cook time on pork butt


 
R

RFMarshall

New member
All the articles I read on here say 1 1/2 to 2 hours per pound for pork butt or 12 -16 hours for an 8 lb butt, I have cooked two now, the first one was 8 lbs and it took 7 1/2 hours and the second one was around 7 lbs and took 6 1/2 hours. I am using a leave it digital thermometer and cooking to 165 degrees before taking it out then wrapping in foil and then taking it to 195 degrees, the weber lid thermometer is reading 225 to 250. I am not complaining, both butts turned out great and the bone pulled out clean and were very moist and shredded easily. My question is the times seems so short compared to the estimated times on this site.
 
RF

Sounds to me your cooking to hot. The lid thermometer supposedly reads about 15 degrees hotter than the cooking surface. If that's true than you are cooking at about 210 -235
which would account for the shorter time. Best to purchase a dual probe thermometer, 1 for the cooking surface and one for the meat. The one I use has a remote receiver so you are not
tied to the smoker, I forget the name but there are several available around 50 bucks.

My understanding that the best temp for but is 150, should be juicier and more tender.
 
RF,
Your cook times are similar to my own. I did my first butt yesterday, just under 7 pounds. It smoked for 5 hours at 275, then got foiled and cooked for another 3 hours at 230. I pulled it at 202 internal, and it was perfectly cooked. So that was around an hour per pound (I stretched the time out a bit by reducing the temp after foiling, because it was going to be done too far before dinner).

Most everything I've smoked takes less time than what recipes suggest. I'm using a good digital thermometer, and the thermometer on the WSM lid always reads less than the digital, so I'm pretty sure I'm not running higher temps than I think.
 
RF... You used one of the pitmaster's many tools... foil.
Around 160ish, the stall normally happens. Evaporation of water from the surface of the meat is what causes the stall.
When one wraps the meat tightly in foil, that evaporation no long occurs and the overall cooking time is vastly reduced.

Your temperatures are all ok.
 
If it aint broke dont fix it!

I generally cook in the 270 range and a 9-10 lb but is done in +/- 8hrs.

I too usually foil around 160 and allow a good rest in foil, while wrapped in towels and placed in a dry cooler.

the 1.5-2 hrs per pound are rules of thumb for cooking at 225.

Some people swear that you must babysit a 225 fire for the better part of a whole day, some folks, and many experts like aaron franklin and harry soo, feel that higher temps render fat better.

there is no right or wrong temp, its all preference.
 
I actually think the grate temp is usually hotter than that thermometer. At least it was when I tested it the last time. I wouldn't be surprised if you even reached 275 which is fine for butts.
 
As Bob said, the secret is the foil. Without foil, an 8 to 10 pound butt takes more than twelve hours at 250 to 275.
 
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