8 lb Boston Butt - 20 hours not enough?

Unknown · May 2007

Hi All![p]I cooked 2 boston butts on Sunday, one 7 lbs the other 8 lbs. The dome temp stayed between 220F and 250F. The butts were out of the fridge for one hour before going on. They were well rubbed with dizzy and injected with a liqid seasoning mixture as well.[p]They went on at 4 AM and I expected to hit 190 by 8 PM. ( 8 lbs x 2hrs per lb with dome temp between 220 and 250. ) By 10 PM not even the 7 lb butt went past 171 F. Around 11 PM I grew tired and cranked the Egg up to 350F and by Midnight I was at 190F. [p]Had I stayed at 250F, how much longer would a typical boston butt take to reach 190?[p]

Celtic Wolf · May 2007

SJGrEGG,[p] Check the calibration of your thermometers.. You want a steady dome of 250.. 220 will put the temp at the meat below 200 and it will be impossible to get the meat to 200 when the cooker is below 200.[p] If you were bouncing between 220 and 250 you was playing with the vents Bad You!![p]

Sundown · May 2007

SJGrEGG,[p]Every piece of meat is different. I had a nine pound butt cook in a little under 10 hours and I've had cooks with other 8/9 pounders go as long as 24 hours.[p]Some go through the plateau much faster others take forever. That's all part of the mystique of BBQ low and slows.

Unknown · May 2007

Celtic Wolf, Sundown,[p]Thank you for the replys![p]Yep...I made sure I checked the calibration. As you mentioned all meats are different. I just thought it was odd that it was taking that long. Thank God I did not have guests coming this time! [p]And your right Wolf...I did play with the vents. Once in a while I give the Egg a deep breath of air just to see that the coals are still alive. Bad habit! The temp settles back though before long.[p]I'll stay with 250F from now on. I was inspired to ride it a little lower after reading the dizzypig website.[p]On a positive note my wife and inlaws just gave the pulled pork two thumbs up. I give it a B- ...I know I can do better.[p]Thanks again!![p][p]

JanieQ · May 2007

Sundown,[p]I have had an experience very similar to SJGrEGG's. After I cranked the heat up to meet timelines of impending guests, I thought the butt came out a bit tough. So what do you do? Do you always start at least 24 hours in advance for 8 or 9 lb. pork butts?

grilln & chilln · May 2007

For what it's worth, I cooked a 7.5 lb butt this past weekend at a dome of between 230 and 240. It cooked for 17 hours and I could never get it over 184'. Time (and guests) demanded I pull it at that temp. Though I was afraid I hadn't waited long enough, it pulled apart like butter. I think it would have cooked faster with a dome of 250 but the end product (even at only 184') was terrific. All that to say, if it's been on a "long time" and temp is still not quite up to 195', it's probably still "done" if you're somewhere close to target temp. fwiw

EddieMac · May 2007

I think Celtic Wolf is on to something...Re-calibrate your dome thermometer or those butts were from HogZilla2....I smoked two 8lb. Butts on Sunday night....Started them at 6 p.m. and they were finished on Monday morning at 6 a.m.....Ran dome demp at 275 - 280 which probably gave me a grate temp of 250 and 12 hours later the Butts were both at 190 internal and ready......No two pieces of meat are alike but but there shouldn't be that much difference....[p]I've said it repeatedly here but there's just no reason why you can't run Butts at 275 - 280 when cooking indirect in a BGE....They're hard to mess up and they always meet our expectations.....[p]Ed McLean....eddiemac
Ft. Pierce, FL

61chev · May 2007

SJGrEGG,
Also make sure you have separation betwwen the two pieces for air flow

8 lb Boston Butt - 20 hours not enough?

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