Started my first Boston Butt last night at midnight. Used apple juice for injection them rubbed with Jan's rub. Cooked at 200* for 8 1/2 hours but internal temp is only 151 so I just cranked it up to 230 to try and get internal temp up to 180 before FTCing for 4-6 hours. Any suggestions? (http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/Cobra7_01/image-11.jpg) (http://s527.photobucket.com/user/Cobra7_01/media/image-11.jpg.html)
FTC with some apple juice
Stop increasing the heat. You are entering the stall stage that breaks down the tissue and makes it fall apart. Don't rush things. It is done when you reach your desired internal temp - I take mine to 185. Can't rush perfection or its not gonna be perfect.
I always do 2 at a time and figure it to take 24 hours. Patience.
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Don't rush it! You are still hours away from the butt getting to the 185-200 IT. The butt is going to "stall" meaning the IT will not rise and may even drop a degree or two for a couple of hours. Don't try to push the IT into going up again. During the "stall" is when all of the connective tissues in the butt begin to break down and will release moisture which is what causes the IT to "stall". The breakdown of the tissues contributes to what causes the butt to pull nicely. It will eventually start to rise again. The butt is done when the butt says it is. I've had them take as long as 26 hours. It's all up to the pig.
Oops! Sorry Indy.
So should I decrease temp back to 200??? Thanks for the help.
You're ok at 230. Just don't bump it any higher.
Good luck and keep it going. You will be rewarded with the patience you will have when the pork says its ready!
Butt turned out dry. Not sure what went wrong. And I forgot to take a picture before we pulled it. (http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/Cobra7_01/image-12.jpg) (http://s527.photobucket.com/user/Cobra7_01/media/image-12.jpg.html)
It looks good to me. You can FTC after it reaches IT that can help with dryness and you can add a splash of apple juice when you FTC, it could also be the piece of meat, sometimes the quality is just not there.
Only FTC'd for 5 hours cause we took it to the neighbors for dinner. Very embarrassing to say the least. That's what I get for experimenting on my friends!!! He He
If you only cooked it to 180 IT, that seems a bit low if you're pulling it. I take mine to 195-200. Also, you probably didn't need to FTC for 5 hours.
You can always make it more moist if you pull it, put everything in a pan, add 2/3 cup or so of apple juice, seal it in foil and put it in the oven at 250 for an hour.
I will defiantly wrap next time like the competition guys do. To hell with FTC.
Been smoking them for forty years, and never had a dry one. Must have been the meat. Are you sure it was a butt, and not a picnic.
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Said it was a butt. It was kinda weird. 1/2 of it was so so and the other side was dry. But it was all hard to pull.
Quote from: Cobra7 on July 27, 2013, 10:26:26 PMBut it was all hard to pull.
If you only cooked it to an IT of 180*F, as you indicated in your first message, that would be the main reason it was tough. 195-200 if you're pulling and not slicing.
Quote from: Cobra7 on July 27, 2013, 09:53:36 PM
I will defiantly wrap next time like the competition guys do. To hell with FTC.
All the competition guys I know and most everyone on the forum uses FTC once their butts reach temp. FTC allows all the moisture that has been forced out of the center of the meat. To be redistributed or reabsorbed into the meat. I highly suggest you continue using the FTC process
Do y'all wrap in foil during the cook?
Never wrap in foil during the cook. I always FTC and have for up to 5 hours and never dry. I think you may have rushed it a bit by bumping up the temp and pulling early.
Don't be afraid to give it another try and be patient.
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Some do some don't. If your going to wrap in the Bradley . I would suggest wrapping after applying 4 hours of smoke. By wrapping you give up a nice bark on your butt. So it is a give and take sort of thing.
I have never foiled and always FTC'd and always have had moist, tender butts. I agree with the others, it probably was a combination of not cooking it long enough and a stubborn butt.
I very rarely FTC, and I can't recall any of my butts ever getting dry. After the end of the cook I will wrap tightly in foil with some liquid, and allow it to rest at room temperature until it is cool enough to pull; 45 minutes to an hour - sometimes longer. This is enough time for the juices to redistribute.
My last two butts I foiled once the butts reached an IT of 145° - 150°F, and I hate to admit it, but the foiled butts powered through the stall (there was no stall); but so far I have sacrificed on the bark. I cook at 200°F, and take the butts out at 175°F, and they easily pull apart, great texture and "moistness".
When you cook meat over 145°F, it is overcooked and dry. What gives butts a sense of moisture is the gelatin coating of the protein fibers (the gelatin is formed when collagen breaks down), along with some remaining fat. Since your meat was still tough, it could be an indication that not all of the collagen broke down and converted to gelatin, giving the meat a dry texture. But pulled pork, even if it is dried out or tough, is one of those meats that is salvageable. It if is too tough to pull; chop it, or pulse it once or twice in a food process, or further cook it in a crock pot. If it is too dry, after it has been pulled or chopped try adding some low sodium vegetable or chicken broth; if you want to add some sweetness add some apple cider or juice.
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on July 28, 2013, 01:26:49 PM
I very rarely FTC, and I can't recall any of my butts ever getting dry. After the end of the cook I will wrap tightly in foil with some liquid, and allow it to rest at room temperature until it is cool enough to pull; 45 minutes to an hour - sometimes longer. This is enough time for the juices to redistribute.
My last two butts I foiled once the butts reached an IT of 145° - 150°F, and I hate to admit it, but the foiled butts powered through the stall (there was no stall); but so far I have sacrificed on the bark. I cook at 200°F, and take the butts out at 175°F, and they easily pull apart, great texture and "moistness".
When you cook meat over 145°F, it is overcooked and dry. What gives butts a sense of moisture is the gelatin coating of the protein fibers (the gelatin is formed when collagen breaks down), along with some remaining fat. Since your meat was still tough, it could be an indication that not all of the collagen broke down and converted to gelatin, giving the meat a dry texture. But pulled pork, even if it is dried out or tough, is one of those meats that is salvageable. It if is too tough to pull; chop it, or pulse it once or twice in a food process, or further cook it in a crock pot. If it is too dry, after it has been pulled or chopped try adding some low sodium vegetable or chicken broth; if you want to add some sweetness add some apple cider or juice.
I Foil my butts exactly at those temps and they power through the Stall. The Bark isn't the way I would like it at the end, but the moisture and tenderness is perfect.
I do my butts very similar to Habs. As a matter of fact, I have done it his way since the first time I read his posts regarding butts a few years back. Success every time. The only time I FTC butts is if I need to keep it hot longer than an hour or two.
I can't tell much from your photo, but their does not appear to be much, if any, fat on or in the meat in the photo. It also looks like a small butt (assuming it is a butt). Perhaps some of your issues are due to the cut of meat and the fact that you bumped the temp up and bypassed the stall.
I always cook my butts at 215-225 to195F, no foil, then FTC for 1-2 hours, depending on when I get hungry.
I've never had a dry one yet, knock on wood.
I'm not saying I'm good, just fortunate.
I've had better luck with butts than anything I have smoked.