# First overnight pork butt



## yardbird (Aug 25, 2013)

Still in the smoker. Q-View in a bit. This was about a 6 pound butt. Best Odds rub (I like it simple). Never done an overnighter before, but I've gotten fairly used to my Smoke Hollow gasser (after 2 seasons using it) and felt pretty confident. I put the meat in the smoker about 8pm. Hickory and apple mix for smoke. Smoker temp holding steady at 223 according to Maverick. No meat probe until later. Went to bed at 10:30. Up about 2:30 to pee and check temps. Smoker had dropped to about 213. It was 75 degrees ambient when I started and got down to 49 last night so I kinda expected it would drop some.

Got up at 6 and checked. Smoker at 220. Stuck the meat probe in. Meat at 158. Tickled the temp up just a twitch...

7am and smoker temp is 235 and stable. Meat at 165.

I have no reason to try to hurry this through a stall or anything so I'm not foiling it. Looking forward to a good bark.

This is FAR more relaxing than getting up at 4am, and still having to push through a stall because people are passing out from hunger and the meat is late. :)

And... I'll be able to give it some proper rest time before pulling.

Q-View will go up when I pull it out to rest. :) Back yard smells awesome this morning. heheheh


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## bobank03 (Aug 25, 2013)

Sweet. Sounds like a plan. I think that is exactly the right plan! Gotta get some q-view up. And please turn up the backyard q smell, so we can check it out. 

I thought it got cold at my house last night (59) but you beat me by 10.


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## charcoal junkie (Aug 25, 2013)

What smoker you cooking on and what wood you using for smoke?


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## bama bbq (Aug 25, 2013)

charcoal junkie said:


> What smoker you cooking on and what wood you using for smoke?


pssst (might want to re-read the original post)...  "Smoke Hollow gasser" "Hickory and apple mix for smoke"


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## geerock (Aug 25, 2013)

I believe he said a smoke hollow gasser and hickory and apple mix for smoke.

EDIT.     bama bbq beat me to it.


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## charcoal junkie (Aug 25, 2013)

Sorry long night cooking.


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## flash (Aug 25, 2013)

I'd had just got up early that morning and banged it out, instead of getting up several times a night. Warmer out too. 6 lber......9 hours. Guess it does depend on what time you are putting dinner on.


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## yardbird (Aug 25, 2013)

Flash said:


> I'd had just got up early that morning and banged it out, instead of getting up several times a night. Warmer out too. 6 lber......9 hours. Guess it does depend on what time you are putting dinner on.


Only got up once... and had to pee anyways, so.... not like I was getting up every hour or 2 to check. 9 hours? I'm 13 hours in and meat temp is 174. Smoker temp 235 (It went up some when the sun came up). Maybe if I cooked it at 275 I could push it to 9 hours, but this one is low and slow and goin' long. And I'm in no hurry, which I think is the best part. Nobody droolin' on me with plate in hand waiting for food. :)

OK... 'cept maybe Darby (one of my dogs) ... seems he's ALWAYS hungry


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## yardbird (Aug 25, 2013)

OK, 14 hours in and .... stall... :)

Smoker temp is still 230, but the meat temp has DROPPED 3 degrees (to 171)

I've lived through stalls before but this is my first one where the meat dropped temp. I know it happens just from reading other posts on here, but it's a first experience for me. Interesting to watch and also interesting to not be in a panic because dinner's gonna be late.. heheheh.

So far the most enjoyable part of this overnight smoke has been how relaxing it is. Normally when I've waited out the stall, it seems the meat temp rises pretty fast on the other side of the stall. For now.... I'll go back out to my woodworking shop and putter around building a new easel. No worries... this feels great.


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## seenred (Aug 25, 2013)

Sounds good...with no foil you're gonna get a real nice bark.  Looking forward to seein' the Qview.

Red


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## yardbird (Aug 25, 2013)

16 hours

Meat temp sitting at 172 for a little over an hour now. It had got up to 174 and then dropped and stopped :)

Smoker temp 232 so that's remained pretty steady.

I'm running out of stuff to do in the meantime... ahahahhaa


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## bobank03 (Aug 25, 2013)

Don't worry it will push through. Have another cold beverage!


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## yardbird (Aug 25, 2013)

17 hours

Meat 181

Smoker 235

This butt isn't that big. Really taking its time though. hehehe


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## yardbird (Aug 25, 2013)

bobank03 said:


> Don't worry it will push through. Have another cold beverage!


I wish.... I've been working in my wood shop, building a new easel. Running power equipment. So no adult beverages until all danger of losing the digits that HOLD said beverages has passed.

