Analyzing this weekends Pork Butt attempt

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mrmerck

Fire Starter
Original poster
May 3, 2014
31
12
I am practically a complete newbie with smoking meats and I thought  I`d share some results from my pork butt smoke.

The butt came out extremely dry in my opinion and I`d love for some feedback from others as to how to improve on my next attempt.

1.Cooker..Brinkmann Gourmet Electric

2. Pork Butt..weight 7.3 lbs.

3.Prep..Infused with apple juice and then a rub my wife made that came from an online source.

4.Preheated cooker at 8:30pm with a water pan filled with warm water only about an inch below full.

5. Placed butt on cooker @ 9:00 pm with Taylor thermometer.

6. Check temperature one hour into the smoke and it was 138 f.

7.Checked again at the 3 hour mark and it was 141 and added water before retiring to bed.

8. Awoke @ 7:00 am and temp was 201 and added more water.

9. Let the butt cook two more hours for a total of 12 cooking hours and removed at 9:00 am. Temp was showing 206

Hindsight, when I awoke @ 7 and the temp was over 200 I wish I had taken it off then instead of cooking additional 2 more hours.

Any and all suggestions are most welcome:-)
 
IMHO, ya overcooked it ! Like ya said to pull around 200* IT or when the bone moves easily ! Each piece of meat is a little different, I start checkin mine personally at 198* IT ! I also rub mine down with plain yellow mustard, EVOO or peanut oil before applying the rub ! IMO, creates kind of a barrier so to speak to help retain moisture! What temp did ya smoke it at ? Did ya rest it after ya pulled it from smoker ?
 
Good questions smoker temp? Did you foil and rest it?
 
I went to bed 3 hours into the smoke and the temp was just over 140 then. As stated, I awoke @ 7 and temp was 206.

Yes, I let the meat sit several hours before pulling it apart.
 
I went to bed 3 hours into the smoke and the temp was just over 140 then. As stated, I awoke @ 7 and temp was 206.

Yes, I let the meat sit several hours before pulling it apart.

206* IT is on the high side.... When letting it sit or rest did ya foil ? When I rest mine I foil, wrap in a couple towels & put in a cooler for a few hours... I just use my camping cooler... Also what temp was your smoker ?? If I'am thinkin right the Taylor therm is a single probe therm for the meat...How are ya trackin smoker temp. .?
 
Butt was foiled once it came off smoker.

Unfortunately the Brinkmann Gourmet Electric lacks a  temperature gauge so I have no idea what temp the smoker was, only the meat temp from the probe.
 
You can also foil the butt when the internal temp hits 160 seal the foil good and that will keep it moist.
 
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next time you use the smoker... use the thermometer to check your smoker temp... also.. I brine my butts for 24 hrs.. helps keep them moist when finished ...
 
Ya may also look into getting a dual probe therm like a Maverick ET-732... Let's ya track meat IT with one probe & smoker temp with the other !
 
 
I am practically a complete newbie with smoking meats and I thought  I`d share some results from my pork butt smoke.

The butt came out extremely dry in my opinion and I`d love for some feedback from others as to how to improve on my next attempt.

1.Cooker..Brinkmann Gourmet Electric

2. Pork Butt..weight 7.3 lbs.

3.Prep..Infused with apple juice and then a rub my wife made that came from an online source.

4.Preheated cooker at 8:30pm with a water pan filled with warm water only about an inch below full.

5. Placed butt on cooker @ 9:00 pm with Taylor thermometer.

6. Check temperature one hour into the smoke and it was 138 f.

7.Checked again at the 3 hour mark and it was 141 and added water before retiring to bed.

8. Awoke @ 7:00 am and temp was 201 and added more water.

9. Let the butt cook two more hours for a total of 12 cooking hours and removed at 9:00 am. Temp was showing 206

Hindsight, when I awoke @ 7 and the temp was over 200 I wish I had taken it off then instead of cooking additional 2 more hours.

Any and all suggestions are most welcome:-)
 A 7lb butt hitting 138 in 1 hour seems awfully quick.   Was the butt at room temperature to start with ? 
 
First off, an IT of 200° is a good temp. You went 2 hours too long. So a 7lb Butt ready in 10 hours, that is about 1 hour 24 minutes per pound. The smoker temp was between 250 and 275°F. Not a bad temp but as the internal temp went from 200 to 206°F, it was sufficient time to dry it. The butt may have been on the lean side as well...JJ
 
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First off, an IT of 200° is a good temp. You went 2 hours too long. So a 7lb Butt ready in 10 hours, that is about 1 hour 24 minutes per pound. The smoker temp was between 250 and 275°F. Not a bad temp but as the internal temp went from 200 to 206°F, it was sufficient time to dry it. The butt may have been on the lean side as well...JJ
This right here.  That additional 2 hours more or less cooked the juice right out of it.
 
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