Max internal temp achievable for Pork Butts in 008

Got my new thermostat, and we're smokin'.

On our second pork project, and it seems that it plateaus around 160 or so, and takes a long time to reach a temp of 185 or so. Cook temp is set to 225. My target is to hit 205, per SmokinOkie's advice for pulled pork. On a smaller 5 lb. shank, we cranked it up to 250, thinking we were close, and ended up drying it out a bit more than desired, and still only hit 190. Current butt is a 10 pounder, and at 16 hours at 225, the internal temp is 185. Is it particularly hard to exceed this internal temp for the 008? Probe seems to be reasonably accurate, and moving it to a new spot is not yielding different results.

Cooking on the middle rack setting, for what that's worth.

5/15/133:18 PM

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sandhMember

I smoke 4 to 8 pork butts every week. I smoke with a SM040 and a SM160. I try to keep them in the 8 to 9 pound range. I'm always planning on a 15 to 16 hour smoke. So your 10 pounder is maybe a little slow but not bad. Do you have any source to check inside temp of your smoker. My 40 holds true to the temp setting within 3 or 4 deg. The 160 on the other hand will run lower then what temp it's set at. So I smoke at 235 in the 160. I smoke pork butts to 195 and FTC for 2 to 3 hours.

5/15/133:44 PM

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hawkgtMember

S & H, I dangled the thermometer probe in the air to check the replacement thermostat that I just installed. At 250, it ramped all the way up to 297, and went down to 225 or so. I read somewhere else that a new 'stat my take a while to settle down, so I wasn't super concerned. Maybe I need to check again. Should I wrap the thermostat probe in foil?

5/15/134:35 PM

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cal 2Member

You might try pulling a butt off the smoker around 195* internal temp.

As far as the temps of the smoker, don't get to caught up in what they are. The butt doesn't care if it's 225*,250* or even 275*...like Smokin' always says, "it's done when it's done".

5/15/135:03 PM

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sandhMember

I use a maverick with a double prob. One for meat and one for smoker temp. Really handy because the size of your load will determine how your smoker will run. If you can monitor the meat and smoker temp you'll find you can control your cookin times better. You'll learn more about how your smoker runs with different loads. I know that if I fill my Sm160 with pork butts at 225 and check it at say the 6 hour mark the smoker will show internal temp at 225 but the maverick will show 215. I've learned to trust the maverick.

5/15/135:09 PM

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smokinmaineiacMember

quote:
Originally posted by cal:
You might try pulling a butt off the smoker around 195* internal temp.

As far as the temps of the smoker, don't get to caught up in what they are. The butt doesn't care if it's 225*,250* or even 275*...like Smokin' always says, "it's done when it's done".

What Cal said...

5/15/137:38 PM

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chef-boy-arnie"If you can't smoke it, you probably shouldn't eat it!"

I'd have to agree with Cal

I just did 10 8-9 lb PBs (2 loads)at 225 in my 066

The first load took right at 24 hours to hit 195
They laid at the 180 mark forever
the second load took right at 16 hours

They were the hit of the graduation parties.

5/20/131:20 PM

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