First Butts

[ihavethetools]

It's time to smoke my first two butts. So a few questions.  They are both at 6 1/2 lbs. For those of you with WAY more experience than me, about how long SHOULD it take to hit 190 IT ?  I've read so much here my eyes hurt , but it's a good hurt with all the great advice.  I want to serve these next Sunday around 5:00 pm.  I'm just looking for a starting time and know there are many variables.  I'd rather start smoking earlier so i don't have 20 people "pulling" at me instead of me pulling pork !!  Thanks everyone in advance.

[TedEbear]

about how long SHOULD it take to hit 190 IT ?

Figure on about 1.5-2 hours per lb.  Since you're smoking two at once it'll probably be closer to the 2 hr/lb estimate. 

You can always smoke them a few days earlier and then reheat.  I did that recently with two 7.5 lb butts. Did the FTC afterward, shredded them and put them in a couple of aluminum pans sealed with foil and in the fridge. 

On the day of the party I poured in a cup of apple juice in each one and stuck them in the oven at 300*F for two hours with the top sealed in foil.  I used an instant meat probe to check the temp and they were around 225*F when it was time to eat.  Doing it that way you can plan for exactly the time when you're ready for them.

[mikecorn.1]

My two cents is to plan for 2 hrs + Worse case scenario. You never know how stubborn the butts are gonna be.


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[Wildcat]

I normally run a cabinet temperature of about 205 F. Two 6 to 8 pounders normally take me 20 to 30 hours to reach 190. I no longer rotate racks on butts so one usually gets done a few hours before the other. Of course cooking at 205 I could take them out to pull at 170 to 175 but I normally go on to 185 to 190 (depending on if I am ready to take them out of the smoker). If you are cooking at 225 you would probably need to go to at least 190. Also, unlike with brisket, you do not really need to FTC butts. It is a good idea to rap in foil and let them cool down a bit on the counter before pulling. You can FTC if you desire but unless you need to keep it hot for a few hours there is no real need.