Am I doing something wrong with my butts?

Unknown · December 2005

I cook over direct heat at between 225 and 240 and they always finish really early. I read about you guys with these 18-20 hour cooks and have no idea how you do it. For instance, I put a 6+ pound butt on at 5:45am this morning and right now 6 hours later it already at 160. What am I doing wrong?

thirdeye · December 2005

AUEgger,[p]Barbecuing needs not only low heat, but indirect low heat. 160° is done, but only for slicing. The longer cook times and higher target temperatures of the butt (195° or so) allow for the rendering of the internal fats and give you a whole different product than sliced pork roast.[p]Check out the link to my butt page for some more basic information.[p]~thirdeye~

[ul][li]Butts[/ul]

Unknown · December 2005

thirdeye,[p]Thanks for the link. I guess my post wasn't clear. I cook mine to 190-195 at about 230 degrees but it NEVER takes me 18 hours, more like 10-12 at most. How can I stretch the cook out or does it matter?

ronbeaux · December 2005

AUEgger,
Trust these guys. The post earlier was only the second time I tried it. Indirect is the way to go.

stike · December 2005

AUEgger,
you are doing it direct...
the dome temp might still be 250, but if the lump is in the line of sight of the meat, your underside is cooking at a higher temp than 250 [p]put some meass between the meat and the lump. platesetter, firebrick, pizza stone..

Unknown · December 2005

stike,[p]I'm using a plate setter. The one I have going right now has plateaued at 162 7 hours into the cook so this one may work for me. We'll see. Thanks for the help.

Unknown · December 2005

stike,[p]I just realized that I said direct heat on my original post. I'm cooking indirect. Sorry.

dhuffjr · December 2005

AUEgger,
Some us let the fire start to die overnight. :>) BTDT[p]Indirect is the way to go as said. Rule of thumb 1.5-2 hours per pound. I'm putting on three tonight (6,7, and 7.5 lbs). Might be lunch or dinner we'll see.

stike · December 2005

AUEgger,
that's weird.[p]if you are getting good pullable pork, then i wouldn't worry

SuperDave · December 2005

AUEgger,
Not unlike the brisket, the pork butt benefits from the indirect low and slow cooking method. It has to reach a "plateau" temperature and hold there for several hours during which time the collagen, fat and connective tissues all break down and dissolve into the surrounding meat. This requires gentle heat over a long period of time. [p] You may be reaching a temp that you deem "done", but you are cheating the butt out of it's dwell time by removing it early. Cook it indirect and don't let the egg get over 200º~225º ever, for the 18 to 22 hour cook time. Remove it once the internal temp reaches 195º to 205º, wrap it in foil then towells and place it in a cooler for three hours or so and you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.[p] Merry Christmas ! Have a great Holiday with your family!

thirdeye · December 2005

AUEgger,[p]Heat moves in 3 forms, radiation, convection and conduction. An ideal cooker balances the amounts and types of heat that your product receives. Mass works in your favor.[p]stike is right about the mass of a platesetter or other things between the coals and your meat. The greater mass of a ceramic cooker itself also provides for a constant transfer of heat. [p]If you have ever owned a WSM for example, (it is a vertical cooker like the Egg, but the walls are thin metal which not only conduct heat differently than the ceramic walls of the Egg, but loose heat at a faster rate) you will find that you have to use some different techniques to balance the heat in order to barbecue. The WSM was designed to use a water pan between the coal bed and the grate to act as a heat sink and cool the air a little before getting to the grate to allow for lo-n-slo cooks. But many cooks fill the water pan with sand for the mass, and it works fine.[p]All butts cook differently but the time you don't want to rush is the plateau time. Try using your plate setter or other indirect method and see what happens to your cook time.[p]~thirdeye~

Unknown · December 2005

AUEgger,
Have you calibrated your thermometer with the boiling water method? You may be hotter than you realize. My big butts usually go 20 hours or more.

Dr_Redwine · December 2005

AUEgger,
In case the 'AU' stands for Auburn...War Eagle. If it stands for gold as in the periodic table, then disregard this transmission. [p]My guess is that the butts you are buying aren't as big as some of these monsters mentioned on this board. A 6 lb butt is a little guy and is going to go about 10-12 hours. You sound like you're doing fine to me. If it pulls it's fine.
DrR
AU class of 88

Am I doing something wrong with my butts?

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