# First butt - how careful do I need to be with the temperature



## smwinnie (May 27, 2017)

I've run the smoker a few times to get a sense of time to heat up, burn rate, etc. Smoky chicken drumsticks make awesome chicken salad. Smoked serrano/poblano salsa is quite good. Smoke ring on a brat is almost laughably impressive.

Putting our first butt through today and have a couple of questions about temps.

How much temperature variation is reasonable and/or will harm the butt? I'm trying to hold 225 but am getting temps bouncing around from 215-235.

Should I expect a temperature spike from adding wood chips? I got a spike of about 15 degrees. Chips burning? Extra oxygen from opening the front door?


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## smwinnie (May 27, 2017)

Direct sunlight appears to goose the temperature by about 5-6 degrees. Does that make sense? It's a big hunk of black metal, but that seems a little high.


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## crankybuzzard (May 27, 2017)

Sounds like you'll be fine.  Try and keep it towards the upper end.  You'll have spikes, but don't fret it.  Butts are very forgiving.


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## GaryHibbert (May 27, 2017)

Yep.  Like Charlie said.  Butts are the most forgiving chunk of meat you'll ever smoke.  I always do mine at 240 (ish). I don't get the least bit excited if my temp ranges from 225 to 265, as long as it averages out around 240.  That's not a problem at all.

Just sit back and enjoy the BBQ.  When it stalls you can either just wait it out or foil the butt.  Either way just cook to your final IT.  if you're making pulled pork then shoot for an IT of 205.  The meat should be probe tender and the bone should slide out clean and easy.

Gary


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## SmokinAl (May 27, 2017)

I smoke my butts at 270-280. 

They get done quicker & you usually don't have a stall.

Just as juicy in half the time.

Al


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## smwinnie (May 27, 2017)

Gotcha.  Thanks for the wisdom!

We're about two-and-a-half hours into the stall at 154°. Added some lump and got the smoker leveled off at about 245°. Looking forward to pulled pork in 2-8 hours...

...Ooooh! 156°!


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## crankybuzzard (May 27, 2017)

SMWinnie said:


> Gotcha.  Thanks for the wisdom!
> 
> We're about two-and-a-half hours into the stall at 154°. Added some lump and got the smoker leveled off at about 245°. Looking forward to pulled pork in 2-8 hours...
> 
> ...Ooooh! 156°!



Sounds like you might be a bit giddy!  :yahoo:

I sure hope you show us some pics of your efforts and patience.


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## smwinnie (May 27, 2017)

CrankyBuzzard said:


> Sounds like you might be a bit giddy!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah......about that. After holding another hour at 156°, the IT finally moved...to 154°.

My wife was being as patient as Job, but the stall ran into a scheduling problem. So this butt is going to get finished [head=hung_in_shame] in the oven.

Learning experience. Gonna wake up - earlier - on Monday and do this again. Hotter; maybe a crutch.


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## crankybuzzard (May 27, 2017)

SMWinnie said:


> Yeah......about that. After holding another hour at 156°, the IT finally moved...to 154°.
> 
> My wife was being as patient as Job, but the stall ran into a scheduling problem. So this butt is going to get finished [head=hung_in_shame] in the oven.
> 
> Learning experience. Gonna wake up - earlier - on Monday and do this again. Hotter; maybe a crutch.



There is no shame in an oven finished.   I'm certain there are very few on here that haven't at some time. 

Let us know how it turns out!


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## sauced (May 28, 2017)

CrankyBuzzard said:


> There is no shame in an oven finished.   I'm certain there are very few on here that haven't at some time.
> 
> Let us know how it turns out!



Yes...happened to me, butt not ready but guests were arriving shortly. As Al stated, I too smoke butts around 275 even as high as 300. They get done faster and are just as good.


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## hardcookin (May 28, 2017)

I usually smoke my butts @300. When I have enough bark, usually around 170 I will pan and cover with foil and smoke to 205.
The butt usually yields a pint of juice.


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## smwinnie (May 28, 2017)

CrankyBuzzard said:


> There is no shame in an oven finished. I'm certain there are very few on here that haven't at some time.
> 
> Let us know how it turns out!


No pix; sorry.

It was *almost* really good.

The oven finish at 300° got from 155° to 205° really fast and didn't spend enough time from 160-205°. So the fat and collagen didn't completely render.

I did at least one other and maybe two other things that were probably mistakes.

First, I put the butt in a half-tray steam table pan. I was using the pan to transport and pull the pork. I knew that putting the butt in a pan was going to keep one side from getting smoked, but I didn't think that was such a big deal. Unfortunately, a few hours into the cook, that meant the butt was constantly sitting in a quarter-inch deep pool of drippings. That can't have been good for getting heat into the meat.

Second, I put the butt in fat side down. So, it wasn't rendering out and basting the butt during the cook. In fact, the fat was sitting in the pool of liquids and never completely rendered out.

Now that I think of it, I'm surprised it came out as well as it did. Will do better next time!


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## remsr (May 29, 2017)

Yah ask Jeff about finishing in the oven and he will tell you that one of his best ever butts was finished in the oven. In fact he over slept and the internal temp hit 208 and it was still the best ever. Like everyone says it's a forgiving hunk of meat. As far as temp swings go slow and steady is always best in my opinion, but not always possible, I personally smoke everything to internal temp taking all the guess work out of it producing always cosistsnt results. Al convinced me of that with his perfect ribs every time post. With an instant read Thermapen you can get an instant internal temp reading on everything you smoke.

Randy,


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## anvil (May 31, 2017)

When talking about cooking temps are we talking about temps at cook grate level or let say top of the smoker? I'm new and my smoker is running different temps at the cook grate (ok joes highland) I have gaskets and tunning/baffles but my cook grate temps(low) are no where near close to what the top of the smoker reads. Should I extend the chimney to grate level to try and even it out.. also I am using a water pan and Kingsford briquettes  and wood chunks for smoke?


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