2nd Time is a charm

[tamster123]

Well, I am going to try and smoke pork butt tomorrow for the second time.   I am going to cook it alot longer than I did the first tiime I tried it.  I think I am going to get up at 3am and putting it in the smoker.  Hopefully it will be done around 6pm.  It's a 4lb butt and I want to pull the meat.  I hope it works this time.  Last time it wasnt ready to pull.  I rushed it and I learned my lesson!!

 

[big andy a]

15 hours?  Wow.  Seems real long for a 4 lb. butt.  I did a 8+ lb. butt a week ago and it took about 11 hours and was fall apart tender, the final temp was 205 before I gave it a 1 hour rest.   

Have you read meowey's post on the basic pulled pork smoke?  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/57139/basic-pulled-pork-smoke   Follow it and you should have a great smoke.

Good luck.

Curt.

 

[tom c]

Sounds like your cooking temp is low.

 

[owlcreeksmoker4]

I agree thats quite a long time

 

[tamster123]

I am estimating the time....last time i only cooked it 6 hours and I couldnt pull the meat....I had to slice it.  I figure this time it will take double time to get done.  I am only going by internal temp..if it takes less than 12 hours or so great, but I will leave it in there till internal temp gets to 200 at least.  I have found out that the hour and a half per pound doesn't work at all.....been very dissapointed with that method.  I am throwing that concept out the window!  I am determined to get this one right this time.  I am up at 3am and have started the smoker so when I put the meat in we will see how long this butt will take!!

 

[tom c]

If it is boneless In have found I will take longer than bone in per pound.

 

[SmokinAl]

If it gets done early you can wrap it in foil then towels & put it in a dry cooler & it will stay hot for 6+ hours, then pull it when your ready to eat.

 

[alelover]

Do you have a good meat thermometer? You need to cook my temp not time.

 

[roller]

Temp not time very very very important !!!!    Very important !!!!  Forget about the clock...

 

[mballi3011]

15 hours thats way too long. It does sound like you either need a good thermometer or you need to test the one that you have now. You test it in boiling water and don't let the metl probe touch any part of the pot. You should also have one thermo for the inside of your smoker for the thermo meter installed in the smoker is rarely correct.

 

[realtorterry]

Each pork but is different some will taketwice as much time & others will be 1 hour per pound? Don't give up & you will be rewarded!!

 

[papagreer]

Each pork but is different some will taketwice as much time & others will be 1 hour per pound? Don't give up & you will be rewarded!!

Couldn't agree more. Just make sure your therms are correct and you have one in the chamber and one in the meat. Give it a nice rest after it hit 200 and pull and devour. 4# wouldn't last very long with us...hahaha! Good luck on this one, sounds like you have a good plan and make sure to post some pics of your success.

Chris

 

[jmonty580]

No harm in leaving yourself extra time, i say get up at 3am and put it on and if it takes long you built time in for it, if not, well its done early, foil and towel it and put it in the cooler for a few hours. No harm there.

But yea like others have said, make sure your internal temp in the smoker is reading accurate, you could possibly be cooking at to low a temp.  Judge your meat but the meats internal temp.  Other than that, your good to go!  I think i'm gonig to do some more pork butts this weekend too!

 

[tamster123]

So, I did put the pork butt in at 4am.....it has been 14 1/2 hours and the internal is at 190 right now.....at 6:20pm.  This is taking along time but I am being very patient with this one. I did put it in foil with coke 2hrs ago.   I am waiting til it hits 205 internal temp then I am going to take it out and put it in a towel to rest for and hour or so.  Hopefully, it will be perfect to pull then!  What does the towel and resting do anyway?

 

[tamster123]

So, it's 7:15pm and the butt finally hit 200 internal.....I took it out and have it wrapped up in towels and sitting in my cooler.  Going to let it sit in there for 2hrs.  We will see how it looks at 9:30pm....I can't wait!!

 

[JckDanls 07]

somethings just not right... what type of smoker are you using ? what kind of therms are you using ? are you depending on the factory therm in your smoker ? I did a 6.5 lb butt last weekend and it only took 8 hrs @ 225`...

 

[tamster123]

im using a MES smoker.....using the internal thermometer....

 

[tamster123]

I nailed it!!  I couldn't wait any longer .....took it out of the cooler after an hour and a half ....It was awesome!!

 

[tom c]

I looked back at my first Butt I smoked low and slow http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/111259/smoking-in-orlando-fl  it took 11 hours to do a 3.9 pound boneless butt. Now looking back I feel two things cause it to take so long, 1st I think boneless take longer than bone in, 2nd I spray it with apple juice ever hour. I now only do bone in for pulled pork and do not spray during cooking. Every time you open to spray you lost heat in the smoker, and spraying the meat lower the temp of the outside of the meat slowing the IT rise.

Now when I put the meat on the smoker stays latched down for three hours when I put the temp prob in the meat. The next time it opens should be when the IT hits 165 at that time spray it and wrap it in HD foil. Close it till IT hits 200.

REMEMBER If you’re looking you’re not cooking. Now when I cooking PP it takes between 1 to 1.5 hours per pound.

PS. don’t forget the finishing sauce.

 

[tom c]

I nailed it!!  I couldn't wait any longer .....took it out of the cooler after an hour and a half ....It was awesome!!