Asking for help - Charity Cook-off

First, you're competing in a non-sanctioned competition for fun. Without defined rules for things like tenderness, etc. all bets are off. Meaning, do your best and have fun, but dont read anything into your results, because you're going to get willy-nilly judging. Never fails.

Ok, back to your question. You're going to want to go at about 275-300 and I would suggest foiling at that 3-4 hour mark. Even then you'll be crammed at 8 hours. Perhaps find a 7.5-8# butt, see if you cant take it off the fire about an hour early. I'd work REAL hard getting in there at or before 6am and get the fire started before setting up "camp". Try to get the butt on by 7am, off at say 2:45 (with any luck), resting until 3:45 and pull like mad at that time.

Both at sanctioned comps as well as at home, I tend to smoke mine around that 260 mark and I foil, 9=10# butts take me right at 9.5hrs on the smoker.

What are the trimming and weight rules for the Butt? Trim trim trim.

One other idea, and at a one day 4 Legs Up cooking class Kelly had us do, is to butterfly the butt along the bone and lay it out to cook. It gives more surface area for rub, and more bark, with a less dense chunk of meat so it cooks faster.

Use a boneless butt and splay it out. Foil is your friend.

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Swine Spectator said:

I usually do loooong slow cooks, it allows me to drink beer and avoid the "Honey-Dos" longer.

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ROGER, that!:clap2: