Temp drop

[brandonh]

I'm pretty inexperienced with my kamado, especially low and slow. My temp had been higher than I wanted (305) so I adjusted the top vent to nearly closed (1/8” or so). The temp held steady  at around 245 for the next 4 hours and now going into hour 6 my temp has dropped to 225 in the last 45 min. Is my fire out? I'm about 15 min from home so I don't want to go unless necessary. TIA

[KismetKamado]

Hard to say for sure... since your post was about 30 minutes ago, did it continue to drop?  I have had some weird fluctuations even when I had left everything alone for hours and had plenty of lump left. 

[brandonh]

Yeah, it dropped to 215 so I bolted home. It seemed to have died but there was still a decent amount of lump left. The only disturbance from when it was steady at 245 was opening it to insert the temp probe into the butt. Seems odd that that would kill it, normally opening the lid would stoke it if anything, no? 

[brandonh]

I added a bit of lump and re-lit it, the IT was at 160 since the fire died so I opened the vents a bit and am aiming to stay at or slightly above 300. I need it to be done in 4 hours, advice? What's too high for an 8.25 lb butt?

[prowe]

If ya foil it, it will finish quicker. At 300 I suspect you may be ok in 4 hrs.

[brandonh]

Since at 325 the temp has come up to 172 so it seems to be recovering nicely. How hot is too hot?

[prowe]

Some folks use the Turbo Butt method. They cook at 325 to 350 and wrap in foil at it of 160.  That seems like you are defaulting to this method.

 

Imho, I have had best results between 230 and 255. But you will be fine. I would prob try to not let the temp go up any more.

[KismetKamado]

6 minutes ago, brandonh said:

Since at 325 the temp has come up to 172 so it seems to be recovering nicely. How hot is too hot?

 

Probably depends on how much sugar is in your rub.  You don't want a scorched sugar taste to the bark.  At least that's my $.02.  I think 325 is a good place to stay,   @prowe knows what he's talking about on this subject... I think he's smoked way more butts than I have. Just don't ask him when his anniversary is...

[prowe]

23 minutes ago, KismetKamado said:

 

Probably depends on how much sugar is in your rub.  You don't want a scorched sugar taste to the bark.  At least that's my $.02.  I think 325 is a good place to stay,   @prowe knows what he's talking about on this subject... I think he's smoked way more butts than I have. Just don't ask him when his anniversary is...

Lol, KK is the far superior cheff by a long shot. I don't think I have ever cooked butt above 285, just saying some folks swear by that turbo butt method. Has not been something I have tried.  But I suspect u will be fine.

[shuley]

I have cooked many butts at 300. Then again my setup keeps the butt far away from the coals, so I don't have to worry about the sugar burning. There is no perceptable taste difference between a 225 butt and a 300 butt, at least with my rub and set up. I haven't foiled before, but if you are that far away from donewith 4 hours to go, I would. 

[DWFII]

I have three questions that this thread raised for me:

 

1) how often does the fire go out if firebox is full of lump and well started--like with one starter cube in the middle of the charcoal volcano?

 

2) If the turbo butt method is used and the butt not foiled, is there a lack of moistness? One of the reasons I switched to a kamado was that especially the next day my pulled pork seemed a bit dry...almost always...tasted good though, always.

 

3) If the fire goes out how do you restart it without pulling everything off the cooker--meat, grid, platesetter, etc? And what the heck do you do with all that while attending to a dead fire in a hot kamado?

[KismetKamado]

10 minutes ago, DWFII said:

I have three questions that this thread raised for me:

 

1) how often does the fire go out if firebox is full of lump and well started--like with one starter cube in the middle of the charcoal volcano?

 

2) If the turbo butt method is used and the butt not foiled, is there a lack of moistness? One of the reasons I switched to a kamado was that especially the next day my pulled pork seemed a bit dry...almost always...tasted good though, always.

 

3) If the fire goes out how do you restart it without pulling everything off the cooker--meat, grid, platesetter, etc? And what the heck do you do with all that while attending to a dead fire in a hot kamado?

 

1) Not often - but things happen occasionally that are unexpected. 

 

2) Can’t speak to this one.

 

3) Very carefully. Last time I tried in a snowstorn and I fell and busted my tail on my way to the grill.  And then I broke a deflector trying to get everything out to deal with my fire. Not one of my finer moments. Thankfully my deflector broke in a way that made a perfect triangle that allowed my buddy at work who bought an Akorn Jr to use it as a deflector.

 

[DWFII]

Thanks for taking the time. I appreciate it.