Pork butts cooking to fast.

[Montanasmoke]

Hey y'all,

I am new to the smoking. First off i am using a Cajun Injector electric smoker with a digital timer, temp and meat probe temp. I have verified the meat probe temp is correct.

The problem i keep having, is that the internal temps get there to fast. Tday i did a 8 lb Elk roast, brought it up to 145 deg removed foiled and cooler. went to cut it 2 hrs later and it was very rare. had to put the slices on the grill for a bit to please everyone. tasted amazing and was very tender though.

At the moment I have two 5 lb pork butts in and they reached 185 deg after 3.5 hrs. smoker temp is set at 250.
How would you recommend I proceed? I am doing a 24 hr shift and cooking for 5 other guys.

[Fishawn]

So, your problem is your butts will be done "way too soon" ?

If that's the case, I would think you have 2 options depending on the time frame when they are going to be served.

1) Bring up to desired temp & pull or slice & refrigerate (overnight?) until you want to serve them & slowly reheat them up to serving temp.

2) Bring up to within a couple degrees of your desired finishing temp then double foil them & stuff into a cooler & pack the dead air space with towels, blankets, scrunched up newspapers..... They will stay HOT for several hours.

[DDave]

Hey y'all,
I am new to the smoking. First off i am using a Cajun Injector electric smoker with a digital timer, temp and meat probe temp. I have verified the meat probe temp is correct.

Have you verified that the smoker temp is correct? If your meat probe is accurate, it sounds like your smoker may be hotter than it says it is.

I have never had a 5 pound pork butt get to 185° in less then 7 or 8 hours and that's cooking them at 250° to 260°.

Dave

[Mark R]

You have a thermo somewhere not working correctly. I suspect you are cooking @325° or more, not 250°.

[RowdyRay]

Either the chamber temp is way too hot or that probe isn't right. How did you verify it? Boiling water?

If you can get another thermo, I would. Test it in boiling water to make sure it's reading correct.

What did you want to do with the butt? Slice it or pull it?

[Hippy]

Not saying you didn't but verify your probe at low end and high end. (ice water,boiling water).

A thick roast might not have much carryover heating. So it could still be pretty rare after setting a while.

Lamb rare is a little different than beef rare, not sure about Elk.

[Montanasmoke]

Dave: I was thinking it might be cooking too hot. Being stuck at work there isn't much i can do about getting another thermo.

Ray: yes boiling water, and I want to pull it.

[SmokinLee]

ya just cant trust the door thermos on MOST small manufactured smokers.