Smoked Boston Butt on MasterBuilt went wrong

[royryder]

Hello all --

I have had this MasterBuilt smoker about 6 months now. And that's how long I have been smoking -- love it.

Yesterday I smoked a 10lb Boston Butt. I kept the smoker consistently at 225. Wrapped the butt in aluminum foil when meat probe read 150 (4.5 hours). Took it out and wrapped it in towel when it reached 198. It tool about 10 hours from when I started to reach 198. Let it sit for an hour before I went to serve.

The meat was hard. Could not pull it apart -- I had to use a knife to cut it. The bone did not slide out as I have experienced before when I had smoked Boston Butt before.

I bought the meat from local HEB grocery store.

What could have gone wrong? I would appreciate any feedback/comment/input/suggestions.

Thanks,

Roy

 

[SmokinAl]

You should have cooked it longer.

It wasn't done.

A 10# butt should take 16-20 hours to cook at 225.

Did you use the factory therm to measure the pit & meat temps?

If your going to foil it, which I don't do, then I would wait until the temp stalls.

That usually happens around the 6-7 hour mark at about 165-170 degrees.

Next time just leave it on the grate the whole time, no foil, finish temp at 205 degrees.

Rest on counter for 1/2 hour & pull it.

You will get good bark, tender & juicy meat.

Al

 

[crankybuzzard]

Al has it, the butt was still not to the shred point.

Expounding on Al's question, what type of thermometer were you using and where are you probing?

 

[hillbilly jim]

I have a MB 44 propane, a Charbroil off set and a Kenmore gas grill. All three of these appliances have factory installed thermometers and none of them are even remotely close.

I installed River Country thermometers on all three of these appliances and I know they're right. The RC therms can be user calibrated prior to installation using the boil test.

Between the Thermopro probe in the meat and the RC therm in the cabinet, I know exactly what's going on.

 

[matchew]

These guys have you covered here. I would test your thermometers.

Good luck! 

 

[GaryHibbert]

Yep.  What they said.  It just wasn't cooked long enough.  I cook mine (in my MES) at 240 until the stall and then wrap and continue cooking until the IT is 205.  

As said, the most probable culpert was the therm.  Factory therms just are NOT anywhere close to accurate.

Gary

 

[kanewtz]

Thermowork Smoke

/end thermometer discussion

 

[geezer]

Every factory supplied thermometer I've had experience with has been junk and always placed in the wrong spot.

I use the probes on my Cyber Q and my Thermapen and nothing else. 

 

[tropics]

He hasn't been back since he posted.Guess we'll never find out what probe

Richie

 

[dabigbozman]

Buncha meanies you scared him off

 

[geezer]

Buncha meanies you scared him off

Hopefully he'll take the info offered up seriously so his next shoulder will be more to his families liking. 

 

[gditys]

 
You should have cooked it longer.

It wasn't done.

A 10# butt should take 16-20 hours to cook at 225.

Did you use the factory therm to measure the pit & meat temps?

If your going to foil it, which I don't do, then I would wait until the temp stalls.

That usually happens around the 6-7 hour mark at about 165-170 degrees.

Next time just leave it on the grate the whole time, no foil, finish temp at 205 degrees.

Rest on counter for 1/2 hour & pull it.

You will get good bark, tender & juicy meat.

Al

this is it