Need Advice on Grill temp for Pulled Pork

smokinjo1965 · Jul 17, 2012

Bought a #9 pound Hormel born in pork shoulder from Rainbow Foods in March and want to smoke it starting tonight at about midnight but have a problem. I am doing a dry run with the grill right now and I can seem to get it lower then 340 degrees. EDIT: I just checked now and it is at 310 now with my side vent almost closed and top vent almost closed as well. I now have the top vent all the way open and the side vent still almost closed. I think I should first tell you I have a CharGriller Pro that I got 3 years ago from Menards I believe.

I started with maybe 25 briquettes in the grill on the right side of the grill and put some lump coal over that but it was quite a bit of lump (maybe a chimney full) and I know that burns faster so there for hotter? I do have 2 full bags of Kingsford ready to go as well since I am not sure how much babysitting I will have to do since it's not a set it and forget it true smoker but until I get more money I can't afford a new true smoker like the WSM which I would really like or the Master Forge Double Door smoker.

At 310 degrees that is not low and slow and I doubt I am gonna get pulled pork correctly, more like pork roast which still ain't bad but I was hoping for pulled pork.

Just checked it one more time now and it's now at 330 degrees and that was with the top vent fully open. I am getting confused as to why I can't get a lower temp, yes it's about 90 out but I doubt that would make that big of a difference. Do I possibly have to much charcoal in, maybe to much lump? I had 2 hickory chunks on top and they seemed to produce a good smoke but maybe a hair to much with the top vent half way open?

Ya know, I never thought I would even have to come in here asking questions that's why I never joined before. There is so much info here you shouldn't really need help but to my surprise I do. Most people here that have the Char Griller have the SFB and I don't even want to get that because I don't feel like doing $200 worth of upgrades either like most have done here. I want something I can set it and leave it for awhile.

Thanks,

Joe

smokinjo1965 · Jul 17, 2012

Oh just thought I would also say that I do have the 9 pound butt sitting covered with wrap in the fridge with Jeff's rub all over it so I am almost ready for tonight's midnight fun. I will also be making the finishing sauce as well tomorrow IF I CAN PULL IT or I'll be making some gravy instead if I can't do it low and slow.

Checked it once again with both vents pretty much shut and inside temp using a walmart over thermometer on the left by the top vent shows 310 but my Char Griller thermometer shows 250. I think I'll have to check later and see if this so called over thermometer is actually correct. I have been trying to get temps lower for the past 1-1/2 but if I can't have anymore charcoal then what I have then I'm going to be filling A LOT so I need these temps lower.

Checked forum and exhaust should be fully open and set temp using side vent which is pretty much closed. I might have gone to agressive with the charcoal or I actually need a basket to put the charcoal in and dump hot stuff on top of virgin coal. I am just using the long basket that came with the grill. Think I might have to go to lowes and get that basket.

smokinjo1965 · Jul 17, 2012

Checked my Acu-rite oven thermometer in the Over at 250 and it showed 310 degrees after 10 minutes. That tells me the oven is WAY off or the thermometer is way off. I'm thinking I should have got that probed one and just put it through a potato. I have a digital thermometer to check the pork because I can't just spend to much money on the ET732 just yet.

jirodriguez · Jul 17, 2012

OK... first things first... you need to check the probe in rapidly boiling water, water boils at 212° so you should get to 212° if the therm is good.

Now... couple of things:

A Char-griller without a side firebox is basically a grill (like a weber kettle is to a WSM). Good for high heat cooking, not so great for low and slow smoking. With the fire directly in the chamber you can achieve low and slow but it takes a lot of tending and really good fire controll.
Adding the firebox to your Char-griller is the best way to get a smoker that won't require constant babysitting, and the mod's shouldn't cost more than $30-$50.
Since you are cooking in the main chamber I suggest you set up your fire as follows: Pile approx. 10 lbs. of unlit Kingsford as close to the air inlet as you can without blocking it, on the far side of the pile from the intake place 10 lit briquets, when the chamber temp. at that end of the smoker gets to 250° adjust the inlet to 3/4 closed (exhaust vent should be 100% open). Watch your temps., if they keep climbing keep closing the vent untill get it steady - or open the vent as needed as well. Make a mental note of the final vent position for future cooking. Place the meat on the far side of the chamber from the fire and only open the chamber when absolutely necissary and for as short a time as possible.
If you need to just cook the pork till the internal temp gets to 165° in the smoker, then move it to the oven with the oven set at 225° for the rest of the time. (Oven's cycle on and off, so the high reading you got may have been during a high point in the cycle.)

