where to put temp probe in boston butt

[deerspy]

I smoked a 8# boston butt in my yoder wichita offset, I had the probe in the end opposite bone and put it in pit with bone end to the hot end of pit it never did get to the target of 195 to 205 after 11 hours it was 170 I took it out and it was done came off bone clean, but was not quite pulled pork.

I used oak and cheery wood but had a hard time with temp it went from 200 to 300 every time it got down to 200 I put more wood in, still trying figure out right size and number of pieces to get a even 225 to 250 heat.

does any one have photos of where I should put probe and how to place butt in pit this was my first butt, it was still good but could be alot better.

Thanks Deerspy

 

[davidhef88]

Have you checked your probe for accuracy in boiling and or ice water?

 

[deerspy]

I have the ET-732 I have not checked it, I think I will do it to day an see what i have I thought it should be good to go but any thing can be out of speck.

 

[deerspy]

checked my probes on ET-732 food prob 212 and pit probe 210 side by side in boiling water.

 

[noboundaries]

Newbie here too but fast learner.

Smoker temp control is an art.  Catch the movements up or down when they start and make small adjustments on air flow to counter.

Everything I've read says to calculate 1.5 to 2 hours per pound on a BB as a rough estimate.  Probe the thickest part of the meat at least 1/2" away from the bone.   My et-732 meat probe reads high by 2 degrees so I figure that in when reading the temp.

My first BB was a small one at 4 lbs, bone in.  I was counting on 6-8 hours.  I also tracked the rise in temperature.  With my smoker solidly between 225 and 235, the meat probe crossed the magic 170 temp at 5 hours.  At 170 the fat and connective tissue begins melting and breaking down.  My target was 195 to 203.  At 8 hours it was only at 176.  I cranked the temp up on the smoker to 250-255 and the meat temp rose to 185 and stalled again.  At 9 hours I poked at the roast and gave the bone a little twist and it was obviously done.  Pulled it off, didn't let it rest all (people were hungry), and it was tender, juicy, and pulled beautifully.

The lesson I took away from that first attempt was to keep track of the time above 170.  4 hours above 170 was plenty for fat/connective tissue breakdown even though I was still 10 degrees below my target.

BTW, kudos to the folks at Maverick.  My smoker temp probe failed after only 4 uses.  (I know about not kinking and how to wash correctly from my Maverick OT-3BBQ).  I sent a nice e-mail to the folks at Maverick customer service along with my online receipt.  They responded the next day and a new probe is already on the way.  THAT my friends is customer service!

 

[jrod62]

My last butt smoke took 16 hours to get done. Just need to wait them out.

 

[mdgreco191]

It sounds like you did things correctly.  Each BB is different and stall at different times and lengths.  I give myself plenty of time to reach the desired IT.  I put the probe away from the bone, but still close to the center line of the BB.  I put the probe up to BB to see how far the probe has to be insereted to reach the center of the BB.  Sorry no pics...