Pork butt and bark formation question...

[Jgurley561]

Correct, no injection and just a disposable pan to catch drippings so the grill doesn’t get as dirty

Butt is a great way to season your smoker It's not dirty, it's flavor.

 

[jbellard]

Also, be sure to clean your grill (if you use the gas grill) since the pork butt makes so much juice. I’ve had two fires after not cleaning.

 

[bigbirdk]

So I’ve done a few pork butts on my Kamado Joe now and something I’ve noticed is that I never seem to get a dry, crusty bark formation. I have a butt on right now actually and I’m at 155 itt. It’s been on for 5.5 hours. I just went to look at it and it looks like my rub is just wet and goopy. Not really forming a crust at all. And now that I think about it, it’s been this way every time I’ve cooked one of these. What’s going on here? Am I using too much rub maybe? I mean it’s getting crusty on the edges, but the middle looks like goop to me.

I take mine to 195 in my Smokin It model 1. Sugar in the rub will help too. I always found that foil wraps moisten versus crisping.

 

[indaswamp]

So I’ve done a few pork butts on my Kamado Joe now and something I’ve noticed is that I never seem to get a dry, crusty bark formation. I have a butt on right now actually and I’m at 155 itt. It’s been on for 5.5 hours. I just went to look at it and it looks like my rub is just wet and goopy. Not really forming a crust at all. And now that I think about it, it’s been this way every time I’ve cooked one of these. What’s going on here? Am I using too much rub maybe? I mean it’s getting crusty on the edges, but the middle looks like goop to me.

With the INT @155*, you are at the stall, that is why your rub looks "wet and goopy". The meat is sweating/ moisture getting squeezed out as the meat tightens up...
A dark bark is formed from the carmelization of the sugars in the rub as well as the maillard reaction of the meat browning. What temperature are you smoking at?

 

[indaswamp]

Yeah last time I did this I put it back on the smoker for awhile after I unwrapped to crisp the bark up as it had turned mostly to goop from the wrapping process.

No need to wrap a pork butt. They stay plenty moist without wrapping and if you want a dark crust, not wrapping it is key.

 

[indaswamp]

The first Butt I ever did I didn’t wrap. It took 18 hours. And while yes the bark was better, I thought the second one I did in which I wrapped had an overall better flavor and moisture level. Plus the time savings...
So I’ve wrapped from now on. But I would like to do another unwrapped sometime.

What temp are you cooking the butt at? I've smoked 'em up to 300* with no issues on moisture level. I prefer 275* so I get a good smoke and crust on them.

 

[indaswamp]

It looks Great, Aviator!!
Now if you could quit worrying through the whole smoke & quit opening the door, it should stop dropping in Temp.
No matter if you wrap or not, the reason the temp drops is because every time you open the door the temp in the smoker drops, which in turn eventually drops the meat temp.
Wrap it or not, leave it alone until it gets to at least 200° IT---Mine are usually good to pull at about 203°.
BTW: Your bark isn't going to be good at 155° or 160°, but it's not near done then either!

Pulled Boston Pork Butt (230°--April 23, 2013)
Pulled Boston Pork Butt (265°--Oct 21, 2018)

Bear

^^^^^What Bear said.^^^^^