Boston Butt Cook Time

MelResDes

Hello All,
I am a new Egger......3 week old Egg. I am going to smoke my first butt this weekend. I hope to have it for dinner Sunday night. In the recipe on the BGE site it says to smoke a 6-9 lb butt for at least 18 hours. I have a 6.5 lb butt and after reading the comments in other threads and after talking to my dealer I think 18 hours might be too long. I was thinking of following the 230 degrees that is in the recipe. Any advice? The difference will be weather I start it tonight or early tomorrow morning. I plan on eating it around 6:00 pm. Thanks!

Daddyo

It takes me 18 hours for sure, but I try to stay around 225 or so and I cook to a 200 meat temp.

You'll make yourself crazy with timing if you want to get your butt done as you are ready to eat. What you need to know is that a butt will stay hot for 6 hours if you wrap it in tin foil, wrap the foil in a beach towel or two, and put the whole thing in a cooler. To be safe, plan on having your butt cooked 2 hours before you need it, and if it cooks too fast, and it's ready 4 hours early - that's perfectly fine. Foil. Towel. Cooler. Take a shower. Drink a beer.

FSM-Meatball

There is no definitive time. But 1.5-2 hours per pound at a dome temp of 250 is what everyone uses as a guide. 225 dome is hard to hold, better to shoot for 250. Cook until the interior temp of the butt is 195, that's the golden rule.

I have done several 7lb butts and they finish right around 14 hours.

If you finish early, you can wrap the butt in foil, towels and put it in a cooler for up to 4 hours.
If the butt is moving slow, you can crank up the heat in the last few hours to speed it up a little.

Good luck.

jaydub58

A fairly good thumb rule with butt is 1 1/2 hours per pound. 230-24- dometemp is okay; remember, that will be about 15-20 degrees at the grid where the butt is. Pull at 195-200 temp, let rest for and our or wo, well wrapped. Also, you want to cook to internal temp, rather than time.
Good cooking.

>-

jaydub58

oooops, I meant that 230-240 dome will be about 15-20 degrees cooler at the grid.
Bad fingers!

:">

wmrrock

My First Butt - 8.6 lbs 250 dome temp at 12 am on 12/25/12.  Hopefully it wont take 18 hours.

wmrrock

wmrrock said:

My First Butt - 8.6 lbs 250 dome temp at 12 am on 12/25/12.  Hopefully it wont take 18 hours.

It's 8 hours later my dome temp is 240 and my BUTT is 180.  It cooked quicker than I thought.  Still on the pt until it reaches 190.

henapple

I cooked a 8lb bb last week....12 hours. I ftc'd for 7 hours. Hot water in the cooler to heat it, towels on the bottom, hdaf, wrap in towel and towels on top. I use the maverick for temp but pull when the bone is loose and probe slides in with no resistance.

Good luck.

Smokin_Trout

You may want to leave it unitl 195*, it pulls easier. If it's done way early follow Henapple. I also put a brick in the egg to warm it up and place it in the cooler also. Merry Christmas!

Read the last few replys on this thread-  http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1146433/pork-shoulder-help-needed#latest

Temp probe should slide in like warm butter!

rustypotts

I find that the longer you cook it the better.  I seem to go 19 plus hrs.   If it just doesnt fall apart at the touch......keep cooking.  allow plenty of time.  You can always wrap in foil and a towel and put it in a cooler till time to eat.

wmrrock

wmrrock said:

wmrrock said:

My First Butt - 8.6 lbs 250 dome temp at 12 am on 12/25/12.  Hopefully it wont take 18 hours.

It's 8 hours later my dome temp is 240 and my BUTT is 180.  It cooked quicker than I thought.  Still on the pt until it reaches 190.

11 hours and 15 minutes later - done.  Its FTC now.  Here is a picture.

wmrrock

Smokin_Trout said:

You may want to leave it unitl 195*, it pulls easier. If it's done way early follow Henapple. I also put a brick in the egg to warm it up and place it in the cooler also. Merry Christmas!

Read the last few replys on this thread-  http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1146433/pork-shoulder-help-needed#latest

Temp probe should slide in like warm butter!

195 on the button.  I pulled it and foiled it and it is in the cooler now.  Thanks for the advice.

calracefan

I say the same as others have said plan on 1.5 to 2 hrs per lb., I usually run 250 to 275 dome temp( where ever ti settles and is happy) cook until 195-205 degrees. Start early and FTC until dinner time, pull and enjoy. The last one I done I injected for the first time, I got many compliments. Good luck, remember there is almost always more than one way to accomplish a successful cook, pick out what works for you ! have a Merry Christmas !

Smokin_Trout

Looks good. How did it taste. Something I started doing was mixing in some rub when it was pulled.

Ragtop99

Like calracefan, I normally go at least 250* and find that 275* works well cuts the time down a lot.  If you aren't overnighting, the higher temp allows a decent size butt cook for dinner to start in the morning.

wmrrock

2nd butt just went on 1 am.  Dome 250 and I set the meat at 195 with the DIGIQ.  See you in 7 hours.

wmrrock

10 lb butt took 13.5 hours at 250 degrees.