planning a cook......


 
B

Becky M-M

TVWBB Pro
i have been wanting to smoke another butt. the smallest i could find is 9lbs. the one i smoked the other day took some 7 hours or so and it was 5.5lbs.

i am guessing this is going to take much longer. problem is i cant find a time to start it. i am pretty busy all the time and unfortunately will have to be somewhere most evenings and have early morning appts.

i feel like im going nuts, i have been thinking of a way to get this cook going since Monday! totally consuming my thoughts lol

how do you plan your cooks?

i was actually thinking of putting this on tonight around ten or so.... and maybe tending to it for a few hours then trying to sleep.

i should be back from church tonight around 9pm and will be home tomorrow all day, but need to be out of the house by 430pm.

can it be done?
 
Becky,

If it's 9 LB's, it will take anywhere from 10 to 15 hours depending on the temp you cook at. I would recommend trying to cook around 250 degrees and cooking it overnight. If you start it at 10PM and cook at 250, it should be done by 10:00AM the next morning. To cook at 250, I would set all 3 WSM vents about halfway open.

I've done overnighters all the time and it can be scary at first, but it always turns out fine. Just make sure you're smoking on a non flammable surface. For instance, if your WSM is on a deck, DO NOT do an overnighter. Should be common sense, but I read an article last year about someone who did that and set their house on fire.
 
What if you cut it in half creating two 4.5lb pieces? It should cut down on the cooking time dramatically. Plus, you'll get more bark.
 
ha.... never thought about cutting it in half! lol if i cut it, i could put it on tomorrow morning and it should be done by 4pm.

i would be smoking on a kettle.... and it is not on my deck right now.

i dont know why i didnt think of cutting it in half. i am pressed for time all week and the whole weekend, so i know i cant work with a 10+ hour cook. but i can put it on at 6am and go from there.
 
Becky -

You could use the Texas Crutch method. Smoke the butt for a few hours, then foil wrap in a deep pan and put into a 225° oven to finish. You will not have a crusty bark, but piece of mind (no unintended fires, no watching the kettle for temp fluctuations, no adding coals/wood, etc.) and sleep are well worth the trade off. I smoked many butts in my kettle using this method before I found my WSM and it works great for PP.
 
i thought about that. read up on it and considered doing that. just didnt know if that would get my membership here revoked.....
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seriously though.... that sounds like a good idea as well. how many hours does it need to be on to get a good smoke flavor?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Becky M-M:
i thought about that. read up on it and considered doing that. just didnt know if that would get my membership here revoked.....
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seriously though.... that sounds like a good idea as well. how many hours does it need to be on to get a good smoke flavor? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I used to leave them on the kettle from 4-6 hrs. if I had the time. 4 hrs. gives a fair amount of smoke that will be more noticeable the next day. I have done them with as little as 3 hrs. of smoke (which was still enough to smell up our whole office), then into the oven @ around 10pm for a work lunch the next day. They are usually ready in plenty of time for F-T-C and pulling pork in the office always draws a crowd of hungry folks when they smell good smoky BBQ.
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Another alternative, Becky, is high heat. If you smoke it at 350, it should take about 5-6 hours. I've done this when I had to do 4 biggies for my granddaughter's school fair, and they came out great.

Look here, and also search "high heat butt" in FIND.

High Heat Butt
 
my first one was high heat..... and i was hoping to try something low and slow. i just dont know if i can fit it in my schedule. i was going try one tomorrow.....

it is now pouring outside! hopefully it clears up by morning.

i think i might cut it in half. and i want to try it without a rub. just maybe some salt and pepper.... since i am new and just trying to get a feel for it, i am not too worried about a rub, more about the execution.
 
You could also start it in the oven and cook it overnight, if your oven has a timer stick the butt in cold when you go to bed and have the oven start at 2 or 3 am. In the morning switch it over to the kettle without foiling and finish it like that. Set the kettle up for a minion start.
 
i put it on at 9am this morning..... its been chugging along all day. i have been really good about not opening it. i actually had an emergency and had to leave, so at about 11am i opened it up and loaded it up some more.... then left.

got back at two and it is still going. havent peeked yet.

i did cut it in half. going to see what the temp is at around 4pm and then might foil it and put it in the oven then.
 
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