# My second butt



## fileip (Aug 14, 2017)

20170728_211607.jpg



__ fileip
__ Aug 14, 2017






Didnt get the really crusty surface i wanted. Didnt really like the fatty blobs of fat and tendon sheats inside - do you ever trim it away afterwards?

Also problem with temp spikes up to 290-300 and having real trouble lowering it. If i just close upper and lower vent the temp stalls for seemingly hours. Tips?


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## dirtyruss (Aug 14, 2017)

What did you smoke this on, and for how long at what temp.....big globs of fat and tendon usually tells me it was pulled before it broke down into gelatin.


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## noboundaries (Aug 14, 2017)

Looks undercooked in the pic.  More information on your technique, time, and meat internal temps would help for tips. 

Your Kamado-type grill/smoker is fine.  Temp spikes with butts are no problem at all.  I've smoked butts from 225F to north of 350F and they come out delicious. 

As far as your chamber temp, how often were you opening the lid?  Every time you do, it is like throwing gasoline on a fire, only in this case, it is air.  Same effect.  My smoker will cruise alone for hours at say 225F, but as soon as I open the lid to check something, the temp will spike and take a while to come back down.  Even with my temp control blower it can overstimulate the fire if I'm not careful how I set it. 

Fill in the details and your next one will be perfect.


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## fileip (Aug 14, 2017)

Smoked it on a broil king keg for about 8 hours in total. First 2 hours smokewood, initially quite cold temp around 175 with a lot of smoke but had to relight the coal.after wrapping it in foil after about 4 hours temp spiked (maybe because no mor dripping on the diffuser?) To about 290. Continus until internal temp 201F and then pulled it apart after anoit one hor rest


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## noboundaries (Aug 14, 2017)

Wrapping it in foil you won't get the crusty surface, aka bark.  For a while I would let the internal temp reach 180F before I wrapped.  Soft bark, but better than wrapping at the stall.  Now I don't wrap at all. 

203F-207F is generally the range for pulled pork.  I do prefer mine at 201F, but I don't wrap in foil at all so that the fat can render free.  I do get a crispy bark. 

Next time, try not wrapping.  Set the smoker at 225-250F and walk away for at least an hour per pound.  No looking, no peeking, no worries.  If you have a wireless thermometer, like a Maverick, you can insert the meat probe after the hour per pound.  If you are just using a meat thermometer, check the internal temp of the meat.  It should be around the end of the stall, high 160s to 170sF.  You can crank the chamber temp up now to 275-300F, figuring 6-10 degrees internal temp per hour until finished.  

I prefer the bite at 201F.  I don't like mushy pulled pork, and haven't come across it yet at 201F.  I have had mushy at slightly higher temps. 

Hurry up and eat this one so you can do another!  

Ray


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## fileip (Aug 14, 2017)

Thank you for your advice! My first butt i did with water in the diffuser but quit that because it felt like i was just steaming it. Must be the same with foil i presume. I will give it a new go. I have had the termometer inserted the whole time- maybe it transfers heat and give a false high reading after a few hours


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## fileip (Aug 20, 2017)

My third try at 
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/267095/third-butt-pork-collar#post_1742946

Hardly any gunk! No wrap. It must have melted away which probably confirms what you said Ray/Noboundaries! Thank you!


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