cook time boston butt BGE vs WSM

martyh

Just got my BGE and plan to smoke a boston butt ( 8 lbs) for the superbowl. I am familiar with WSM, but wanted to switch as the WSM is too much maintenance for a long cook. My usual cook times on the WSM were 10 to 12 hrs at 250. Many of the posts here seem to indicated  the BGE cook time of 16 to 20 hrs. Is the cooking time due to the difffernce in technologies or am i missing something?

Little Steven

No the cook time should be about the same. Shoulder should be more moist and you will get it cooked on one load of lump is where the difference is.

martyh

Thanks Little Steven, but just so I'm clear are you saying 10 to 12 hrs on BGE should work. I hate to have it ready after the game is over.

Little Steven

You can never tell with butts. The important thing to remember is that the dome therm is higher in the egg and grid temp can be substantially lower. Most aim for an early finish and hold in a cooler wrapped in foil. I honestly don't remember where the thermo is in the WSM but I seem to remember it being in the middle of the chamber?

fishlessman

check the therm before the cook in boiling water, 250 dome gets me a 7 to 8 pound boneless butt around 14 hours. at 10 hours you can increase and decrease temps for timing. i like to get it down a few hours early and let it rest wrapped in foil in a beer cooler, makes planning alot easier if the cook goes longer

martyh

cool. thanks. I'll just give myself plenty of lead time and use a cooler.

Volfo

I am not an expert, and I'm also trying to be helpful, not a smart aleck, but I am pretty sure it doesn't matter what kind of smoker - a steady temp of 250 will cook the piece of meat in the same amount of time no matter what is doing the cooking.  That said, the temp gauges on either your WSM or your BGE could be off (or both) and I strongly recommend you calibrate your BGE temp gauge before you cook.  Mine was 100 degrees off and many others have had similar experiences.  I would also recommend you plan for hte longer cook, that way if you hit your target temp (mine is usually 195-200) earlier, you just take it off, double wrap it in foil, wrap in a towel and throw it in a cooler for a few hours.  I think that makes it better anyway. 

fishlessman

I am not an expert, and I'm also trying to be helpful, not a smart aleck, but I am pretty sure it doesn't matter what kind of smoker - a steady temp of 250 will cook the piece of meat in the same amount of time no matter what is doing the cooking.  That said, the temp gauges on either your WSM or your BGE could be off (or both) and I strongly recommend you calibrate your BGE temp gauge before you cook.  Mine was 100 degrees off and many others have had similar experiences.  I would also recommend you plan for hte longer cook, that way if you hit your target temp (mine is usually 195-200) earlier, you just take it off, double wrap it in foil, wrap in a towel and throw it in a cooler for a few hours.  I think that makes it better anyway. 

the problem between cookers is gage placement, in an egg, 250 dome is not 250 at the cooking level, more like 225. watersmokers are different to, its just over 212 just above the water pan, you can get a reading of 300 at top, but where then meat sits it may be 250 depending on the design of the smoker.

lousubcap

Came to LBGE after a water smoker (not WSM) and finished the first low&slows well behind the predicted time/temp based on prior experience.  Fortunately then read about the indirect cooking temp offset (yes, my dome temp gauge was calibrated) and never any issues since.  As fishlessman says, factor around 20-40*F temperature difference between dome and grid (dome higher) when cooking indirect and you will be right on track. Obviously, the longer the dome is shut the closer the temps will approach each other.  And FWIW I usually see around 1.8-2.2 hrs/lb for boston butts at 250*F(+/-) on the dome to the easy bone pull temp of 195-205.  You can speed things up-search "fast pulled prok" to finish the cook much sooner.  Welcome!

Little Steven

@fishlessman

What's the difference tween a beer cooler and regular one?

fishlessman

@fishlessman

What's the difference tween a beer cooler and regular one?

dont know, never bought the other one to compare
)

GrillerGreg

How do you calibrate the dome thermometer?

Doc_Eggerton

Hold the tip in boiling water for one minute.  It should read 220.  If not, use the nut on the back side to adjust.

Doc_Eggerton

Should have said 212 not 220.