Butt vs. Picnic Cooking Times

wdan

Did my second-ever picnic shoulder this weekend since Sundown recommended it here some time ago. Haven't been able to find very often until I started visiting my local Wally Superworld...they have them everytime I stop in. I agree with Sundown on the difference in the cuts...I just love that "dark meat" in the picnic shoulder.[p]I noticed in drbbq's book he recommended picnics to be cooked only to 180 (his Cuban recipe that I also make my own variant of each New Year's Eve). I however, pulled mine off at 199 like I usually do with my butts. The first time I didn't notice, but this time the meat seemed just a wee tad on the dry side. My family loved it anyway and I "muddled through it somehow" too. But I'm curious about anybody else's experience, do you/should you take picnics off the BGE at lower temps than butts?

Citizen Q

WDAN,
I think 190 minimum is the target temp for both. I did butts for my last comp and picnic for the one before and had to pull at 180 both times due to time constraints. A little tougher than I like and it showed in the scores. When time isn't a factor, I always wait til they hit at least 190. Big difference between 180 and 190, not so much between 190 and 200, except that it might be a bit drier. Sometimes a fatty piece can be really sloppy, so a little drier might be better.[p]Cheers,
C~Q