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Jake
Jake Posts: 92
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
The LBGE is the best thing that I've purchased since my first car. Grillin every night and wife thinks I'm sick, oh well!! Read the forum everyday.[p]One question from you veterans. I've realized that I must discover things for myself just like life. But I need a little clarification. I cooked my first Boston Butts on Sunday and they took double what I have read about. Which was fine b/c the beverages were great all day long and the butts were eggcellent. I built the fire and cleaned per Elder Ward style, no trouble holding temp or out of lump. I had platesetter turned up with drip pan on it, the butts on grid. Dome temp was at 230-250 all day. Butts weighed 3.02LBS and 3.37LBs (small). I expected to cook about 7 hours based on 2.5hour a pound theory. It took 13 hours. Had the Polder in it also. Could someone please clear this up? How long do your butts take? Could something have caused it take that long? I personally don't care but need to plan better next when serving guests.[p]BTW, got two more butts and a brisket for Saturday and Sunday!!![p]Thanks Alot Everyone!![p]Jake

Comments

  • Jake,[p]1. Is your dome thermometer accurate? When was the last time you calibrated it. Reading 25 degrees high can have a big affect.[p]2. Is your polder accurate? Don't know how to calibrate one, but it can be tested.[p]3. Was there any space between the butts or were they stacked?[p]4. How cold were they before you put them on? They weren't frozen were they?[p]I've read that smaller cuts take longer per pound than larger cuts. I don't know by how much though.
  • Sigmore
    Sigmore Posts: 621
    Jake, That sounds about right to me. The longer it takes the more the goo breaks down and oozes out. That leaves you with some mi-tee-fine BBQ. Just don't go over 200° or it will start drying out. You can't set the clock for a butt.

  • tach18k
    tach18k Posts: 1,607
    Jake, the temp droping down to 230 is a hint that maybe the gage might be off, or your just not hot enough.

  • Chuck
    Chuck Posts: 812
    bigcook.jpg
    <p />Jake,[p]The smaller cuts just plain take longer per pound from my experience. I guess it has to do with the breakdown of the fat and connecting tissue. It just takes awhile no matter what size it is. Most of the butts I do are in the 7 pound range and go about 18 hours (but I always leave more time). Start earlier than you think and wrap in foil and a towell and then put in a cooler if it is done early.[p]I am doing butts and a brisket this weekend as well. I might just load both larges up and restock the freezer.[p]Have a good one.[p]Chuck

  • BBQ-BoB
    BBQ-BoB Posts: 124
    Jake,
    Aside from the other comments did you keep opening the lid and/or fuss with them at all? Such as mopping or spraying?

  • Jake,
    I've been cooking on the LBGE now for a little over a year. I've done many butts and I have had similar experiences with the long cooks. I did a 5.5 lb this weekend at 225 dome and it took right at 20 hours to hit 190. Once your temp enters the plateau stage it can take quite a while. Bottom line, I've found that timing is always different even on similar weight butts/picnics. As suggested, always allow for extra time.

  • Painter
    Painter Posts: 464
    Jake,
    I'm on the same page as Chuck. Most butts that I've done take between 15 to 20 hrs. I usually do the ones in the 6 to 7.5 lb. range.
    I usually try to stabilize my egg temps for about 2 to 3hrs before putting the meat on and let it ride from there.
    At those temps you aren't wasting much lump for the preheat.
    No fussing with the vents after I put on the meat.
    It might take another 2 to 3hrs. before the guage temp comes up to what your preheat temp was at.
    I've found that it will catch up to the pre adjusted or stabilized temp and do quite nicely.
    Patience is the key. Trust your stabilized settings and don't mess with them.
    Works for me.
    Bob

  • Jake
    Jake Posts: 92
    Thanks everyone! I pretty positive my gauge is correct. I opened lid once the full 13 hours, tough but I knew not to open. Only other thing was my lump was hardly burnt. The middle of the lump looked to be burnt more than the edges?[p]Again, thanks everyone. Food and relaxtion have never been better!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Chuck, Awesome, Will it qualify for the picture contest? Richard

  • Jake,[p]Your times make no sense to me...[p]I gotta ask, have you calibrated your thermometer?[p]Regards--Jeff

  • Chuck
    Chuck Posts: 812
    Richard,[p]Thanks!! The photo is a couple of years old so, no, it won't qualify for the contest. [p]Chuck

  • Jake
    Jake Posts: 92
    Chuck,,
    That is a great picture. What was you set up?

