1st PBC Butt

[xaugievike]

All -

While I have smoked many a pork-butt in the past, I'm planning my 1st PBC version tomorrow.

Every PBC cook I've found so far on here wraps the butt at some point in the cook. In my previous cooks I tend not to wrap b/c I like getting the bark. However, with the PBC running a bit hotter will I risk drying the meat too much if I don't wrap it up?

Thanks in advance for your input/expertise. have a great weekend all.

[Steve R.]

The last butt I cooked was in the PBC the day after Thanksgiving. It does tend to run hot, but it's a humid heat. i didn't wrap and it wasn't dry at all.

[xaugievike]

noted. I didn't think it would be a major issue, but want to dot i's and cross t's

[fzxdoc]

Every single PB that I've cook on my PBC (and that's a lot) has never been wrapped or faux-cambroed, for that matter. I love the pig candy bark that the PBC helps produce. FWIW, I usually run my PBC at 270-290 for butt cooks.

Kathryn

[xaugievike]

Your input carries a lot of weight, Kathryn - thank you.

[HouseHomey]

Kathyrn... Nice Adjective.... perhaps one for the abbreviation page.

FC'd = Faux-Cambroed

[fzxdoc]

Good call, @HouseHomey!

K.

[RobertC]

I don't wrap and I don't think the results have been too dry. However, even though I double-hooked, twice I've had butts pull apart and fall. Even though it may be a sacrilege, I no longer hang butts and instead cook on the grate.

[fzxdoc]

I agree with RobertC that it's easy to lose a butt to the fire gods once they start to soften. I hang them until about 160°-170°F or so and then move them to the grate to finish up.

K.

[xaugievike]

I was just out there looking and I don't really see an advantage to hanging them....looks to me like the grate would have this shoulder pretty much at the same level as the hooks

[RobertC]

One advantage might be capacity, if you're cooking more than one; another might be evenness of cooking. Because I rarely cook more than one at a time, I just flip the butt after a couple of hours. If I were cooking more than one, I'd tie and hang -- but since I'm only cooking one, I grate.

[fzxdoc]

I like the self-basting notion as some of the moisture drips down the length of the pork butt before it hits the fire.

Kathryn

[HawkerXP]

Agree. I tie and hang. I also cambro.

[xaugievike]

Appreciate everyone's input. I'm going in!

[xaugievike]

Some finished product. As good as any I've ever made - however done far faster.

8lbs, done in 8hrs. High temp 323. Low 264. I'd say average was low 300.

[fzxdoc]

Whoa, baby, that's a beautiful pile 'o pork!

Congrats, xaugievike !

Kathryn

[DWCowles]

Fabulous!

[PJBowmaster]

Looks Damn Good!! As someone else around here says.....I'd eat that.

[HawkerXP]

Very nice!

[phoccer]

Nailed it! Nice job!