8 lb butt cooktimes


 
T

tjkoko

TVWBB All-Star
Just finished cooking an 8 pound butt. To reach 190F it took 18 hours. To reach 205F the total time was 19.5 hours.

Ambient temperatures were in the 70's-80's, here in south Georgia. And the smoker temperatures ranged from 225 (overnight) to 250+ during the last few hours of cooking.

As with all que, it's done whenever it's done. Ever watched the movie called EASY RIDER and how Captain America jettisons his watch at the beginning of the ride?!?!?!? ...transcending space and time. Over and out.
 
The amount of charcoal used was only one full ring; and, this was the 5'th cook in my unit and therefore sustaining lower cooking temps in the 225 range vs the 245 range was very easily achieved.
 
TJ, an eight pounder usually takes me around 12 hrs to reach 195*. I use the Piedmont Pan method along with the foiled terra cotta saucer sitting in the top pan. I usually cook around 245 to 250* using Kingsford and chunks for flavor.
 
That's the big difference. Your cooking at 245-250 vs mine at 225. How many rings of charcoal did you use?
 
You can extend a butt cook as long as you want to.

I've cooked them as long 19-20 hours, and as little as 11-12.

If you cook around the low 200's at grate level, then you are looking for a very long cook.

I usually try to cook butts at 240-250 lid for the overnight portion, and adjust the temps as necessary in the morning to finish them in my "hold time" window.

That could mean slowing them down, or speeding them up by ramping temps up.

As you do more of them, you'll figure out the path to take....butts are very forgiving.
 
For this cook grate temperatures ran around 225 whereas lid temperatures hovered around 205-215. Sounds like you're really cooking hot like in the 275 range.
 
The lid temp is higher than the grate temp. If I am cooking at 250 lid, then the grate temps are around 235.

If your lid temps are 215, then you are cooking at around 200 for much of the cook.
 
Assuming my Maverick therm is correct, seems that lid temps runs about 25-30 degrees cooler than the upper grate. Guess I'll check both of my therms by doing a water test.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by tjkoko:
Just finished cooking an 8 pound butt. To reach 190F it took 18 hours. To reach 205F the total time was 19.5 hours. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


IMO a pork butt reading 195 is ready to pull off and rest. I usually pull mine at 190-193 and foil for a couple hours and they are ridiculously tender and delicious. No need to go above 200, they will still turn out good though, but just no need.
 
Yet my Maverick grill probe place topside of the grill next to the meat indicated grill temperatures ranging from 225 to 230.
 
Just tested my Maverick, TelTru and Taylor (std cooking therm) and all agreed within 1 degree F of each other.

But here's what I just learned concerning my TelTru with a 2 1/2 inch stem. When measuring the temp of boiling water, only about 5/8 inch of the stem was immersed and temperature measured 200-202. Yet after immersing the entire stem and not the threads, the TelTru indicated a boiling temp of 212. So it appears that a temperature gradient can occur along the stem of the TelTru and as much of the stem as possible must be utilized for accurate readings.
 
TJ, I only used one ring of Kingsford with flavor chunks included. Last weekend, after I took my butts off, I would go outside and tweak the bottom vents. I kept my WSM at over 200* for right at 24 hrs.
 
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