pork shoulder attempt - 22.5 weber

[ligrill]

Well it's mostly done 8 hours later. I did get up 4 hours into the cook and noticed the temp was at 300.  I closed the bottom vent to 50% and went back to bed.  Woke up 7 hours into it and the probe slid in and out like butter except for thickest part.  I am leaving it on another few minutes and then gonna wrap.  Can I leave it wrapped for 6 hours?

Thanks!

[1buckie]

  Good Show !!!

You might be able to squeak out a 6 hour hold..........what needs to happen is for the piece
to stay above 140, if it drops below that, then there's a limited window reguarding food safety.......

It's also a better serving temp up around 160~170 to start, when you 1st place it out that is.....

If I hold a long time, I'll open the foil up partially, crack the piece open in several places (a butt crack, so to speak...) add a 50/50 mix of apple juice / apple cider vinegar, Mojo marinade also works well for this, or a small amount of the same rub used dissoved in water...........
Heat the liquid a bit & splash it down into the piece & heat it back up a short while on grill or in oven.................
You can also shread it out entirely & add the above liquids in a small amount & heat that way, just before serving, IF the temp seems lower than you'd like............

[ligrill]

Overall the pork was great, had a good flavor.  I think it cooked at 300F too long and the bark on top was quite hard and the meat just underneath the top bark was a little dry.  However, inside the meat was perfect.  I did fat cap down which might have led to the top bark being hard as well.  I am working on getting the temperature thing figured out on the kettle and I believe I will close the bottom vent about 60% next time.  Thanks for looking!

Here are the pics of my pork shoulder:

[One Touch Platinum]

It looks pretty good! I always do fat cap up but I know that some cut it off altogether so who knows. It seems as though you got some really good pork out of it....just make note of anything that gave you trouble this time and make corrections the next time. It will just keep getting better.

[Thin Blue Smoke]

Looks good from here! 

[1buckie]

  Thanks for looking!

Here are the pics of my pork shoulder:

That's a GREAT photo !!!

Glad it worked well......like OTP says......it will only get better.......you'll hit a foul ball now & then, but generally, better & better all the time !!!!

[OGlenn]

Well it's mostly done 8 hours later. I did get up 4 hours into the cook and noticed the temp was at 300.  I closed the bottom vent to 50% and went back to bed. 

Thanks!

Nice job on the pork!

I was curious if using more coals (I usually stack only 1 row on top of the bottom two rows) and 5 chunks of wood would cause temps to increase. A spike to 300 degrees certainly isn't a disaster for a shoulder by any means, but it is a higher temp than I have seen in my limited experience (I just began using the snake method this summer, so only 7-8 cooks so far, but all have been homeruns). Did you also put a water pan in the middle?  I have not tried a water pan with the snake method yet because I think the method is all about minimizing fuel use, and a water pan requires additional energy. But, it should lower the overall temp in the kettle.

[ligrill]

I did use a water pan but without water - I use buckies idea of beans under the pork with drippings

[Mmmmm]

I use a 9x13 deep foil pan as a drip tray. It is bigger than the Weber large drip pans which is nice for a larger cut like a butt. I fill it about halfway full of boiling water like someone else mentioned to stabilize temps. I shove one end of the pan all the way against one side of the kettle and stack a 2x2 snake all the way around from one side of the drip pan to the other. Once it burns all the way around all you have to do if your meat isn't done is take a tongs and stack the remaining coals together and then building a snake back from that point. Then when done you can say you burned your snake both clockwise and counter clockwise and both the pork and all WKC members alike are happy.

One thing I might add... if you have problems with the meat drying on top get a squirt bottle and spritz the butt heavily with apple juice hourly once the seasonings have set and won't rinse off. This helps keep the meat moist and also helps form a nicer bark.

[bryanw21157]

I have learned a lot by reading this thread.  I am sold now.  Pork shoulder on the performer from here on out.