Cooking two butts - double the time per lb?

Rockosteel

Cooking two 7lb butts - do I cook as one 7lb or as 14. .... I'm thinking as 7lb

theyolksonyou

Plan same as one 7# just don't let them touch. Also know that they all act differently so one will likely cook faster than the other..

Chubbs

Plan as cooking 1. Are they bone-in? They will likely hit stall at different time and may stay in stall a considerably different amount of time.

4Runner

I did 4 at once and it still closely followed the normal approx time based on weights of solo. Probe them both if you can.

Jeepster47

Question:  I've heard several rules of thumb for time to finish on various cuts of meat.  I'm wondering if poundage is the correct variable to predict cooking time.

I just finished a 3.25 lb center cut from a brisket ... the store said the cut was a third of the full packer.  It took nine hours (grill temp of 250) to reach an IT of 200 degrees where the brisket probed like buttuh.  Since this cut was only a third of the size of the full then a ten pound packer should take 27 hours ... and a 15 pound packer a little over 40 hours.  @Ladeback69 posted that he has cooked a few 14 to 15 lb briskets in 14 to 15 hours.  Opps.

I'm wondering if thickness isn't a better indicator of how long it will take a piece of meat to cook to temp.  We do that with steaks ... yes?  Why isn't that the correct approach when smoking a piece of meat at low temps?  It takes a certain amount of time for heat to reach the core of the meat and raise the temp to our target.  And the distance the heat travels is based on thickness ... not overall weight.

Agree/disagree? 

logchief

Jeepster47 said:

Question:  I've heard several rules of thumb for time to finish on various cuts of meat.  I'm wondering if poundage is the correct variable to predict cooking time.

I just finished a 3.25 lb center cut from a brisket ... the store said the cut was a third of the full packer.  It took nine hours (grill temp of 250) to reach an IT of 200 degrees where the brisket probed like buttuh.  Since this cut was only a third of the size of the full then a ten pound packer should take 27 hours ... and a 15 pound packer a little over 40 hours.  @Ladeback69 posted that he has cooked a few 14 to 15 lb briskets in 14 to 15 hours.  Opps.

I'm wondering if thickness isn't a better indicator of how long it will take a piece of meat to cook to temp.  We do that with steaks ... yes?  Why isn't that the correct approach when smoking a piece of meat at low temps?  It takes a certain amount of time for heat to reach the core of the meat and raise the temp to our target.  And the distance the heat travels is based on thickness ... not overall weight.

Agree/disagree? 

I'm pretty new, but from what I've read on several different sites is thickness is the key.  If you had a 1 lb meatball or a 1 lb 1/4 inch steak which one would be done first, just saying

Ladeback69

Jeepster47 said:

Question:  I've heard several rules of thumb for time to finish on various cuts of meat.  I'm wondering if poundage is the correct variable to predict cooking time.

I just finished a 3.25 lb center cut from a brisket ... the store said the cut was a third of the full packer.  It took nine hours (grill temp of 250) to reach an IT of 200 degrees where the brisket probed like buttuh.  Since this cut was only a third of the size of the full then a ten pound packer should take 27 hours ... and a 15 pound packer a little over 40 hours.  @Ladeback69 posted that he has cooked a few 14 to 15 lb briskets in 14 to 15 hours.  Opps.

I'm wondering if thickness isn't a better indicator of how long it will take a piece of meat to cook to temp.  We do that with steaks ... yes?  Why isn't that the correct approach when smoking a piece of meat at low temps?  It takes a certain amount of time for heat to reach the core of the meat and raise the temp to our target.  And the distance the heat travels is based on thickness ... not overall weight.

Agree/disagree? 

When I was smoking those briskets I was cooking around 275 or so for most of the cook. Not sure that 25 degrees will make that much of a difference, but I guess it could. I also use a meat tenderizer and that may help a little. I haven't done a brisket without it. You could have had a long stall too. I like to cook larger cuts and have stuff leftover for future meals.

