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1st Butt Cooking

Aledo Green Dreggon
Aledo Green Dreggon Posts: 134
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I started my boston butt about 6 hours ago. It was 2 pieces of meat weighing a total of 14.55 lbs. For Several hours I was doing fine around 215* but now something is making my temp go up to 250*(dome temp). I am very slowly adjusting the daisy, waiting 15-20 minutes and then adjusting the bottom, back and forth. My meat is currently at 143* internal temp. It is 11:15 here. I know this will be a guess but can anyone tell me roughly when they would guess my meat will be done? I started so early today because I wanted to be sure my temperature regulated before now. I have not opened the dome since I started and have just been making these adjustments.

Comments

  • When it hits 195 degrees :silly:

    Sorry, couldn't resist that.

    But since it is late, I'll make a guess with the understanding I am fairly new cooking butts myself.

    Assuming both pieces were about 7.25 lbs and 2 hours per pound, you are looking at 14.5 hours, leaving another 8.5 to go from your post time. But, my understanding is the grid is normally about 20 degrees lower than dome and since you are so close to the target temp at the grid, it will take longer than just 2 hours a pound. Hopefully someone more experience than I will help with that.

    Having said that, I don't think 250 dome is too high, my egg settles in nicely at 245 and my butts turn out fine. Again, hopefully someone more experienced will chime in.

    Best of luck,

    David
  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    It's pretty hard to hold 215°, and if you did the actual temp at the grate would be 195° or so which is close to the finish temp if you are planning on pulling the pork. What this means is that the cook temp is at a 1:1 ratio to the finish temp. It will take forever for the butts to finish.

    250° dome is much easier to maintain, and your actual temp would be 230° or so. I guessing you have two 7# butts?? With those temps and that size, 12 to 15 hours would be about right.
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    Good answer.....looks to me like you have 'er figured out. It's a good idea to plan on an hour or two of cooler time in addition to cook time.
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
  • Awesome, thank you. One butt is a bit bigger than the other so I would say they even out somewhere around 6&8 lbs. So thank you both of you. It sounds like I am on track and will get some sleep tonight. I was afraid I was careening out of control and for them to be done around 3 am. I just went out and checked again and my temp is around 270* now, but wow is it starting to smell good. I think I am going to stay up 1 more hour or so just to make sure I don't continue up to 300. I just closed the daisy wheel a tiny bit more and want to keep an eye on it.