1st smoke with my 3D, pork butt took forever

[volscrazy65]

I started with a 6 lb butt from Sam's and used Divot's brine for 10 hrs.  I set my 3D to 225 and cut off at 195.  Fired it up at 7 am with 4 oz of hickory and 2 oz of cherry (Smokinlicious).  I used a pan of water and put the butt high in the smoker.  I was planning on maybe 12 hrs but it took 17.5 to reach 190 so I was pulling pork at like 2 in the morning!  I've read on here that smaller cuts take longer, no idea why, but that long?  It came out great, very good bark and moist.  The only complaint other than taking forever is there wasn't very much of a smoke taste, none on the deep meat.  Please advise.

 

[Glock_21]

I discovered the same thing about smoke times when I received my #3.  I had a similar experience on my first smoke.  The pork was no where close to done when it was time to eat.  We ended up having burgers.  The smoke times seemed excessive.  I asked lots of questions.  I eventually realized that things just took longer in the #3.  17 - 19 hours for a pork butt is not uncommon for my #3.  I have just learned to plan accordingly.

 

[stout]

i've done a few butts in my 3d smallest was 9 pounds largest was 12 they all worked out to right around and hour and forty minutes per pound

i am as far from an expert as you can get on the smokin-it but you're time seems really excessive for that size.. did you open the door during cooking at all?

 

[RSNovi]

9 lb butts at 225 degrees often take over 20 hours for me.

 

[jcboxlot]

Too small a butt.  If you have a butcher shop try asking for a 10+ lb one.

Figure the meat is done getting smoke at 3 hours into or 140 internal temp.  Its just the nature of the "can" we use. 

Heck, after 5 or 6 hours you might as well put in the oven or a crock pot!

As for smoke taste?  Maybe try a tad more wood or a thicker tasting wood.  Each has their own preference. 

 

[volscrazy65]

i've done a few butts in my 3d smallest was 9 pounds largest was 12 they all worked out to right around and hour and forty minutes per pound

i am as far from an expert as you can get on the smokin-it but you're time seems really excessive for that size.. did you open the door during cooking at all?

No, never opened the door.

 

[JustChillin]

I cooked two butts a couple of weeks ago in my #2 at 225 and it took a little over 16 hours. They were 7 & 9 pounds. Patience is the key to success.

 

[Joe C]

I did my first smoke last night on my 4D. I noticed that the PID controller was pulsing the element while the temperature was still far below the target. I don't remember the exact temp but I thought that it was really taking a long time to get up to temperature and the pulsing wasn't helping any. Perhaps the PID is trying too hard to avoid overshooting the target?

 

[SuperDave]

I did my first smoke last night on my 4D. I noticed that the PID controller was pulsing the element while the temperature was still far below the target. I don't remember the exact temp but I thought that it was really taking a long time to get up to temperature and the pulsing wasn't helping any. Perhaps the PID is trying too hard to avoid overshooting the target?

That is exactly right Joe.  The pulsing on my #4 starts about 40 degrees below target.  45 minutes to an hour is a standard start to set temp time for these smokers. 

 

[ibbones]

John, glad your Butt turned out good.  I like to smoke a lot of Butts.  I now throw them into a brine which (I think) makes them cook faster but the biggest helper I do is I put them in the smoker about 11:00-12:00am the night before and let them smoke all night and into the next day.  Some are ready about 10:00am and some take until about 2:00-3:00pm.  It's really easy to keep them warm until supper time and no waiting for it to get ready.

 

[volscrazy65]

John, glad your Butt turned out good.  I like to smoke a lot of Butts.  I now throw them into a brine which (I think) makes them cook faster but the biggest helper I do is I put them in the smoker about 11:00-12:00am the night before and let them smoke all night and into the next day.  Some are ready about 10:00am and some take until about 2:00-3:00pm.  It's really easy to keep them warm until supper time and no waiting for it to get ready.

Michael, maybe a silly question but how do you check the temps on multiple butts without opening the door?  Do you have something fancy with multiple probes?  I just have the one that came with my 3D.
 

 

[JustChillin]

John, I use an Auber an Auber 1200 pdh and a Thermoworks DOT for the second butt. It works well for me and they are pretty inexpensive..

 

[stout]

you could also set your smoker to 250 .. leave it empty .. hang your temp monitor through the hole so it is just there hanging around the middle of the cavity and see if it also reads 250, or close. just incase the pid is off a bit .. then you will know better how to adjust your cooking temps.

i know for example my house stove gets about 50 degrees hotter than you actually set it for so when we use it we adjust accordingly..

it is possible for a sensor to be off in one direction or another for plenty of reasons i'm sure

 

[volscrazy65]

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

[ibbones]

John, glad your Butt turned out good.  I like to smoke a lot of Butts.  I now throw them into a brine which (I think) makes them cook faster but the biggest helper I do is I put them in the smoker about 11:00-12:00am the night before and let them smoke all night and into the next day.  Some are ready about 10:00am and some take until about 2:00-3:00pm.  It's really easy to keep them warm until supper time and no waiting for it to get ready.

Michael, maybe a silly question but how do you check the temps on multiple butts without opening the door?  Do you have something fancy with multiple probes?  I just have the one that came with my 3D.

John, when I get one to the temp, or close to it, I open the door and have another thermometer to probe the other one.  They are usually very close to each other.

 

[Northener]

Mine always take 16-18 hrs. To get It 195. In the #1 or #2. Doesn't matter  I wet brine all butts which many here claim to shorten smoke times, not my experience. All my butts are 8-9 lbs.

 

[volscrazy65]

My second butt went much different.  It was the second butt out of a Sam's Club twin pack, a little over 6 lb.  I did it over night set at 235 instead of 225, cut off at 195.  Where the first but took 17.5 hrs to reach 190, this one took 10.25 hrs to reach 190.  The first butt was cap down, this one was cap up.  It's resting in the cooler as I type. 

Question.  Where do you guys put the probe?  The first smoke, I put in in the side with the bone which is a little bigger.  I was worried about being too close to the bone.  This one, I put in on the other side of the separation without the bone.

 

[SuperDave]

Looks good John.  I told you that 10 degrees would make a heck of a difference in time. 

 

[stout]

i play putting the probe in by ear ..

just where ever seems to be furthest away from the bone in the center

 

[Soopagloo]

I had the same problem with my first pork butt. Checked my remote probe in boiling water and confirmed 212. Turns out the PID probe reads 10 degrees colder than actual temp. I'm running the 3d at 235 as we speak and remote is holding at 225. My first one was a 10 pounder and took almost 25 hours to hit 190. This one is a 9 pounder and is at 192 degrees 14 hours in. Going to pull it at 198 for the rest. As far as the PID, I need to dig up the manual and see if there's a way to calibrate it.