first butt's


 
J

Jim J.M.

TVWBB Member
Ok so here is the plan: 2 pork butts around 9 pounds each, I plan an over nite cook at with the temp around 245-250 the outside temp over nite is going to be around 45 degrees with a chance of rain, the smoker will be under a tent. I will be using Chris Lilly's injection and a home made rub, I will be using the Cowboy lump and a mixture of cherry and Apple wood. Here are my questions:
1) about how long should they take if I put them on around midnite?
2) how much wood should I use if cooking 2 butts?
3) do all meats stall and if so do they ever pass that point with out stopping?

Thanks for the help!
 
I'd allow myself about 1.5 hr per pound. This is an approximation for 225 pit temp and 190 target meat temp. Your cooking at a little higher temp but I'd still allow about 12-13 hrs for a 9 pounder, especially since the 45 degree outside temp is a little lower than normal.

The few butts I've cooked have all taken at least 1.5 hr per pound at 240 temp, but they've been cooked in winter months. My most recent was a 7 lb to 195 took nearly 13 hrs.

I started with 4 chucks of hickory and added 2 chucks about half way through. Cherry and apple would work fine. I just like hickory smoke better. I've cooked butt around 6 or 7 times and it's always stalled.

Don't forget to allow for resting time of one to two hours.
 
I would allow more time. They'll hold just fine.

Stalls are common but not carved in stone. Often there are two for butts but not always. You can usually count on one though.

I prefer hickory with them as well.
 
Do yourself a favor and skip the Cowboy lump. Worst stuff you can use for long cooks. Use anything but that stuff.

If using the dome gauge to target temp, you'll need less time than 2hrs/lb as so many folks suggest that measure temp through the dome vent. More like 14 hours (1.75hr/lb) for a 8 pounder instead of 16, assuming we're talking the popular temp zone of 225-250. Raise your dome vent range by 25 degrees (250-275*) and it'll probably be about the same, though. It's naturally hotter there since farther from the meat and measuring in the stream of circulation up the sides of the cooker.

As Kevin pointed out, hickory is great for pork butts, and I really don't understand the popularity of using apple and/or cherry for pulled pork, although I love fruitwoods for chicken and ribs. Hickory/oak is a great combo for brisket and pork butt, and a lot of folks like hickory mixed with cherry or apple for pork butt or brisket. Hickory just brings some needed "kick" to the pulled pork party on a bun. I probably use the equivalent of six fist-sized chunks of wood.

Yes, pork butts stall. Don't worry about it though. Just cook til tender, although somewhere around the first stall is a reasonable time to foil if doing so.
 
I was planing on using the cowboy because I did a brisket with Kingsford and I didn't like the amount of leftover ash or the flavor, so any other recomendations would be helpful. I use the apple and cherry because it easy to find this time of the year here in New England but will try the others. One other question is how often do you turn the butts?
 
Jim,
As I mentioned above, I've never used lump but I've heard good comments on Royal Oak. I know Walmart carries it, but not sure who else.

I plan to give the RO a try but I just stocked up on KB.
 
You don't have to turn the butts for good results. Most folks just cook fat down the whole time. Nine pounders are at about the size you might consider cooking one to a grate. Two on the top rack will use less fuel, but one to a grate will cook more evenly.

I hear ya on the Kingsford. Try some Kingsford Competition. I get it at Costco. Less ash and longer burn without the Kingsford smell or flavor. Decent lump is ok as well. I'd just avoid the Cowboy, and mesquite lumps as well since they burn rather hot and fast.
 
I did two butts totalling 18lbs this past weekend - pouring rain and high winds for half the night. I needed to make sure we were ready for noon serving, so like Kevin suggested I allowed plenty of extra time. I put them on about 6:30 the night before. Held steady around 250ish. Checked them at 6:30 am and let em go until 8. Wrapped in foil and blankets in the cooler and held until noon (still almost too hot to handle!)
 
Bone-in-butts usually takes me about 1.75 hours per pound at 250 degrees grate temp. I prefer half oak and half hickory for butts and maybe a chunk of apple, usually 7 or 8 baseball size chunks. If you put them on at midnight, I would think they should finish around 2-3pm, give or take an hour. If you are timing them for company, you can hold them for several hours in a cooler, wrapped in foil and covered with towels if they finish early. Good luck with the cook and I'll be looking forward to the leftovers!
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So the butts are on ,they went on right at 12am e.s.t, going with something a little diffrent for wood using hickory,oak, and a little apple. i'll check back in the morning.
 
How'd they come out?

Just as a side note I made pork butts a couple of times in a row and very consistently they were coming out in 13-14 hours. I felt very clever and started to count on them being done at a particular time. Then the next time, no changes, same size butt, and it took 17 hours (and my 22" was able to do that without refueling - very impressive). So now I try to time them so they'll be done for lunch, but if not I make sure I have the stuff to make something else and we shift the pulled pork to dinner...
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Doug Wade:
How'd they come out?

Just as a side note I made pork butts a couple of times in a row and very consistently they were coming out in 13-14 hours. I felt very clever and started to count on them being done at a particular time. Then the next time, no changes, same size butt, and it took 17 hours (and my 22" was able to do that without refueling - very impressive). So now I try to time them so they'll be done for lunch, but if not I make sure I have the stuff to make something else and we shift the pulled pork to dinner... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

So why do you think there's such a inconsistency in your times, Doug?
 
As I recall it spent some absurd amount of time at 186 degrees, just doing whatever it does in the plateau (breaking stuff down). I have a temperature control unit so I don't think there were any weird overnight low periods or anything like that.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Doug Wade:
As I recall it spent some absurd amount of time at 186 degrees, just doing whatever it does in the plateau (breaking stuff down). I have a temperature control unit so I don't think there were any weird overnight low periods or anything like that. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for the clarification. Just wondering if you thought it was the meat or if it was just your typical MM over-night cook variances.
 
They came out great, the stall time was killing me they were at 165 for almost 3 1/2 hours, I foiled when they hit 175 and it took about 2 hours to get to 190. At 192 I took them off and let them rest in the cooler for almot 3 hours, the bones came out nice and easy. After everyone had their fill it was very qiuet in the house, so I take that as a good thing. If i can figure out how to post pictures I will put them up, Thanks for the help !!
 
I'm glad it worked out! I usually see one stall in the 160s and another in the 180s. It definitely can be maddening. I don't bother testing until 190 (the test being poking it with something and seeing how it feels) and then after that I basically test every few degrees to see if it's done.
 
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