Pork Butt Smoke Time

[Big Red Home Smoker]

Hello everyone,

It has been awhile since I last posted anything.  Not that I've not been using my smoker lately as I've had great smokes of salmon, ribs, chicken, wild turkey breast and pork butt.

I just completed smoke of an 8lb pork butt yesterday.  This was by far my best pork butt smoke.  This thing was as juicy and tender as could be.....the bone just slide out without any effort and pulling it was effortless.  Had a nice faux smoke ring and with excellent bark.  The most important variable.....taste was excellent.  I attached a few pics....the only thing missing from my pics is the very cold bottle of beer I had with the pulled pork sandwich!

I incorporated all the typical things like:
- Brined using DivotMaker's brine recipe for 14 hrs.  Changed the recipe slightly - to 1/2 cup kosher salt instead of 1 1/8 cups. Added 3/4 cup Tender Quick for a faux smoke ring and tenderization.
- Slathered the butt in mustard (new step for me) before adding the rub.  I do this on ribs and now I'm a believer in adding this step to my pork butts.  I think this adds so much to getting a great bark and retention of moisture.
- Added "Memphis Dust" rub recipe and let the rub settle in for 14 hours in the fridge.
- Set the Auber/PID at 230 degrees and smoked w/3 oz. apple wood and 3 oz. hickory wood.
- Added apple juice to side tin foil pan for moisture.
- Smoked on the second rack from the top.
- Trimmed fat cap, etc. and smoked with the fat cap down.
- Turned up the heat from 230 degrees to 235 degrees after 18 hours.
- Pulled the butt from the smoker at an IT of 197 degrees......after 25 hours in the smoker.
- Wrapped the butt in foil/towel/cooler w/a little apple juice for 45 minutes after pulling it from the smoker.

My big question is regarding the total smoke time.  This rather smallish pork butt (8lbs.) remained in my model three for 25 hours before the IT reached 197 degrees!  It was beautiful weather here so no concerns about too much wind, humidity, coldness, etc.  My previous pork butt also took a very long time......actually pulled that one too early as this last butt was so much more tender and juicy.

I read in this forum that most everyone's pork butts are completed so much faster.  I start getting concerned thinking I'm burning the %^$#! out of my pork butt.  Was all I had not to open the smoker after about 20 hours to peek and make sure it was not a burned up mess, but I didn't.   

Any thoughts or similar experiences regarding pork butt smokes taking so long?  Or.....is this just the personality of my particular Model 3?  I don't seem to have this issue with other meat smokes.  I think my times are pretty consistent with others when I smoke ribs, chicken, salmon, brisket, etc.

Thanks,

Terry

 

[DivotMaker]

Hi Terry - good to see you again!

That IS a really long time, for an 8 lb butt!  You might want to check your box temp, to see if it's right.  I smoke butts at 235, and they pretty much always take 1 to 1.5 hrs/lb!  That should have been a 12-16 hour cook, at best!

It looks fantastic! 

 

[Big Red Home Smoker]

Good thought Tony.  I'll check the box temp measuring from the Auber/PID against another temp monitor.  I know the Auber/PID is spot on regarding IT temps as I have tested it against my Maverick and both are always within one degree of each other.  I'm thinking the box temp from the Auber/PID will show good as I just don't seem to have this issue of lengthy smokes with other types of meats.

There were a few differences I see based on some of your targets.  I did the majority of the smoke at 230 degrees vs. your 235 degrees.  I see in a few of your posts that you typically pull at an IT of 190 degrees vs. the 197 degree pull temp I used on this smoke.

I'm sure those add to my overall time but to your point, I just don't see how they would add up to a total smoke time of 25 hours.

I wanted to pull no sooner than an IT of 197 degrees on this smoke after reading of many others targeting that temp.  I think this added to the overall tenderness of this smoke so I'll probably use that as a guide again.

This is a head scratcher for me.  I'll try the box temp test as you suggested and see if that provides any answers.

Thanks,

Terry

 

[DivotMaker]

That was just my first thought, Terry.  I forgot you were using an Auber, so the box temp should be pretty close.  Yeah, I pull mine out around 190, after a lot of experimentation with different temps.  Once it gets through the stall, and starts climbing, the tenderizing magic is done, so upper 180s/low 190s is fine.  The meat will be tender and moist, and fully cooked.

This one may have just been an anomaly!  Meat is not always predictable!  Unfortunately, it's made by animals, and their quality control sometimes sucks! ;D ;D  Those pigs!!