Weather and timing for first overnighter


 
Charles Howse

Charles Howse

TVWBB Wizard
I just wanted to throw this out for discussion. I prefer to discuss, then do, rather than do, then complain.

I have a butt resting in the fridge that I trimmed and rubbed last night. After trimming, I would guess it would weigh in at ~7.5#

I would like to smoke it overnight to 195*, then foil in a cooler for a couple of hours, and eat somewhere around 1:00 PM Sunday.

The weather will also be a factor, as they are forecasting up to 1/2" of rain and winds to 20 mph Sunday afternoon. So I want to be done before all that blows in.

I have a covered deck and a good, heavy wind break (if I can keep it from being blown away).

I realize it's done when it's done (patience, Charles) but I think I should at least plan a start time.

2.5 hrs/lb = 18.75 hrs
2 hrs/lb = 15 hrs
1.5 hrs/lb = 11.25 hrs

Planning on ~15 hrs, and back-timing for coming off the WSM at 11:00 AM Sunday, that would be a start time of 8:00 PM tonight.
If it's not done at that time, I still have 2 or 3 more hours for it to cook before I would start to get nervous about the weather.

What do we think? Any comments or suggestions?
 
Charles the 15 hour plan is the one I would go with. But like you said it's done when it's done. It would be beneficial if you will allow a couple hours to rest foiled in the cooler to let the juices redistribute. If you are absolutely set on eating at 1 o'clock Sunday, I'd maybe start an hour or an hour and a half earlier Saturday night just to be safe in case you get a stubborn butt or the weather plays a factor. This should give you at least two hours maybe more to let it rest. It will hold in a pre-heated cooler for several hours.
 
Charles, I'd back it up to getting it on the fire closer to 4 pm, myself. Mine seem to always tend to take more like 18 hours to get to the point where it falls in on itself and the bone lets loose - usually between 200 - 205. I've kept butts and brisket foiled in a cooler for up to six hours and they were still too hot to touch when unwrapped. Much better to err on the side of being done too early than having to try to rush it at the end of the cook. BTW, last few batches of butts I've done, I've tried some fat side down and some fat side up. Seems I'm getting better rendering when I do fat-cap side down.

Ya really ought to throw a brisket flat down underneath that butt for a midnight snack...

Keri C
 
Charles

I can give you recent experience, because it's happening now. I put on two butts a little smaller than the one you described last evening at 6:00 p.m. They were stable around 240 at lid by 8:30 p.m. which was my last check. Had the large waterpan full. I checked about 6:30 this morning and meat temp was at 175 and lid temp 220. I added water, sprayed and flipped the butts and also added a little fuel - maybe a dozen briqs, unlit. From experience I know I'll finish between 9:00 and 11:00. Then into foil, a cooler and towels. If I were going to eat at 1:00, the timing would be perfect. Thus, a 6:00 p,m. start worked for me.

Good luck.

Paul
 
Put me in the "start earlier to be safe, and throw on a brisket too" camp. Tho you can always finish a butt in the oven (foiled of course!) if needed and it really does turn out fine that way.
 
My 2 took till noon to hit 195. That would have pushed a 1:00 p.m. lunch. If I were you I'd start around 4:00 p.m. There's no downside since you'll be well within a safe holding period and your stress level will be much lower.

Best of luck.

Paul
 
BTW, last few batches of butts I've done, I've tried some fat side down and some fat side up. Seems I'm getting better rendering when I do fat-cap side down.
Click to expand...

Keri,
4:00 it is. That sounds like a good idea, with a good "fudge factor" built in.
I've got everything ready to go outside, it's beautiful...no wind, 58*.
BTW, do you trim the fat cap off those butts and then cook fat cap side down?

PaulG,
AMEN on the stress factor!!
 
Well, to be completely honest, no, I don't usually trim those little butts one lick. I have occasionally trimmed off the thin fat cap, the thin layer of lean, and the fat cap under that, but as well as they've rendered out for me with the fat cap down, I just plop those little fellers on the oiled rack and hit the ON button.
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Last time I did butts for my grandmother and her buddies at her seniors' apartment complex, I started the butts fat down about 7 at night and let 'em chug through the night. I double-foiled them the next morning before work while they were still in the 160's, dropped them off at grandma's house, and put them in her oven at 250 with probes in 'em all, with instructions to just turn off the oven when all were around the 200-ish range. This she did, and then Friend Husband went by there after he got off work to help her remove them from the oven and pull them. Funny thing, though - when I got over there they were still working on the first butt. They had pulled the bone and chunked up the butt, and were trying to dig out the pieces of fat that my grandma thought should have been removed before serving... except for the fact that they couldn't find any pieces of fat to remove.
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I love it when a plan comes together, don't you?

Same me some leftovers, Charles!

Keri C, smokin' on Tulsa Time
 
One of the best tips I got from this forum and I always do it when cooking butts now. I start 24 hours before I want to eat. Once the butt gets up to the temp I want I foil it and put it back on the WSM and close all the vents to kill the fire. I've easily held butts for 6ours in the WSM as it cools down and the fire is dead. No coolers no towlels just some foil it works great and I never try and figure out timing with butts anymore.
edited to add..
I also cook butts fat side down and agree it works better. I don't trim them. I get the cryo packs from Sams.
 
I've only done 1 brisket like that and yes worked fine. However, I don't do many of them, but cann't see why it would be any different. Your just letting them rest in the WSM as it cools down. This is all assumeing that your WSM isn't real leeky and your fire does go out when you close all the vents.
 
I have done as Bill says he does and left them wrapped in the WSM after all vents are closed. I recall Kevin Taylor posting on this way back and he is one of the legends. However, it is important that the fire go out fairly soon. I guess mine didn't and the butts were drier than they usually are. That's why I stick with the cooler and towels. You have to wrap the butts anyway and it's not much trouble for me to drop them in one of my multiple coolers.

Paul
 
Hey, Charles, got those butts on the fire yet? I'll keep you company tonight - soon as the pot of soup I have started gets to where it can take care of itself for a bit, I'm heading to Sam's for to acquire four butts myself, to cook and freeze for a coupla doin's that we have coming up. The weather is so nice and the wind so calm that I'm going to take advantage of it tonight.

Later - Keri
 
I've never gotten a dry butt doing it this way. Charles take it out and unwrap a little before you want to pull it mine have to sit a little before I pull because it's still fairly hot.
 
Well, thanks for all the advice everyone.
I went to bed about midnight, and for some reason, woke up about 4 and decided to get up and check on Mr. Pig.

Lid temp - 250*
Internal Temp - 197*
Meat pulled back from bone? - Yes
Fork Test - Passed
Poke Test - Passed

That puppy actually fell apart while I was removing it from the grate.
Wrapped in 2 layers of HD Foil, closed all vents, back on WSM to rest.

This one probably finished early (12 hours) because the average lid temp was 280*.
That was as low as I could get it...2 bottom vents shut all the way, 1 open ~10%.

Can you say "Piece of cake"?

Guess what I'm having for breakfast?
 
No, Vern...coffee. Too early for beer, even for this ol' boy.

I took that thing off the pit about 9:00, opened her up, and steam hit me in the face.

Still hot after 5 hours in the foil.

It pulled perfectly, didn't find any fat...at all.
Just had me a sammy on a "cheap white bun" with some Tennessee Red.

This one turned out just right, all the way round.
Now, I can humbly say, "I have arrived."
 
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