Kinda weird...................

4given · April 20, 2012, 11:49:48 AM

Cooking two butts one a little bigger that the other. Smoked them last night for 4 hours at 225 in the OBS them pulled them out to finish in the oven overnight and today. When I pulled them out of the smoker last night the BIG butt was at 161 deg and the small butt was at 150.

Left them in the oven overnight at 200 then then turned it up to 225 when I got up this morning. I put the maverick probe into the large butt. At about 10:00 the large butt was done at 195 deg. Curiously the small but was only 180. I pulled the large but fron the oven and FTC'd it. I left the small butt in the oven. at 11:30 it was only up to 186. went ahead and pulled it out at 190 & into the FTC.

Kinda wierd the large butt being done before the small one. When I smoked them in the Bradly I put the large butt on the bottom rack and the smaller one on the second to the top rack.

What happened do you think?

mikecorn.1 · April 20, 2012, 12:34:54 PM

Stubborn butt ;D.

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Ka Honu · April 20, 2012, 01:24:27 PM

Unless the pigs were clones (or at least identical twins), butt happens.

TMB · April 20, 2012, 02:32:42 PM

They are done when their done.

Since I started using the Bradley for true low and slow I had to learn not to rush. The Big Easy spoiled me on fast times when it comes to cooking ;) Tenpoint5 told me to learn to leave the food in til it's done and stop trying to hurry it along. I have learned a lesson that's for sure

ghost9mm · April 20, 2012, 02:38:14 PM

Low and slow it's the only way to get good pulled pork...

4given · April 20, 2012, 02:48:55 PM

Totally understand the low & slow, done when it's done concept. Just wondering why the big one was done before the little one. Doesn't make sense to me. :-\

TedEbear · April 20, 2012, 03:23:35 PM

Quote from: 4given on April 20, 2012, 02:48:55 PM
Totally understand the low & slow, done when it's done concept. Just wondering why the big one was done before the little one. Doesn't make sense to me. :-\

Different pigs, different meat density.

mikecorn.1 · April 20, 2012, 03:23:44 PM

Probably got to do with it being two different piggies as mentioned above. One tougher than the other, more fat in one than the other could have something to do with it. Just my one
Cent opinion. :)
Example : here are two dogs ;D. The little one is clearly tougher and badder than the bigger one ;) ;D

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Ka Honu · April 20, 2012, 03:31:50 PM

As I tried to tell you earlier (although admittedly not very clearly), every pig is different in terms of age, meat & bone density, amount of fat & connective tissue, blood chemistry, muscle tone, tolerance for pain, mood, disposition, etc., etc., etc. They're generally close, but not identical. As a result, no one factor (in this case, weight of a cut of meat) will tell you which will cook faster, taste better, be more tender, etc., etc., etc. Minor differences in cooking environment can also make a difference (even though you put the bigger piece in the supposedly hotter area of the smoker).

Mankind (with the exception of Murphy) is not yet scientifically or evolutionarily advanced enough to predict any of this accurately (and Murphy can only predict what will go wrong) without a computer model that will probably not be completed until well after anyone on this forum is eating mush in a nursing home.

OBTW, the same may hold true even for different parts of the same pig, not to mention cows (especially brisket) and other critters so get used to it.

Well, rats! While I was pontificating, Ted & mike answered succinctly. Story of my life.

4given · April 20, 2012, 08:50:00 PM

Got it... not all pigs are created equal......

Quarlow · April 20, 2012, 10:45:11 PM

Quote from: mikecorn.1 on April 20, 2012, 03:23:44 PM
Probably got to do with it being two different piggies as mentioned above. One tougher than the other, more fat in one than the other could have something to do with it. Just my one
Cent opinion. :)
Example : here are two dogs ;D. The little one is clearly tougher and badder than the bigger one ;) ;D
Holy sheep dip. ROFLMAO

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Quarlow · April 20, 2012, 10:50:18 PM

4Given it all comes down to connective tissue. And no 2 butts have the same amount, texture or make up of it. When your butts hit there stall( and every butt will be slightly different temp) this when the magic happens as the connective tissue breaks down. As it lets go the temp starts to rise again and the cooking continues.