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Common Butt timing decision

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MDHog
MDHog Posts: 43
edited June 2012 in EggHead Forum
8 lb butt, rubbed and ready to go. People coming for dinner tomorrow around 6 PM. 

so, put it on at Midnight before I go to bed, and take a chance it is done too early and has to sit for more than a few hours in foil towel cooler. 

OR

Get up early, put it on by 6 AM or so, but have a chance it won't be done by the time the guests arrive?

What do folks usually do?
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Comments

  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
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    By all means put it on at midnight.  Might take 12 hours, might take 14 hours.  You know the saying about Q, it is done when it is done.

    You can hold in the FTC for hours and it is no problem to heat it up a little if you need to before pulling.  When I reheat a pork butt, I spray it liberally with apple juice.

    Have a great dinner.
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  • XLBalco
    XLBalco Posts: 607
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    That size butt i don't think you need to start at midnight. If it went on right at 6am you would be fine.imo
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,332
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    Given no knowledge of dome cook temp, it is a crap-shoot.  Low&slow or turbo cook will yield vastly different cook times.  So, the cook decides the process and lives with the results.  All that said, given you can hold a finished butt for 4-6 hours easily (see Duganboy's comment) with the FTC (foil, towels and cooler) and you will have an impossible time of guessing 4-6 hours early if the cook will finish on time I would go early.  But that is an opinion and we all know what those are worth.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
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    Could be, no doubt.  I would just always err on the side of pulled pork being done too early.  It is so easy to reheat and not affect the quality.  Then OP has time to get it prepared and enjoy the guests when they arrive.
    That size butt i don't think you need to start at midnight. If it went on right at 6am you would be fine.imo

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  • Phoenix824
    Phoenix824 Posts: 243
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    I would do midnight and try to keep it at 225.  Pull when ready, wrap in foil and put in a cooler or put in over at 170.
    Steve Van Wert, Ohio XL BGE
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  • Flamethrower
    Flamethrower Posts: 493
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    Keep at 250 just for the diff. in temp drop later on

     

    LET'S EAT
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  • MDHog
    MDHog Posts: 43
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    Thanks for the advice. Went ahead and put it on just now (midnight EST). 

    Dome is stabilized at 250-260 range. Going to bed, will see where it is when my son wakes everyone up at 6 AM.


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  • MDHog
    MDHog Posts: 43
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    So far so good. Dome temp was 260 when I went to bed at MN. 240 when I checked on it at 7 this AM. 

    All hail the BGE. 

    Bumped temp up to 260 dome, Butt temp 140 after 7 hours. Probably in stall or soon will be. Will check again in a few hours (don't have any fancy electronic gizmo, just a plane old instant read meat thermometer). 

    Pics at then end 


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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,332
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    FWIW-I usually see the stall/plateau around 160*F and don't be surprised if the butt temp actually drops during the stall.  Patience is the watchword.  You may also see a shorter stall around 190*F as you close in on the finish-line.  Not to worry-if necessary you can jack up the dome temp to punch it home.  Or , if your son allows, read about the "Texas Crutch" and the use of foil to move things along.  Enjoy the journey.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • MDHog
    MDHog Posts: 43
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    Turned out great. 8 lb butt, 15.5 hours at dome temp in the 250-270 range, 198 degrees meat temp at 3:30 PM, did f-t-c for 2 hours and pulled at 5:30 for dinner at 6. Tasted great, hard to see how it could have turned out better. 

    Thanks to all for your help!
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,332
    edited June 2012
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    @MDHog-congrats on the cook-glad it turned out well-somehow the BGE does that for us:) And Happy Father's Day-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • MDHog
    MDHog Posts: 43
    edited June 2012
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    Thats lousubcap--now a few pictures!

    imageimage
    image
    image
    image
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