Need Help - Pork Danger Zone

[mohlrich]

Need some help!! I bought a pack of 2 boston butts that weighted a total of 20.5 lbs. I brined them for 1.5 days in salt, pepper, sugar, and hot sauce. Got up early this AM and got the smoker going. Pulled the butts out and dried them and rubbed them, they were pretty cold. The brine water was very cold. I put them in the smoker at 5:30 this morning and the smoker was running about 225. Had a 30-40 min stretch about daybreak where the smoker wanted to stay in the low 200's regardless of what I did. Got it back between 225-235. I waited to insert my Maverick ET-732 probe until 4.5 hours (lost track of time). The probe is in the bigger one that sits on the shelf higher then the other. By bigger I mean maybe a pound or 2. It just looked bigger. It just now hit 140 at 7 hours into it. I checked the meat with my thermopop and that read slightly higher but couldn't get as deep into the center. I also tried another probe to make sure the one I started with didn't break. They read about the same. Any thoughts?? Going to taste and smell the meat when it gets fully cooked but never had one take this long to reach 140.

 

[Bearcarver]

Since you didn't inject and you didn't probe until 4.5 hours in, there shouldn't be any problem, except you might eat too much when it's done!!

That's one of the reasons I never inject---Plus Butts don't need any more moisture.

Bear

 

[mohlrich]

Thanks Bear! Was/still pretty nervous watching the temp just sit so low. Cooking the meat for my daughters first bday and don't want to get anyone sick :(

 

[Bearcarver]

Thanks Bear! Was/still pretty nervous watching the temp just sit so low. Cooking the meat for my daughters first bday and don't want to get anyone sick :(

Like I said as long as you didn't break the seal in any way by injecting it or probing it before a few hours of smoking, you should be fine.

I don't know what Smoker you're using, but In the future you might want to get your smoker preheated good before you put that much cold meat it, and maybe use 250° or 260° smoker temps, because 20 pounds is a lot of cold meat for your smoker to deal with.

Bear

 

[mohlrich]

I use a Masterbuilt Gas Smokehouse. I had it going about 30 mins prior to meat with a steady temp. I did this last year with success. It's a cold crappy day in northwest Ohio. I think my beer fridge might be to cold for a brine fridge.

 

[DanMcG]

Bears got ya covered, As long as you don't puncture the surface, then all you need to do is get the outside up to 140 in 4 hours.

 

[noboundaries]

Deja vu.  I just answered this in another thread.  What was the temp when you probed in at 4.5 hours?  If it was in the 130's you are fine because I've had butts stall for hours in the high 130s. 

 

[mohlrich]

I scored the fat cap but didn't puncture anymore then that. I'm always thankful when I see Bear comments. The man is the godfather of smoking!!:77:

 

[mohlrich]

It was probably me Noboundries. Forgot to change where I wanted to make my post. It was only 108 when I first checked it. When I checked it with the thermopop at 6ish hours and that read 140-145