Pulled Pork... Best time to foil? and more importantly WHY??

[shelton573]

image.jpg

• shelton573
• Aug 19, 2015

I'll add to this. This is one of the butts I did last weekend. I smoked at 275-285. I don't wrap when it hits 160, I wrap whenever it stalls and on this particular smoke I wrapped them all at 170ish. I also like to let them sit at the stall for a little bit and let the bark build up the. I throw in foil with butter, rub and brown sugar. When they hit 203 I pull them out and drain the juice for a finishing juice and throw the butts in the cooler. The bark on these were nice and firm even after being foiled. Good luck!

Shelton

 

[mummel]

Im doing 2 butts this weekend.  I've never foiled.  I thought I would try one foiled.  At what IT do you guys normally foil?

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Im doing 2 butts this weekend.  I've never foiled.  I thought I would try one foiled.  At what IT do you guys normally foil?

I personally foil at 165°.

I think most who foil are somewhere in that neighborhood.

Bear

 

[noboundaries]

 
Im doing 2 butts this weekend.  I've never foiled.  I thought I would try one foiled.  At what IT do you guys normally foil?

A couple options:

At the stall, no matter what the IT: soft bark but lots of melted collagen you can add back without the fat at the end of the smoke or the next day. 

180F IT: a solid bark almost like no wrap and you still get about half the melted collagen you can add back to the meat.  For me this is the best of both worlds.  Once I wrap I crank the heat up on the smoker to about 350F until I get an IT of 203-205F.  Rest and eat.     

 

[mummel]

It may be tricky to try and get both butts to finish around the same time, and let them to sit for 1-2 hours.  I know if no-foil, I get maybe 2.33 hours / lb.  What about foiled?

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Hello , I'm one of the "no foil " guys , i see no reason to (except when arush is needed .

Mine go on a 225*F Smoker and stays there until it reaches 205*F . Works great for me , and I get great Bark ! ! !

200x200px-ZC-ed935da5_Betty004[1] (200x200) (2) (2

• oldschoolbbq
• May 14, 2015

900x900px-LL-4f1087ff_005[1] (900x506) (2) (900x50

• oldschoolbbq
• May 14, 2015

12518_10152464053153929_1659885016045459284_n[1].j

• oldschoolbbq
• May 30, 2015

Have fun and . . .

 

[Bearcarver]

Hello , I'm one of the "no foil " guys , i see no reason to (except when arush is needed .

Mine go on a 225*F Smoker and stays there until it reaches 205*F . Works great for me , and I get great Bark ! ! !

12518_10152464053153929_1659885016045459284_n[1].j

• oldschoolbbq
• May 30, 2015

 

But Stan,

Wouldn't the Piggy be Juicier without the little Booties???

Bear

 

[cedar eater]

I have foiled so far, but I'm considering experimenting with dry brining and not foiling. I want a minimum of four hours of smoke before checking the IT, then foiling at 160-165 andtaking it to 200. I inject and spritz with a mixture of sweet, salty, tart or sour, and tangy or savory. Birch syrup is both sweet and savory. Apple cider vinegar is both sour and tangy. Maple syrup is just sweet. Apple juice is just tart. Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce fill in the gaps. I throw extra spritz mix inside the foil before sealing. You can't go wrong with foiling, but I'm willing to believe that a tactic like dry brining seals moisture in and helps you get through stalls without excessive drying, and produces a more satisfying bark.

 

[wizardfishin]

I have smoked two pork shoulders now.  The first one I cooked at about 250 or 275 and did foil when the internal temperature reached about 165.  It seemed to help it power through the stall.  I cooked my second pork shoulder last weekend, and I did not foil it.  I also cooked it at a higher temperature, closer to 300 the whole time.  I liked the texture and tenderness of the pork shoulder not foiled just fine, and don't think I will foil again unless I get in a time crunch.  I should also mention that I brine my shoulders overnight the night before smoking. Edit:  I should add that foil seems to make more of a difference in cook times if you cook on a lower temperature.

 

[mummel]

I got one dry brining from this morning and will start smoking it tonight.  I tried completely unbrined last time and I think it was a little dryer and lacked the flavor salt adds.  That was coming off another butt I did which I over brined and added waaaaaay too much salt.  That one was dry and tasted bad, I screwed it up (but I wanted to test the salt's limits).  So there is a fine line.  But I think my wife and I prefer a lightly, 24 hour dry brined butt.  Will know more after this one. 

 

[chewmeister]

The term "dry brining" seems like a contradiction in terms.

 

[stickyfingers]

Lots of opinions!! Time, temp and appearance. I go by sight. Right color, right bark...time to wrap.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
The term "dry brining" seems like a contradiction in terms.

Soaked in Dust?