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How long to cook pork butts?

critty
critty Posts: 1
edited March 2012 in Cookbook
Hello everyone,  I'm a new BGE owner and would like to ask those of you who have  eggsperience your tips on smoking pork butts.  I plan to smoke two 6 pound butts.   How long should I plan to cook two butts this size (225 to 250 temp)?  Also, any tips on dry rubs or preparing the butts before smoking would be appreciated.  Thanks.
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Comments

  • tnbarbq
    tnbarbq Posts: 248
    I would plan on 10-12 hours. But I go more by meat temp than time.
    Scooter 
    Mid TN. Hangin' in the 'Boro. MIM Judge
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  • OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO.
    OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO. Posts: 412
    General rule of thumb is 1.5 hours per lbs. I like Bad Byron's Butt Rub and use yellow mustard as a base. Pecan wood is by far my favorite. I try to maintain 235* throughout my cook. The pecan wood gave me a gorgeous pink smoke ring and wasn't overpowering at all. See pic:
    http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r626/jpeterman1979/5f0c7f43.jpg

     "Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great, Here's to "Down Home," the Old North State!"

    Med & XL

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  • NightwingXP
    NightwingXP Posts: 448
    Eeee Gads that looks good!! Gonna do two butts myself this weekend so hopefully they turn out as good as that!
    Only 3 things in life matter. Family, Steelers and my BGE!!
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  • JTugwell
    JTugwell Posts: 21
    let er go at 235-275 ubtil you get to 195-200 internal.  wrap it up and throw in a cooler for a few hours, pull and enjoy.  its easy, youll love it.  as far as rub goes, pick what you like.  grill mates makes a good apple rub if you need something quick.  rub it in olive oil, or mustard to help the rub stick.  hit it liberally with the rub, let it sit overnight,  i usually dont let sit for more than 12 hrs.  12hrs seems to work for me well.  no need to open the lid and screw with it until its done.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    no need to let it sit in the cooler unless it's done early.  you might wanna let it hang out an hour on the counter to cool if you pull by hand.  that 200 degree meat is hot if you just use forks (like i do)
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • JeffM
    JeffM Posts: 103
    My first couple of butts were 12-14 hour marathons at 225.   My last half dozen have been 6-7 hours at 300.   I followed advice I got here and my wife and I both agree even though the cook time is much reduced, they are juicier and better.  Cook 2-3 hours until temp is 160.  Wrap in double foil and cook to 200.  Inject 50-50 apple juice and apple cider vinegar  and use a little of your favorite rub.  Enjoy a good night's sleep.
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817

    @JeffM,

    I do them at 250* and get a good night's sleep. Really about when you put them on. That said, I haven't done a high temp one for comparison but several folks that I respect are doing them that way now.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Ragtop99
    Ragtop99 Posts: 1,570
    Cook at a little under 300* and the time will drop to about an hour per pound.  No foil needed.
    Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD.
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  • OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO.
    OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO. Posts: 412
    edited March 2012
    Below is what the chopped came from :
    http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/r626/jpeterman1979/043814ab.jpg
    15 hr cook . 11 lbs whole shoulder. Amazing result. Huge fan of low and slow. The turbo butt seems a little gimmicky.

     "Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great, Here's to "Down Home," the Old North State!"

    Med & XL

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  • gerhardk
    gerhardk Posts: 942
    We cooked a shoulder on Sunday it was just over 8 lb and cooked almost 14 hours to 200º, it was one of the best shoulders we have made.  In the past I always foiled when it reached 160º this time I left it and we thought the flavour and texture were better and it was no less moist.

    Gerhard

    image
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  • OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO.
    OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO. Posts: 412
    We cooked a shoulder on Sunday it was just over 8 lb and cooked almost 14 hours to 200º, it was one of the best shoulders we have made.  In the past I always foiled when it reached 160º this time I left it and we thought the flavour and texture were better and it was no less moist.

    Gerhard

    image



    No drip pan?

     "Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great, Here's to "Down Home," the Old North State!"

    Med & XL

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  • Flamethrower
    Flamethrower Posts: 493
    I see a platesetter,Ouch!!!!!
    LET'S EAT
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  • gerhardk
    gerhardk Posts: 942
    Not planning to make gravy so I don't see the need, I just give it a good scrape before the next cook.  I don't get any weird smoke off the plate setter so all is good.

    Gerhard
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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878
    Gerhard- you can cover your plate setter with heavy duty foil too...just throw the whole mess away when done....no scraping.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    +! re: MQ's idea.

    i tak two sheets of foil, crimp them together with some tight folds on one edge, and then crimp it into a circle folding the extra foil into a crumpled rim.  when it's cool, toss it.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • BOWHUNR
    BOWHUNR Posts: 1,487
    My last ones were two seven pounders done at 250* dome with a combo of apple and cherry wood.  The cook took 14 hours to get them to 195*.

    image

    image

    image

    Mike

    I'm ashamed what I did for a Klondike Bar!!

    Omaha, NE
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  • critty
    critty Posts: 1
    Thanks everyone for all the tips.  I'll let you know how they turn out.   Wish me luck!
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  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    Bow, is your pics look great. I need to throw a Rutland gasket on my egg.  
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
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  • Eggbertsdad
    Eggbertsdad Posts: 804
    BOW,

    That looks awesome! Nice job.
    Sarasota, FL via Boynton Beach, FL, via Sarasota, FL, via Charleston, SC, via The Outer Banks, via God's Country (East TN on Ft. Loudon Lake)
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  • Hammond1
    Hammond1 Posts: 31
    I see a platesetter,Ouch!!!!!
    Why do you guys cover it? I have never covered mine....
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  • KingRover
    KingRover Posts: 115
    edited March 2012

    Easier cleanup? - I took the plate setter out after it cooled, pulled up the foil wrap, chucked it out in the garbage. I have used disposable aluminum pan before, but foil is cheaper.

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  • Mighty_Quinn
    Mighty_Quinn Posts: 1,878

    Easier cleanup? - I took the plate setter out after it cooled, pulled up the foil wrap, chucked it out in the garbage. I have used disposable aluminum pan before, but foil is cheaper.



    Bingo!
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  • evan8818
    evan8818 Posts: 21
    What if it is two butts that way a total of 19 pounds... can I have them done in 14 hours? I need to have them done by saturday at 7am
    - GO FROGS - 
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  • guyupnorth
    guyupnorth Posts: 7
    evan8818 said:
    What if it is two butts that way a total of 19 pounds... can I have them done in 14 hours? I need to have them done by saturday at 7am
    I did two butts this past Sunday and sort of tried the turbo method.  They weighed almost 19 pounds and turned out to be my best yet. Here is what I did this time around.

    On the Egg at 250-275 dome temp for the first 3-4 hours.  After that I opened it up and had temps stay around 325-375 for the remainder of the cook.  The smaller of the two surprisingly took longest....go figure, but finished inside of 9 hours.  The larger was done in around 7.5 but let it go 8 hours total.

    I read somewhere that at a certain point, there is no more smoke flavour being absorbed by the pork, so it is just cooking, and if so, why not cook at higher temps?  There is enough fat in there to keep things juicy and tender IMO.  I didn't foil this time around either.

    Here are a couple pics if I can attach them correctly.
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817

    "The smoke ring stops forming at 140* but the smoke will continue to flavour the meat throughout the entire cook"

    Not me

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • SmokinDAWG82
    SmokinDAWG82 Posts: 1,705
    I've tried several different rubs but the best butts I ever cooked were just kosher salt and blk pepper
    LBGE
    Go Dawgs! - Marietta, GA
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