Pork Butt takes forever

HenryGE

I am new to the BGE life, and have cooked a couple of pork shoulders since getting the egg. Most recently, I smoked a 3.1 lb pork shoulder at around 250 (300 towards the end). This cook took 10.5 hours, and I wrapped the butt in foil after about 8 hours. This is a 3.1 lb chunk of meat... Can anyone offer insights as to why this has been cooking so slow? I bought my platesetter (conveggtor) off of Amazon, so it is not manufactured by BGE. I also wrapped it in foil, with a drip pan with water sitting below the butt. It was hot (and assumingely humid), which I read on another post can affect the cook time. What the hell is going on with this? Other cooks have been taking longer than expected as well, but this is the most extreme instance of it taking forever. Thanks

GATraveller

I would opt out of the water in the drip pan. Instead make sure to provide a slight air gap between the pan and platesetter. I also find (personal choice I know) 265 to be my sweet spot temp on a large. I also don't wrap in foil ever. I have before but didn't feel it improved the end result enough to warrant the extra step. I'm also lazy.  Besides wrapping you can turbo the cook and jack up temp to 325-350 to reduce cooking time.  I just always plan on everything low and slow taking longer than expected since one can FTC for several hours. 

fishlessman

the water in your pan is keeping the temp around the butt closer to 212f degrees, dont put water in the pan.  its a long cook for a butt so go with one big enough for leftovers, 7 to 10 pounder. i typacally go overnight sleeping, get up early and fish til noon and then check on things

lousubcap

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.
Dome thermo calibrated?  Beyond that, good suggestions above. FWIW-

jtcBoynton

Welcome. A bit more info may help to figure out what is happening. 

Are you positive it took that long?  How did you determine when it was done?  Was the meat cooked perfect after 10 hours? Was the egg throughly heat saturated before starting the cook?  Have you checked the accuracy of your thermometer?

bradleya123

Always remember the freaking cow drives the cook!!!  I'd get rid of the water pan not needed.  I had a 15 butt that took 23 hours once...it was yummy too!!!

HenryGE

Ok, so next time I will put an empty drip pan on the platesetter, I was under the impression that it was supposed to have water in it. I did leave a small gap between the platesetter and drip pan, but only a little bit of ruffled foil. I couldn't do too much as the water then drips out of the drip pan. 

Dome thermo was calibrated a few cooks ago, should be accurate. 

I am positive it took that long (timed it), I used an instant-read thermometer to periodically check the butt temp after the first 6 hours (expecting a max of 2hrs/pound). I wrapped in foil because it was taking so long, I wanted to do no foil, but alas. 

Egg sat at temp for about an hour before putting the butt on.

I started this one much earlier than I figured would be necessary since the previous cook was so slow, and still ended up eating at 10pm. The place I bought the butt only has around 2-3 pound butts, so I had to work with what was available. 

Thanks everyone for the feedback! Not sure how to respond to individual comments, so here we are. 

Dondgc

To summarize the expertise above:

- ditch the water pan. It’s not needed in a ceramic cooker

- calibrate your thermometer - this is ESSENTIAL  
- don’t put all that work in for 3 pounds of butt - get a bigger one. Same work. Bigger reward. 

- it will always take longer than you think, except when it takes less time than you think. Whichever is the most inconvenient can be expected. 

fishlessman

HenryGE said:

Ok, so next time I will put an empty drip pan on the platesetter, I was under the impression that it was supposed to have water in it. I did leave a small gap between the platesetter and drip pan, but only a little bit of ruffled foil. I couldn't do too much as the water then drips out of the drip pan. 

Dome thermo was calibrated a few cooks ago, should be accurate. 

I am positive it took that long (timed it), I used an instant-read thermometer to periodically check the butt temp after the first 6 hours (expecting a max of 2hrs/pound). I wrapped in foil because it was taking so long, I wanted to do no foil, but alas. 

Egg sat at temp for about an hour before putting the butt on.

I started this one much earlier than I figured would be necessary since the previous cook was so slow, and still ended up eating at 10pm. The place I bought the butt only has around 2-3 pound butts, so I had to work with what was available. 

Thanks everyone for the feedback! Not sure how to respond to individual comments, so here we are. 

i find the 2 hour per pound rule only works with 7 pounders

jtcBoynton

I don’t think of a two pound piece of pork as a pork butt as we talk about around here. It is a cut off from a butt but should be referred to my some other name (one local market calls it pork cushions). Most of the discussion and advice you see apply well to butts in the seven to ten pound range. That is the normal weight range of butts found in retail outlets. Smaller pieces are just that, a butt cut into three or four pieces before being put in the meat case at the mega mart. You can always ask for a whole one from the back. Be aware it is easier to cook larger ones. It gets harder to get great results as the piece gets smaller. 

Matt86m

So what do you all figure about cooking times vs cooking temp differences?

Say 25* increments?
225 vs 250,
250 vs 275?
or even 225 vs 275?

I have 2 butts in right now, cooking at 250-275* Been in for 6 hours and IT is 153*. Naked on the grate (indirect) 

Ill see how they go. Was thinking about putting in foil pan and cover to collect the juices and if I need to push them thru the stall.

Sorry for the hijack but relevant 

buzd504

bradleya123 said:

Always remember the freaking cow drives the cook!!!  I'd get rid of the water pan not needed.  I had a 15 butt that took 23 hours once...it was yummy too!!!

I'd like to see a cow cook a pork butt.

HenryGE

jtcBoynton said:

I don’t think of a two pound piece of pork as a pork butt as we talk about around here. It is a cut off from a butt but should be referred to my some other name (one local market calls it pork cushions). Most of the discussion and advice you see apply well to butts in the seven to ten pound range. That is the normal weight range of butts found in retail outlets. Smaller pieces are just that, a butt cut into three or four pieces before being put in the meat case at the mega mart. You can always ask for a whole one from the back. Be aware it is easier to cook larger ones. It gets harder to get great results as the piece gets smaller. 

