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Two 6 pound butts rubbed and ready !

Charlie tuna
Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Question: How long a cook to reach 195-200 indirect heat at 250 ? Fat side up or fat side down ? Thanks.

Comments

  • It usually takes about 1.5 to 2 hours per pound for large butts but smaller ones can be at the lower end of that and maybe a little faster (assuming 250F dome).

    Fat side up or down? Doesn't matter. I'd cut it off to get more bark.
  • True H.S., unless of course the butts are touching.
    Although sometimes you can't help touching butts, there is a penalty to be paid for this - it takes longer to cook.
    I think (2) 6 lb butts touching would be the same as cooking (1) 12 lb butt.
  • I think you mean unless they are tightly tied together. In that case it would be treated as one butt as you say.

    That, however, is unlikely. What is more likely is he has two 6 lb butts that he plans on throwing on a large and hence, my lower end of 9-12 hours estimate stands.

    PEACE!
  • They will not be touching but on a raised rack -- figuring six pounds each then i'm looking at 12 hours.
    I was planning on starting at 6:00pm but i'll have to let it slide to 8:00pm since i want to be awake as it reaches 195 - 200 internal. I have some other cooking to do on the Egg and want to get the butts finished before starting the other items.
  • Make sure you check the calibration on your dome thermometer prior to the cook. They can be 50+ off which can make an appreciable difference over a 10+ hour cook.

    Good luck. PEACE!
  • I have a Guru to watch over the cook and i recently checked it's accuracy for "pit temp" and it's right on ! This is the second time i'm doing two butts, the first time it took longer than i estimated. More "mass" to cook must have some effect on the time issue??
  • You sure pick up things fast, hot stike 69.

    Welcome. :laugh:

    no fish to count today, i see.
  • CBBQ
    CBBQ Posts: 610
    Tuna,
    I cook them fat side down only because what sticks to the grill is fat not meat. It doesn't matter if they touch with regards to time. They immediately start shrinking and pull away from each other. I am cooking 24 butts tonight and half of the 2-packers will be frozen together from the destibutor. They'll be done at the same time as the seperated ones.
  • Excuse me, Captain, but that's Hot stRike 69.
    But I know that's what you meant
  • i know how he spelled it.

    it's tweev.

    he's twigging me for having briefly used the handle "tvvev" today.

    took him about ten seconds to get around the "ban". hahaha
    oy.
  • But is it your experience that the added butts of the same weight "ADD" to your cooking time in "SOME"(?) way?
  • I feel so....dirty.....
  • CBBQ
    CBBQ Posts: 610
    The only difference I find is that when you fill an Egg up with meat it takes it longer to get back up to the original set temp because of the extra cold mass. What I do find, in my cooking is that the fat content of a butt effects the cooking time more. A fattier butt seems to cook faster because the fat heats up, softens and then starts dripping out of the butt. When I'm forced to put butts on frozen a smaller lean one can taker longer to cook than a lerger fatty one.
  • my earlier point about the butts touching was in earnest. I was advised of this here and found it to be true that when big chunks of meat like butts are touching, the cook time is like that for a bigger piece of meat (though not necessarily double) . this has happened to me and the butts didn't need to be tied. 8 lb butts taking 24 - 30 hours to reach 195-200.
  • I totally agree with your theory --- meat touching another shields the heat from penatrating each other and has an effect on the cooking time. And what CBBQ mentioned about "mass" and it increasing cooking time by requiring the Egg to regain cooking temps must prolong the total cook time. Each butt acts like an "ice cube" and requires more heat and thus "more time". I'll find out in the morning around Eight AM !
    Thanks for all the opinions!!! Tuna
  • CBBQ
    CBBQ Posts: 610
    What I was trying to convey about two butts touching is that that they can shrink 40% during a cook. Once the fat start dripping out/off the butt it starts shrinking and both will pull away from each other due to contraction. You'd be surprised how quck that starts to happen and then heat is hitting all sides of the meat.
  • Results : Got up and went out at 8:00 AM to find the internal at 211 degrees -- dome temp at 240 degrees---a little overdone but sure looks and tastes great! Next time i'll cook at 225 and see if i can master the 12 hour cycle???