Stall, operator error, impatience, or smoker issue?

[TheReluctantCraftstronaut]

I'm completely new to smoking meat with a real smoking setup. Until yesterday, I've only ever used a gas grill with indirect heat, putting chips wrapped in foil pouches on the flame. Never was too scientific, and to step up my game, the Mrs. got me an MES 40 1st generation smoker for Christmas with a cold smoker attachment. I read a little online to help get my bearings, but didn't do much reading before needing to smell smoke and melting pork fat.

I bumped into this forum yesterday when trying to diagnose why my pulled pork was taking so long. I found Bearcarver's "step by step" post and immediately added it to my favorites. I have read a bit more since then, and I'm not sure if I experienced a difficult stall, if I'm doing something wrong, or if there's an issue with my temp controller (I don't think so).

Anyways, I'm hoping you can help illuminate some likely causes of my prolonged smoking session yesterday, so my next session is more successful.

Problem: I started smoking at 5am and at 8:30 pm my internal temp was still only about 177 deg. F.

Meat: 8.3 lb bone-in pork butt, rinsed, dried, coated with mustard and my rub.
Vessel: Two foil pans stacked in one another for strength, with wire cooling rack on top.
Smoker: MES40 1st generation
Thermometer: Built in MES40 meat probe and ThermoPro TP17 dual probe.

Process:
- 4:15 am: Set temp to max (275).
- Did NOT add water to water pan and had the vent fully open.
- Used MES meat probe and one of the thermopro probes to measure ambient temp in smoker.
- 5:00 am: Placed butt on top of wire rack/foil pan without fluids in pan, fat cap up. Used the 2nd rack from the top of smoker. Closed door and reduced temp to 265 deg. F. Was hoping for pulled pork for dinner.
- Added wood chips about every 45 minutes for 7 hours.
- 12:00 pm I opened the smoker, added about 1.5 cups of apple cider to the foil pan, wrapped foil over the top of the pork/pan, and inserted the second ThermoPro probe into the thickest park of the pork, making sure not to hit the bone. Closed the smoker back up and let it do it's thing. Since I stopped adding wood, I closed the vent as much as I could without pinching the probes' wires, thinking it might allow the temp to be maintained more easily.

Initial IT of the pork was 154 deg F. after the 7 hours. Seemed good to go. I knew I let out a bunch of heat when opening the smoker, so I waited 1.5 hours before checking again.

1:30 pm: IT is still 154.
3:00 pm: IT is at 155. Get concerned the temp probe is faulty. Open smoker and use other two meat probes to verify IT. They all measured about right (MES probe was consistently 10 deg higher than both TermoPro's, this was true for ambient temp in the smoker as well).

Based on the above, I assumed: The MES probe is likely off by about 10 degrees and the internal temp really is not going anywhere for me.

4:00 pm, I've done a little reading (found this forum) and discovered what a "stall" is. Decide to turn up the smoker to the max of 275 and let it ride for the rest of the cooking time. By 8:20 the IT was 177 (ThermoPro) and 188 (MES probe). Wife gives me the we're eating this thing NOW look, so I wave the white flag and chalk it up to a beginner's lesson being learned.
I took the pork out for good and tested again with a regular old meat thermometer in the junk drawer and sure enough, 177 IT. Most parts were 185-190 IT, but the core was just not quite there.

Flavor and texture were absolutely amazing for the portions that reached the 185-190 mark. Juicy, soft and buttery with melted fat. Wife and I loved it. The center of the butt was like a juicy pork roast. Very good, but slice-able, not pulled pork.

I did some reading and I get the impression that stalls are common when smoking at lower temps, like 225 or so. And many folks recommend cooking at higher temps, like 250+ to push through. Since I was at 265 for most of the cook, I'm a little confused as to what may have been going on. Just seems odd that 15+ hours didn't do the trick.

I live in SoCal, yesterday was a "cold" day for us, but it was only 44-65 throughout the whole day and wind was there, but minimal.

