First pork butt smoke in progress - possible issues

[shag]

So, I'm attempting my first ever pork butt smoke today, and it's taking much longer than I had anticipated. Started a butt just under 5lbs at 11:30am today. Took until 7pm to hit 165* internal temp (smoker temp varied between 225-250), at which point I foiled it and put it in a 250* oven. It's now 9:15pm, and the temp is only reading 182*. It was reading at 194* for a short while, then started creeping downward. I moved the probe at that point, and now it's reading 182*.

How long should it take to get a smallish butt up to ~205*? I'm almost at 10 hours, which is considerably longer that the 1.5hrs/lb estimate (7-7.5 hrs).

Any thoughts?

 

[meat magician]

Are you going by the temp on the thermometer on the grill or are you using one on the cooking surface where the meat is?

The temp gauge on my pit lid reads about 25 degrees higher than the gauge I place on the grate with my meat, so if the grate saye 225, the one on the lid will say 250. it may be possable that you are not cooking as hot as you think you are.

Thats all the help I can give.

 

[ronp]

You are fine now, just let it rest awhile and pull away. You should see the bone pull away soon, then pull.

 

[indyadmin1974]

What Ron said...may want to calibrate the thermometer too...make sure it's accurate

 

[belair427]

Shag,
Don't freak out just yet. Several things come to mind regarding your post. I started an experiment last night. I put a 7 lb butt on at midnight at 180 degrees, put my probe in, took the transmitter to the nightstand set to ring when we were at 165 to foil. I woke this morning at 9:30 and only 135 degrees after 9 1/2 hours. Finally foiled at 12:30 this afternoon and pulled it at 195 at 3:30. Into the cooler and when I got home from the folks this evening I pulled it at about 9:00. I think this may be the most tasty butt I have done and I would be safe saying I have smoked over a hundred. This is why I seldom plan a meal around a smoke. I try to smoke in advance to avert disaster.
The reason for the story is to illustrate that the time is of no issue, pay attention to the temp. I have 3 different thermometers but a stall is inevitable and not an entirely uncommon event to see 2 in the same smoke.

 

[shag]

Thanks, guys. Just pulled it out of the oven, and into a cooler for a bit - can't wait any longer, unfortunately (getting late). It got up to 192*, but no higher. Will be tough to give it more than ~45 minutes in the cooler, as I can only stay up so late tonight. Hopefully, that won't be a problem...

I'll have to check into calibrating the thermometer, for sure.

Note to self: start smoking earlier. :D

Good thing this is a small butt, lol...

 

[indyadmin1974]

No worries Shag. The advice about smoking in advance is probably the best you'll get. Make time a non-issue...that's what the cooler and some old towels are for (just keep that cooler away from the dogs!).

 

[mossymo]

I have never met a butt I could pre-plan for; hence Men are from Mars, Butts are from Venus.....

 

[ronp]

That is just wrong man, please don't post experiments that could be harmfull to other people.

TEMPS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
There is a window of saftey here. 40' -140' in 4 hours. That is the danger zone.

 

[flatbroke]

Guess the post I was qouting got deleted