Question

[golfer50]

I am a new Pit Boss Vertical Pro Pellet smoker owner and did a 5 pound Boston Butt last night. I know it's 1.5 hours per pound and did it for roughly 7.5 hours. The directions I was given off YouTube and the Pit Boss website said smoke at 225, then for the first 2 hours, open every hour and moisten which I did with Apple Juice. Then when the temperature reached 160, put the butt in tin foil and continue smoking until it reaches 197 (roughly). Then take off the tin foil and finish smoking until it reaches 201 degrees and it's done.

Now, herein lies the question...remember I'm new at this!!! When it reached 197, I took the tin foil off and put the butt back in to reach 201 degrees, IT NEVER DID GO ABOVE 185. After almost 7.5 hours I panicked and decided to take it out of the smoker and when we cut into it, it had the prettiest smoke ring and tasted great. However, like I said, it never reached over 185 degrees after removing the tin foil (using an internal probe). I did notice after taking off the tin foil and continuing to smoke, I was out of water (something I need to keep an eye on in the future and yes, I'm new a this) and filled it up again with water to finish the smoking.

Any ideas why it didn't reach 201 but came out great...could it be the lack of water until I noticed it.

Thanks for any response to this...no matter how silly it makes me feel, I need to learn. Doing Beer Can Chicken next!!!!!!!

Don

 

[Mike From R.I.]

I am a new Pit Boss Vertical Pro Pellet smoker owner and did a 5 pound Boston Butt last night. I know it's 1.5 hours per pound and did it for roughly 7.5 hours. The directions I was given off YouTube and the Pit Boss website said smoke at 225, then for the first 2 hours, open every hour and moisten which I did with Apple Juice. Then when the temperature reached 160, put the butt in tin foil and continue smoking until it reaches 197 (roughly). Then take off the tin foil and finish smoking until it reaches 201 degrees and it's done.

Now, herein lies the question...remember I'm new at this!!! When it reached 197, I took the tin foil off and put the butt back in to reach 201 degrees, IT NEVER DID GO ABOVE 185. After almost 7.5 hours I panicked and decided to take it out of the smoker and when we cut into it, it had the prettiest smoke ring and tasted great. However, like I said, it never reached over 185 degrees after removing the tin foil (using an internal probe). I did notice after taking off the tin foil and continuing to smoke, I was out of water (something I need to keep an eye on in the future and yes, I'm new a this) and filled it up again with water to finish the smoking.

Any ideas why it didn't reach 201 but came out great...could it be the lack of water until I noticed it.

Thanks for any response to this...no matter how silly it makes me feel, I need to learn. Doing Beer Can Chicken next!!!!!!!

Don

The probe you used was a Pit Boss probe that came with the smoker? Those are know to read either higher or lower. If the bone came right out, then your know it was fully done. I use a thermo pro 20 and another hand held temperature probe. My Pit boss probe was reading a higher temperature, and the meat was not cooked (raw).

 

[golfer50]

Yes, the internal probe I used came with the smoker. And I used an independent hand held probe. Not sure what happened. The bone didn't come out easily but it was cooked through and through.

Thanks for the response...

 

[MikeInFla]

What I have learned using a Pit Boss is not to rely on time but on temp. Just let it go til it hits 165, wrap it and then take it out and put it in a cooler for 2 hours, wrapped in a towel. Then the bone will slide right out. I normally plan on 12-13 hours when doing a Boston butt.

 

[golfer50]

What I have learned using a Pit Boss is not to rely on time but on temp. Just let it go til it hits 165, wrap it and then take it out and put it in a cooler for 2 hours, wrapped in a towel. Then the bone will slide right out. I normally plan on 12-13 hours when doing a Boston butt.

At what temp do you smoke?

 

[MikeInFla]

The smoke setting on my vertical stays between 140-160. Other settings are 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300, 350, 400, high. My grill has "S", 200, 225, 250, 300, 350 and so on. More settings on the vertical but no "P" setting. A lot of times I will start off at 200 or 225 but lately I have been trying out the "S" setting for more smoke.

For a butt I might leave it on Smoke for a couple of hours for a lot of smoke and then bump it to 250.

 

[Cowboy1955]

I smoke one the other day and just used a regular thermometer. When I went to pull it out of the pan it came apart. Rule of thumb for pork butt or ribs. When the bone shows well out of it, pull it off. You’ll never be disappointed

 

[mixed up]

I may have hit the stall point were it stop raising up in temp its common but it take time to get past them .what I do is let it go the longer the smoke the better the taste just keep putting moisture on It .smoking meat low and slow for best flavor and tenderness

 

[Tym2Fish]

For me butts are at 225 and usually a little over 2 hrs per lb to get 202-203. Use an independent therm for chamber and meat temp. Foil isn’t used until it hits temp and I wrap it to rest before pulling. You can complicate it but it’s really very simple if you have the right feedback from the thermometers.