Advice Needed -- Pork Butts

Kjunbob

Next weekend I will be preparing Pork Butt for a group of about 15 people and although I have done several Butts before with good results, I have never cooked them for this many people.  I have always coated with Mustard, a custom rub ( salt, seasoning salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and dry mustard), got the egg up to 250 - 275 and put a single 6 to 8 # butt on in the early morning (Raised Indirect -- Cooking at the felt line), and it was done by dinner time.

However, in this case I have to have this ready for a noon meal and have never done an overnight cook, and don't want to risk one here.  

Therefore, I will probably cook two Butts in the 8 to 10 pound range on the day before, starting at about 275 temp. at the grill level (not dome level)  I plan on cooking raised indirect to give me a little more room, pull them apart and then refrigerate the pulled meat.    I don't have a sous vide, so then I will warm it the next day in the oven with a low heat with some of the au jus from the cook, possibly mixing with a little broth. will probably put water in the drip pan to help dilute the drippings and to avoid just having s bitter tasting drippings.  However, I have a number of things going on on the prior day, so I may need to Turbo them, or to raise the temp midway to accelerate the process if I am running out of time.   Any suggestions on the process?  

Also, the rub that I have previously used contains a little sugar, and I am concerned about the sugar burning if I have to crank up the temperature.  Does anyone have a rub suggestion with no sugar that I could make up to avoid an issue here if I need to crank the temp. up to about 350?  Or should I just use the rub that I have always used and eliminate the brown sugar (note: about 15% of the rub is sugar)

Thanks

510BG

Cooked a butt with the turbo method a couple of weeks ago. 375 degreees no sugar in the rub. Pork came out great. 

alaskanassasin

I have kept them warm and served out of a slow cooker 

JohnInCarolina

Do you have a controller?  I guess I don't understand the aversion to an overnight cook, as you could line it up perfectly for a noon meal.   Especially if you allow for an FTC window, you're in pretty good shape.  

Kjunbob

No, I don't have a controller, that is primarily why I am reluctant to do an overnight cook.   Thanks

JohnInCarolina

If you call an audible and turbo them, just wrap them in foil and bump the temp. That way, there’s no concern about the sugar in the rub burning.  You can start this around an IT of 160 or so or whenever it’s in the stall.  The meat will have taken up about as much smoke as it will at that stage anyway.  

dmourati

I've done a few overnight cooks. Just make sure to dial in the temps before you go to bed. Light the fire at around 8PM and then I'd put them on at like 10PM or so and then get up early in the morning to check on them.

Toxarch

If you vac seal the meat, then you can just drop the bags into a big simmering pot of water since you don't have a sous vide. No loss of moisture in a vac sealed bag. I usually add some liquid before vac sealing. 

Kent8621

i would go turbo, i havent done an overnight in long time.  350 indirect until the IT is 160, double wrap in foil until finished, rest it in a cooler for about 30 min and you are good to go.  i wouldn"t worry about the sugar it should be fine with a small amount.  should take right at 5 hours, i have done 6 at once at an eggfest or 1 at home both took 5 hours.

SmokeyPitt

Kent8621 said:

i would go turbo, i havent done an overnight in long time.  350 indirect until the IT is 160, double wrap in foil until finished, rest it in a cooler for about 30 min and you are good to go.  i wouldn"t worry about the sugar it should be fine with a small amount.  should take right at 5 hours, i have done 6 at once at an eggfest or 1 at home both took 5 hours.

I would do this with the caveat that the internal temp should just be a guide on when to foil. I would not foil until your bark is set.  The bark will be softened once you foil, so imo you want it to look good and crusty...maybe even a little burnt looking...before you foil. 

Kjunbob

Thanks for the suggestions...I think that I will go the turbo route... but I am still a bit worried about the sugar.. perhaps I will just use 1/2 of the amount called for unless I can get a recommendation on a good rub with none. (Any Recommendations?)  Next decision is to do it the day before or day of... Doing it the day before sure takes a lot of pressure off.

Carolina Q

Turbo at 320°. That's below sugar burning temp (which is 350°) and cooks butts at about 1 hr per pound.

buzd504

Kjunbob said:

Thanks for the suggestions...I think that I will go the turbo route... but I am still a bit worried about the sugar.. perhaps I will just use 1/2 of the amount called for unless I can get a recommendation on a good rub with none. (Any Recommendations?)  Next decision is to do it the day before or day of... Doing it the day before sure takes a lot of pressure off.

You don't need the sugar.  I don't think you will really notice the difference.