Rehash - the timing issue


 
Charles Howse

Charles Howse

TVWBB Wizard
I know we've discussed this before, and I've done enough research in the archives to get confused.

Here's the question:
In general, does increasing the amount of meat to be cooked, increase the time it takes to cook it?
Has anyone kept good enough records to come up with a formula?
My sparse records aren't complete enough to come to a conclusion.

I have a 6# butt and 2 3# half-butts that I want to start tonight.
Should I expect the smaller ones to finish first, therfore I should put them on the top grate?
 
Trying to noodle through a precise formula like this violates the spirit of barbecue, to my mind. Nevertheless, physics dictates the more cold meat you add to any cooker, the longer it takes for the unit's temperature to recover and the greater the overall cooking time.

However, in your case, I'd say you're not cooking a particularly huge quantity of meat in relation to the WSM's mass so I would stick with the 2 hours/pound rule of thumb for butts.

Your choice is to put all three butts on at the same time and wrap and hold the smaller ones whenever they're ready. Or, start the large one first and put the smaller ones on somewhere around the halfway point if you want to take a stab at having all three finish at approximately the same time.

Either way, it looks like you're going to have to get up in the wee hours of the night to remove the small butts or put them on.

Also, you've got plenty of space on the top grate for what's essentially two butts so I'd cook all three on it and relax. Nnot having to access the bottom grate is one less thing to futz with during the cook.

HTH
 
Thanks for the reply, Ken.

I could start the big one about 3:30 tomorrow morning, then put the small ones on about 9:30. That would have them finish about supper time.

Back-timing cooks so they finish about when I would like them to has always been one of the things I like to do.

With all due respect, tell me more about "the spirit of barbecue". I would hate to be in violation of any spirit.
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Charles, don't forget to factor in a rest period. I'd rather have the meat come off early and rest for several hours - the longer the better IMO. Maybe someone will weigh in about the Minimum amount of time a butt should rest. I usually aim for 4 hours and have gone 6 with excellent results.

It will still pull easily at 105-115*F internal.

Rita
 
Charles, give yourself some breathing room. Definately do not time the cook to finish at dinner time. More often than not you and your family will go hungry. The meat is able to rest several hours - with positive results. I've read where some cooks will bring the meat up to temp, shut all vents, wrap the meat in foil, pleace back on the smoker and let the coal burn out. Total time from start to finish - 24 hours. You can drag a cook out easier than you can hurry one up! Either way good luck with the cook.
 
I did that recently and it worked extremely well. I only let it stand for about 6 hours after snuffing, though. I'll be doing it from now on, if time warrants. That was my best pulled pork!
 
One thing that I've experienced and I know from reading other forums is probably more the rule than the exception is that smaller butts tend to take more time per pound than larger butts. I've done two small (3.5 lb) butts and they both took almost three hours per pound. My temps were steady and I didn't peek...any more than I absolutely needed to
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Seriously, my last cook...that was my goal--little or no peeking. Still took eleven and a half hours.

The meat came off at 194* and an hour later pulled beautifully. It's delicious and moist.

Which only underscores the good advice--cook to temp, cook to temp. (not to time)
 
Well, everything was beautiful untill...
I went to bed ~1:30 am - temp 250*, got up ~6:00 am and put the two small ones on - temp 250*. Got back up at ~10:00 am - temp 140* at the lid, meat temp 132*.
I took off the door, opened all vents to 100%, stirred the fire - nothing happening.
Took off the middle section and really stirred the fire good, temp popped back up to 200*, closed vents to 25%.
It's ~10:30 now, temp 230*.
The problem could be that I poured all the hot coals into a little cavity I made in the unlit coals when starting the fire, and they burned good, but didn't light the rest of the unlit coals.
I think I've saved it, but no telling when it'll be ready now.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Russ Hazzon:
I've read where some cooks will bring the meat up to temp, shut all vents, wrap the meat in foil, pleace back on the smoker and let the coal burn out. Total time from start to finish - 24 hours. You can drag a cook out easier than you can hurry one up! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

This 24 hour method just doesn't make sense to me.
If I have a 6# butt, and I put it on at 5:00 pm today, and it takes 12 hrs to cook, that means I have to get up at 5:00 am to make sure it's done, foil, snuff the WSM, and then it has to hold until 5:00 pm - 12 hours.
I can cook at 220*, and if it takes 15 hrs, that's still 9 hrs that it has to hold.

I think pulled pork tastes best just after it's pulled, so I don't enjoy pulling, cooling, and then reheating at supper time. That's the main reason I'm so into back-timing my cooks.
 
My vote is to do whatever works best for you. Two cooks can turn in two great products that were cooked two different ways. There's no right or wrong here - just recommendations to experiment with so you can find a middle-ground that works best for you.

I've personally never had a butt finish in under 16 hours when cooked 225* at the grate. I've had stubborn butts go as long as 22 hours. I have, unfortunately, served dinner at 10pm due to a miscalculated cook. Two things I learned from that mess:

1. Cut down on the amount of alchohol you pour when you find out dinner is going to be late.

2. Avoid, at all costs, telling a bunch of drunk guests that dinner is four hours late!
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I've held butts for up to six hours in a cooler and still served a great tasting (and safe) product. All I'm trying to imply is that I'd rather be a little early than try to cut it close.

This is what works for me. Although I do agree that pork should be served as soon as it is pulled to experience the best possible product.
 
Here's the current situation...
All 3 butts are within 10* of each other (~155*), cooker temp holding steady at 250*.
They haven't plateaued yet, so there's still no telling when they'll be done.
We may have bbq for a midnight snack.
...and I was planning to eat at 5:00...sigh.

This has really been a terrible week...
my old truck's heater core sprung a leak yesterday, and that cost me over $370, then this "bbq that took forever", and some even worse things that don't need to be discussed here.
There's gotta be a turn in the road soon...please!
 
Final Report -
22 hours on the smoker, just about out of fuel.

While trying to decide what to do, it started raining and blowing.
I pulled all 3, foiled, and moved to the oven @275* for an hour.

All 3 checked near 200*, wrapped in towels, and placed in cooler with newspapers.

2 hours later, I pulled them, all the bones slipped out clean, but there was just a tiny bit of fat that wasn't rendered in one.

They really turned out well, and everyone liked my homemade sauces (I made some of Steve Petrone's Lexington Vinegar sauce, and the Carolina Red from Smoke and Spice).

Got to bed about 2:00 am, planning the regular dinner with fixin's for tonight.
 
Hey Charles, sorry to hear about your rough week. Hope things improve over the weekend. Have a great dinner tonight. Sounds like you deserve one! I have a long way to go before I try a long smoke like you did--but one of these weeks...
 
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