First solo Butt

[Cobra7]

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?

[beefmann]

FTC with some apple juice

[Indy Smoker]

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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[KyNola]

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.

[Cobra7]

So should I decrease temp back to 200???  Thanks for the help.

[KyNola]

You're ok at 230.  Just don't bump it any higher.

[rveal23]

Good luck and keep it going. You will be rewarded with the patience you will have when the pork says its ready!

[Cobra7]

Butt turned out dry. Not sure what went wrong. And I forgot to take a picture before we pulled it. 

[Saber 4]

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.

[Cobra7]

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

[TedEbear]

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.

[Cobra7]

I will defiantly wrap next time like the competition guys do. To hell with FTC.

[terry08]

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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[Cobra7]

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.

[TedEbear]

But 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.