:)

I SOOOoooo wanna open the smoker and peek. It's only been opened once. That was about 7 hours ago when I stuck the meat probe in. Hope it doesn't fall apart in my hands when I'm trying to get it out of the smoker :)


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## smokeusum (Aug 25, 2013)

Sounds like everything is in order! I'm still too paranoid to do an overnight smoke!


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## cliffcarter (Aug 25, 2013)

17 hours and you're still cooking a 6 pound butt sounds like quite an adventure, are you sure that the temp probe is not too near the bone? That can give you a false temp reading. Experiences like yours are why I cook all butts around 300°, no "stall", no worries about being done on time and no losing sleep(although you've got that one covered with the gasser).


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## yardbird (Aug 25, 2013)

cliffcarter said:


> 17 hours and you're still cooking a 6 pound butt sounds like quite an adventure, are you sure that the temp probe is not too near the bone? That can give you a false temp reading. Experiences like yours are why I cook all butts around 300°, no "stall", no worries about being done on time and no losing sleep(although you've got that one covered with the gasser).


See what ya done? Now I want to go out and move the temp probe! :)

Good thing I'm not in a hurry, huh?


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## yardbird (Aug 25, 2013)

OK, moved the temp probe. Actually checked a couple places. It's at about 185 now. Almost 18 hours in.

Keep in mind this ran at under 220 for quite a while over night.

When you do them at 300 how long does it take? I mean, do you shorten the cook time enough to just start in the morning and have it for dinner for sure?


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## smokeusum (Aug 25, 2013)

yardbird said:


> OK, moved the temp probe. Actually checked a couple places. It's at about 185 now. Almost 18 hours in.
> 
> Keep in mind this ran at under 220 for quite a while over night.
> 
> When you do them at 300 how long does it take? I mean, do you shorten the cook time enough to just start in the morning and have it for dinner for sure?



I usually do mine at 250 and an 8.5# takes me 10-12 hours to get to my target temp of 205. I have only recently starting foiling, but not a full Texas Crutch to get past the stall. I now live & die by the Blonder Theory. I foil at at 165-ish, unfoil at 185. His findings and theory best explain what the stall is, how to push through it and still ending up with a great bark and ending up with a butt that's doesn't taste like its been in a crockpot... You've got a few, so take a moment to read this (Edited: No off site links allowed....*Terms of Service*)
And hang in there, resist the urge to bump up your temp too much, you've come this far!!!


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## yardbird (Aug 25, 2013)

I know patience is a virtue and all that, but seriously? I'm closing in on 19 hours and still sittin' at 183. Like it stalled around 170 and now again at 183. After I moved the Maverick's probe around a couple places, I went in and got another meat thermometer, and it agrees with the Maverick. So I'm ruling out a therm/probe malfuntion and just going with the flow..... actually more like a trickle.


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## smokeusum (Aug 25, 2013)

Darn!! See my link wouldn't post! Google "physicist cracks BBQ mystery"... I know it's hard, but hang in there; you've come this far, don't ruin it!!!


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## yardbird (Aug 25, 2013)

20 hours

Meat 189

Smoker 250 (got warm outside....temp crept up... I didn't touch it... honest)

So... 2 stalls... waiting for the "bloom" where it climbs temp quick at the end.... hope it comes soon and glad I didn't start this in the morning hoping it'd be ready for dinner. heheheh


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## flash (Aug 25, 2013)

yardbird said:


> Only got up once... and had to pee anyways, so.... not like I was getting up every hour or 2 to check. 9 hours? I'm 13 hours in and meat temp is 174. Smoker temp 235 (It went up some when the sun came up). Maybe if I cooked it at 275 I could push it to 9 hours, but this one is low and slow and goin' long. And I'm in no hurry, which I think is the best part. Nobody droolin' on me with plate in hand waiting for food. :)
> 
> OK... 'cept maybe Darby (one of my dogs) ... seems he's ALWAYS hungry


 You don't foil, but when I get around 170º IT I do, then I jump the temps up to 295º to 300º. I can get 8 lbers done in 9 1/2 hours that way with no lost of moisture to the meat. Guess you could try it with out the foil and see how that work. Should put more bark on it also.


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## yardbird (Aug 25, 2013)

OK, I'm admitting I gave up and pulled it out after TWENTY AND ONE HALF hours. Meat probe in several locations (just to be sure) said the meat temp was 190. I thought I might have to slice it. Nope. Bone pulled out clean and it pulled just fine. The bark was out of this world. My wife and son were competing as to who could steal the most pieces of bark. :)

I have no idea why this one took as long as it did. It's just one of those things I guess.













