Brined Pork Butt for Pulled Pork

[NDKoze]

There are instructions on the Smokin-It site:

Go to the following link:
http://www.smokin-it.com/Articles.asp?ID=251

And then click the "Heat controller troubleshooting / Adjustment Instructions" document.

[bubbabob]

Thanks Greg. That should help a lot!
BB

[DivotMaker]

Temperature Adjustment

[MikeS]

I followed this recipe last week.  I followed the entire recipe except that I used Costco Pork Barrel Rub All-American.  Turned out fantastic - all my guests were amazed at how tender and moist it was.  I highly recommend this method.  I put a pig shoulder on at midnight and it was done at 3pm at 200 degrees.  Let it rest 30 minutes.

I'm getting ready to put another one on right now

[DivotMaker]

Thanks Mike!!  Glad you liked it!

[JSRFrench]

9 1/2 bone-in $0.98 per lb grocery store Boston Butt brined 15 hours rubbed with home grown Cajun spices using an apple / pecan combination model 3 set at 230* for 10 hours & perfect results today.
Appreciate all the recipes & advice - I read & use.

[jcboxlot]

Cant beat that price!  Nice knife set:)

[Dockmaster]

Thanks for the brine recipe, Tony.  I've brined turkeys & chicken but just used plane saltwater.  My wife brined pork chops and added a little maple syrup to the brine and it was good.  Will try your recipe my next butt, probably shortly after Thanksgiving.  Are those "Bear Claws" in your photo?  Do they work as good as they say?  Thanks a lot.

[DivotMaker]

Hey Steve, hope you like the butt brine!  Yep, bear claws in the photo.  I love them - well-worth the money!

[anesdoc]

I have an 8 lb pork butt which was prepped with DM's Pork Butt Brine in the SI3.  When I was trimming, there was a deep layer of connective tissue nearly separating the butt, so I placed the Auber PID temp probe in the bone end, being careful not to touch the bone.  I had a Maverick handy so I stuck one probe in the other end. 
It's currently stalled at 169 deg (9 1/2 hours) according to the Maverick.  However, I noticed a 12 point difference in temp between the two ends of this small butt.  Because I am using the Auber to automatically decrease the SI3 to 140 deg after an internal temp of 193, I felt I needed to move the probe from the bone end.  While opening (I really didn't want to) I also placed my second Maverick probe back in the bone end.
To recap, I now have the Auber temp probe and a Maverick probe in one end (reading 169 and 170 deg - 1 degree difference) and a second Maverick probe in the bone end which is reading 156 deg.  Should I go with the non bone end since this is in the range of the stall described by others?

[SuperDave]

TJ, center of the thickest part of the meat.  The bone is just plain interference, stay away. 

[DivotMaker]

TJ, center of the thickest part of the meat.  The bone is just plain interference, stay away.

+1!  Bone = bad.  Meat = Great!

[anesdoc]

I was surprised that there was more than 20 degree difference between the two ends by the time the "meat" end reached 191 degrees.

[DivotMaker]

Yeah, TJ, the bone end gets hotter, faster.  I think the bone serves as a heat conductor into the meat.  But, that also makes the whole thing cook more evenly.  Bone-in meat always seems to cook better, imo.

[anesdoc]

It was shy of that magical 8 lbs (but it was the largest available at the grocery store) so I wasn't too surprised that it took 16 hours (2 hrs per pound) to get to 191 deg.  Was shooting for 193 but I wanted to allow enough time to rest.  Double wrapped in foil and rested for 90 min.  Got a little color from a decent smoke ring thanks to the Instacure.  Great comments from the family about the moist and tender meat.  This will become one of my smoking staples!