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About to do my first low and slow Pork Butt

Gordon_Shumway
Gordon_Shumway Posts: 25
in EggHead Forum
Any advice?

The meat weighs around 7 lbs.
Recipe recommends dome temp of 225, internal temp of 200, and about 18 hours of cook time.  Sound about right?
Florida
1 Lg BGE
Pulling my own pork since 2014

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Comments

  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    You can go at 250-275 without issue. 225 can be hard to hold if you haven't done it much, especially overnight. Once the butt probes without resistance, it's done. Could be anywhere from 195-205. Timing can be finicky too, so plan on it being done earlier and you can keep it warm in a cooler if necessary.
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  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,234
    We want pics! You are in for a real treat. 

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    Welcome aboard!  

    Would actually go 250° or higher for my tastes.  

    Pre-work is all up to you.  Some do mustard then rub and some do not.  Some do salt and pepper only, some do not.  

    Some smoke I like is hickory and apple combo.  
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
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  • Gordon_Shumway
    Gordon_Shumway Posts: 25
    Eggcelsior said:
    You can go at 250-275 without issue. 225 can be hard to hold if you haven't done it much, especially overnight. Once the butt probes without resistance, it's done. Could be anywhere from 195-205. Timing can be finicky too, so plan on it being done earlier and you can keep it warm in a cooler if necessary.

    I was thinking about putting it on at about 10pm/11pm tonight.  Having people over at about 3/4pm tomorrow will the cooler keep it warm until then?
    Florida
    1 Lg BGE
    Pulling my own pork since 2014

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  • TCT
    TCT Posts: 168
    Agree with both comments about a little higher temp. I like to slather mustard on, then rub and wrap in fridge overnite. I typically just use hickory, but combos are great too. When the bone starts to stick out and comes out easily, you are done - it's easier than you think and the results are awesome!! Have fun and post pix!!

    Craig

    Cockeysville, MD

    LBGE and a large list of stuff I want

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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 10,227
    You'll have to be careful on your cook time.  It won't take 18 hours for a 7 pound butt.  At 220 it might take 14 hours (2 hours per pound) but rarely will it take that long.  And as @Eggcelsior pointed out, 220-225 is hard to hold in a lot of eggs.  Mine (XL) settles in between 240 and 275 very easily, but not 225 veyr often.  If it were me, I'd just get up early tomorrow and start around 6 AM at a temp of 275 or so.  If it gets to noon and isn't at an internal temp of 190 or so (out of the stall) then I would bump the temp some to push to the finish line.  I'm reluctant to go overnight on anything that weighs less than about 14 pounds because I like to sleep through the night.  I trust my egg to hold 240 without a temp controller, but I don't trust the meat to not be done early. 

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
    For overnight with no controller I like 270ish. You can FTC for hours in a cheap cooler so if even if you finish before noon you'll be fine. 
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  • JethroVA
    JethroVA Posts: 1,251
    When we say cooler, we mean wrap in foil, insert into a clean trash bag to make clean up easier (I do), put in a small cooler, stuff with towels for more insulation. Foil, Towels, Cooler = FTC on this site. For extra holding time I preheat the cooler by filling with hot water for a while.  I've had it hold temp for 4+ hours.  

    After you try for first low-n-slow which is great, read up on Turbo Butt on here.  I really don't notice a difference and I can put one on mid morning and have it ready for dinner.  No more low-n-slow for me.  I enjoy sleep too much! 
    Richmond and Mathews County, VA. Large BGE, Weber gas, little Weber charcoal. Vintage ManGrates. Little reddish portable kamado that shall remain nameless here.  Very Extremely Stable Genius. 
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  • Sundown
    Sundown Posts: 2,980
    I've kept my shoulders in the cooler wrapped like Jethro said for nearly 6 hours. When I went to pull it it was still blazing hot! So, if you wrap it right and you have a good cooler then you'll be fine. Good luck!

    PS fill the firebox to nearly the top of the fire ring then you can sleep through the night.
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
    Sundown said:
    PS fill the firebox to nearly the top of the fire ring then you can sleep through the night.
    And make sure your temp is stable for an hour before you go to bed. 
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  • Smokinpig
    Smokinpig Posts: 739
    Start earlier or cook hotter to make sure you are done by 3or 4. I would also say 275dome is a good temp. Be prepared for the stall. 

    LBGE Atlanta, GA


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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,232
    Sleep well (tee hee). 
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • Gordon_Shumway
    Gordon_Shumway Posts: 25
    I made the decision to start it earlier tomorrow and cook at 250-275.  That way I'm not stressing overnight with the temperature spiking.  Thanks for all the advice, I'll try to post pics for feedback...  Even if it's a picture of the pizza we order due to operator error.
    Florida
    1 Lg BGE
    Pulling my own pork since 2014

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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
    Hope you plan to get up early if you plan to serve at 4:00. At 275 you're still looking at 1.25- 1.5 hr/# min.  You can always bump it up if necessary. 
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  • Walt2015
    Walt2015 Posts: 583
    Biggest thing for me is getting temp stable with plate setter in the egg. Shoot for an hour of stable 225-250 before putting butt on. Once you hit that stability you should be on cruise control. At 250, mine are right at 1.5 hr/lb. Better to be done early. I routinely FTC for 5 hrs with no problem. If it's done a little early, it's a great chance to throw extra wings or ABTs on 
    Memphis, TN ----> Chattanooga, TN
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