Help! Butt finished way too early for tonight's dinner


 
S

Steve Johns

New member
I need some suggestions - put an butt on last night -around midnight and it is about 180 at 8:30 am. Obviously this thing will be done in the next few hours. What is the best way to handle this as I want to serve the pulled pork around 6pm tonight? Seems like I wont be able to hold it wrapped in foil in a cooler for 8hrs.

Thanks for your suggestions!
 
If it's not to late pre heat the cooler with boiling water. Wrap the butt heavily in foil and then in towels. Fill the cooler with towels so there is no empty space and you should be good to fly. If for any reason it is cool (doubtful) tonight just pull it and then reheat it in the oven with a finishing sauce to keep it moist. Good luck!

Clark
 
That is one of the reasons I do day cooks. Not sure I yet understand the necessity for an overnight cook, when you can start early and foil at some point. Unless your cooking for lunch I guess........Chris
 
Not sure I yet understand the necessity for an overnight cook, when you can start early and foil at some point.
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The biggest difference you'll see in foiling a butt at some point during your cook (while still on the WSM vs. after you pulled and letting it rest) is the bark; in my opinion you don't have nearly the "quality" of bark with a foiled butt. Again, just my opinion.
 
Chris - the reason I did overnight was that I have done many butts that end up cooking 14-16 hours. I think this time my temperatures ran a little high last night - that is what you get for starting a cook when you get home from the bar!

Larry - I totally agree with you on foiling and the quality of the bark. I misjudged the timing to say the least.
 
I figured as much about the bark. Maybe I just don't tust my cooker enough just yet. This summer when the nights are warmer I will have to try one. I just don't see how you guys are getting so much cook time out of a ring. I'm pretty sure that I would have to load in some extra coals to make it. Still trying to figure this thing out.
Later......Chris
 
Originally posted by chris comer:
That is one of the reasons I do day cooks. Not sure I yet understand the necessity for an overnight cook, when you can start early and foil at some point. Unless your cooking for lunch I guess........Chris
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because if you have a 12 pound pork butt it might take 14 plus hours.
 
Chris, I think part of the challenge is you're smoking at 5,000 feet vs. say Jacob and myself basically sitting at sea level. However, I will say this, I take great pleasure in doing an overnight cook. Pre-Stoker not once did I have a temp. spike or a major temp drop that set off an alarm. I'd sent my ET-73 at 215 low and 250 high head to bed and not once did I ever have an alarm wake me. Most times it would be within a few degrees of where it was when I went to bed. Now with my Stoker, I set my desired temp. and go to bed and let the Stoker/Stokerlog tend my fire. Then the next morning I look at the graph and see what my fire did overnight.

Can't speak to high altitude cooking but I'm sure there are others out there who could speak to overnight smokes at your altitude.
 
I am in a similar situation right now! Doing 4 butts. The two smaller ones (6.5lb) are on the bottom rack. They've been in for 12 hours at 230. I went to baste and the bone is starting to wiggle. They look fantastic. The larger top butts are a few hours away. It's 9:30 and I plan to serve at 6pm. If I remove the bottom buts at around 10:30 and preheat my cooler, will they be ok as far as moisture and texture if I want to eat them 7.5 hours later?
 
Angel, you should be just fine as far as moisture and texture. Just make sure you foil them and wrap them in towels before you put them in the pre heated cooler.

As for overnight cooks. I personally love them. The majority of my cooks are now that way. I don't have a stoker or anything but as Larry stated he barely saw any temp changes before he got a stoker, I can say the same. I mostly prefer the overnight cooks for convienience. I plan on having the food ready for mid afternoon instead of meal time and then just hold it in a cooler. After getting caught with friends over multiple times and having stubborn butts caught in the plateua or spares that just don't want to finish this has worked the best for me. It is also the reason that I mostly cook at a low lid temp, to actually extend the cook rather than speed it up. Now also the ame as Larry I'm at sea level so this may be part of the reason that I can get away with the charcoal consumption but I really don't have any problems on that front.

Clark
 
I'm not sure altitude is a big issue here. I live at 5500 feet and have had no problems on overnight cooks. Prior to getting my DigiQ, my double-butt cooks would go 15-16 hours on one very full ring of Rancher charcoal (foiled pan/clay base -- no water). Now that I have a DigiQ, I get the same 15-16 hour cook with the same very full ring (foiled water pan -- no clay base -- no water). I try to keep my lid temps ~240.

Bob W.
 
Cooking at higher temps with nothing but a foiled stock pan solves the overnight issues yet actually adds more bark. Try next time cooking around 325ish.

Faster cook, juicy, tender, more bark, good smoke flavor and smoke ring.

John
 
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