Pork Butts taking FOREVER

johnnylightnin · Feb 23, 2020

We’re having a little Mardi Gras party and I’m cooking two butts at just under 10 pounds. I put them on last night around 9pm. WSM kept great temp overnight, but I’ve had to add a few coals today. We’re on hour 17 and I’ve just now hit 190. I usually like to get over 202, but we’re probably trying to eat in 2 1/2 hours or so. Not sure I can let them get where I’d like them.

Any idea if I messed something up? I’ve never done a butt in the WSM (18.5) and this is a LOT of meat. I’ve kept it between 215 and 250 the whole time (cruising around 225).

I did NOT wrap.

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BillN · Feb 23, 2020

Go ahead and wrap to insure they will be done. I usually smoke at 275 plus/minus 20 degrees and have never had butts or whole shoulders go past 7 1/2 hours.

thirdeye · Feb 23, 2020

I vote for wrapping now and continue cooking it tender.

215° is pretty low, and if you are using the factory thermometer, it may not be as accurate as you like. 240° to 250° is easier to control, but at those temps 8# butts can take me 14 or more hours, then I like long rests.

pjtexas1 · Feb 23, 2020

Wrap and bump up to 300 or 325. Butts can handle a lot of heat.

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rm41400 · Feb 23, 2020

+1 on higher temp to finish. In the smoker or the oven.

turn the oven to 290-300 to finish them off. (Foil if they have a heavy bark)

Just put a drip pan below them in the second rack.

I’d be shocked if you didn’t finish them in about an 1-1.5 hr in the oven

johnnylightnin · Feb 23, 2020

I ended up pulling them off at 195. I pulled them because they were very tender when probed. Got them wrapped and resting. The few pieces that flakes off when taking them off the smoker were some of the best tasting bits I’ve ever cooked!

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Smoking Piney · Feb 23, 2020

Glad to see you pulled it off. :-D

I've cooked LOTS of butts, and every one got done in its own time. Butts are a long game that require patience and planning.

If I need a butt done by "X" O'clock, I plan for a 10 hour cook and a 4 hour FTC hold to calculate my cook start time. It gives me a pad on the schedule. Butts will hold well in FTC. If they get done early, you're still good to hold until serving.

Stingerhook · Feb 23, 2020

You have some nice looking butt.

Baychilla · Feb 23, 2020

johnnylightnin said:
I ended up pulling them off at 195. I pulled them because they were very tender when probed. Got them wrapped and resting. The few pieces that flakes off when taking them off the smoker were some of the best tasting bits I’ve ever cooked!

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Another reminder that with BBQ we're cooking to tenderness - not temperature.

BKING! · Feb 23, 2020

johnnylightnin said:
I ended up pulling them off at 195. I pulled them because they were very tender when probed. Got them wrapped and resting. The few pieces that flakes off when taking them off the smoker were some of the best tasting bits I’ve ever cooked!

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Holy bark! I bet they’re gonna taste great

johnnylightnin · Feb 23, 2020

BKING! said:
Holy bark! I bet they’re gonna taste great

It was great. Probably fed 25 or so and still have a good bit left over.

Thanks for the help guys!

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Pork Butts taking FOREVER

johnnylightnin

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BillN

somebody shut me the fark up.

thirdeye

somebody shut me the fark up.

pjtexas1

somebody shut me the fark up.

rm41400

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johnnylightnin

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Smoking Piney

somebody shut me the fark up.

Stingerhook

somebody shut me the fark up.

Baychilla

is one Smokin' Farker

BKING!

is Blowin Smoke!

johnnylightnin

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