BUTT! Too big means too long

King-O-Coals

Well, it's like riding a bicycle. My first butt attempt since last winter. It was probably "the best I have ever eaten". I know,, I say that about everything, everytime. [p]Either you Yankees have smaller butts than us Suthahnas, or it's just us being closer to sea level. My slow cooked butts always take 25 to 28 hours to get up to 200 internal.[p]I put this one on at 2:30 Friday afternoon with at dome of 200 and internal meat at 35, and took it off at 6:30 Saturday evening. It was at 181 internal when I removed it. It was done to perfection, but I like to go up to 200 internal if it don't take much longer. The fire did cool off to 100 dome during the night, but I caught it and stoked it back up. The internal of the meat was still at 148 then.[p]Someone needs to develope an automatic "bumper" that will bump the EGG table every couple of hours during those slow night cooks. It seems that as coals burn out and fall away from the main pile, it leaves a small void. During the day, I usually lift the edge of the table slightly and bump it on the ground to cause the void to cave in.[p]Im at work right now. Couldn't write this last night because after pigging-out on the pig, I only had interests in cheesecake, shower, History Channel and snoaring. Yall have a good ending to your weekend.

davidm

King-O-Coals,[p]I'd imagine you're cooking nine- or 10-pound butts.[p]I have mine cut in half, which gives me more surface area for rub (my preference) and cuts the cooking time by at least half. Mine are always ready to go after 2 1/2 hours per pound.[p]And no bumping.[p]I don't know -- is this cheating?

Tim M

King-O-Coals,[p]
There was a guy here on the forum last year that made a Rube Goldburg auto vent adjuster to control the temp via the lower vent opening (not the vent itself). It was a 3" tube going from the vent opening to a gate valve (as I recall) and the valve was connected to a laptop via some sort of transducer to control the gate valve's electric motor. There was a dome thermometer hooked into the computer to monitor the dome temp. I am sure he had way too much free time.[p]Tim

Unknown

Davidm,
All's fair in butt-warfare. Yep, most of those I buy run from over 7 to over 9lbs. Halving them sound like a good idea. Just don't tell Elder Ward. He'll call us sissys.

davidm

KOC,[p]Sissys! Heck, it just means I can drink twice as much bourbon in half as much time!