  • Jake
    Jake Posts: 92
    Jeff Hughes,[p]I've checked my thermometers and they are fairly accurate. From what I'm gathering, these smaller butts take a lot longer.[p]I put my Polder in boiling water tonight and it would not go past 208 degrees. Should that be cause for concern?[p]Thanks
  • Smokey
    Smokey Posts: 2,468
    Jake,[p]Every butt is different and if the were touching, the time sound right. I only make them on the weekend for that reason![p]Smokey

  • Jake,[p]That is probably an issue. I don't own any Polders, but I have used seveal other brands of the same type of therometer, and they tend to be accurate to over 300*...[p]With pork butt, when it's done, it's done, it should jiggle like a bowl of jello...[p]Regards--Jeff
  • Chuck
    Chuck Posts: 812
    bnb.jpg
    <p />Jake,[p]The setups are inverted plate setters, drip pan, grid and grid extender. The left one is three butts and the right is two butts over a brisket.[p]The photo is the "before" of the butts and brisket.[p]Chuck

  • Jake,[p]Your polder could be OK. The higher your elevation and lower the barometric pressure, the lower the temp of boiling water. 5 degrees difference is possible based on where you're at and the current weather when you checked it. Just means you might have taken it off at 205 degrees instead of 200. The dome temp is the dome temp though. Depends on how much time it spent at 230 vs. 250. That and the concensus that smaller cuts take longer per pound than larger cuts. Would be nice if there was chart that gave cooking time per pounds for different size butts, huh? 3-4 hrs/lb for 3-4lb butts, 2-3 hrs/lb for 5-6lb butts, 1.5-2 hrs/lb for 7-8lb butts?
  • Huh...guess I got to think'n about it too much. If your polder read 208 in boiling water because of elevation and pressure, then it's accurate.

  • Jake
    Jake Posts: 92
    scole,
    Thanks! I'm in the Nashville area. Elevation is probably 400-600 feet.

  • Toy Man
    Toy Man Posts: 416
    I pretty much figure on 2 1/2 hours per lb.[p]I recently had a butt that never came out of the plateau.
    I ended up throwing it out.[p]Toy Man

  • QBabe
    QBabe Posts: 2,275
    Jake,[p]I once found the littlest brisket I've ever seen, at 3 lbs, and thought "that might work out just fine, rather than the 13 lb'ers I'd been seeing", so I grabbed it up and brought it home. I made the same mistake as you, figuring about 6 hours for the cook at 2 hrs/lb. Well, I only made that mistake once, LOL! That was the worse tasting shoe leather I've ever cooked. It wasn't anywhere near done and because it had been hacked to pieces at the store (how else do you get a 3 lb brisked) and it had absolutely no fat, cooking it to the internal temp it required didn't help either. No fat translates to dry and hard as a rock![p]You just never know how the timing is going to work out...[p]Tonia
    :~)

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,668
    Jake,
    first off, buy bigger butts, an 8 pounder boneless is the standard in my area. there is no reason to buy 2 little ones. you should also take some grill readings. you may have actually started the cook at about 200 degrees at the grid which will make things take longer.

    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • BrianP
    BrianP Posts: 147
    QBabe,
    Just wanted to say thanks for your information. We have a two-person family and I've thought the big 13 lb brisket was just too much for us. I was going to try that 3 pounder you describe which I can find at our local grocery market. I never considered the lack of fat as being an issue as I thought the fat was marbled into the meat. I do know the cut you describe is primarily used for making corn beef and cabbage so it is usually stewed like a pot roast. However, I thought I would try it on the grill. Now I know not to try it.[p]thanks,
    Brian

  • JackE
    JackE Posts: 6
    Jake,
    This weekend I did an 11 lb brisket and a 6 1/2 lb butt. The brisket was done in just over 17 hours but the Butt sayed on for a total of just over 21 hours. It reached an internal temp of 194ºF but I had 14 people waiting to eat so I took it off. [p]The only thing I can come up with on why it took so long is that this butt was 'enhanced with up to a 10% solution". I remember another butt taking longer than expected and it was also enhanced. I'm going to keep better track from now on. I don't usually buy enhanced meats but sometimes there is just nothing else available. [p]Has anyone else seen this relationship of longer cook times for enhanced butts?

  • Jake,[p]Hey! I used to live in Donelson! Don't guess about chekcing the accuracy of your thermometers - the Mother Ship has it covered!![p]Kelly
    Jefferson City, MO

    [ul][li]Boiling Point of Water[/ul]