Smokinpig

I tend to find the rule of averages applies to whole pieces of meat (a whole butt or brisket). When you get into cut down portions or halves you are bringing in variables that cannot be consistently calculated. That has been my experience and observation. 

saluki2007

Smokinpig said:

I tend to find the rule of averages applies to whole pieces of meat (a whole butt or brisket). When you get into cut down portions or halves you are bringing in variables that cannot be consistently calculated. That has been my experience and observation. 

+1

I also believe fat content is another factor in variable times.

Jeepster47

Ladeback69 said:

... You could have had a long stall too. I like to cook larger cuts and have stuff leftover for future meals.

@Ladeback69 ... with only the two of us, a chicken cook provides leftovers for the next day or so.  But, the real reason I went with the small brisket was lack of courage.  Looked at a full packer a couple of weeks ago and it was priced at $80.  Left me feeling weak in the knees to think about a first cook with that much on the grill.

Here's a crude graph of the temp vs time for the brisket.  All data hand recorded and plotted.


The grill and dome temps were a steady 250 degrees for the total cook.  Can't explain the knee in the curve, but there wasn't a stall like I've seen on pork butts.

Ladeback69

@jeep

Jeepster47 said:

Ladeback69 said:

... You could have had a long stall too. I like to cook larger cuts and have stuff leftover for future meals.

@Ladeback69 ... with only the two of us, a chicken cook provides leftovers for the next day or so.  But, the real reason I went with the small brisket was lack of courage.  Looked at a full packer a couple of weeks ago and it was priced at $80.  Left me feeling weak in the knees to think about a first cook with that much on the grill.

Here's a crude graph of the temp vs time for the brisket.  All data hand recorded and plotted.


The grill and dome temps were a steady 250 degrees for the total cook.  Can't explain the knee in the curve, but there wasn't a stall like I've seen on pork butts.

That works out to be about 1.5 to 1.75 hours per pound. I have never done one that small so I can't speak from experience, but at 250 cooking a 14 pounder I would think would be around 1.5 hours to get it done. I think having a point with all the fat helps with cooking. The big question, did it taste good. By the way I like your handle. I used to have Jeep Cherokee with a 6" lift and big tires. Boy do I miss it at time's.

Jeepster47

@Ladeback69 ... thanks for handle mention ... been driving Grand Cherokees for 15 years now ... love them.

Should have made the x-axis hours instead of minutes 'cuz I think it lead you astray on your calculations.  The brisket was 3.25 pounds and it cooked for 9 hours (540 minutes).  That's 2.75 hours per pound, which is well outside the normal range of cook times mentioned.

And the answer to your taste question is yes it did.  Will probably use hickory or oak chunks next time for more smoke, but otherwise just repeat the rest of the details.

Ladeback69

Jeepster47 said:

@Ladeback69 ... thanks for handle mention ... been driving Grand Cherokees for 15 years now ... love them.

Should have made the x-axis hours instead of minutes 'cuz I think it lead you astray on your calculations.  The brisket was 3.25 pounds and it cooked for 9 hours (540 minutes).  That's 2.75 hours per pound, which is well outside the normal range of cook times mentioned.

And the answer to your taste question is yes it did.  Will probably use hickory or oak chunks next time for more smoke, but otherwise just repeat the rest of the details.

Try those woods with a little cherry. Its great with beef. 9 hours, that one is hard to explain. Don't be afraid to try a small 10 or 12 pound packer. Invite some friends over or take it to work. I'm glad it was good. I would have bumped the temp up to 275 or a little more, once it hits 140 to 150. Your not going to get much more smoke and you would be fine on temp. You could have wrapped it foil at that those temps too and it should have gotten done quicker.

BYS1981

Think about it this way, when you cook two cookies in your oven do you double the time?

poster

surface area vs thickness, so different cuts. brisket vs. roast are going to act different