Frustrated with my butt

Old Smoke

Old Smoke

is one Smokin' Farker
Joined
Mar 22, 2010
Location
Ukiah...
This is the saga of my first butt cook. This morning at 5:30 I started the fire in the UDS, At 6:00 I loaded the 6+ lb butt into the drum at 225*. At 1:00 (6 hours) the internal temp was 169* A quick peek and lookin'good. It is now 4:30P (9.5 hrs) the internal temp is 175*. The pulled pork dinner was scheduled to be around 5:30. That is not going to happen SO I guess I'll pull it off now and slice it after resting. How long does it normally take to cook a 6+ lb butt to 195*-200* with the UDS at 225*-250*????? I figured 1.5 hours per pound did I goof???? :confused::confused:

I'll post the pictures later
 
It should take 1.5 hours per pound, but, depending on the piece of meat and position of the moon, it can take a lot longer. Bigabyte who is an experience butt man just had one run over 20 hours. I like to allow 2 hours for cooking, especially if I am gonna run below 250F. I can always foil, towel and cooler if I get done a couple hours early.
 
No goof......it's done when it's done. No dissin, but there is really no set time. 1 1/2 hr per pound is just an est. Some take longer some take lesser!! My first butt took 11 hours, thought it would never get done!!!!

Paul B
SS UDS
SS Auspit
SS ROL
 
Old Smoke said:
This is the saga of my first butt cook. This morning at 5:30 I started the fire in the UDS, At 6:00 I loaded the 6+ lb butt into the drum at 225*. At 1:00 (6 hours) the internal temp was 169* A quick peek and lookin'good. It is now 4:30P (9.5 hrs) the internal temp is 175*. The pulled pork dinner was scheduled to be around 5:30. That is not going to happen SO I guess I'll pull it off now and slice it after resting. How long does it normally take to cook a 6+ lb butt to 195*-200* with the UDS at 225*-250*????? I figured 1.5 hours per pound did I goof???? :confused::confused:

I'll post the pictures later
Click to expand...

I have found that it depends on the cut of meat. Some are leaner than others, some have more connective tissue to break down than others. The best thing you can do (IMHO) is find a supplier and stick with them so you know you are at least in the same ball-park with the cuts and quality from cook to cook.

You did nothing wrong. A guy on this forum told me one time I had the same problem as you... "It's done when it's done!". I was cooking an 8lb. butt and it didn't reach 195 until 22 hours! :shocked: I was cooking it between 220-230 and it took for ever. but it was so good when it was done! Just gotta hang in there sometimes. :-D
 
Thanks for the input gang, BUT the wife has planned for dinner NOW! so I pulled it and will slice it after it rests a bit.
Maybe next time I'll start a couple of days ahead. :laugh::laugh::laugh:
This smokin' stuff is more confusing, :confused::confused::confused: and frustrating than just plain old grillin' HUH????

I'll just have to remember "It's done when it's done" and not have such a tight schedule.
Hey it is all fun....:laugh: Gotta go slice and take some pron for later.
 
Rick, there is nothing wrong with a sliced butt if you got it to 180 or so, you will find that the outer muscles of that butt will be pretty good eating I bet. You got real close, next time maybe.
 
Next time if you need to speed things up, go ahead and foil and crank your temp. The butt will be fine and you'll eat on time.

Or start earlier, but thats no fun
 
OK here are the pictures.

Butt rubbed and ready for the drum
002.jpg


6 AM thin blue smoke and ready for the butt

003.jpg


6 hours lookin'good internal temp 169*

005.jpg


11 hours internal 181* dinner is LATE!! still need to rest. Too much brown sugar in the rub

006.jpg


After 1/2 hr rest now dinner is REALLY!! late (too much flash) :doh:


009.jpg


Outside for 1 last picture on the dirty prep table, HURRY UP I'm hungry! :evil:

011.jpg


Lesson learned " It is done when it is done" :confused:
Thanks to Meat Burner and Cowgirl :clap2::clap2: for helping me solve problems with the drum and fire management.

Thanks to all for the input today.

It was good, and I have lots left over for sammies :-D:-D
 
Hey, if it was good, then it was a perfect cook. You meant to produce a perfect sliced pork sandwich. That is how it is done in Ukiah.
 
I wrap mine at 170 and take it to 201. I always reserve 13 hrs for my butts or shoulders. The beauty of pork of this caliber is, if it finishes sooner, double wrap it, wrap some towels around it and put it in a cooler for when YOU are ready to eat :)

Wrap and kick the temps up works as well. Doesnt hurt the meat.
 
I just do the butts now more as a "through the course of the week" type thing, cause they're so finicky. Only thing I usually stay on the side of caution for, those first two I made last week wife almost killed me over, so the next time I made 4 of em and we ate chimichangas that night.
 
Once they get up there in temp, 160s, I just foil it and let it ramp up. I also don't cook butts that low anymore. Easily let it get to 260 - 280.
 
landarc said:
Hey, if it was good, then it was a perfect cook. You meant to produce a perfect sliced pork sandwich. That is how it is done in Ukiah.
Click to expand...


Yeah Bob that is how we do it in Ukiah. (I think) Thanks for your support.


Jeeeeeeez it looks like I deleted the pron instead of saving them to an album in PhotoBucket. :doh::doh::doh:

One of these days I'll git it all right BUT Don't hold yer breath.:redface::redface::redface:
 
I've done Shoulder/Butts in a variety of smokers and pretty much use the same "math" each time.

230 - 240 degrees.
1.5 hours per pound

Once I get about 75% of my approximated cook time done I foil the entire shoulder and toss it back in. I've never had issues meeting a set "done" time and temp.

As someone else mentioned, I use my math and plan on having it done an hour to an hour and a half before serving time. Pork is pretty forgiving, you can always hold it at a lower temp if it's done early, and foiled you won't lose much moisture.

For big cuts of meat, it's always better to have it done early and hold it, than to have family/customers/judges waiting around for who knows how long.
 
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