella now to keep the hard rain off the Egg.
  • Hangfire77
    Hangfire77 Posts: 45
    Bama....
    Good idea on the umbrella as time goes by I am cooking more and more on the egg I will need to come up with some thing like that. Thanks for the input!