My first butt cook a couple of weeks back was textbook. Seven pounder, 15 hours, just about 2 hours per pound. Wow, this is easy...
Was planning on cooking ribs for the crew yesterday. While picking up the meat at BJs, my wife calls and says she'd really like some butt instead of ribs. Enhanced shoulder only at BJs, I'll pass. I didn't plan for an overnight cook anyway so maybe it's a good thing.
Stopped at the grocery store to pick up some other supplies and happen to look in the meat case. Several nice little 3 pound butts, trimmed and ready for the smoker just sitting there. Hmm. 2 hours a pound, that's six hours. I could start 'em at 8AM and they'll be ready around 2 or 3, right? And my wife is happy...
Long story short, they went on at 8:45AM, and when I finally pulled them at 9:30PM, they were still only at about 185-188. I did question my thermo, but I checked in different spots while it was stuck forever at 170 and again at 180 and there was definitely resistance putting the thermo in. They really were tasty in the end and had better bark than my first butt cook, but I sure learned a lesson.
Cooker temp ran 225-240 most of the day. I opened it a couple of times to put the loin backs on, foil them and then unfoil and sauce them. Ribs were in a rack though, so I could pull them all at once and close the lid quick to foil, etc. I wouldn't think this was enough of a factor to add six hours or so, but who knows. I didn't tie them up like the first time either, but if anything, I'd think this would make them less dense and cook quicker.
Humbled...
Was planning on cooking ribs for the crew yesterday. While picking up the meat at BJs, my wife calls and says she'd really like some butt instead of ribs. Enhanced shoulder only at BJs, I'll pass. I didn't plan for an overnight cook anyway so maybe it's a good thing.
Stopped at the grocery store to pick up some other supplies and happen to look in the meat case. Several nice little 3 pound butts, trimmed and ready for the smoker just sitting there. Hmm. 2 hours a pound, that's six hours. I could start 'em at 8AM and they'll be ready around 2 or 3, right? And my wife is happy...
Long story short, they went on at 8:45AM, and when I finally pulled them at 9:30PM, they were still only at about 185-188. I did question my thermo, but I checked in different spots while it was stuck forever at 170 and again at 180 and there was definitely resistance putting the thermo in. They really were tasty in the end and had better bark than my first butt cook, but I sure learned a lesson.
Cooker temp ran 225-240 most of the day. I opened it a couple of times to put the loin backs on, foil them and then unfoil and sauce them. Ribs were in a rack though, so I could pull them all at once and close the lid quick to foil, etc. I wouldn't think this was enough of a factor to add six hours or so, but who knows. I didn't tie them up like the first time either, but if anything, I'd think this would make them less dense and cook quicker.
Humbled...