Perfect Pulled Pork Part Deux

[Usernamevalid]

A couple weeks ago I tried meatheads PPP recipe for the first time. There's a post somewhere around here about it. In that cook, I did not use a water pan or the crutch, and cook temp was 225 until time started to run short. Eventually had to let the smoker have it's head and run up to around 270 so it'd be done in time. That cook had a total of 13.5lbs. of boneless Butt in two smaller cuts. I am guessing the larger one was around 7.5-8lbs.

Today is the next experiment. I have an 8.6lb bone-in butt on, same recipe. But today there is a water pan in place and plans to use the crutch. Cooking temp today is 235, the fridge has been humming along nicely for a couple of hours now.

I am very interested to see the differences in cook time (taking into account the larger cut of meat and bone-in), smoke flavor, moisture, flavor, and bark.

[Huskee]

Cool! Bark will vary depending on when you crutch. I personally like to go into the stall a good ways. Lately I've chosen to wrap around 170-180 or so as it's coming out of the stall. I used to wrap right at the start of the stall, but not anymore (although that will surely get you your quickest timing). You'll get better (IMO) flavor and bark from cutting into smaller butts, ~3-4lbers. Forgive me if you've already heard this before.

I think the flavor of a non-wrapped butt is slightly better, more water sweats out in effect concentrating the flavors more, while still retaining plenty of moisture for palatability.

[Usernamevalid]

You'll get better (IMO) flavor and bark from cutting into smaller butts, ~3-4lbers.

I will certainly try that next time around. it'll shorten the cooking time significantly as well. Thanks.

[Usernamevalid]

Well, it hit the stall at around 150 and took a couple hours to get to 160. I wanted 170, but don't feel like I can wait any longer so I had to wrap. Bark is about half and half.

[Usernamevalid]

I am very interested to see the differences in cook time, smoke flavor, moisture, flavor, and bark.

It took about the same amount of time as the last cook but this was a larger piece of meat. If I hadn't used the slightly higher temp and crutch, it would've been another hour to hour and a half. Once it hit temp I removed the wrap and put it back in to work on the bark. The bark was suspect. There were areas where it formed nicely, others where it was there but wet, and still others where it was removed when wrapped. Enough bark when the pork was pulled and mixed, but barely. If I'd had another half hour the wet stuff would've formed properly.

Smoke flavor and meat flavor was better than last time. I changed the way I put my smoke can on the burner.

Moisture was over the top. It was wet inside.