# Pork butt stall (185)



## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 7, 2014)

Hey y'all,

Anyone ever have a butt stall this high (185 degrees)??? I've had plenty stall, but never this high. Been around 185 for about an hour and a half. 

I'm figuring this is just like any other stall, it just caught me off guard being this late in the smoke. I'm 12 hours in on a 8 pounder.


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## padronman (Jun 7, 2014)

I had one stall at about 179F one time.  It was stubborn butt my shear will overcame it!!! 

What temp are you smoking it?

Scott


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 7, 2014)

It's been between 225 and 245 for most of the time since 10am. I've had it on my mes 40. However I was smoking a whole chicken on my SFB smoker at about 325-350 for a few hours and when I was done with that I took the butt outta the mes and put it on the SFB at about 300-320 for an hour or so. 

Figured the higher heat for a short time might help the bark a bit.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 7, 2014)

My shear will is going to over come this stall no doubt! I'm already 12 hours in on a 8 pound butt!


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jun 7, 2014)

hillbillyrkstr said:


> My shear will is going to over come this stall no doubt! I'm already 12 hours in on a 8 pound butt!



Hang in there man, stalls......  Them damned stalls !!   :biggrin:   But big rewards with patience !  :beercheer:


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## bdskelly (Jun 7, 2014)

At 185... Never. However those thing do have a mind of their own.  Your close to finish temp.  If it gets too suborn then toss it in the oven!  No shame in doing that brother.  b


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 7, 2014)

It started rising about 15-20 minutes ago. It's up to 190 now (12 1/2 hours in). That's about the time table I was figuring on. I raised the temp about an hour ago to 260ish. I don't want to use the Texas crutch and soften up the bark.


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## geerock (Jun 7, 2014)

Are you monitoring the temps with the mes probes?


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 7, 2014)

No I'm using a maverick 733 for both the butt and the internal smoker temp.


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## venture (Jun 7, 2014)

Pretty high for a stall.

Never know?  They each have a personal identity.

Good news is you must be right at the end of the stall.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 7, 2014)

It's up to 196 now. Hopefully no more than an hour


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## bdskelly (Jun 7, 2014)

Ive pulled em at 195. Let them sit for a bit and ripped them up.  You're done.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 7, 2014)

Yeah I just hit 198 and was thinking of pulling it. I've smoked plenty of pork butts but besides the first one (when I didn't know my a$$ from my elbow) a decade ago I've never pulled one before it hit 200.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 7, 2014)

I figure I'll give it till midnight (another 45 minutes) and pull it then if it's still not 205. Then an hour or two wrapped and sitting and then the pull.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 7, 2014)

Alright I pulled the butt at midnight. It was at 201. It sat out for a few while I put away the smoker and all everything else, and then I wrapped it in foil, covered it in a towel, and it's sitting in the microwave as we speak. 

Bout 1/4 after 1 it'll be wrapped for an hour. I'll take some pics and pull it then. 

Thanks for everybody's help tonight.


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jun 7, 2014)

Stubborned damn butt anyway huh !  :biggrin:


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 8, 2014)

Oh yeah it was about as stubborn as I've dealt with


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 8, 2014)

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 out of the foil wrapped rest and ready to be pulled! 













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 bone pulled out pretty clean.













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 bear claw time!!!













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 the bear claws ripped right threw it!













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 close up Qview!













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 after 13 hours I finally get a damn samich!













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 a little Carolina style mustard sauce and I'm ready to eat!













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 num, num, num....

Another pork butt done, and the latest stall I've ever had to deal with. Well worth it though. Excellent bark, and really moist. Can't go wrong! It's 2am so I'm gonna finish this samich, and down a few more cold ones before the sun comes up and my wife gives me that "you stayed up all night drinking again look". 

It's Saturday so Drink em if ya got em!


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## dirtsailor2003 (Jun 8, 2014)

hillbillyrkstr said:


> image.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Tasty looking Sandwee!!!!! 

Nothing wrong with smoking and drinking all night!!!


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## padronman (Jun 8, 2014)

Damn fine lookin meal!  I loves me some pulled pork!!


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## jimdepo (Jun 8, 2014)

How come it seems that meat only "stalls" in a smoker but not in an oven


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 8, 2014)

I don't know....

I'm a redneck, your gonna wanna find a science teacher and ask them. Lol!

I really have no idea.


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## padronman (Jun 8, 2014)

I bet it does stall in the oven and you just aren't aware of it.  We tend to watch smokers more than the home oven....which with an electric seems a bit odd.  :-)


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 8, 2014)

That is true! Oven is as set it and forget as it gets! PardonMan is a scientist!!!


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jun 8, 2014)

Looks tasty man, nice smoke !  :sausage:


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 8, 2014)

Yeah it came out real good! Glad I had the patience to ride it out and not use the Texas crutch!! Comes out far better when it's not wrapped IMHO.


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## venture (Jun 8, 2014)

Yeah, if you rest them right, the temp will still climb a few degrees after you take them off, and the rest helps in other ways as well.

Understand your frustration.  Most of us have been there.

Butts are like people and some people are like......   Oh well?  What I meant is they can all be different.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Your meat looks great.

Congrats!

Good luck and good smoking.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 8, 2014)

Thank you sir! I'm very happy with the way this one turned out. 14 hours for a 8# butt was well worth it.


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## venture (Jun 8, 2014)

I have had butts go to 2 hours/LB.

Drives me nuts?

Drives me to the beer cooler? 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Good luck and good smoking.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jun 8, 2014)

Wow! 2 hours a pound is truly a long haul if you have a decent sized butt. The stall didn't really surprise me, it was more the fact but stalled so late.


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## venture (Jun 21, 2014)

Mine have usually stalled in the 160 to 165 range, but they can all be different.

At your internal temps you had to be at the end of the stall.

I just don't have the final answer on how different items of the same cut can act so differently. My best guess would be in age at slaughter and how animals are fed?  Certainly there are differences in how the connective tissue breaks down.

I do believe that cooking at lower temps like we do will amplify the inherent differences.  Yet after the stall, the lower temps seem to be an equalizer when dealing with like cuts?

Good luck and good smoking.


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## jaikun (Jul 11, 2014)

That's a tasty looking sandwich. I'm doing a butt right now and just trolling for info. Gotta get me some of those bear claws though, they look pretty sweet


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## aceoky (Jul 11, 2014)

Strange stall temp but it sure looks great and was well worth the wait !!!


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## smoke bros (Jul 12, 2014)

Wow hillbillyrkstr I did the same thing last night. Two 8 lb pork picnics though. Put in smoker at 8:00 am friday, foiled at 160° and in the oven at 230° till midnight when they hit 205° 2 hour rest brought them to 151° then pulled. 













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__ smoke bros
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 I also stalled from about 189° to 191° for a couple hours.


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## foamheart (Jul 12, 2014)

You guys got all my stall!! I cooked a 9-10lb butt no stalls, no foil, 220 degrees, done in 13 hours!  My jaw hit the floor!


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## kwkk (Jul 12, 2014)

Question....if I sissy out around 9 pm tonite and the butt about 5 lbs. will have smoked for 7 hours can I refrigerate , pull it in the am.  bring it to room temp and finish it oven / or / smoker?


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## venture (Jul 12, 2014)

I think Foam just forgot to stick in the therm probe until the meat was done?

Good luck and good smoking.


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## kwkk (Jul 12, 2014)

....guessin ill find out....sissy   being the prime.im old....give me a break.


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## foamheart (Jul 12, 2014)

Its better to finish cooking tonight if its been cooking already. If it makes it easier, roll that puppy up in some foil and toss it in the oven tonight.

I never broke a cooking cycle but guessing its not what you want to do.

Just my 2 cents.

Mine the other night just surprised me big time, I have had them come in over the estimate so many times I actually expect it, never hit one come in that early before. Guess I musta been due.


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## venture (Jul 12, 2014)

When I enjoyed too many adult beverages?

Meaning maybe a couple more than two?

When the meat has enough smoke?

I have been known to wrap it in foil and stick it in an oven at 200 to 250.

Wake up the ole lady and crash.

Don't recommend it for most people?

But she is still here?

She must like pulled pork more than she likes me?

Can't blame her!

Good luck and good smoking.


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## kwkk (Jul 13, 2014)

Foam, thankyou for the input.its not so much what I wanted to do ....I had 7 hrs.on it.to much time for overnight in the oven.my mistake was starting it to late.next one ill plan better.


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## kwkk (Jul 13, 2014)

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The butt came out awsome.7 hrs. on the trailmaster.covered it.put it in the fridge.pulled it at 6 am .oven at 225 for 8 hrs. In a pan covered and water / apple juice base.you be the judge...













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__ kwkk
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## hillbillyrkstr (Jul 13, 2014)

The claws worked great jaikun! Decent price on amazon so why not? Lol.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jul 13, 2014)

It was a late stall for sure aceoky. But it came out great! Thanks.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jul 13, 2014)

Those look great smoke bros! I didn't foil mine during the smoke cause I wanted more bark.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jul 13, 2014)

I've never stopped a smoke before the meat was done and refrigerated until a later time and finished the cooking process kwkk. I'm not calling you out for being a "sissy" or anything else for not being able to stay up to finish. I'm just worried that there might be a bacteria issue with that. Scares me a bit. 

Looked great though! Glad it came out good! In the future give yourself 2 hours per pound as a high end ballpark time and you should finish early!


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## hillbillyrkstr (Jul 13, 2014)

Hey Foamheart glad to know I helped you out by taking your stall this time! But they say giving is better than receiving so I'll be glad to give you my next stall! Enjoy it! Lol!


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## kwkk (Jul 14, 2014)

No problem.I am a sissy in bed by 10.bacteria is a legit concern.


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## darkmatter (Apr 25, 2020)

Thanks for this thread! New smoker and my pork butt stalled at 161, came through fine and stalled again at 181 for almost 2 hours. It just started climbing as I was reading this thread.


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## noboundaries (Apr 25, 2020)

*6 year old thread, but good info. It isn't unusual to see 2 or 3 stalls after the initial stall, especially at 225-250F chamber temps.*


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## darkmatter (Apr 25, 2020)

Well, 16 hours. It was a grind, but I didn't panic, your all's advice and other info on this forum git me through! Thanks again for the help.


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## noboundaries (Apr 25, 2020)

Great looking meat!


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## Dsaltzz (Jun 12, 2020)

hillbillyrkstr said:


> Hey y'all,
> 
> Anyone ever have a butt stall this high (185 degrees)??? I've had plenty stall, but never this high. Been around 185 for about an hour and a half.
> 
> I'm figuring this is just like any other stall, it just caught me off guard being this late in the smoke. I'm 12 hours in on a 8 pounder.


Im going through the exact same thing as we speak. 8lb on since 3am consistent at 225 235 and it stalled at 185 for over an hour. Im just sitting here waiting at this point as per what everyone else on this thread said. I dont want to wrap so ill impatiently wait and see what happens. Thanks for this thread gave me something to read while i wait and know im not the only one


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## noboundaries (Jun 12, 2020)

225-235 chamber temp, and meat at 185, is only a 40-50F difference. What you're seeing is kind of a mix of a stall and the physics of heat absorption. The closer the two temps, the slower heat is absorbed by the meat. You can bump up the chamber temp to move things along with zero impact on the final results. I often finish butts in the smoker, unwrapped, north of 325F.


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