Was I just impatient? Is this just a normal day of smoking? The thermoPro seemed to verify that the smoker temp was doing OK. Temp didn't swing too wild and held even a little higher than stated.

Any advice on where the problem in my method may lie is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[bregent]

If you opened the smoker once every 45 minutes, and then a bunch of times after that, that could have make the cook much longer than it would have otherwise. An 8lb but can easily take 12 hours or more, and if you keep looking at it then it's going to take longer. I don't use a MES, but in my gas smoker I add chips for the first 2 hours and that's it. You'll get plenty of smoke flavor.

 

[TheReluctantCraftstronaut]

If you opened the smoker once every 45 minutes, and then a bunch of times after that, that could have make the cook much longer than it would have otherwise. An 8lb but can easily take 12 hours or more, and if you keep looking at it then it's going to take longer. I don't use a MES, but in my gas smoker I add chips for the first 2 hours and that's it. You'll get plenty of smoke flavor.

Thank you. I only removed the chip loading tray from the bottom of the smoker enough to add chips. I'm sure some heat was lost, but I would assume that is minimal. Maybe not?

 

[bregent]

Thank you. I only removed the chip loading tray from the bottom of the smoker enough to add chips. I'm sure some heat was lost, but I would assume that is minimal. Maybe not?

OK gotcha. Still, try to open the main door as little as possible. And if time is short, considering wrapping to reduce stall time.

 

[zwiller]

Yes, impatient and pretty much normal smoke to me. The ACV added probably made the stall worse. Butt is a LOOOONG smoke. Would not attempt same day, better to do overnight if need be "same day". My average is 14hr at 275F. Even better to smoke one day, vac seal, freeze and serve another IMO. Despite what you read, I still stall when running 275F. Sometimes twice. I never eat what I smoke same day. Get an AMNPS unless you actually enjoy loading chips every 30m.

 

[Preacher Man]

Get an Amazen Pellet Smoker and you'll fix your problem of needing to open up to add chips.

Are you leaving your tp17 probe in the whole smoke?

 

[Preacher Man]

I start my butts at midnight if I'm eating it for supper.

 

[bregent]

the Mrs. got me an MES 40 1st generation smoker for Christmas with a cold smoker attachment.

Also, a few tips for using the cold smoker attachment - I don't own a MES but do have the cold smoker. Use larger chips if you can find them - I've found small chips like Little Chief are too fine - they tend to get stuck and burn up too quick. Also, run the cold smoker off a dimmer to reduce the power to 50-75%, or whatever it takes to produce the right amount of smoke for you.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Hmmm....somewhat normal.
As you have discovered, the built in probes are not accurate. Good call on using a separate probe set up.
Yes, butts can take 12 hours or longer to hit the magic IT.
Resist the urge to fill the water pan. Filling the water pan does nothing but slow down the process due to the cooling power of evaporation.

 

[TheReluctantCraftstronaut]

OK gotcha. Still, try to open the main door as little as possible. And if time is short, considering wrapping to reduce stall time.

Thanks for the help!

Even better to smoke one day, vac seal, freeze and serve another IMO.

Interesting idea! Do you find that bark is preserved when you vac seal, freeze, then serve later?

Get an Amazen Pellet Smoker and you'll fix your problem of needing to open up to add chips.

Are you leaving your tp17 probe in the whole smoke?

I've only read maybe 6 threads here so far and I think all of them mention the Amazen Pellet Smoker. I did get the cold smoke attachment, which I plan to use in the future to get steady smoke without needing to load often, if at all, during a smoke. But if it doesn't work out, the AMZPS looks like a winner!

For the TP17, I left one probe in from the beginning just measuring the smoker internal temp. The second probe was inserted into the butt at the 7 hr mark, when I covered it in foil. It stayed in the butt the remainder of the smoke.

Also, a few tips for using the cold smoker attachment - Use larger chips if you can find them - I've found small chips like Little Chief are too fine - they tend to get stuck and burn up too quick. Also, run the cold smoker off a dimmer to reduce the power to 50-75%, or whatever it takes to produce the right amount of smoke for you.

Great tips, thanks again!