Merry Christmas from Arkansas!

[Mosca]

Merry Christmas!

[Allon]

Happy new avatar!

[Washblue]

Merry Christmas…

There’s every school… from… Low and Slow… thru… Hot and Fast… or a combination…

If you were invited to one of my barbecues, and arrived just in time for the blessing… it would be a pure guess as to which method I used…

But here’s a hint…. I’m not into anything for 17 hours… except maybe a nap…

Looks like you have the long cooks settled… I’d suggest making setting changes and try another style…

Sealing a cooker is the last thing on my mind…. As I have cracks you can slide your hand in and have holes over much of the sides… Then there’s the thing of the door being cracked to give plenty of intake air…

I built my pit intentionally with a free flow of air…. I can provide any temperature… I can cook in a time where I’m not worn out and can enjoy the company of a barbecue…

I’d suggest your next pork butts cook at 300°… enough rise in temperature that should change your cook length…. Then decide if it made a difference in the product….

make sure you document it and let us know the results…. It will help others with the same cooker…

Again, Merry Christmas!

[realdocBBQ]

Agreed, I'd suggest maybe 250 until the stall, get plenty of smoke, which is very achievable on that Camp Chef, get a good bark (I spritz with 50/50 ACV/H20), then wrap tightly and bump your heat. In fact, I think I have found little to no difference between 225/250/275 at the beginning of the cook, except time. Personally. At least with pork butts.

And holding in a cambro for hours is no problem. In fact, if things are good and hot, and you wrap tightly immediately and put in the cambro, you can keep it a lot longer than you think. Remember, bacteria and pathogens are KILLED at higher temp - there are none left in there! If you put that thing in the cambro at 200F, it's *all*but*sterilized* at that moment and even if it drops below 150 for a while, it's not immediately going to become dangerous. I wouldn't leave it 2 days, but the bottom line is, most cooked foods can keep a good while even open on a stovetop and be fine. That in particular is not a good habit to get into (my wife's family leaves food loosely covered on the stove all day), but holding for 8-12h is in no way dangerous, in my mind, not for a large hunk you take right off the smoker and put immediately into the cambro.

Keep in mind, I am not a microbiologist, per se, but I have had formal training in both undergraduate AND graduate school specifically in the field, and deal with microbial pathogens and growth on pretty much a daily basis. In my considered opinion, keeping a well-cooked, well-wrapped pork butt in a faux cambro for 8-12h is minimal to no risk.

[Zman23]

Welcome to the Pit and Merry Christmas

[CHNeal]

Welcome and Merry Christmas!
As for butts I’ll tell you that in my opinion there is just no need to wrap a pork butt. I run them two 8-10 pounders per 22 inch kettle for 16 hours every single time. No probes no temp checks…it’s a pork butt, it’s done when the bone pulls free and at 180-200 that’s 16 hours on a weber.
Doesn’t make my way the right way just my way. It’s a no guess work no tech needed perfect pork butt that anyone can do.
Good luck with your quest, 1/2 the fun is the journey.

Clay

[Oakgrovebacon]

Welcome to the pit from Southern Illinois!

[ofelles]

Welcome to the Pit from the California Delta. You're getting very good advice already. Are you open to pellet cookers. They do a great job and many are within your budget.

[BKYDBBQ]

Welcome and Merry Christmas from White Stone, Va...

[mcook2201]

Merry Christmas and welcome from North Carolina.

[HawkerXP]

Merry Christmas and welcome to the Pit!

[RonB]

Merry Christmas and welcome to The Pit.

[Stuey1515]

Welcome from Oz

[DavidNorcross]

Welcome from Virginia and Merry Christmas!

[Rob Johnston]

Merry Christmas!

[Soonerpop]

Welcome from north Texas. You’ll figure it out and get plenty of help.