Forgetting to poke hole in foil

[GerryC]

Newbie here.  I was out last evening, but my wife wanted to try her first pork butt. It was put in around 11 pm and by the time I got home it was smoking nicely.  She managed everything with the thermometer, probe, etc. This morning I asked her if she checked the drip pan to see how full it is.  She freaked out and said she forgot to puncture the foil drip hole.  I tried to poke it a bit from underneath and got a greasy pencil back, but I'm not sure it fully punctured the foil. I really am reluctant to open the door and ruin the process.  Is it just a more messy clean up or should I definitely open and try to puncture the hole almost 9 hours in?  Thanks!

Gerry

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[BedouinBob]

Hey Gerry. Don't sweat it at this point. That far in the smoke you are going to get is already done. And the mess you may have to clean up is already pretty much done. I would leave it alone at this point.

[GerryC]

I punctured it again from below and a lot of grease came out.  Now the big problem is how long it is taking.  9lb butt on for 17 hours at 225 and meat temp is only at 166.  Maverick was reading 195 to 220 so I bumped the temp up a bit, but still never going to be ready by the time guests arrive.  Oh well.

[DivotMaker]

Man, "been there, done that!"  On one of my early butts, on at midnight, I did it!  Didn't realize it until smoker was almost up to temp.  I did the same thing - poke from below.  Never happened since!

What temp are you smoking at now?  Personally, I always use 235 for butts.  Kills a little of the time, with no bad effects.  At this point, I'd bump to 250 to get it up in the high 180's (188-190), wrap/rest and call it good!

[GerryC]

Thanks all.  Going on 22 hours and temp is now at 182.  Ordered Chinese take-out for dinner.  Guess I'll be eating pulled pork for breakfast!!  Question - how long can I rest it in the smoker without ruining it?  I'm presuming it will be temp before bed so I can either wrap and put in color or drop smoker temp and wrap it and put it back in smoker.  Will it be ok if I wait till morning to take it out and pull?  This is a first for me and I'm trying to figure out how forgiving the process is before attempting for guests.

Gotta learn somehow.

Gerry

[GerryC]

Hit 190 at 11:00 (24 hours).  Pulled, wrapped and placed in cooler. This morning opened it up, and it was still warm. Shredded everything and served with with two eggs on a roll. Tasty!

Should I expect 24 hours each time? It was placed high in the smoker, should we do a lower shelf next time?  Any input would be appreciated.

Sorry for upside down pic!

Gerry

[BedouinBob]

Gerry, 2 hours per pound is not surprising. The thing is that all roasts are different. Depending on the fat content of the cut, etc. the time it takes for the "magic" to happen in the stall varies. I wouldn't do a lower shelf as you get more temp fluctuations there. You can try 235 if you used a lower temp that would also affect the smoke.

[RSNovi]

When I do butts at 225 they typically take about 20 hours.  I kind of like it so I can put them on the evening before and they are ready for dinner the next day.

[NDKoze]

When I do butts at 225 they typically take about 20 hours.  I kind of like it so I can put them on the evening before and they are ready for dinner the next day.

+1 I still use 225 not because I have a problem with 235, but instead because of timing. I put my butts on at 11:00PM-12:00AM and they are typically ready around 12:00-3:00 give or take. Every piece of meat is different. You can pull and rest butts for 6+ hours with little to no affect. After 6 hours the butt will still most likely be too hot to pull by hand.

[Limey]

+2 that is my timing also.