butt help

[Mailman]

okay the butts are closing in on 9 hrs. Still IT at 160. put timer on for another 30 min and bumped heat to 250. Is this the right move? or just pull and ftc

[squirtthecat]

Yeah, you have to get through 160-170 or they will be tough as a cinder block.

[Mailman]

heat probe inserts easily

[classicrockgriller]

You need to get to at least 180* IT.

If not, you probably will have chopped pork instead of pulled pork.

Check the IT of your Butt in several locations.

[Mailman]

Thanks guys. up to about 170

[classicrockgriller]

I personally would go higher than 180.

[Mailman]

wont they start drying out?

[classicrockgriller]

At 180*, you have just broke down the colligen inside the butt.

That releases moisture back into the Butt.

That is why you will see temps stay the same for a while when it reaches the 170* area.

That stall could last for hours.

After the colligen is broke down the temps will start to rise again.

I take my butts to 190 to 195 or so and Still give them a couple hours with

double foil, wrap that in a LARGE towel, and place that in a cooler.

The temp will continue to rise while they are resting.

I would at least go to 185 to make sure you get past the colligen brakedown.

[Mailman]

stubborn butts! wont move off 170. they were both just under 4 lbs. been in there almost 12 hours. wife is saying shes hungry. guess I figured wrong on the time.

[hal4uk]

stubborn butts! wont move off 170. they were both just under 4 lbs. been in there almost 12 hours. wife is saying shes hungry. guess I figured wrong on the time.

Under FOUR lbs each?

[Smoking Duck]

I no longer use IT exclusively when doing pulled pork.  I used to be very religious and always pulled when above 180F but over time and with great knowledge gleaned from Habs, I also look at time in the Bradley.  I've had butts that were in the Bradley for 18 hours that hit the 190F mark and they were great.  I've had butts that were in the Bradley for 18 hours that only hit 165F and couldn't tell the difference between the two.  That's the beauty of smoking......it's truly more of an art than a science, IMHO.

[FLBentRider]

I would concur with SD, and add that I have taken butts as high as 205F and they were not dry.

[Habanero Smoker]

I'm may be considered the odd man out on butts. I smoke/cook them at 200°F, and only take them to an internal temperature of 175°F, and they pull easily. My theory is that it is not only the final internal temperature, but how long the meat stays in the "zone" at which collagen begins to break down into gelatin. I trim the fat to 1/8" - 1/4", if I don't trim them that close, I will loose a lot of the bark do to too much surface fat.  Lately I've been finding that the cryovac butts at Sam's are perfectly trimmed, and I only have to do a little trimming.

When the meat hits 175°F I use the fork test and move the probe in and out slowly to see if there is any drop in temperature. Rarely do I find a need to go beyond 175°F. The meat is always tender, but again I like my pulled pork with a little firmness, and it seems more moist then butts I have taken to a higher temperature. Also I don't like to take them to the point the meat seems to melt in your mouth. If you smoke/cook this way; when pulling you may find a few fat pockets that may need to be discarded.

SD;
Sorry to hear you had to find new homes for you Labs.