This is my first time doing anything grill related besides burgers. I’m 13.5 hours in for this butt. The current IT is in the second photo. When I stick an instant read thermometer in it’s a few degrees lower. Been running at 225 the entire time and no plans to wrap it. The butt weighs about 10.5 pounds. I’m in no rush to have it done as this is just for fun for the family. Should I do anything different? Raise the temp? Internal temp has been progressing pretty slow.
If it matters – I trimmed a little of the fat cap and scored it. Covered in mustard and a cowboy seasoning I found at Sam’s club.
by Bubbly_624
8 Comments
Hey! It looks like you posted an image!
If this is a photo of one of your cooks, maybe share the recipe and techniques
used, as it’s almost guaranteed one of the first questions you will be asked!
*What seasoning did you use?
*How long did you cook it, and at what temperature?
*Did you use any special tricks or techniques?
Traeger on!
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Nope. Let it ride or bump the temp up if you want it finish quicker. The meat is really only going to soak up smoke flavor for the first few hours anyway. The rest is just getting it to temp. After about 12 hours I usually bump the temp up to finish the butt and usually it takes 14 hours or so for a 9lb butt… the key here is the rest after you take it off the grill. Get the butt to 204* and then pull it off and wrap it in foil and even an old towel if you want and then throw it in a cooler for at least 2 hours to heat soak so it breaks down the connective tissue. After that 2 hour rest it’s ready to shred! If you’re not ready to eat right after shredding then shred the meat and dump it into a crockpot on “keep warm” or “low” and eat when you’re ready. You can also refrigerate the crockpot with the meat and then reheat as needed! I do these all the time and they come out perfect! Got one in the fridge now waiting to reheat tomorrow for the game!
Edit: also, the treager probes are notorious for being inaccurate by a few degrees unless you calibrate it. If you have another thermometer you can throw in there that would be good to make sure. My treager probe is about 5-7 degrees high. But I use it to alert my phone when it gets close. I use another more accurate aftermarket digital probe for a better reading. I did a butt today and my treager probe showed 210* while my other probe showed 204*
Did a 7lb butt last week unwrapped. About 10 hrs at 225. Last 4hrs, I increased to 250 since around 160 or so, the stall happens. Temp slowly increased and pulled at 205. Wrapped in foil and a towel and rested in a cooler for an hour or so. Came out perfect.
Took a few hrs longer last time since I waited to do anything during the stall to see if it would come out on its own. I also bought a seal for my grill and now the Heat and the smoke is retained better so that probably has something to do with it as well.
It’s the stall. This happens with all meats in and around 150-170 give or take. Can last for hours depending on the meat itself.
Looking good though.
If you’re in no rush, just crack a beer (or 3) and wait. It WILL come out of the stall and continue rising in temperature. Otherwise, you can crank up the temp but it will still take some time to come out of it and you need to be careful with high temperature that it doesn’t cook it TOO fast.
A follow up question: do all parts of the butt need to hit at 205? Took a few readings a minute ago and I was getting 194 in some spots and 187 in others. Should I wait until all parts are at least 205? Thanks in advance!
I smoke at 225 for 8-12 hours until I’m getting a temp of about 185. Spritz occasionally with cherry Dr pepper. Then throw it in a foil pan, add a little cherry Dr pepper over the top and wrap it in foil. Put it back in the smoker at 275 until you get to about 203 degrees. Push a wooden skewer through the pork and it should slide right in with little resistance. If it feels a bit tough, you need a little more time. Once it’s “probe tender” where that skewer goes right in (should be at about that 205 mark), you’re done. I take mine out, put it in a cooler with some towels above and below the pork and let it rest for around an hour or until it’s dinner time.
You should be able to pull the meat apart by hand, and you’re all set!
Looking good! Several mentioned the stall and they are so right. Don’t get impatient, just let it ride until it hits 205. Then I wrap with butcher paper, a towel and let it take a little nap in the cooler. Let it nap for at least a couple hours. It’ll still be hot 6 hours or so later if you want to leave it napping until you’re ready. I like to shred it just before people get in line to eat!