New User - Not the best result on a butt

[huntrm]

Hey guys, am new to smoking, so eager to learn. I tried a 5LB pork butt yesterday on my 22.5in Weber with the Smokeanator.

The butt came out done, but wasn't pulling easily from the bone - had to use a knife and fork to cut/slice it up. I was expecting at least some tenderness, but nadda.

Here's what I did on the butt:
- Cut a little fat off (did not slice it/serate it)
- Put a rub on it 2 hrs before - let it sit on my kitchen counter for these 2 hrs prior to smoking (yes, I know it will take 5-7 hrs to warm to room temp)

On the Smokeantor:
- Loaded up 48 Kingsford Regular Coals
- Added proper amount of wood
- Lit up 12 until they were white, dropped them in
- Added warm water immediately
- Grill warmed up to 230 fairly easily as measured by the extra thermometer in the dome vents that they sell with their kit
- Maintained temperature of 230-250 consistently according to this thermometer - kept the coals going, added little more wood, replenished water
- Smoked for 5 hrs, 1.5 hours in foil - total of 6.5 hours
- Let it sit for 30 minutes on our counter

It tasted good and was done throughout. But, the meat just wouldn't pull, was hard, and there was some fat chewy deposits occasionally in the meat.

What did I miss? Should I have cooked it longer? Should I aim for a HIGHER temperature at the dome?

Thanks!

[ecripps]

Did you check the temperature of the butt while smoking it?

[huntrm]

I did - it reached a peak of 155 when the thermometer was inserted deep into the meat.

[sheepdad]

That Butt should be brought up to an internal temp of 190°.
Also...You absolutely cannot rely on thermos in the dome. Mine is off by 50° You need to know the temp at the grate cause that's where the food is.
I use a maverick 732. The duel probes take the guesswork right out of the picture.

[huntrm]

Bob -

Thanks for the response. Yeah, goal was to try to get it to 170, but was never able to get there unless I smoked it for another 1-2 hours. I would've been close to 8 hours smoking on a 5lb piece of butt. Just seems to long.

One big question, at the dome OR at the grate, what temperature should I smoke at? Per the instructions, it said smoke at 230-250 (which I did at the dome), and well you read the results...

How do you like the Maverick 732? Any alternatives I should look at?

Thanks.

[jsperk]

Even at 170 you will have sliced pork. Which is very good. Like Sheepdad said you want to be atleast 190. Also if its a bone in butt you should be to wiggle the bone and feel that it will slide out easily. To cook them quicker either bump up your temps or wrap in foil once you hit 160.

[sheepdad]

Get your temp at the grate. I really like the Mav 732. I drilled 2 holes in the kettle right above the grate and bought some heat resistant silicone grommets from Maverick that lets me place the probes right where I need them. The 732 was the first thermo that I bought that does both food and pit temps so I don't have any advice on alternatives. If you want to guess at the temps and still use the dome gauge, I would add say 40 deg to your target temp. Most people have found that their dome temp is off by 30 to 50 degs.
So if you need a grate temp of 225...then look for a dome temp of 265. 250=290 and so on.

You are right about the 8 hrs...way to long. I figure 2 hours per pound and that gives me some leeway for temp fluctuations.

Another thing that I use is a stand alone food thermometer. I got the Thermoworks RT600 and love it. I use it for everything cause its fast and very accurate.

One thing I learned from another website is to do some dry runs without any meat to learn how the smokenator runs with your kettle. I took notes on 4 dry runs until I thought I had dialed in a successful smoke. But I must tell you, 10 smokes into it and I'm still learning. I think that's one of the reasons why I enjoy it so much other than the food itself.

Good Luck and let us know how you make out.

[huntrm]

Guys, thanks for taking the time and providing guidance. Really appreciate it.

One final question, what temperature range do you aim for at the grate when cooking?

[sheepdad]

I aim for 230 but am happy with anything from 225 to 250. Don't get hung up on getting and maintaining the exact temp the recipe recommends...if you keep it within that range you should have a real nice smoke.

[ksu1971]

I usually aim between 250 - 300 for butts. Also temp is not a good measurement of doneness. You want to be able to probe the meat and have it fell like a hot knife in butter. It is typically around 190-200 internal temp but can vary that is why temp is not the ultimate guide to doneness. It sounds like you hit the stale and didn't wait it out. The butts can stall for hours at a time and not move. One way to help beat the stall is either wrap the butt in foil or the method I like is putting the butt in an aluminum pan with a little apple juice and then cover the pan with foil. This will help you get past the stall a lot quicker.

With the temp you were cooking at and the size of the butt I would guess it would take right around 12 hours. Also you mentioned only leaving the butt out for 2 hours to get to temp. I take my butts from the fridge straight to the smoker. It helps with the smoke ring and smoke flavor.

The great thing about smoking is the learning usually tastes pretty good.

[smokenator]

"The great thing about smoking is the learning usually tastes pretty good." Love it!

I have done a few butts now and all have turned out freaking amazing! Best advice I can give is it's done when it's done if it's 8hrs 10 or 12hrs. The past butts have done were all around 8.5 pounds and took every bit of 10 hours for each. I try to take the internal temp to 210 but have taken them off at 190 range, give it a foil, towel, and cooler nap, the slip the bone out clean and the roast just falls apart.

Don't give up and I hopefully your next one turns out great.

[boardpuller]

new user I have not received my Smokenator yet and I don't do pork but in all my other smokers with a Chuck Roast I take te internal temp to 210 for pulling. Hope this helps in the future