not sure when to start the pork butt

MDR

afew weeks ago I smoked 2 7plus lb butts. They were done in 8 hours. Everything I've read say's they take 10-13 hours. I'm having friends for dinner & am serving pulled pork & home made [egg cooked] pizza. So do I go with 8 hours on monday starting at 5ish or do I start it sunday night??? Help please. Thank you

Margie

Misippi Egger

Margie,
Welcome to the Forum! Not sure about your butts last week...bone-in or boneless, what temp they were cooked, etc., but for a general guideline, here's what I do.
Large egg, bone-in butt. Temp at the meat (grid) of 225*, which translates to about 240-250* dome temp. I cook indirect with a dry drip pan underneath. It usually takes about 1.5 hr per Lb. to reach the internal temp I like, which is 200-205*. Wrap in foil, place in warm cooler or oven until time to pull.
It is always best to plan to have it finish much earlier than your eating time, as the cooler time can be a great buffer. It will keep safely up to 4-5 hrs in the cooler and still be very hot when pulling.
I hope this helps....

MDR

thanks for your insite it was bone in, cook temp started at 225 then at some time in the night it jumped to 250. the internal temp was 198 when I pulled it off the egg.

Margie

Capt Frank

Pork Butt should take 1.5 to 2hrs/lb. If they are done early you can wrap them in foil and towels and place them in a cooler and they will stay warm for several hours.
I not sure how you got a Butt to finish in that short time. Have you checked your dome thermometer? Are you cooking at 250? Did you pull at 195 or so?

Capt Frank
Homosassa, FL

MDR

I willl check my temp guage. I pulled the butt at over 195 it was great
Margie

Mike in Abita

If your EGG is at the same temp as it was a few weeks ago, and you have the same size butts. I'd start them 10 hours ahead of time. Makes for a 2 hour rest in foil.

AZRP

If you got a 7 lb bone in butt done in 8 hours you really need to calibrate your dome thermometer. I'm guessing you were cooking at a higher temp. -RP

2Fategghead

if needed use a 7/16 wrench then back in the boiling water to see again and don't let the point touch the pot.

Misippi Egger

Stick the dome thermometer in boiling water and adjust using the nut on the back if it doesn't read close to 212 (and you are not at high altitude).

2Fategghead

beat you by two min's!

MDR

I just rechecked my temp guage & I'm right on. I must have a magic egg :laugh: :laugh: I really appriciate all of you& the help that you provide newbies like me you all are great Thanks

margie

2Fategghead

Some butts are fast so I guess at one time your butts were fast! :woohoo:

MDR

apparently not to long ago

handymannyharvey

I had my first butt experience just yesterday. I, like you, did two butts - 1 7.5lbs the other 9.5lbs. The process took me about 36 hours.

I brined the butt for 18 hours (molasses, water & pickling salt); rubbed the butts & let sit for about 4 hours (anything more than that and the salt in the rub will open the pores and the natural fluids will drip out).

The smoking of the butts went as follows: Instead of heating the coals and then adding the wood, I added the wood right after the white smoke stopped. I put the butts on and let them cook while the temp in the egg was rising. I have a medium egg so I closed the bottom damper to about 1.25 inches and closed the top about 3/4 of the way. I put the butts on at about 10pm, got up periodically through the night to check on it. At 7am, I pulled the butts off at 160F, wrapped them in saran wrap & aluminum foil and put them back on until lunch. By then the internal temp was right at 195. I took them off, put them in a cooler until dinner, unwrapped the saran wrap over a bowl, drained the juices into a cup and put in the fridge to let the fat render to the top. I pulled the butts and poured the remaining liquid over the butts & served.

I was so nervous that I was going to wake up and the temp was going to be like 500F but it slowly rose to about 215F and everything turned out perfectly.