Dissapointing BUTT

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dog1234

Meat Mopper
Original poster
May 8, 2012
210
33
Breaux Bridge, LA
I smoked my first butt Sunday....... I was dissapointed in the final results.
  1. after cing some of you guys pic it seemed dry. possibly to long on smoker? I started it at 8:30 in morning and removed it at 4:30 PM. I got IT to 165 then rapped it and in the over. I think you guys call it bark, but it looked burnt on the outside.
  2. Is 8 hours to long to get it to 165? If have a cheap O depot smoker......
  3. I did not do anything else during the process.
I want to do one for Memorial day, but I am scared I may fail again.... I will have company and want it ot be evcelent. Anyone with ideas what I may have done wrong? 
 
Don't be scared to fail...it's how you learn.  If it seems dry add some finishing sauce to it and failure becomes success fairly quickly.  One recommendation: only change on variable at a time as you experiement and learn.  That way you know what worked.
 
How big was the butt? 8 hours to get to 165 is not unheard of at all, for bigger butts it's usually longer. Have you read about the stall? How long did you have it in the oven after wrapping in foil and what was the final temp when you pulled it out? Did you let it rest out of the oven before taking it out of the foil and pulling the meat?

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get an idea of your complete process so we can give you some more detailed advice for your next one.
 
S2K9K

It was about 5 lbs

I have read about hte stall.

I had it in the over hour two hours, and fianl temp was 180. I got fustrated and gave up on it.

I did let it rest of bout 1.5 hours after removing it from the oven.

Question will spraying it while smoking help keep it moist? If so where can I get some spray for Sunday smoke on a second butt?
 
I think I see the problem, you gave up too early. If you want to pull the pork you should take it to 200*-205*, slicing 190*.

Believe it or not the higher temp will make it moister, it gives the fat more time and temp to render and get into the meat. I was curious about your temp because it sounded like you had a great plan and was right on track.

One other thing I missed, what was the temp of your smoker and oven?

I would stick to your same plan, smoke it at 225* until you reach 160*-165* IT then foil and continue at 225* until it hits 205*. You can always add some foiling juice when you wrap it, this can be anything you like. A lot of people use apple juice or a mixture of juice and BBQ sauce, really anything that sounds good to you, you could use the "search bar" up there^^^^ and look for "foiling juice" or "finishing sauce" for some ideas. Some people don't even foil because they like a crispier bark, and yes the bark looks burnt because basically it is but it adds a lot of flavor. Foiling will soften up the bark but the flavor will still be there.  I don't know if spritzing really keeps it moister but a lot of people do it. You can use apple juice or cider or apple cider vinegar or again any liquid that sounds good to you. I have read about white grape juice and even cherry Dr. Pepper. One thing about spritzing though, every time you open the smoker to spritz you let heat out and slow your cooking time, so I wouldn't spritz more than once an hour.

One thing about butts, you have to be patient, it took me awhile to learn that. They can have a mind of their own so plan early, you can always let it rest in a cooler and it will stay warm for hours.

Again I think you are on the right track and have a good plan just be patient and let it cook longer, get that IT to 205* and I think you will see a big difference.

And remember we are all here for you!
 
S2k

Thanks for the time. That is good information and easy to understand. (SIMPLE TERMS)!!!!!!!!!

I will be trying a butt again tomorrow for a Momorial Day feast. We will have it on Sunday. I will try again and let it set over night for a Sunday FEAST I hope. If not their is a Popeye's chiken shack around the corner. I may have to get a 40 piece or so.LOL.....
 
Dog,

You almost were there. Have patience next time and let it cook to 200°-205°, You will be glad you did.

 I smoke mine at 225° - 240°. Target temp is 230°. I spritz my butts every two hours or so with Captain Morgan spiced rum and apple juice, foil with foiling sauce at 175° - 180° and pull it at 205°. Some folks foil sooner at 165° but I like the extra bark that you get from keeping it on a little longer. There is no exact temp to foil at. Try it both ways and see which you like the best.

Here is Chef JJ's foiling sauce recipe.. Try it, you'll like it.http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110881/foiling-juice-chef-jimmyj
 
Lots of great advice and don't give up. Patience is a virtue when it comes to pork butts and with patience you will be rewarded! 

Having reliable, accurate thermometers is a must. Good luck and remember, the forum is always here to help.
 
 I did 2 butts for Mother's Day. One was about 5.5# and the other was smaller (about 4.5). I put them in foil with about 1/2 cup of beef broth at 165 IT. Continued cooking till 195 and they were near fall apart tender and very juicy. If you cook faster it may take a higher temp, but if you cook slow ( mine took 12 hours and 15 min.)

195 may do. If you have doubts, do the table knife test. If a table knife pushes in easy it will pull easy. If not, cook another 5 degrees and try again. Pork butts are very forgiving. If you don't cook enough they will be somewhat tough and dry because the fat didn't render and neither did the collagen.

Try again and I'm sure you will be proud of the results.

Chuck
 
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