IMG_20130825_164944.jpg



__ yardbird
__ Aug 25, 2013






It kinda fell into chunks like this once I started moving it around. This one had more juice INSIDE than I remember any of my other ones and very little juice in the drip pan.


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## pc farmer (Aug 25, 2013)

smokeusum said:


> Sounds like everything is in order! I'm still too paranoid to do an overnight smoke!


Ya me too.  I wouldnt be able to sleep.


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## cliffcarter (Aug 25, 2013)

yardbird said:


> When you do them at 300 how long does it take? I mean, do you shorten the cook time enough to just start in the morning and have it for dinner for sure?


Cooking at 300°  I cook butts at a rate of slightly less than 1 hour per pound, there is no stall, no foiling(thus no loss of bark) and no overnighters. I would have started your 6 pounder at 9AM, been done at 3PM and resting for an hour or before pulling and serving. 

Here's another little secret- your butt is probably done and the temp does not reflect that fact. I have had butts done and pullable at temps as low as 182°, the way to tell is the probe test- if your temp probe slides smoothly with no resistance from the meat( I liken it to probing thick custard) then you are done. The other test is to grab the bone and twist it out, if it comes out easily you're done, wear gloves it will be hot.


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## webowabo (Aug 26, 2013)

Wow.. stubborn little 6lber.... ;) thats how some meat go ;) glad it turned out well.


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## yotzee (Aug 26, 2013)

cliffcarter said:


> Cooking at 300°  I cook butts at a rate of slightly less than 1 hour per pound, there is no stall, no foiling(thus no loss of bark) and no overnighters. I would have started your 6 pounder at 9AM, been done at 3PM and resting for an hour or before pulling and serving.
> 
> Here's another little secret- your butt is probably done and the temp does not reflect that fact. I have had butts done and pullable at temps as low as 182°, the way to tell is the probe test- if your temp probe slides smoothly with no resistance from the meat( I liken it to probing thick custard) then you are done. The other test is to grab the bone and twist it out, if it comes out easily you're done, wear gloves it will be hot.


A few weeks ago I accidentally left my vents open too much on an overnight of a 9LB butt I was doing.  I went to bed at midnight, woke up at 8 and headed down right away to check it.  When I opened up and saw what I did I screamed!   I let it sit for a while then let I pulled it around 11am.  According to my wife it was one of the best butts I have ever done.  I couldn't argue.  It was juicy, nice texture and excellent bark.  Butts are very forgiving and you can get away with a lot.


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## dirtsailor2003 (Aug 26, 2013)

yardbird said:


> I know patience is a virtue and all that, but seriously? I'm closing in on 19 hours and still sittin' at 183. Like it stalled around 170 and now again at 183. After I moved the Maverick's probe around a couple places, I went in and got another meat thermometer, and it agrees with the Maverick. So I'm ruling out a therm/probe malfuntion and just going with the flow..... actually more like a trickle.


Hopefully you made to 140* in less than 4 hours. I have had butts and brisket stall out multiple times before. For six pounds it sure is strange. The butts that I do are usually 9-8 pounds and are normally done in 12-16 hours running my smoker at 265* The last two that I did both 8 pounds took 20 hours! Crazy long!


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## rtbbq2 (Aug 26, 2013)

Sounds like you nailed it. How did that butt turn out...........


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## yardbird (Aug 27, 2013)

RTBBQ2 said:


> Sounds like you nailed it. How did that butt turn out...........


It pulled fine. It tasted wonderful. It just never reached that 205 temp. Texture was perfect... not mushy, not too tight. It was moist and .... just great, actually.

Cliffcarter's comment about the probe test really fits in this case. When probing temp it was like pushing the probe into air. No resistance at all.

So I learned a lot from this session.

#1 I learned my smoker can pull an all-nighter very easily. Holds temp well. And I get to sleep without having to baby sit the smoker.

#2 Meat temp is still what I'll cook by, but I learned there are exceptions to the rule and in this case I learned how to tell when enough is enough. :)

#3 I learned about higher temp cooking for butts. I already do poultry at high temps (the closer to 350 I can hold, the better I like it) with great success so I'm going to try a butt at high temp and see how we like it. 

#4 I learned to cook ahead. I always seem to "call it close" on timing. I need to start well ahead of time. I KNOW the meat can hold, whether it's a butt or a turkey. It is SO much more relaxing to NOT have to push through a stall 'cause people are hungry or guests are waiting. Makes it more fun to prepare the sides. :)


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