Boston Butt Bark?

[Medusa]

Good Morning!

This was my 1st real Boston Butt Cook. The Butt is 5lb, 1.7 oz. You can see by the chart below that the IT hit 196 @ 13:22 PM. I did not check it, because I wanted to push on to the Magic 203. At 13:32 PM it hit 198 but we're going for 203. The IT did not budge beyond 198 even after opening the vents (Exhaust = Full, Intake = 1/2) at 14:05PM. So you can see that at 15:30 it was coming off the cooker and going to the Bear Paws.

Here's my question. Do you think I should have pulled it around 14:30 ( an hour earlier ) because there was no change in IT, or did the extra time sitting on the cooker until 15:30 PM intensify the barkness? ( Check this word out - LOL!)

I didn't think any extra time would hurt it anyway, and dinner wasn't served until 6:30 PM. Held (after pulled and A-Foil covered) very nicely in the oven @170 for an hour, then mixed in the drippings and let it sit on the cooker (temp was slowly dropping as coals were spent) for the next 1 1/2 hour before serving.

Any insight grately appreciated. --Ed



FYI, needed the oven for this!

[DWCowles]

Beautiful!

[Medusa]

Thank you, Sir, for the compliment. --Ed

[RonB]

I would not worry about the temp too much. Cook until it's probe tender, or until the bone turns or pulls out, (if it's bone in), or a fork inserted in butt the twists easily. Enough time above 190*, (maybe even lower), will still get you where you want to go.

[Jerod Broussard]

I've never taken an UNWRAPPED butt to over 195 when running UNDER 250. They are plenty probe tender by then due to the time it took to climb that hill.

I have taken some to 203 unwrapped in the Pit Barrel running 275-350.

[Medusa]

Golden Info - thx!

[Jerod Broussard]

Good? That crap is golden like that dish I wanted to pull out the screen!!

[PaulstheRibList]

I confess. I seem to be a little relaxed on smoking Boston Butt's. I have never wrapped one.

What I have found that if I bring it to 203, it's pretty soft. The Money Muscle is too soft to slice, like they do in the competition boxes.

However, most of mine are pulled north of 200, the bark is dark, and I'm happy.

Another consequence of a late pull is some of the bark is a little too hard. I'm ok with that!

[Medusa]

Another consequence of a late pull is some of the bark is a little too hard. I'm ok with that!

Hear ya! Lucky for me, #1 is not a real fan of bark. What a Great Day! --Ed

[Danjohnston949]

Medusa, Great Looking Butt! 👍👍👍👍👍 I envy your Temp/Time Monitor! Like Jerod I usually turn the Heat Up at or just Prior to the Anticipated Stahl! Like Paul I rarely Wrap a Butt unless it's going in the faux cambro (I am doing this more often all the time)!
Eat Well and Prosper! From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan