# Major temp drop post crutch - why??



## Daebado (Apr 4, 2020)

So, I'm still fairly new to smoking but I've done a whole packer brisket once, ribs a couple of times, wings several times and had good luck with all of them.  I'm using a gas Smoke Hollow smoker if that matters.  This was my first attempt smoking a pork shoulder and I decided to try the Texas Crutch for the first time to reduced cooking time and get past the stall.

My smoker kept a fairly even 225-230 degrees despite it being a very windy day.  When the meat reached 150 degrees, I wrapped the shoulder in foil and put it back in.  I watched as the temp climbed nice and slow up to 186 where I took it back out of the foil and placed it back in the smoker to firm up the bark (I got this idea from several websites).  Once I did this, the temp started dropping about 1 degree every two minutes for the next hour.  It finally stabilized at 156...  only 6 degrees higher than when I wrapped it!!  What's worse was, now I had to go through the stall again!  This time, though the stall happened at a higher temp (right around 180 if I remember correctly) even though I raised the smoker temp to about 235.  It stayed at this temp for almost two hours and I got worried that my pork was drying out so I re-wrapped it and stuck it back in and was finally able to finish it.  8 lb shoulder took 18 hours!!

I use a Weber igrill to monitor temps in the smoker as well as the meat.  I used two probes in the meat to make sure I was getting an accurate reading and have my analog door gauge calibrated to my Weber probes for redundancy.  Sometimes I use two ambient probes on the igrill - one on two different racks just to make sure my readings are good.

I let the shoulder rest for about an hour and pulled it.  It was actually pretty good and I got a lot of compliments on it but this does not seem to be how the cook should have gone!  Has anyone out there had a similar experience?  Is this what I should expect to happen?  Is there a way to prevent this?  Does anyone have a clue as to why this would have happened?  A lot of questions, I know but I don't want to go through this experience again.  I'll stick to ribs, brisket and chicken before I'll suffer through all this again!

Thanks!


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## TNJAKE (Apr 4, 2020)

Once you wrap the meat cooks at a much higher temp as steam builds in the foil. After you unwrapped the meat is cooking at smoker temp again. Hence the rapid cooldown. I never unwrap to set bark on butts but if you feel the need to then I'd wait till the absolute end of cook. Hope this helps and goodluck on future smokes!


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## Winterrider (Apr 4, 2020)

I have experienced that also. Was curious as to why also. I was not under any time constrained so didn't really matter.


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## SecondHandSmoker (Apr 4, 2020)

What you experienced after unwrapping is called evaporative cooling.  This is due to the moisture that was drawn to the surface during wrapping is now evaporating and cooling the meat.
As Jake said above, once wrapped leave wrapped. Or don't wrap at all.


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## sawhorseray (Apr 4, 2020)

Great advise above from Jake and SHS! I never wrap, never in a rush, it's never done till it's done. RAY


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## SecondHandSmoker (Apr 4, 2020)

sawhorseray said:


> Great advise above from Jake and SHS! I never wrap, never in a rush, it's never done till it's done. RAY



Yep!  
No wrapping or spritzing here since all my butt smokes are overnighters.


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## smokeymose (Apr 4, 2020)

I wrap towards the end after the stall but leave it wrapped after that. It has all the "bark" I want by then and we don't care for hard bark....
It's also tidier to towel wrap in a cooler for an hour or so if it's still foiled.


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## daveomak (Apr 4, 2020)

Wrapping with foil or butcher paper eliminates the stall......  evaporative cooling....   Leave it wrapped until done.... ie.. 195-205 depending on how you want the meat finished.....  tender or pulled....
And the time at 195+ directly effects the tenderness....  longer=more tender......


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## Daebado (Apr 4, 2020)

Ok, thanks for the info everyone.  I'll have to look up those websites again that said to put it back on unwrapped and see what they have to say.
For now, looks like I will not be wrapping for at least the near future!


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## SecondHandSmoker (Apr 4, 2020)

On the interwebz, you'll find all sorts of blogs and "this is how I do it" type of advice that may  or may not be exactly correct.

At least here on SMF, you have members with many, many years of real world experience who will share their knowledge.  

Whatever you do, do not become discouraged from trying another PB smoke since it is one of the most easy and forgiving cuts to smoke. 

Heck, you are already there.  You have a good smoker and a good probe set up.  
Before you know it, you'll be doing overnight smokes where you won't even worry about the stall or wrapping  because your're too busy getting a good night's sleep.

I love the  of smell of butt...err...pork butt in the morning... with a cup of coffee.


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