Ups and downs of todays butt

[funk]

Started smoking my 8lb at 6am this morning on my 18" Weber SM.  First the Upside of the day:

1. Used Humphrey Lump.  LOVE IT.  I bought a 20lb bag and used not even a 1/4 of it and it lasted 14 hours with some left over.  I have 6 bags of Kingsford that will never be used.  i bought into the big Lowes sale.
2. temps held between 220-230 for the entire time without much babysitting.
3. New rub on the butt was money.

Now the downs:

1. there is not much smoke taste.  i used hickory and kept it on until temp was 170.  Does wood go bad?  I had a bag of cowboy hickory from last year, so maybe that was the problem.
2. I was hoping the butt would be done by 6pm, but was only at 166 after 12 hours so I wrapped in foil and increase temp to 250. 
3. Calibrated two thermometers and they were right on.  With meat in foil, the temp was reading 180.  I unwrapped the foil and the meat was pulling away from the bone.  One easy twist and the bone was out.  First time that boned pulled out at 180.  So not sure what happen.

All in all, I am happy and glad I did the Q a day in advance.  Hope you all have a good 4th.

 

[fpnmf]

Did you use any chunks of hardwood or just charcoal??

Sounds like the temp was off somewhere.

Good luck!!

  Craig

 

[whtplainssmoker]

Sounds like it was a little slow.  Everything I've read here says it can take around 2 hours per pound.  I smoked two Boston Butts this afternoon that were 4.5 lbs each and it took about 4 hrs and 30 minutes to reach 165* and 8 hrs and 45 minutes to reach 205*.  Your butt was 8 lbs.  So cooking time was going to be longer, but it does seem a little off.

A few weeks back I smoked a 8-9 lb picnic shoulder that took about 5 hours to reach around 165*.  I took it out of the fridge about an hour before putting it on the smoker. But in order to finish it in time for dinner, I wrapped and foiled in the oven at 270* to get it to 205* after about 9 hours totals.

There are many WSM owners here so I suspect you will get some comments soon from them about their experience.

 

[SmokinAl]

 

[funk]

I used both hickory hardwood and lump.
 

Did you use any chunks of hardwood or just charcoal??

Sounds like the temp was off somewhere.

Good luck!!

  Craig

 

[meateater]

The bone shouldn't pull out at 180, maybe you were up against the bone. 

 

[flash]

You sure you temp probes are right on??

 

[funk]

Temps were correct and I was opposite the bone.  It still turned out good, but was the first time I have experienced this.

 

[flash]

Well it is possible you wood was old, it usually seems much lighter than normal when it does. I remember one of my first butts that I did. Everyone said it needs to be 195 atleast to pull, but at one 185, it was getting dark and i brought it in. Expecting to slice it, I was surprised to find out that I was able to pull it instead. All meats cuts are different. Only way to tell for sure is try another one.

 

[raptor700]

I'm with Flash, 

All meat is different, it's done when it's done