bruno994 · Jul 17, 2012

You're not going to hurt the pork by cooking it at a higher temp, it's just called hot 'n fast. As long as you take the IT up to at least 205 and / or can pull the bone out clean, it will be pulled pork no matter what temp you cook it at. If you ca't easily slide the bone out at 205, keep it on the pit until you can. And as far as not joining this site cause didn't think you would need help, we all need help from time. You will find all you need on so many topics, meats and ideas, you won't want to leave. Glad you're here and enjoy.

smokinjo1965 · Jul 17, 2012

Thanks guys that should help, I was quite paranoid today because I didn't really want to screw this up like I did my brisket last year..lol, Bought a 9 pound brisket and thawed it out put it on the grill with some smoke and placed a probe in the middle of the meat. Many hours later I am wondering why the temp is not getting up there like it should so I take another gauge and put it in the top middle of the meat and was something like 190 or 200 or something and has been done for ages. I pull the probe out of the middle and then proceed to lift the brisket, well to my surprise the probe was right in the middle of TWO briskets. Dam meat market never said it was a package of 2 and it looked like 1 when putting it on. I guess it was still slightly froze together. A mistake I won't be making again....

Your right about the Smoker Box for the Char Griller, I'm hoping I can get a real smoker instead because I would love to smoke fish as well but the box might be the best way to go really.

bruno994 · Jul 17, 2012

Just make sure at those temps, you rotate the butt 1/4 turn every few hours to make sure you don't burn one side. Other than that, get her smokin'!

smokinjo1965 · Jul 17, 2012

I will post a few pictures here and there of my experience..

smokinjo1965 · Jul 18, 2012

I just can't seem to catch a break, started raining last night when I wanted to go and after 3 hours of waiting I fell asleep for a few hours till the wife got up at 6am. Got charcoal running and waiting for it to come to temp and now I see a ****** load of rain and storms coming.

Usually I wouldn't mind but with the top vent wide open I am going to have a ton of rain come in there. I believe I can roll the grill/smoker to the side of my garage under the eve of the overhang that goes to the front door. Might get a few drops in there but nothing copious. I knew I should have left the pork shoulder sit in the fridge till tonight and then try it again. Oh well..

scarbelly · Jul 18, 2012

Good luck and don't forget the qview

smokinjo1965 · Jul 18, 2012

Here is one picture about a hour and a half in because I wanted to check the temp gauge inside the grill. Yeah it's been about 325 for quite some time and I just have to come to the realization that it's going to cook quicker and hope that it pulls apart after I take it out at 205 and put it in the cooler with a couple towels over it for a hour or two. I have learned my lesson here as well, grill will not get LOW TEMP no matter because I have had the bottom vent CLOSED with the top vent wide open since I pretty much started. Once these 10 coals start firing up the others the temp just keeps rising. I might pull it after the 165 temp and double foil it and put it in the oven till done at 225. I will invest in the smoker box for it... Or just get a real smoker before I smoke anything else.

smokinhusker · Jul 18, 2012

Looking good!

roller · Jul 18, 2012

Looks good to me .

smokinjo1965 · Jul 18, 2012

Thanks, It pretty much hit 166 at 4 hours (holy ****) but that was in part to being over 300 degrees for so long and I could not lower it no matter. I shot some apple juice/water mix on it once more before I double wrapped it and put it in the oven at 225 degrees. I thought about keeping it on the grill but there was so much ash buildup and no way for me to dump it since it was hot yet and figured this way I can get a few hours sleep and check it after.

I'll have to take pictures after it gets out of the oven as I forgot to take one more before wrapping it but it looked much barkier then this last picture. Smelled great though.

smokinjo1965 · Jul 18, 2012

Well I woke up from a 2-1/2 hour nap and checked the IT of the butt and it was 205 (ALREADY!!) so I took it out and wrapped it once more in foil since there were a couple holes on top and put it in a cooler with a couple towels over it. There is no way this should be done already but I have a grill that I can't lower no matter what it seems and I think maybe my oven is off as well because even at 165 and wrapped how can it only take 2-1/2 hours to finish? The temp probe went in VERY easy!!

Oh well... Should know in an hour hour and a half if it's any good or not. I'll post pictures later.

smokinjo1965 · Jul 18, 2012

OH MY!!! How can something that took less time then it really should have pull and taste so good. It was moist and the bone came out clean and with no effort at all, running 2 forks through it was so super easy. Oh I WILL be doing another butt someday. This is just to darn easy!!

Mmmmmmm... Great tasting as well.

Thank you SMF!!!!

Need Advice on Grill temp for Pulled Pork

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