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Pork butt becoming a fail...

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bgaviator

bgaviator

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
May 9, 2010
418
426
Put on my 8lb pork butt at 7:30am this morning. I have been running the Kamado Joe at 275 the entire time. I surely thought from everything I've read this size piece of meat would be done by now. I'm now having to cancel having my guests come over because this meat isn't getting done in time for dinner. What's bizarre is half of the meat is pretty much done. Probe tender and close to the final temp it needs to be at. The half closest to the bone still feels stiff and is only at 180 and has been holding there forever and hasn't moved. I kicked up the KJ to 300 to try and get it going faster but it just isn't budging. Am I hitting some kind of late stall? Why is one end getting done and not the other? What do I do?
 
I have opened it a few times, which I didn't think was a lot. But with the party q device the KJ always got back up to temp pretty quickly.
 
I don't want to foil at this point. I really wanted to do it without foil. I've already cancelled my guests so it won't make a difference now. Might as well finish it out without foil. I'm just super bummed about this.
 
Ya I've been in the same position. I try to give myself atleast a couple hours leeway. Never hurts to leave it wrapped in foil in a cooler until guests arrive, can be so hard to judge
 
We have all been there with something. Made briskets Friday into Saturday gave myself 3 extra hours and still had to foil and crank it to 350 for the last hour. Yes the foil killed my bark but the brisket didn't disappear any slower. We are our own worst critics which is great for the people eating but makes us neurotic.
 
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4 degrees to go. Looks like it will end up being a 12 hour total cook. Mostly at 275. But I've been running 300 the last two hours to try and speed it up
 
1 1/2 hours per pound isn't outside the realm of possibility. Differences in muscle density and cooking times within a piece of meat is pretty standard as well.
 
Been on for just over 12 hours now. I don't get it. The internal temp was showing 195. I moved the probe around to some other areas and certain areas are only temping 181. This section where I have the probe right now is 181 and doesn't seem to be budging. Yet on the sides and other end I'm already getting 195-200 temps
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I've even verified the temp probe's readings with my Thermapen and they seem to be matching fairly well.
 
I've only been smoking for a few months now but have done more pork than anything. The first two times I tried early morning with plans to leave unwrapped but always had to wrap to finish. if you are not planning on wrapping always give yourself minimum 2 hours per pound. Just smoked two 6 lb picnics at about 240f this weekend and started at midnight on Friday and they weren't done till 3:30 Saturday. Just enough time to rest before pulling. And I thought I was gonna be putting it in the cooler for a few hours lol
 
I would have thought going at the higher temps at 275 would have made it go faster. Everywhere is done except this top section around where the probe is.
 
Finished product. Decided to pull it off even though the one tiny section was still at 187. The rest of the meat was at 205. The bone came out clean and it shred apart easy. I tried the meat and it was really really good. Then I put some in a bowl and hit it with a couple squirts of SoFlaQuer's finishing sauce. OMG. Incredible! I didn't think it was vinegary at all. In fact I thought it really brought out the sweetness. It was like eating pork candy!
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Last PB I did in in my MES took just over 20 hrs. I did 2 at once in my unit and the top one took just over 16hrs. I knew what my unit does at what rack position but that is the fun. The top one never hit 200. But it pulled great. That one was for my neighbor. Mine. I had to foil for a few. It just wouldn't go higher then 180. Started turning up the heat but it just sat there. Stubborn bugger. Ended up eating dinner around 8pm that night. In the back of my head. It was screaming- YOU SHOULD HAVE STARTED IT EARLIER! We learn and go on.
My neighbor and his family loved it. So. I made some people and kids very happy. Felt good. I can also understand how you felt with having to cancel the dinner. I know that won't stop you from trying again. Even though it turned out that way. You should feel good you tried. Things happen when smoking. Not all meat is the same. You got a bugger that wanted to do its thing and not follow yours.

Rob, MI
 
Thanks! I was hoping for a little better color on it since I used mostly cherry wood mixed with one chunk of hickory, but it tasted great. It could have been a tad smokier for me but my wife said it was perfect. I used 4 chunks all together. 3 cherry, 1 hickory.
 
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