Pork Butt Foil or Paper Wrap?

[bbqLuv]

Got a Butt on my Traeger, I am wondering:
What is your preferred method, no wrap, wrap in foil, or wrap in paper? and why?

Thank you in advance.

[Lynn Dollar]

I prefer to go no-wrap. But I smoke butts on an offset stickburner and rarely can I keep feeding sticks for that long.

When I wrap, I go foil. The bark is not as important on a butt. Its gonna get mixed into the pulled product. And the reason to paper wrap a brisket is to preserve the bark. Paper breathes and at the same time stops the brisket from getting more smoke. Wrapping in foil also allows for some braizing of the pork butt, which speeds the cook .

[jayjordan]

Sorta wrap? My method is pull the butt off the Traeger at 165-170, put in a foil pan. Add some juice like apple or white grape. Brown sugar and pats of butter on top. Cover with foil and back on Traeger until temp of 205. Pour off accumulated liquid into a fat separator, rest the butter until it reaches a temperature you can handle the meat, then pull it. After pulling meat shake more rub over it and mix well. The take the juice with fat separated and add juice to the meat and mix. Repeat until satisfied with taste and moisture.
(Credit Matt Pittman Meat Church)

[Purc]

+1 on method. I smoke on either an OKJ Bronco or Weber Kettle with the SnS.

[Spinaker]

I only wrap once I have the color I like on the meat. I use foil so I can keep all them drippins' to add back to the pulled pork.

Why? I want bark! If you wrap too early, the bark gets soft or is underdeveloped.

[bbqLuv]

"keep all them drippins' to add back to the pulled pork" for the win.

[Spinaker]

You boys know what I am talking about. Save that liquid gold! Oak Smoke bbqLuv

[Sweaty Paul]

Concur with the boys above. Always save the juices and recycle them too!

[captainlee]

About an hour into the stall I put it in a ss pan with some apple juice and apple cider vinegar. Cover tightly with foil and let it go until finished. Long cooks have a tendency to dry out here.

[captainlee]

Absolutely!

[Spinaker]

ooooh, this is an interesting play. So interesting with the altitude. That is pretty cool.

[cruiseplanner1]

Exactly as you described but then I finish in the oven as my stick burner takes too long for that.

[Duanessmokedmeats]

I like to put it in a pan. Add 8oz of pineapple or pineapple/mango juice with 20oz can of chunked pineapple, cover with foil and finish to about 207IT.
Then let rest until @170IT. Shred in the juices and add sweet bbq sauce to taste.
I usually cook at @250 after covered.

Just to be sure you were talking about a pork butt, and not your own...

[Spinaker]

Wow, that sounds incredible. I'd love to see some pictures of that, when you have the time.

[gcdmd]

I usually find that wrapping my butt in foil is very uncomfortable, but my foil hat fits just fine and allows me to tune in to all alien frequencies, including Panhead John

[Panhead John]

Special hat needed to decipher my musings……🥸

[BKYDBBQ]

I am going to be another one that puts their butt in a disposable pan and cover with foil.

[Oak Smoke]

I haven’t gotten that old yet.

[bbqLuv]

That pampers your butt for sure.

[LA Pork Butt]

No wrap unless I am rushed for time then foil.

[jfmorris]

Put me in the no wrap camp - unless I have a time crunch, and need to finish faster. In that case, I will wrap in foil, but only AFTER the butt is up into the 160's or so, just to push through the end of the cook faster. I was always told you need to wrap tightly, ever since learning to smoke back in the 90's, so have not tried the pan approach some mention.

Every time I wrap, I find the bark does suffer. But the BBQ ends up being nice and juicy - maybe juicier than when not wrapped.

[bbqLuv]

my wife prefers juicy and softer bark, therefore I'm a wrapper.

[Lynn Dollar]

I've done the aluminum half pan as a wrap. Basically, its braizing the pork butt to get it tender. It does provide a chance to add more flavors i.e more rub, butter, brown sugar, etc.

Although, when I've done it, its not provided much au jus without adding some apple juice. I've left most of my au jus in the bottom of the pit. Matt Pittman adds a white grape peach juice, I might try that.

I will probably try it again,

[DavidNorcross]

I am in the camp to wait longer on the bark before I wrap. I typically will go as high as 175 and then wrap in foil.

[J-Melt]

I really like doing a foil boat for pork butts. I don’t really like how it comes out with a foil wrap, but the boat works well.

[bbqLuv]

Haven't tried the boat method yet. I'll keep it on mind.

[Duanessmokedmeats]

Spinaker Here are the pics you requested.

[bbqLuv]

Nice, Pork and pineapple go together.

[Spinaker]

Wow! I bet that is incredible. Thank you for sharing. Do you drain any of the liquid or do you just pull it all and serve it?

[Duanessmokedmeats]

Spinaker Just pull it and serve. Usually it sits overnight in the fridge, so the juices do soak in more. Then I reheat.

[Sweaty Paul]

I do it both ways depending on the amount of time I have. If I wrap I use foil because I want all of the deliciousness.

[Cryptidbbq]

Add another for pan. I add a mixture of my aji Amarillo mop and pineapple/mago juice and cover with foil.

[bbqLuv]

aji Amarillo? Had to look it up. Thanks.

[Cryptidbbq]

bbqLuv, yeah, amazing Peruvian chili. Fruity and a nice heat. I use it in conjunction with tamarind, mustard powder and a few other spices in my ACV mop/sauce.

[fzxdoc]

No wrap here, unless a special flavor profile is desired, like Korean Pulled Pork.

Kathryn