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5 replies

New Amerique, 1st Pork Butt Problem

FM Former Member
Good Morning All,

I have just initiated my new Amerique, and have run into a problem/question.

I started a 5 lb. pork butt (bone in) at 9:30 AM yesterday, meat temp 37 deg., smoker temp 225 deg., probe set to 200 deg, 3 1/8 oz. of apple. Butt temp rose through the day nicely to plateau of approx. 150 deg. at about 4. It rose to 158 deg. over the next 4 hours (8:00 PM, dinner was frozen pizza). I stuck another probe into the smoker to check that the smoker temp was accurate (it was verified at 225 deg.)and used the Thermopen to verify the probe temp, which was accurate. The meat then started to rise to 163 deg. over the next 45 minutes or so, and I thought I was back on my way. I figured I'd let it just sit on hold when it finished sometime in the night. I went to get it at 7:00 AM this morning, and probe was only at 193 deg., but I pulled it anyway since it was so close.

So the obvious questions:

1. 21.5 hours for a 5 lb. butt works out to over 4 hrs. a lb., and it still never got to 200 deg. and go to hold.

2. The wood smoke coming through the vent holes seemed to taper off to just a trace when the meat had only risen to about 75 deg.. My small amount of experience makes me feel that most of the smoke has been used up before the meat has gotten into it's most receptive temperatures. This doesn't quite make sense to me. When I seasoned the smoker, 6 oz. was reduced to ash in 4 hours at 225 deg.

Thanks for your advice/help. My experience is mostly with a Traeger 070, and I am looking for the Amerique to simplify things a bit.

BTW, great forums and contributors. Thanks for all of the great info and advice. It was one of the main reasons I purchased a Cookshack product and the Amerique.
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FM Former Member
Kurtara;

I think you're fine. !st, it's new, so are you. When I got my Q, my first butt took 20 hours plus, I was on the phone to CS the next day, thinking something was wrong. CS had me check temps, everything OK.

20 butts later, I realize my Q cooks on the Slow Side, and I plan accordingly. My average butt at 225 takes anywhere from 18(rare) to 20+ hours(more often then not).

Yes, the smoke does taper off after the first hour or so, not to worry, as the meat has absorbed the smoke and really doesn't need any more.

Pick up an extra thermo, run some more butts at 225, 235 and 250, keep good log.

Bone-A-Petite(that's French)
FM Former Member
jcohen1005, thanks for the comments.

Since I first posted, I am doing a temp test on the probe with a potato and my Maverick and Thermopen as a comparison. The Smoker temps looked good already.

Another problem I noticed that when I pulled my wood drawer, two of my pieces, approx 2 1/4 oz. were still pretty much intact. I did have them over the element, but not up front at the bend. I guess that's why all of you are saying "at the front of the box". I'm putting those same chunks back in at the front to see if I get more smoke out of them, or are the just charcoal. Please, I appreciate some comments.

Have a great Sunday. It's a beautiful day here in Door County, WI.
T tomMember
Yep,different cookers kinda have a temp they "like" to cook at.

Smokin' once mapped out a cooker,all racks,fronts of rack,backs,corners,etc.

Different,checked out therms,at each spot.

Amazing the differences.

Of course,to experienced cooks this is a good thing.

They like to know where to place things, to speed them up,or slow them down.

When we say" the cooker temp is",if we are just looking at the cooker dial setting,it may mean no more to the temp the meat is actually cooking at,than the color of our T shirt. Wink

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