# Boston butt, to foil or not to foil?



## fatty patty

Ok, mastered ribs, on to Boston butt. I won't touch my ribs with foil but seems to be best way to seal in juices/flavor during last few hours on smoker when smokin' up a big pork shoulder. What ya'll think about this?


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## dirtsailor2003

I don't foil. Never had a problem with the pork being dry. I do foil and let rest for a hour prior to pulling.


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## WaterinHoleBrew

Like Case, I don't foil either.... Like the bark too much !  No issues with dryness....


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## grillmonkey

Hi Fatty...or is it Patty? Anyway, I believe in foil, and high heat for butts. But, for everyone who believes this, there is an alternate universe where someone believes the opposite. I think it really comes down to what you like to do, and flavor and texture are practically indiscernible if either method is done correctly.

The benefits of high heat and foil is time and fuel saved. If you have an electric smoker, and time doesn't matter then low and slow is great. I could write a book on the different opinions I've read just in this one forum on the subject.

My last butt smoke (2 8-pounders) I cooked on my SFB for 4 hours to smoke'em up, then wrapped them in foil and put them in my ancient electric smoker overnight. It was low and slow, but I had plenty of time and it was great. However, the exact same results can be had hot and fast. Look through the forums, or better yet, use the search box at the top of the page and you'll see what I mean.


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## geerock

I never foil....and I smoke at higher temps.  Butts / shoulders have plenty of moisture and fat to keep them moist and flavorful.  After years of smoking I've gone to as easy as possible.  Rub it up, throw it on at 280 or so, get up to temp, then wrap to rest.  If I'm feeling energetic I may spritz a couple times but I usually don't like opening the chamber if possible.


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## curtisg43228

I've done both, seems like it comes down to the texture of the bark. I normally wrap everything except for chicken, it is said to steam and retain its own moisture. But after I was stuck out in a beautiful lightning show one night in the rain with my beer and tongs in hand because of the dreaded stall (first time for that) I will wrap chicken as well. From what I understand wrapping your meat helps prevent this from happening.


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## damon555

I'm lazy....Once the meat is on the smoker it doesn't get touched until it's done. Then it gets wrapped for a nice long rest.


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## heubrewer

Pastrami, brisket, pulled pork, I did not foil. Judging from other posts it does increase cooking time but I have no issue with them being dried out. 

Next is BB ribs without foil

Equipment electric 30" MES


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## 3montes

I usually pan and wrap once the internal hits 165 or 170. Then put back on until 205 and then in the cooler to rest.

I do this to catch all those great juices. Things really start to break down at 165 and I hate to lose all those juices. They usually have been on the smoker 6 to 8 hours before they reach that temp so you have plenty of smoke and bark by that point.

I do however fold a corner of the foil back to let some steam escape.


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## frosty

Even when I don't wrap it is not dry.  I do normally pan, mine.  The juices enhance so many  different dishes.  I don't get the bark that I like, but the home boss  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






  likes her pulled pork softer so that is apparently how I prefer it as well. . . . . .

Either way, good luck.


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## grillmonkey

See what I mean? Of the responders to just this one thread, it is evenly split.


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## knifebld

Like Frosty, I pan mine but do not cover. I get to keep all the juices while being able to smoke other stuff on my second rack. Might be sacrificing some bark...but good enough for me and the fam :)













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__ knifebld
__ Jul 30, 2014


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## mdboatbum

I look forward to your threads on charcoal vs gas, favorite bbq sauces and lump vs briquettes.


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## padronman

Never foil here!!!


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## chef willie

no foil normally unless I screwed up and got a late start and want to hurry things along. I do pan, but underneath on it's own rack, to catch drippings. The drips are good mixed back into the meat and being lazy I hate drippins all over the bottom of the smoker I gotta clean up, usually the next day when not under the influence and it's a congealed mess....Willie


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## timberjet

I foiled the last one due to the time, it was the wee hours and I was going down fast. It was great. But I do love me some bark, so the next one naked. I love the juices so I suspend butts on an inverted rib rack over an aluminum pan. Keeps her up out of the grease.













home owner butt.jpg



__ timberjet
__ Jul 26, 2014


















halfway there 1.jpg



__ timberjet
__ Jul 27, 2014


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## ibbones

I do not foil my butts.  In fact, I have a 10.38 pounder on the smoker now (for the weekend) and I put it on about 8:45 this morning and it will not be done till later tonight.  Pull it after a rest and then throw it in the fridge.  Going camping with the grandkids so tomorrow night we will have Pulled Pork Sammies.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   They love'em.


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## disco

Unlike the other responses, I don't have a preference. To me, they are like two different dishes. I really like the texture of the meat when it is foiled and it still has a nice bark. When I don't foil, I get a great bark but the texture isn't as good as foiled. However, the texture is great with unfoiled and the bark is great with foiling just not as good as the alternative. 

I make whichever one I feel like.

Disco


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## knifebld

This is a fun thread...got me wanting to test out both foiled and unfoiled and compare results. Just called my butcher and reserved 4x 9lbs butts. Gonna take two for the test and cure the other two for pulled ham in a few weeks.


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## disco

knifebld said:


> This is a fun thread...got me wanting to test out both foiled and unfoiled and compare results. Just called my butcher and reserved 4x 9lbs butts. Gonna take two for the test and cure the other two for pulled ham in a few weeks.


We await your post!

Disco


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## aceoky

I never foil (not even to rest) don't dread the stall and see no reason to mess up the bark  JMO and $.02


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## pgsmoker64

I foiled for the first time ever on my last Butt smoke.  The results were good but I really like the bark, so I am playing with a way to speed up the cook with foil and still get some bark on that meat!

