BBQ Schedule

What are you cooking on and what temps?

What is your cooker? I hope you know that Boston Butt is going to take about 13+ hours in the cooker, ribs about 3, chicken an hour or so.

Work the schedule backwards with some extra time in case something goes screwy. You will probably finish with the ABT's and the Chicken. My ABT's usually take 2 hours but you can get them done in about 1 1/2 hours. Chicken should take 1 1/2 hours (depending on size) so ABT's on at 1700 and Chicken on a 1730.

That means you need the ribs and pork off by 1700 - if you use the 2-2-1 method for the ribs - they have to go on at 1200. Ribs will rest for a few hours in clean dry cooler wrapped in towels so finished by 1700 and resting until 1900 should be fine.

I'll assume that your butt and ribs will both fit on the grate at the same time - so... if you are cooking at 225 and foiling at 170F IT or so, I would expect an 8 -9 hour cook for a 8lb butt. If you pull at 1700 then you need to start it at 0800. Since you can hold a butt in a clean dry cooler wrapped in towels for hours - I've held them for 4 hours by themselves - you can start at 0600 or 0700 and give yourself plenty of extra time if the butt gets stuck or something else comes up.

Newbie...................................;}-

As they said,12 to 13hrs. You'll need to get up and going at 4:30 to 5:00amPut the Butt on when the grate temp. is appox.220*F.with good smoke. Leave the lid shut until the Ribs need to go on;2pm or so...
the ABT's and the other about 5:00 or 5:30pm. When the Butts are done, have a cooler that has had hot water in it for 20 to 30min.,emptied and dried.Now you can wrap your Butt in foil(double wraped) and bath towles(don't worry they wash up good)and maybe some newspaper:idea:, this will hold your Butt until you are ready,up to 6hrs. or so...:thumb:
Have fun, I hope this is helpful and remember to...

Hot and fast is just as good and a butt will only take about 6+- hours, ribs will take about 3 to 4. I use 350 ish to do hot and fast. I have done the butt in 12 hours before and for the life of "ME" I can't tell the difference between h&f and l&s. JMHO.

Paul B
SS UDS

Good for you, NewBBQer!! Bet they will LOVE the food and camaraderie.

One note to consider: the stall. You may have read about or even experienced this phenomenon. The stall can wreck whatever dining plans you had. Would suggest that you add a bit of extra time on the cooker for your schedule, just in case. I'm a noob who only has six butts under his belt, but the first two butts (cooked at different times) took over 12 hours and weren't done to pulled pork consistency when cooked at ~220, wrecking dinner plans! the next two went ~17- 18 hours before being pulled pork consistency.

I've since started cooking butts the night before I need them. I've also boosted the temps a bit to ~250. Even boosting the temp, the last two butts I did were around the same weight (about 8 lbs), but one was done at around 12 hours, the other didn't finish until 16 hours (cooking to an internal temperature of ~200...no foiling or coolers were used). The lesson? Chit happens. :becky:

Good luck!

Bruce

^^^^THIS^^^^ is a great point.

I don't know how many times I have tried to work out the schedule just right and gotten BURNED by the stall.


With the butts, I'd also recommend starting EARLY, and even if it(they) come off hours before you want to pull, they will hold fine in a cooler, wrapped in a towel(s). I've seen butts hold for 7 hours in a warm cooler and still be above 140 internal temp when yanked out.

As far as ribs, have you decided how you're going to cook them? 3-2-1 was mentioned above, but I don't prefer foiling my ribs. I've had more trouble with overcooked ribs this way. At the temp you're cooking at, you could probably just let them go for about 5-6 hrs without foil. Just check them. If done a bit early, again.....foil and wrap up and cooler them too. You could even throw them back on to warm before dinner if you're worried about it.


Of course, as Paul B suggested, Hot & Fast is always an option. Saiko does a lot of this on just about everything. Look him up for more help. He's a good cat. Here's a recent thread he posted on H&F butt:
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93642



Good for you cookin for the troops. I wish I could help out like that....they ALL deserve it!!!!:thumb:

I always try and plan it out so I have 2-3 hours of extra time before eating. Trust me it's always better to have more time then not enough, it allows you for stall and resting time. Not to mention butts hold extremely well in foil/towel/cooler/oven.

I alway's have pulled pork in the freezer, sealed in food saver bags, no worries about when it will be done and it tastes like I just smoked them. All of my butts about 8lbs have taken 15-16 hrs no foil @ 225*. If you want to make sure you get them done do them hot and fast and hold them in a cooler. Ribs and chicken you can plan when your gonna eat.

15 hours? dang.. not me.. Bob likes to run around 250. i can get good coals and hold that temp and only have to throw a log on every 40 minutes.

8 lb butt - you should have it on a hot smoker by 5:00, sorry.. 0500.. =). to foil, not to foil? if you foil, foil it at 160, the smoke don't do a whole lot after that point anyway. if its a space issue, if its foiled the pig don't know where it is, just that its hot. can always toss er in the oven on 250 and let it sit. then back on the smoker to dry up a little for 30 minutes. Ribs at 250 too.. if they are babies and are well trimmed (not a lot of loin on the top) 4 hours and hold. chickens take about 2 to 2.5 hours (i try and cook 3.5#ers). ABTs can load just after chicken is on.. start early. or cook the butt the day before.. they'll never know.. shhhhh....