Good to know, thanks!

Mark_B_Good

I'm about to do a 4 lb butt tomorrow.  Wonder how long this is going to take ... want to have it ready for 6 pm dinner.  When should I start?

lousubcap

@Mark_B_Good - the one variable that will help with answering your question; what calibrated dome temperature do you plan to run the cook with?  FWIW-

jtcBoynton

Matt86m said:

So what do you all figure about cooking times vs cooking temp differences?

Say 25* increments?
225 vs 250,
250 vs 275?
or even 225 vs 275?

I have 2 butts in right now, cooking at 250-275* Been in for 6 hours and IT is 153*. Naked on the grate (indirect) 

Ill see how they go. Was thinking about putting in foil pan and cover to collect the juices and if I need to push them thru the stall.

Sorry for the hijack but relevant 

Approximate cooking times for pork butt/shoulder:

225º:  2 hours a pound

250º: 1.5 hours a pound

275º:  1 hour per pound

350º:  30-45 mins per pound

There is a good amount of variability between individual pieces so take all times as rough. Times assume a full sized butt - 7-10 pounds. Temps are dome.

Remember the stall is based on a balance between heat gain and heat loss by evaporative cooling.  You can change the balance and push through the stall by increasing the temp or lowering the evaporative cooling by tightly wrapping.

Wooderson

Im doing 20 lbs right now and I'm 6hrs into the cook.   Getting ready to get out of the stall.   Running at 275

jtcBoynton

Cooking times posted are for whole butts.  Those look like thick steak cuts so the timing guides do not apply.  Weight is used as a surrogate for thickness which is what really determines the cook time.  Cut a butt into steaks and the cooking time should drop dramatically.

HenryGE

Mark_B_Good said:

I'm about to do a 4 lb butt tomorrow.  Wonder how long this is going to take ... want to have it ready for 6 pm dinner.  When should I start?

I am not the most experienced, but I would suggest starting much earlier than you think you should. Worst case scenario, it comes off at like 3-4pm and you can let it rest in towels and a cooler for a couple of hours. On the cook that this post is about, I anticipated it being ready at around 5, yet it wasn't until 10 that it came off the egg. This is a dramatic example since I had water in the drip pan, but you get what I'm saying 

northGAcock

That would be pokey the pig. 

YukonRon

I have had them go 17 hours. No biggie.

Tekkamaki

I don't worry about dome temp. You want 250-275 at the grate.  I use a Thermoworks Smoke with one probe on the grate and one in the meat.  I foil the meat when it hits 145 degrees with my probe.  Then keep it in for a few more hours.  Dont be afraid to go a little over 250 at the grate.  I normally start my pork butt dinners when I first wake up... certainly by 9am.

https://www.thermoworks.com/Smoke

jtcBoynton

But where on the grid?  Placement has a large influence on the readings you get.  It’s hard to find a consistent location that is not influenced by cold meat mass or hot drafts. I have a hard enough time finding room for the food on the grid let alone a temp probe. 

QDude

Having cooked hundreds of pounds of pork butts I have found that 250-275 degrees is perfect.  Cooking them at 225 does not produce a better result - I think that many people want to brag about their 16 hour cooks at 225 degrees.  There is absolutely no need for water in the egg - it only slows down the cook and adds nothing to the end result.

Cooking on the egg gets easier with each cook!

Calbbqer

Did a 10lb pork butt earlier this week using Yukonron’s recipe. Smoked at 250 naked and probed like butter 15 hours later. 

Dondgc

Calbbqer said:

Did a 10lb pork butt earlier this week using Yukonron’s recipe. Smoked at 250 naked and probed like butter 15 hours later. 

That looks awesome. Nice job on the Rutland install 👍🏻  Mine doesn’t look so neat...

Mark_B_Good

OK, I put it on at 10:30 AM ... now 2:30 PM ... so 4 hours in, and I'm at an internal temperature of 160F ... that is at a grid temperature of around 260/270F steady ... I have a probe right next to the meat.  Dome is running around 15F hotter ... about 275/285F.  This is for a 4 lb butt.

I don't know if I should wrap her up now to the finish line, or just leave it unwrapped?  What is the finish line internal temp????

Mattman3969

It should break loose between 195-205 but it’s gotta have that no resistance probe feel to claim victory 

Calbbqer

Mark_B_Good said:

OK, I put it on at 10:30 AM ... now 2:30 PM ... so 4 hours in, and I'm at an internal temperature of 160F ... that is at a grid temperature of around 260/270F steady ... I have a probe right next to the meat.  Dome is running around 15F hotter ... about 275/285F.  This is for a 4 lb butt.

I don't know if I should wrap her up now to the finish line, or just leave it unwrapped?  What is the finish line internal temp????

I didn’t wrap and my 10 pounder was stalled in the 160’s for 6 hours at 250.

JohnEggGio

Just another voice...  I always use a drip pan with water - I don’t want my drippings to burn and I like to use them to moisten the meat when having leftovers.  My 9 pounder took about 9 hours at 275 last Saturday.

lousubcap

I have had a majority of small pork butts (less than 5 lbs) take longer per lb than the bigger ones so expect that outcome.  You still have plenty of time.  Wrapping will power the cook but you will soften the bark.  
As mentioned above, there is no "finish temp".  It's al about the feel.  Another great indicator is when the bone pulls with no resistance, then you are finished.  
Pork does not benefit nearly as much as brisket with the FTC so you can run right up to pull-time to finish the cook.  FWIW-