Absolute Highest Temp You'd Use for a Turbo Butt

Stoogie

Hey all, I was asked late last night if I could cook 4 butts for a dinner at 5:00 this afternoon.  

I got the butts this morning and have my LGBE fired up.  I have 2 butts on already and prepping the other 2 to put on the upper of my adjustable rig.

My question is this - how high of a temp would you dare to go to get these done?  I'd need them done by 4:00-4:15 to give me time to shred and get them over to where the dinner is at.  

400*?  Higher?

billt01

I'm always intrigued by this..

Higher IMF,  must be a slower cook 

Lower IMF, can be a turbo cook

Personally, I would never go above 375. The cut of meat is very thick and its hard to get an internal temp of 200 while not overdoing the outside of the shoulder.

this is an opinion, but I have cooked a few shoulders and picnics

Nature Boy

You are really going to have to watch it closely at 400, and will most likely need to flip it a couple times, but you can get it done 3-4 hours is all it should take to build up a crust, then wrap. Once wrapped you don't want to be at 400. 275 tops. Happy cookin!

jtcBoynton

I would stay at 350º.  Cut the butts in half if you need them to cook faster.

Stoogie

Nature Boy said:

You are really going to have to watch it closely at 400, and will most likely need to flip it a couple times, but you can get it done 3-4 hours is all it should take to build up a crust, then wrap. Once wrapped you don't want to be at 400. 275 tops. Happy cookin!

I usually don't wrap my pork butts or brisket, so the idea of wrapping them didn't even occur to me! 

Ok, next question is - I do not have butcher paper (since I never wrap), go ahead and use aluminum foil?  The point is to make sure they're done, so a nice barky crust isn't as important for this crowd.

billt01

Stoogie said:

Nature Boy said:

You are really going to have to watch it closely at 400, and will most likely need to flip it a couple times, but you can get it done 3-4 hours is all it should take to build up a crust, then wrap. Once wrapped you don't want to be at 400. 275 tops. Happy cookin!

I usually don't wrap my pork butts or brisket, so the idea of wrapping them didn't even occur to me! 

Ok, next question is - I do not have butcher paper (since I never wrap), go ahead and use aluminum foil?  The point is to make sure they're done, so a nice barky crust isn't as important for this crowd.

foil is fine

Carolina Q

jtcBoynton said:

I would stay at 350º.  Cut the butts in half if you need them to cook faster.

This doesn't always work. Seems like it should, but it didn't the one time I tried it.

dmourati

Cook till 3pm then foil for two hours.

dmourati

Cook till 3pm then foil for two hours.

jtcBoynton

Carolina Q said:

jtcBoynton said:

I would stay at 350º.  Cut the butts in half if you need them to cook faster.

This doesn't always work. Seems like it should, but it didn't the one time I tried it.

Just make sure to have air space around them.  He may have an issue with keeping eight pieces separate.

Mattman3969

If your rub has sugar in it I’d stay below 325 and wrap once it hits 160ish IT.   Sugar will scorch and give a nasty taste.  Good luck 

Stoogie

Carolina Q said:

jtcBoynton said:

I would stay at 350º.  Cut the butts in half if you need them to cook faster.

This doesn't always work. Seems like it should, but it didn't the one time I tried it.

It won't work this time - they're bone-in butts and I'm not going to go through the trouble of sawing a bone in half.

The Egg has settled in at 395* right now, IT of the butt that has the probe in it is at 85*.  I'll wait for a little longer and flip them and see what happens.

Ladeback69

I would wrap with foil when they get to the stall around 150 to 160.  It will cook faster and get done quicker once its wrapped.

SmokeyLopey

How did they turn out?

Stoogie

They turned out fine!  

While the bones pulled out cleanly, the pork did not shred like it would have at a lower temp for a longer time.  That connective tissue just didn't melt away.

The meal went off without a hitch, though - this was for a high school varsity football team dinner.  The boys and coaches came back for seconds.

The majority of the cook had a grate temp of about 400*.  I would rather have had more time for this and done it at 325-350, but given the time constraints I was up against, it work out just fine and everyone was happy.

alaskanassasin

Thanks for the follow up glad it worked out.

nolaegghead

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