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Pork Butt Cook Time Line; (2) 7.5# Pork Butts (Does this look right?)

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500
500 Posts: 3,177
edited September 2012 in EggHead Forum

I'm prepping for a Butt cook for a party Saturday with a serve time around 6pm.  I don't cook butts as often as I like, so this this time I wrote out a timeline, so that I wouldn't miss the target serving time.  Does this look like I've thought of everything?  I'm working with a Large Egg, Maverick wireless dome and meat thermometers, and a Thermapen.

Pork Butt Cook Time Line; (2) 7.5# Pork Butts

Days before - Calibrate Egg thermometer, replace batteries in Maverick and test, make sauce and taste every day and adjust as necessary

Night before – Unwrap, wash, trim, rub, wrap, fridge butts

SATURDAY

12:45am – Wake Up

12:55am – Pull Butts from fridge

1:00am – Light Egg; Raise temp to 300 dome

1:15am – Prep butts, Rub, place on V rack, cap down

1:30am – Plate setter, legs up on Egg, temp drop to 250 dome

1:45am – Stabilize temp to 250 dome

1:55am – Hickory wood chunks on; (4) large

2:00am – Foil balls, drip pans, V rack with Butts, Probes in and set

2:05am – Close lid

12:00pm – 10 hr. mark; Thermapen temp check

1:00pm – 11 hr. mark; Thermapen temp check

2:00pm – 12 hr. mark; Thermapen temp check, wiggle bones, pull?

3:00pm – 13 hr. mark; Thermapen temp check, wiggle bones, pull?

4:00pm – 14 hr. mark; Thermapen temp check, wiggle bones, Pull at 190 to 195 internal

4:05pm – Pull butts from Egg, FTC to rest for 2 hr.

6:00pm – Pull butts with Bear Claws, add light rub and light sauce while pulling

6:15pm – Serve with sauce on the side

 

I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
Member since 2009

Comments

  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
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    That sounds like a very good, detailed plan.  Much more than I would do.

    Ol' YEM would throw the rubbed butt on, wake up check temp/fire, grab a cold one, watch some college gameday.  Watch the Maverick while sitting on the patio with a drink of choice and watching football.  When I need to grab another cold one, check internal temp of butt. 
    Relax and enjoy the cold one and the smell of a rubbed butt on the cooker.
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    I think the timeline looks good.  Only thing I might suggest to add to your "prep" is to clean the egg out completely and have the egg ready to light ahead of time.  I usually just mix in my chips and/or chunks in with the lump so it's ready to go.  If I'm using starters or oiled napkins I have those in, where all I need to do is wake up and put the lighter to it. 

    Personally I wouldn't mess with all the thermapen temp checks.  When the maverick reads 195 I would open and then maybe do a quick check of the non-probed butt. 


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    Start the cook Sat about 10:00AM...cook at 350 indirect for 2-3 hours until the internal temp of the butt is 160...wrap in HDAF...put back in the BGE for 1 1/2 -2 hours until butt temp is 190-200...do the bone wiggle test...if done save the juice, wrap the butt in HDAF and then in towels and put in an ice chest...the butt can saty there for 3-5 hours until ready to pull

    Put the juice in the fridge to defat later...when pulling the butt mix some defatted juice with some bbq sauce & pour on the pulled pork...it will be some of your best butt ever

    with 1/2 the work...

     

  • Cullum
    Cullum Posts: 215
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    +1 with vidalial. I cook mine turbo also. Around a 4 hour cook for about a 7 lber. Comes out great just not the bark you would have with a low and slow.
  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
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    Cullum said:
    +1 with vidalial. I cook mine turbo also. Around a 4 hour cook for about a 7 lber. Comes out great just not the bark you would have with a low and slow.
    But the bark is my favorite part!!!
    :x
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    Yem...I agree on the bark but considering the bark is less than 10% of the total meat (and there is bark just not as dense) it isn't worth the extra 10 hours for me anymore. Fast pork is just as deeelicious...but to each his/her own...
  • liquidicem
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    Personally, I would get the egg lit and dialed in before I went to bed and then just wake up and throw the meet on.  You're not going to hurt anything by letting it stabilize for a few hours while you sleep.
  • Cullum
    Cullum Posts: 215
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    Vidalial - totally agree. I've had people tell me that the pork butt I cooked turbo style was the best meat they ever had. I'd rather do a 4 hour than a 14 - 20 + hour cook. At least you know more of a time frame when it will be done.
  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    Cullum,

    I agree. I originally learned the technique through a friend who had been to a Myron Mixon BBQ class. I figured if it was good enough for a 3 time World BBQ champ it was good enough for me...LOL

     

  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    If your schedule has worked for you before, sure, go ahead as planned. Seems workable to me.

    I do use a slightly different method. I put the 'setter and any drip pan on as soon as the fire is lit. While that pre-heats, usually about  50 minutes, compared to 20 - 25 w.o. the extra ceramic, I do the trimming and rubbing. Also, it seems to me that sometimes adding the platesetter damps the fire, and I need to open the vents a bit more. I'd rather have the vents well set as long as possible before putting the food in.

    I'd have to say at this point, I remain old fashioned. I like a really heavy, smokey bark. So far, I haven't had one from higher temp cooks. If things are going to slowly after 10 hours or so, I can always raise the temp then.
  • 500
    500 Posts: 3,177
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    Thanks for the advice.  Loading the plate setter in right off the bat sounds like a great idea.  I remember always chasing temps for the first two hours of the cook.  I'll light it and open it more than normal to account for the plate setter choking it down, and then slowly roll up to 250.  I will do a complete Egg cleanout tonight or Friday and sort the lump and load big to small for max airflow.  Just getting the temps set has always been my biggest problems.  Once set I was good to go, but that meant I lost some time and that slowed the cook down.  I'll ramp it up if time gets tight, but I'm feeling good about it now.
    I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
    Member since 2009
  • 500
    500 Posts: 3,177
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    Next one I'll try turbo.  Just doesn't seem right after hearing lo and slo the whole time.
    I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
    Member since 2009
  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
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    vidalia1 said:
    Yem...I agree on the bark but considering the bark is less than 10% of the total meat (and there is bark just not as dense) it isn't worth the extra 10 hours for me anymore. Fast pork is just as deeelicious...but to each his/her own...
    Completely agree.  I'm sure I'll partake in a turbo when the time arises.  For other times, I enjoy the journey.

    Cheers!
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Onegrecook
    Onegrecook Posts: 121
    edited September 2012
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    I agree with lighting the fire right before you go to bed. I light mine, then set the upper and lower vents like they are in the pictures below. It will stabilize right at 250.

    Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
    Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos