Do I Brine a Boston Butt?

[Jclear]

Does anyone have any advice on how to stop my smoke temp from going between extremes? It seems I don’t have great control over my fire.

 

[chef jimmyj]

With a Pork Butt, temp fluctuations make no difference as long as the Average temp is what you desire. Setting for 225 and the swings are 30° each way? No problem, the average is 225, where you want to be.
The only time big swings do matter is, Cool Smoking Seafood, Sausage or other delicate meats. Setting for 130 to 170 and getting swings up to 200+, can cause problems like overcooking and rendered fat.
With an Offset, dial in your temp using the Fresh air damper to control how much air gets to the burning wood. Once you are happy, LEAVE IT ALONE. Keep the Smoke Chamber closed and when adding wood, put in a stick or two and leave it alone again. Yes there will be highs and lows but it will settle down. Messing with the Air Damper and Exhaust chasing a steady temp will make you Crazy and accomplish nothing...JJ

 

[uncle eddie]

Lots of good advice up above...just waiting for the finished pics to post.

FWIW - I use an MES40 electric smoker and I do my butts and picnic roasts at 250F.

 

[Jclear]

Is it possible for a butt to be probe tender at 160F Internal Temp after 13 hours smoking? My fire went out (even with constant tending) at 11:30 this morning and since I had planned to foil it at 165F and go to the oven anyway I just went ahead and made the switch. I removed my probes and foiled the butt. When I reinserted them, there was very little resistance after about the first half inch. Maybe I just don’t have a feel for what “Probe Tender” means yet.

 

[noboundaries]

Just saw this about 7.5 hours later. Never heard of probe tender at that temp, but if you were 13 hours at 250F you'd be good and your IT was off. What did you get? Tender or tough and dry?

 

[Jclear]

Just saw this about 7.5 hours later. Never heard of probe tender at that temp, but if you were 13 hours at 250F you'd be good and your IT was off. What did you get? Tender or tough and dry?

I went into the oven at 250 after that and cooked until 201 IT and let rest 30 mins. Final IT was 203 and it was tender and delcious!

Check out my thread on the cook. My First Pork Butt

 

[forktender]

If you want your P.P. to taste a little hammy you can most differently brine with a little Morton's Tender Quick and some kosher salt and brown sugar. My family loves deviled ham sandwiches, so I will normally brine one butt or picnic at the beginning of the summer and right before duck season starts in Oct. so I have plenty of hammy tasting pulled pork vacuum sealed and frozen for yr round deviled pork sandwiches, it's awesome on dark or Jewish rye bread with a dill pickle wedge.

But besides that there really isn't a need to brine a butt, it won't hurt anything I'm just not sure if it really helps anything either. Best thing to do is buy a big'ol butt and cut it in half and brine half overnight and try it for yourself. Nobody here can tell you what you like and don't like so go for it half the fun of cooking is dialing in what you and your friends and family really like and enjoy eating.

Best of luck to you.
Dan

 

[Ksrgolf]

With a Pork Butt, temp fluctuations make no difference as long as the Average temp is what you desire. Setting for 225 and the swings are 30° each way? No problem, the average is 225, where you want to be.
The only time big swings do matter is, Cool Smoking Seafood, Sausage or other delicate meats. Setting for 130 to 170 and getting swings up to 200+, can cause problems like overcooking and rendered fat.
With an Offset, dial in your temp using the Fresh air damper to control how much air gets to the burning wood. Once you are happy, LEAVE IT ALONE. Keep the Smoke Chamber closed and when adding wood, put in a stick or two and leave it alone again. Yes there will be highs and lows but it will settle down. Messing with the Air Damper and Exhaust chasing a steady temp will make you Crazy and accomplish nothing...JJ

That was me on my last smoke. Great advice.

 

[slater]

Doing my second boston butt 7lbs tomorrow after i come back from some bass fishing.
My question is what's everyones pitt temp preference to a drama free great cook?
225? 250? 275?

 

[noboundaries]

I rate a smoke stress free when I can smoke with no deadline. 225F-325F all work, it just depends whether you want it ready in 8 hours or 15. With my WSM I smoke overnight at 225, then crank the chamber temp up in the morning to 275-300+. I sleep through the stall and once I crank up the temp the butt usually finishes in 3-5 hours, but I'm usually north of 9 lbs on the butt.

 

[slater]

I rate a smoke stress free when I can smoke with no deadline. 225F-325F all work, it just depends whether you want it ready in 8 hours or 15. With my WSM I smoke overnight at 225, then crank the chamber temp up in the morning to 275-300+. I sleep through the stall and once I crank up the temp the butt usually finishes in 3-5 hours, but I'm usually north of 9 lbs on the butt.

I did that with my first butt i left it on the smoke setting overnight which if I remember correctly pitt was I think 170'ish degrees. Didnt think about it at the time but dont think it was ideal / hott enough. At 165 I wrapped in butcher paper, increased temp to 225 & pulled it at 205 without probing figured 205 im good! It didnt pull after resting & was just a 5-6lb butt.
Went on at 11pm & think I pulled it at 9-10 am.
I dont remember specific details but think im in the ballpark as fas as numbers go, should have wrote it down!
Cant remember this morning let alone last weekend...lol

 

[schlotz]

Classic example of why I ALWAYS record my smokes. Since I also use a recipe app I continually add each smoke's note to the bottom of its recipe. For anyone interested, on a MAC using MacGourmet Deluxe.