Pork butt help

Chenernator · Apr 14, 2014

I feel like I've regressed with my butts (or at least lost my way). My current process has been: apply rub (either my own, SM, or Plowboys, etc.), cook at 250 on WSM, foil on color, cook at 275 until probe tender. My goals would be to have a great mahogany color with a flavorful bark. Instead, it ends up black with little to no flavor. I think the foiling is to blame for the loss of flavor. How do I keep color and flavor?

rtboswell · Apr 14, 2014

What is the color like when you foil? Where are you measuring the pit temp at, e.g. at the grate level or with the built in therm? What, if anything, are you putting in the foil with the butt?

Knowing those things will give us more info to try and help you.

Chenernator · Apr 14, 2014

rtboswell said:
What is the color like when you foil? Where are you measuring the pit temp at, e.g. at the grate level or with the built in therm? What, if anything, are you putting in the foil with the butt?

Knowing those things will give us more info to try and help you.

Depends on the rub, but color is a deep maroon or a walnut brown.

Temp measured at the top grate with a long stem turkey fryer thermometer inserted through the vent holes.

Nothing in the foil.

rtboswell · Apr 14, 2014

The first thing I'd do if it were me is to run a boiling water/ice water test on the thermometer to make sure its accurate. Its weird that the color is getting black if you are truly running 250; when I wrap the color usually lightens up just a bit. If the temp is running right and you are sealing the butt up tight when you wrap then I'm at a bit of a loss. If its not sealed tight the extra smoke could blacken if the fire isn't running cleanly. The only time I had a similar issue with black/dark color is when I had a malfunctioned temp probe and foiled/cooked ribs at 350 with brown sugar.

The foil does leach away some of the flavor so its useful to add a flavor step when you wrap- there are many different things you can put in the wrap. You may also want to try reapplying more rub at this point as well. How much rub are you putting on pre-cook?

Chenernator · Apr 14, 2014

Just checked the thermo with boiling point. Temp was reading about 20 degrees higher than actual. Even after calibrating to the bp, it still reads about 20 high on the low end. Might be time for a new thermo, but if it is was measuring high, then temp isn't causing the blackening.

SOB · Apr 14, 2014

Could be the amount of wood or charcoal

FlavorSavor · Apr 14, 2014

Type of wood, amount of wood, dirty fire, sugar...

These days pork really sucks. I mean, store bought pork has no flavor. Farming practices have killed flavorful meat. It's all about $$$. Feed the animal crap, pin them up to where they cannot move and feed them more crap and get them as fat as possible, then sell. If you're using this kind of meat you've got to inject to get any flavor. That's my opinion anyway.

Find a local farmer who allows their hogs to forage and do the Pepsi Challenge if you do not agree. I'd bet the farm that a hog raised on a natural diet will taste better every time. Same with beef, same with chicken, same with fish, same with shell fish....

Foil will strip flavor, IMO. I still do it, though. I've been working on a sugar free, salt free rub, and hope to get away from foiling. Not there, yet.

CBQ · Apr 14, 2014

Try injecting Butchers, Fab or Kosmos at least 4 hours before the pork goes on the pit.

Chenernator · Apr 14, 2014

CBQ said:
Try injecting Butchers, Fab or Kosmos at least 4 hours before the pork goes on the pit.

How does this help bark color or flavor?

FiremanVinny · Apr 14, 2014

I have really liked putting yellow mustard on my butts first, then go heavy on the seasoning..works for me

IamMadMan · Apr 15, 2014

^ +1 ... I agree with the above.

Type of cooker, type of wood, amount of wood, type of charcoal, dirty fire, type of sugars, all will have varied results. Even different types of sugar will burn at different temperatures.

I use a low sugar rub, smoke with cherry wood, and I do not foil. I get a nice red-mahogany color every time. I like to use this as the eye-catcher, but once it's pulled it all the same, the color is only on the outside.

I also spritz several times with apple juice during the last 20 minutes to leave a nice sheen on the piece of meat.

FlavorSavor · Apr 15, 2014

Chenernator said:
How does this help bark color or flavor?

