Butt smoking time

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fl girl

Fire Starter
Original poster
May 12, 2012
63
10
Tampa Bay Area, Florida
Hi all!  Today I am smoking my first butt.  I put a 6.5 pound butt in my electric smoker eight hours ago at 225 degrees and the meat temp is only up to 154.  I am need of some sleep!!!!!!!  Can anyone tell me how much longer it may take to reach 165 so I can foil it, put it back in and take a well needed nap? 
 
Hi all!  Today I am smoking my first butt.  I put a 6.5 pound butt in my electric smoker eight hours ago at 225 degrees and the meat temp is only up to 154.  I am need of some sleep!!!!!!!  Can anyone tell me how much longer it may take to reach 165 so I can foil it, put it back in and take a well needed nap? 
It all depends on the butt. Patience is a virtue when it comes to smoking meats, it will get there in its own time.

However, foiling is only a personal preference, it is not necessary. Many, including myself, do not foil. So, unless you feel it is absolutely necessary to foil, I would forego the foiling and take my nap.
 
I think that may be the best idea I've ever heard! 
yahoo.gif
 
I agree with Fl Girl each butt is different. Sometimes I foil and sometimes I dont. Sounds like you reached that magical holding number where all the yummy things happen. I
Have had them set at the plateau for HOURS! I would suggest a maverick et-73 to alert you when it reaches your magic foil temp.
 
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Ok...here's the deal.  I did leave the meat in and took my three hour nap. When I woke up it was still at 154. It just never went any higher. So I wrapped it in foil and put it in the oven till it hit 205 then wrapped the whole thing in a towel and put it in a cooler for an hour or so. It tastes great, but I am concerned about the smoker not allowing the meat to rise above 154.

Top picture... ready to go into smoker

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Above, after 11.5 hours and never reached above 154 degrees.  Wrapped in foil and put in oven till 205.

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End results..tastes great, but I'm still concerned about the smoker not allowing the meat to reach the desired 165 degree mark.  Any suggestions?
 
I too am smoking my first but tonight.  I bought an oven thermometer and placed in my MES 40 and found that it was showing 10 degrees cooler than the built in therm.  I put my smoker at 235 and the oven therm has been staying at 225 since.  
 
I would say one of several things either smoker temp was not what you thought it was or you had the temp probe into a piece of fat which will give a false reading or you had a long plateau/stall.
 
If your smoker was running closer to 200*F that 154* would be about right for a long stall. Check your Smoker temp...JJ
 
Checked my smoker temp for a couple hours and it seems to be running about right.  I'm wondering if the temp goes all weird after a period of time.

?????????????????
 
FL Girl how did you check your temps?  Did you use another thermometer or just rely on the MES?  Built-in smoker thermometers are nominal at best.

Get a second opinion on your temp...:)

That being said though, a stall is a stall for a reason.  That meat is doing all kinds of magical things during that stall.

All in all that butt turned out fabulous!  I love telling women their butts look fabulous!
 
Yes, I had a thermometer I use all the time in my oven.  My smoker did not come with an internal one. 

I just ordered another thermometer through Amazon that not only reads the meat temp, but also the temp inside the unit.    Hopefully that will help in the future.  Thanks all for your comments.  Maybe my next smoke will be more successful!  :)
 
If you know the thermo was correct then I would guess that you just had a long plateau and that happens sometimes it's best to just ride it out but if you really are tired of it take a big fork and stab the meat a couple times that will usually break the plateau.
 
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