Just getting started question

[mrteddyprincess]

What I wish I knew about pork butt when I first started: I had a fear that I would overcook a pork butt and make it tough. One would have to try very hard to overcook a pork butt. If the pork butt is tough it's most likely undercooked. 225 F is a made-up number. The pit cooks at what the pit cooks and it's individual for each pit. All good advice above. One of my pits cooks better 275-350 F and I roll with that. For me, pork butts are a 5-8 hour cook with no wrap. I wrap in foil when they are done and keep them in a cooler for a few hours and that softens the bark up. They generally fall apart when I go to pull them. Best wishes to you and welcome to the site!

Brian
Indiana

[jfmorris]

shepner Not sure if any one else has addressed this, but you asked where to put the meat probe when smoking a Boston butt. Most of my butts are bone in, 8-10 pounders, from Sam's Club. I always insert the probe into the CENTER of the butt, typically from the opposite end as the bone. I am trying to measure it in the vertical center of the meat, with respect to the grate.

I will say that on my kamado, I also have to be careful with placement of the ambient temperature probe, and make sure that it stays above the deflector (plate setter), and I also run the probe wires over one of the legs of the deflector too. There are hot spots around the perimeter of the kamado that can throw your readings off. Interestly, unlike some of my other cookers, I've found that the vertical temperature is pretty even on both the main cooking grate and elevated cooking grate in my kamado (a SNSGrills Deluxe Kamado). I attribute that to the fact that once that ceramic comes up to temperature, things are pretty even inside.

As others have said, don't get hooked on cooking at 225. I tend to run my pulled pork and brisket closer to 275 these days, and there is nothing wrong with increasing the temperature to get done with the cook, and I have done that - up to 325 or so. The higher temps can result in tougher bark however.

Last thing - on wrapping. I never ever wrap butts. They have such a high fat content I've not found it necessary. I do wrap brisket in foil after the stall (around 170), to avoid drying out the flat.

[shepner]

Good point on the relation to the deflector. Will have to play with that. For the meat probe, I did go from the opposite end like you mentioned but went a little higher because I was worried that the end might hit the bone once I got it in far enough to close the lid.

[shepner]

I also agree on the even temp regardless the height. We do 40lb of chicken breast each month for dog food. With both racks in there, I can do ~10lb worth each time and they all evenly cook at the same rate which is better then I can say for the oven

[JCBBQ]

Ditto what others have said. I’ll also add, at least with my Primo and I suspect w all kamados, the smoke is better at 275. These cookers are so efficient that the wood tends to smolder at lower temps rather than burn. 275 is mo’ bettah. Also, I’ve cut up the two boneless pork butts I get at Costco into 6 pieces. Cuts the cook time down around 7 hrs.

[shepner]

I was kinda amazed at how little fuel was used during that run. I had really filled it up beforehand and only lit it in one spot. It barely used a third of what I put in there tho it did need a bit of stirring before I could raise the temp at the end.

...Course, I notice it also can also really burn through it too when I open it up. Used prolly half of what was left grilling burgers for my lunch these last couple days.