When I do baby back ribs I foil after 2 hours for 1.5 hours then back on the smoker nekid for 1.5 hours.  This firms up the bark on the ribs so I'm thinking doing this with the butts will do the same.

I'll let you know how it goes, or you can do this for yourself.  The important thing is to monitor the internal temp and pull the butts at around 195 to 200 IT.

Happy Smokin'

Bill


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## flash

I did a foil, no foil a week ago.













Butt wrapped10006 (2).JPG



__ flash
__ Aug 1, 2014






Butt Foiled













Unwrapped Butt 010015.JPG



__ flash
__ Aug 1, 2014






Butt, not foiled. Definitely a better bark.

But I gotta say, I liked the wrapped butt due to more juiciness













Butt wrapped 010008 (2).JPG



__ flash
__ Aug 1, 2014






Not as much with the unwrapped butt. The unwrapped butt was still plenty moist, just not as much.

In my opinion, I would still wrap, but wait as long as you can. I normally wrap at 165 to 170º. Now I will shoot more for 180º or so.

Oh and to add, both these butts had 75% of the fat cap removed before smoking.


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## timberjet

I just had an idea. I think the next one I do I will cut a small roast off one end and use it not wrapped just for the bark to mix in with the other one. What do you guys think about that? I usually do naked Butts almost every time. But I really do like the extra moisture that foiling provides. The best of both worlds?


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## grillmonkey

Flash said:


> I did a foil, no foil a week ago.
> 
> But I gotta say, I liked the wrapped butt due to more juiciness
> 
> Not as much with the unwrapped butt
> 
> In my opinion, I would still wrap, but wait as long as you can. I normally wrap at 165 to 170º. Now I will shoot more for 180º or so.


So Flash, you've got to tell me; doesn't the unwrapped butt bark get soft after it's pulled and mingles with the moist meat? You have to see my thread:  
[h1]Why dry rub? Why not just season the pulled pork after it's cooked?[/h1]
It seems that bark would just be seasoning after the pork is pulled and it mixes with the meat. If I'm wrong, tell me why the bark is so important. What does it do, specifically, to the overall flavor of the pulled pork that seasoning after it's cooked doesn't do.


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## timberjet




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## grillmonkey

timberjet said:


>


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## timberjet

Just pitching some crud on ya. Hahahahaha...... I am a real bad smart a$$ I know. You should just try it for yourself and see. It seems no one really has a good explanation for you.


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## flash

Grillmonkey said:


> So Flash, you've got to tell me; doesn't the unwrapped butt bark get soft after it's pulled and mingles with the moist meat? You have to see my thread:
> [h1]Why dry rub? Why not just season the pulled pork after it's cooked?[/h1]
> It seems that bark would just be seasoning after the pork is pulled and it mixes with the meat. If I'm wrong, tell me why the bark is so important. What does it do, specifically, to the overall flavor of the pulled pork that seasoning after it's cooked doesn't do.


 I would say the spices and rubs create the bark, thus the reason some rubs don't do as well. Of course there is no reason you cannot season the pork after you finish.

Does the bark get softer. yes, in either one, once you start "mingling" the meat as you call it.  My normal procedure is to wrap and bump the smoker temps up, again to speed up the cooking time. Could not do this with the unwrapped butt in there too.  I am sure you could though, probably creating even more bark on the unwrapped butt.


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## grillmonkey

timberjet said:


> Just pitching some crud on ya. Hahahahaha...... I am a real bad smart a$$ I know. You should just try it for yourself and see. It seems no one really has a good explanation for you.


I have a real bad smarta$$ problem too. I meant to imply that you were the crybaby, not that I was crying. But your right; some things just can't be explained, it just is. I'm thinking of trying a barked butt this weekend. Hopefully, I too will become a convert and post a huge apology on that thread and try to ask everyone to forgive me for my unforgivable ignorance.


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## flash

Grillmonkey said:


> I have a real bad smarta$$ problem too. I meant to imply that you were the crybaby, not that I was crying. But your right; some things just can't be explained, it just is. I'm thinking of trying a barked butt this weekend. Hopefully, I too will become a convert and post a huge apology on that thread and try to ask everyone to forgive me for my unforgivable ignorance.


 I am guessing you don't think the bark really adds flavor?? Is that your point?  My wife would bonk you on the head at 30 paces with a beer bottle if she heard you say that.


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## grillmonkey

Flash said:


> I am guessing you don't think the bark really adds flavor?? Is that your point?  My wife would bonk you on the head at 30 paces with a beer bottle if she heard you say that.


No. Not my point. I have not smoked pulled pork with dry rub, creating a bark. The question is, is the bark necessary if it just gets blended into the meat when you pull it? Why can't the seasoning used to make the bark just get added to the meat after it's pulled? I'm going to try it sometime, maybe next weekend. Maybe cut a butt in half and rub one half and do the other one my way...see which one the crowd likes best. If the barked butt wins, I'll make a public apology and ask everyone to forgive my ignorance.


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## flash

Grillmonkey said:


> No. Not my point. I have not smoked pulled pork with dry rub, creating a bark. The question is, is the bark necessary if it just gets blended into the meat when you pull it? Why can't the seasoning used to make the bark just get added to the meat after it's pulled? I'm going to try it sometime, maybe next weekend. Maybe cut a butt in half and rub one half and do the other one my way...see which one the crowd likes best. If the barked butt wins, I'll make a public apology and ask everyone to forgive my ignorance.


Well since I have dinner coming on, I will give you this:

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/bark.html


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## timberjet

Flash said:


> I am guessing you don't think the bark really adds flavor?? Is that your point?  My wife would bonk you on the head at 30 paces with a beer bottle if she heard you say that.


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