First Butt's

[smokin65]

Hi All,

I'm going to smoke my first butt (pork shoulder).  Just need a wee bit of advice.

I've already slathered and rubbed, they are sitting in the fridge.

There are two butts, total weight 11.4 lbs, one looks like it weighs 6lbs, the other slightly smaller.

I want to serve around 6pm tomorrow.

It looks like the consensus is to pre-heat smoker and over for an hour.

I'm looking at 220 at about 2hours per pound, so would I be safe putting it in at 5 or 6 am the same day? with a couple hours of FTC?

Thank you

[FLBentRider]

I would start earlier.

I put mine in around 9pm the night before.

I usually do 4 butts.

They start coming out around 2 to 4 pm ready for FTC.

I do cook mine @ 205F, so the 20 degrees difference over that amount of time might do it, but I would start earlier so they don't run late.

What IT are you going to pull them at ? I usually use 190-200F

[OU812]

I second what FLB stated.

I do almost as he does.

Its better to have the butt doing the FTC thing than having a hungry mob waiting for the butt to finish.

[classicrockgriller]

smokin65, Isn't it great to have you own personal smokin' team!

[smokin65]

I think it's fantastic,

Thanks for the tips everyone.  I'm going to follow FLB's advice, 205 sounds like a winner....that's really low and slow.  I'll take some pictures.....in the dark, in the rain......did I mention it's dark and raining? ;D

[hal4uk]

65... They told ya good.  Go LOW & SLOW...
Temp ain't gotta stay perfectly steady, just in the slightly-higher-than-you-are shooting-for range...
You get it too hot (for a significant amount of time) and it won't come out "right". 
Think real hard about this:  That butt can't ***possibly*** get any hotter than the smoker temp.

From your comments, I know you're on top of all that - I'm just reinforcing the plan...

---
P.S.
Dang, your wheels ROCK. 

[classicrockgriller]

65, 205* should be the cab temp. NO lower.

[smokin65]

Hal, I knew that about the temp..............in my brain, locked deep inside.  Seriously, it makes so much sense it's funny.

[smokin65]

Ok, so they've been in since 12 midnight, so at this point 13 hours, I set the BDS for 210 (for some reason Bradley didn't think we needed 5 degree increments because I wanted to set it for 205) The IT right now is 166, the box is flucuating between 186-210 when it cycles on and off.  I'm using the Mav ET73 and it's showing within a degree or two what the digital smoker is showing.  I'm hoping that it's done around 4 (3 more hours) then I'll FTC till dinner time which will be somewhere between 6:30 - 7pm.  I can always FTC it for a less amount of time if the smoke takes a bit longer. I have spritzed it with a spray of apple juice every now and then. Sorry, no pictures.....but they look great and smell even better.  My dogs are spending more time around the smoker today for some reason.

This is a good lesson in patience, I would never have thought that I'd be cooking meat for this long but the proof will be in the eats.

[FLBentRider]

This is a good lesson in patience, I would never have thought that I'd be cooking meat for this long but the proof will be in the eats.

Trust us on this one.....

[hal4uk]

the box is flucuating between 186-210

Sounds like you're averaging just under 200.
Especially since you didn't put it in till midnight...
You might go up one more 10F notch (then you would be averaging 208?).

Regardless, you can't pull it till it hits at least 190.
(whatever time that is)

[smokin65]

I did want to start earlier (9pm) last night, but the truly unpleasant Mrs. Smokin65 said....no way, they'll be ready way to early.  I (being older and wiser) said.....yes dear.

[classicrockgriller]

You probably should have gone with your plan. 9:00 start.

What is the meat IT now?

[smokin65]

Ha, yep....Mrs. Smokin65 just admitted that we should have started at 9pm.  The IT is now 177 and it's 4:35pm.  It's getting there and we don't mind waiting an extra hour.  I just sprayed and peeked....they look beautiful.

[classicrockgriller]

The butt will stall breaking down the tissue and the tissue will release moisture and your IT could actually go down or will stall for maybe 1 to 3 hrs.

And then it will take off again.

Have you hit a long stall in IT rising yet?