First butt on kettle....
- Thread starter Becky M-M
- Start date
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
It always depends on the cooktemps. It can take around an hour/pound - or a bit less - if cooked at typical higher temps, 2 hours/pound - or a bit more - if cooked at typical low/slow temps, or somewhere in between if cooked somewhere in between.
This isn't very helpful, I know, but it's how it is. Plan a mid-range cook, ~275?, deflecting direct heat from the butt's surfaces that are closest to the coals to prevent premature surface cooking, and plan around 1.5 hours/pound to be on the safe side. It will hold just fine wrapped in foil and stuck in your microwave or in a cooler, either stuffed with towels to hold heat.
This isn't very helpful, I know, but it's how it is. Plan a mid-range cook, ~275?, deflecting direct heat from the butt's surfaces that are closest to the coals to prevent premature surface cooking, and plan around 1.5 hours/pound to be on the safe side. It will hold just fine wrapped in foil and stuck in your microwave or in a cooler, either stuffed with towels to hold heat.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
That they do.
It's always hard to say, from a distance, especially with kettle cooks. It really depends on cooktemps. What your cooktemp therm says depends on the therm itself, its placement, and so forth - so it can be hard to determine upfront. Once you do one or two and see how it goes, you should be able to replicate the cook without too much difficulty, increasing or decreasing the cooktemps if desired, and thus hone in better on projected cooking time. At first, imo, it is better to allow plenty of time. As noted, you can hold a too-early-finished butt without problem - and that's better than keeping everyone waiting, no?
It's always hard to say, from a distance, especially with kettle cooks. It really depends on cooktemps. What your cooktemp therm says depends on the therm itself, its placement, and so forth - so it can be hard to determine upfront. Once you do one or two and see how it goes, you should be able to replicate the cook without too much difficulty, increasing or decreasing the cooktemps if desired, and thus hone in better on projected cooking time. At first, imo, it is better to allow plenty of time. As noted, you can hold a too-early-finished butt without problem - and that's better than keeping everyone waiting, no?
Jim Lampe
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
becky, a friend cooks butts in his kettle all the time. and as kevin stated, his cook is about 1½ hrs per pound.
he also adds five to 7 fully lit kingsford charcoals every 45 minutes to maintain a cozy 300º inside.
his indirect set-up is coal on one side - cook on the other side.
good luck! lookin' forward to your photos
he also adds five to 7 fully lit kingsford charcoals every 45 minutes to maintain a cozy 300º inside.
his indirect set-up is coal on one side - cook on the other side.
good luck! lookin' forward to your photos
I do it with chicken all the time and add coals as your friend does Jim, but of course not every 45 minutes. I just knew it would be different working with a hunk of butt as apposed to chicken parts.
I will definitely take pics of it tomorrow morning.
we love the Penzeys Forward on eggs and taters, you think it would work with pork?
I will definitely take pics of it tomorrow morning.
we love the Penzeys Forward on eggs and taters, you think it would work with pork?