Butcher, FAB, Kosmos, etc... have ingredients that amplify natural flavors in meat.

SmittyJonz · Apr 15, 2014

IamMadMan said:
I use a low sugar rub, smoke with cherry wood, and I do not foil. I get a nice red-mahogany color every time. I like to use this as the eye-catcher, but once it's pulled it all the same, the color is only on the outside.

....

Fwismoker · Apr 15, 2014

Keep Q SIMPLE. No need to foil (atleast on my smokers) It takes about 45 minutes per lb naked, perfect color/bark.

Bludawg · Apr 15, 2014

Some of the Best PP I ever ate was cooked over hickory wood just meat & smoke finished with salt & vinegar in the pullin pan. I'll give you a hint "it's all about the meat" not all the crap you smear on it IDC if it's pretty it has to eat good. I use a simple rub of Oldbay or Slap Ya Momma and Goya Season Perfect( Green lid) I cook a little hotter 300+ and foil after 4 hrs. I pull it when the bone wiggles like a 6 yr olds baby tooth. Drain & reserve the juices then hold it for an hr neked in a 200 deg oven to firm up the bark. Once it is pulled the defatted juices get poured back over the meat all the flavor of that rub is in those juices.

Lake Dogs · Apr 15, 2014

> Type of cooker, type of wood, amount of wood, type of charcoal, dirty fire, type of sugars, all will have varied results. Even different types of sugar will burn at different temperatures.

Add in humidity and external temps and winds, and all bets are off...

Every situation is different.

You dont have to foil. I do, but I've never had the "it tastes bland" thing going on. I apply my rub fairly liberally and I also inject with some of my rub in the injection. I also foil on color, but probably a tad darker than yours, for me that's about the 4.25 to 4.5 hour mark. I leave 'em foiled like this all the way through taking them off the smoker and into the resting "nest" for a few hours...

Now that I type this, do you rest yours? It really helps re-hydrate the meat, but also gets those flavors back in it somewhat...

Some leave their rubs on overnight. I dont; I rub and inject right before lighting the fire, so it's usually about an hour before putting them on the smoker.

Chenernator · Apr 15, 2014

IamMadMan said:
^ +1 ... I agree with the above.

Type of cooker, type of wood, amount of wood, type of charcoal, dirty fire, type of sugars, all will have varied results. Even different types of sugar will burn at different temperatures.

I use a low sugar rub, smoke with cherry wood, and I do not foil. I get a nice red-mahogany color every time. I like to use this as the eye-catcher, but once it's pulled it all the same, the color is only on the outside.

I also spritz several times with apple juice during the last 20 minutes to leave a nice sheen on the piece of meat.

Now that's the color I'm talking about.

THoey1963 · Apr 15, 2014

IamMadMan said:
^ +1 ... I agree with the above.

Type of cooker, type of wood, amount of wood, type of charcoal, dirty fire, type of sugars, all will have varied results. Even different types of sugar will burn at different temperatures.

I use a low sugar rub, smoke with cherry wood, and I do not foil. I get a nice red-mahogany color every time. I like to use this as the eye-catcher, but once it's pulled it all the same, the color is only on the outside.

I also spritz several times with apple juice during the last 20 minutes to leave a nice sheen on the piece of meat.

Ok, that's the goal for my next butt...

QDoc · Apr 15, 2014

Trim your butt defining the Money Muscle and exposing it. Apply a liberal coating of Smoking Guns Hot. Smoke for 2 hours at 180 using Apple wood. Increase your temp to 275 until thew butt reaches 175. Double Wrap with foil and cook to 205-210.
Unfoil and pour the juices in a bowl. Rewrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
Remove and pull your pork removing as much fat as possible. You should be able to slice the money muscle. Check your juice, it should have a fat layer on top. Remove this. Underneath you should have a gelatin that is pure heaven. Scatter this on top of the pulled and sliced. Add a little rub if it needs it, Cover with foil and heat for 1 hour at 350. Not competition but excellent.

Pork butt help

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