Pulled pork tough

[FLBentRider]

I did 4 pork butts today. Sourced from my local grocery store (I ususally use Sams club) . I did not to my usual brine, I just put the rub on and refrigerated overnight.

Got up @ 0500, preheated OBS, set meat out.
0537 four butts went in, Hickory the puck of choice.

Butt #1 (one of the larger ones, was showing an IT of 190 at around 1600 - my usual time they are ready. The other ones were showing 155, 161, and 158. Took #1 out of the OBS and did the FTC. (Fetch the Corona)

1830, took out of Cooler, unwrapped and let cool a little.

The first thing I noticed is that I had to work to get the bone out. Never had to do that before. It seemed to resist my attempts at pulling it apart.

The bottom line - the "dark" meat was the usual buttery smooth pulled pork. The "white" meat was tough. Not at all what I expected. (I had to use a &^%&% knife!

One of the other butts went to an IT of 190 about 1745 - the other two are still in there @ 2002.

I have done butts before without brining - Mrs FLBentrider noted that we had a mix of butts from the local grocery and Sams and the (Publix) ones were not as good.

[La Quinta]

Publix? Fiben...you're a Florida guy?

[Wildcat]

I am not an expert, but based on time factors stated, my guess is that you were cooking at too high of a temperature.  I do butts all the time and it takes me about 18 hours to do one and when I do 2 it takes about 26 or more hours.  I rub, place in smoker, 4 hours of smoke.  I keep the box temp at around 200 until meat temp of 185 to 195.  I then FTC for about 4 hours.  Every one of them have been juicy, and wants to fall apart while placing on foil for FTC.

[FLBentRider]

La Quinta -

The FL in FLBentRider is Florida. West Palm Beach, FL.

[FLBentRider]

The box temp was 200 for then entire smoke. With that much load in it, the temp control is "WFO". It did not climb over 205 until after I took out one of the roasts.

Follow up - The other three were perfect. The last two just came out @ IT 190 and 185. They fell apart.

It was just that one roast, and just the whiter meat. go figure.

[La Quinta]

ooopppss...thought that was an "i" not an "l"..sorry.

[bigredsmoker]

Since the other ones came out good with the longer cook times, maybe your temp probe was touching bone, or to close and gave a false reading at 190. Only thing I can think of, but I haven't smoked a ton of butts yet. The ones I have smoked have taken at least 18 hours to get to the magic 190 and they were fall of the bone tender. Just my 2 cents.  :-\

[Consiglieri]

Given the cook time differential for all pieces, and the finished product of the other three, I think BigRed may be right.

[Wildcat]

So do I.

[FLBentRider]

After reflecting on it, that is probably the case, although I always move the probe to a new spot before taking it out of the OBS. Perhaps I hit the "Fat pocket lottery" twice.

Next time, I am going to attempt to determine which muscle that "white" meat is and mark it with a toothpick before the rub goes on. Then I will be more deliberate about the temperature probe placement as well.

I am also going to move my start time to late evening instead of early morning, although that means setting an alarm to empty/refill the water bowl.

[West Coast Kansan]

I will try to start in late afternoon with multiple butts.  Smoke gets done and then just before bed I change out the water and reset the timer (DBS) you can have 2 butts for Saturday dinner with FTC time. It makes for a good schedule.
If I do 4 butts I rotate the racks at bedtime, reset the timer and the two on the bottom are done at the regular time and the last two are ready to FTC when the first two get eatten.

Temps setting at 210.

[Habanero Smoker]

The dark meat has the most and toughest connective tissue, so I don't understand why the dark meat would pull easily, while the white meat was tough. It's probably just the characteristic of that cut of meat.