How long can a pork butt hold?


 
Andrew Binkard

Andrew Binkard

New member
I put two 9.5 lb pork butts on the WSM this morning at 6. Smoker has stayed steady between 240 and 260 throughout the day. I just took both of them off as they were probing at 195-202 and felt very tender whilst probing.

Problem is, people aren't eating it until 7. Can the butts sit wrapped in a towel in a cooler for that long? Will they be safe to eat?
 
They will sit that long with no problem. I have held them for more than 4 hours and they still come out warm.

Just make sure they are covered good with towels and in a decent cooler
 
When my son graduated college a few weeks ago I pulled burrs off the smoker at 1130 and we did not eat until almost 4:00. I still had to use gloves to pull them! You will be good brother!
 
As they said --- no problem going that long.

I'm more interested in how you got two 9.5lb butts done in 9 hours at 240-260 degrees.
I typically cook at those same temps if not higher and the same sized butts take me closer to 12 hours.
 
If you want to get technical, don't hold it for more than 2 hrs from 140F down. That said, if you foil and cooler, you can easily get 6 hrs before 140F.
 
Chad Bman said:
As they said --- no problem going that long.

I'm more interested in how you got two 9.5lb butts done in 9 hours at 240-260 degrees.
I typically cook at those same temps if not higher and the same sized butts take me closer to 12 hours.
Click to expand...
Chad, I just cooked an 8 pounder last week at an average temp of 240 for 9 and a half hours... Cooked to 198 degrees...

been averaging a little over an hour a pound...
 
Jim Lampe said:
Chad, I just cooked an 8 pounder last week at an average temp of 240 for 9 and a half hours... Cooked to 198 degrees...

been averaging a little over an hour a pound...
Click to expand...

That's interesting. Everything I cook always takes longer than shorter. And I cook at 250-275 and use a digital thermometer
 
Rick Body said:
That's interesting. Everything I cook always takes longer than shorter. And I cook at 250-275 and use a digital thermometer
Click to expand...

It's all in where you measure temp in the smoker. If you want shorter cooks put the probe right next to cold meat like center grate between a couple of pork butts, or go by the Weber dome gauge with the smoker in the shade. Conversely, if you want to measure the highest temps, hang a probe in the vent or just an inch or two from the wall of the cooker away from the meat. Location, location...whatever works for you. It's just something to be mindful of.
 
I usually clip a clothespin to the grate away from the meat but not too close to the edge. Then I clip the alligator clip to the clothespin so it is about an inch off the grate. (I am using a thermoworks thermo). I feel like I am getting accurate temps.

My meat just takes longer cuz you cant rush perfection, LOL
 
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