Pork Butt

Return it and get this one (or add this to your collection)...

http://www.thegadgetsource.com/011502013733.html

Old Coacher,

What are you smoking this on? You mentioned the thermometer (and like Dennis said, get a new one) if what you have only goes to 180.

As for finishing, it's not anything more than a target temp. Depending on your smoker, it could finish in 1 hour to 2 hours per pound. More if the cold weather makes your smoker lose heat.

I shoot for a finishing temp nearer 190 and then start checking it for doneness. Stick the probe in and you want to feel little to no resistance.

If you haven't you might also read:

Pork Butt 101

Until you get a probe therm that will read higher,try this.

I assume it is bone in.

Set the cooker at 225� and don't open the door until after your therm hits 180�.

Let it go two more hrs,before you open the door.

See if the bone will twist ,or move easily.

Mash the butt and see if it has a little bit of a jello feel,like it would like to collapse in on itself.

If you have an instaread you can check it a couple places.

If you are going to hold it in foil awhile and it has not been frozen,you may find that 195� may do you.

If it cooks a little longer ,it won't hurt.

I guess you can tell I am new at this. I have a CS Model 008. Thanks for the advise to upgrade on the Themometer . I put it on my wish list for my son to buy me for my birthday. I think he can afford it since he is a Doctor and he just boght the CS 009. I will take the advice from all of you and thanks .

Well you make sure he buys you one of the remote types that you can stay inside the house and monitor the smoker outside...

Here a reference from another post:

Remote thermometer

Just to let you know , my pork butt came out great. I ended up cooking it 19 hours. It was as good as any pull pork I have ever had. Thanks for all of the help.

Congrats and keep cooking.

OK just to show off. This is the cabinet that I built for my new CS. I know it is a little too much but the wood does not cost me anything. I get it form home builders in the area. This is a hobby for me in my shop.

That is a GREAT looking cabinet.

Can't wait until you season it with some meat drippings and some dropped food, so it REALLY looks like a Smokin' Table.

Next time I need some woodwork, I'll trade for Q lessons.

Thanks , and I need all the help I can get in the "Q" area.

Coach, that is a beautiful cabinet!!!! A retired football coach from Oklahoma! I think you could've been the wood shop teacher also!! I played baseball in Tulsa for the Drillers for 2 years in the 80's. Being from Canada, I couldn't BELIEVE HOW BIG HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL IS IN YOUR GOOD STATE!!!
Can't go wrong listening to Tom or Smokin Okie. I followed Smokin's 101 port butt, and everyone loved it. can't imagine doing it another way now. If you're not sure about sauces, I loved smokin's virgin mustard sauce, and his basting sauce was a big hit for the rest of the family.
Good luck.
Steve.

Hey formosabba, I did not know a thing about wood working until I retired in 95 ( I was only 52). No I was not a Wood shop teacher (History). I built a few houses and just watched my trim carpenters and learned one thing. It is not what you know as much as the tools you have. Just like making Great BBQ. Having a CS is a great start.

Football is big in OK, but you don't want to cross the Red River too often. Thanks for the tip on the sauce.

coach,beautiful cabinet,great work.
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dennis,do you use a maverick et-73?if so how do you like it? I use a polder,I like it,but I am thinking of getting a new one.the polder doe's a good job but there is no off switch on it,you have to take the batteries out of it every time you get done with it.

Richard B. Let me know what you decide to get and why . I got a Weber and I can't go past 180d. Unless I am not doing something right. It works great but quits after it reaches 180d.

coach,I will probably get the maverick ET-73
the polder is a good unit temp goes from 32 degrees F to 392 degrees F. I don't know if the newer model has a on-off switch,but the older model that I have doe's not. I like the idea of the remote thermometer ,such as the maverick. will let you know . what do you mean it quits?( I had the same problem I thought) until I learned that when I did a pork butt,mine would get to around 168 degrees,& I thought that it was my thermometer but it wasn't. when cooking butts especially,the meat gets to what I call the breakdown or a happy medium,then I crank up the cooking temp,or let it cook until it starts to rise again until the desired doneness.maybe someone else can explain this a bit better than I can.but I thought it was my thermometer too until I learned about smoking butts.

No Richard, I know what you mean when it get to a certain point it stays there for a while. My problem is that when it reaches 180d it shuts down. It will not show any tem after that.

Richard, the ET-73 I bought last month has the on/off switch on the base unit hidden in the battery compartment. I remove the battery compartment at the beginning and end of each smoke to turn it on/off. The remote has the on/off switch easily accessible on the back.

I have no idea why they hide the switch on the base unit, other maybe it helps with the unit's water repellentcy??

Dennis,have you had good luck with yours?any problems or other info I should know about before I order one?
thanks

I think I may have found out why my weber shuts down. I guess I am like a lot of dumb butts and don't read all of the instructions . It says the monitor and Thermosensor automatically turn off after 8 hours. Duh Read Read

I will check that out next time I smoke something that takes longer than 8 hours.

Richard, no problems yet. I baby those probes. But I love it--being able to monitor the temp while doing other things around the house is priceless.

Old Coacher,
I probably have the same Weber. The instructions say it registers way past 180 even though the preset meats only go to 180. Does yours not register higher at all?
Do you have the model number? Dj

DJ, my Weber's modle # is 32908. I did read that if you don't punch any buttons after 8 hours the unit turns off. I have not tryed anything yet to find out if this is the case. I hope this is the case because it does work good . I guess like I said before it is a " man's thing" to NOT read the instructions until you need to. Ha

I tried my 2nd Weber unit. It does shut down too early AND it will only go to 180. I tested it on the stove in boiling water, it went to 199 but I could not get it to do that while smoking. I returned it as well. Now I am ordering an ET-73 by Maverick. The company says it will do what I want it to do. We'll see. Dj

You'll like the Maverick.