Smokey Lew
Head Chef
Started my first pork butt this morning at about 6:30 in the morning. I used Wolfe Rub Original on it, then wrapped in plastic and let it sit in the fridge overnight. It's been in the WSM for a little over three hours and the internal temperature is already up to 161 degrees. The butt is a little over 7 pounds and the rack temperature has been stubbornly high most of the time at about 265 degrees.
I put a lot of hardwood lump charcoal in at the start and had to almost completely close down all three bottom vents to get the temperature to start lowering itself to where it is now at about 250 degrees. I had figured that it would take about 7 to 8 hours to finish but it looks like it's going to be half that time. Hope it comes out okay.
Pork butt in at about 6:30 this morning.
Well here it is after 8.5 hours! It turns out that all the comments made below were right. The butt hit a plateau at 170 degrees then went on cooking slowly until it was about 180. I pulled it then and put it in foil with some apple juice. Then it was back in the WSM until it hit 191. It's cooling now and I can't wait to pull it apart and see how it tastes.
I put a lot of hardwood lump charcoal in at the start and had to almost completely close down all three bottom vents to get the temperature to start lowering itself to where it is now at about 250 degrees. I had figured that it would take about 7 to 8 hours to finish but it looks like it's going to be half that time. Hope it comes out okay.
Pork butt in at about 6:30 this morning.
Well here it is after 8.5 hours! It turns out that all the comments made below were right. The butt hit a plateau at 170 degrees then went on cooking slowly until it was about 180. I pulled it then and put it in foil with some apple juice. Then it was back in the WSM until it hit 191. It's cooling now and I can't wait to pull it apart and see how it tastes.