My first boston butt on the OBC

[DarqMan]

Here's the plan.

1) Marinade 8lb boston butt with generous amounts of dry rub.  Let sit in fridge overnight. (Done - in fridge now)
2) 6:00am -  Remove bb from fridge, begin preheating smoker while drinking morning coffee.
3) 6:45am - Load smoke generator with 8 hour of pecan and fire up sg.
4) 7:00am - Insert Maverick probe, place bb on greased rack and place in smoker on 2nd rack from the top.  I'll do this quickly and then close door, make sure temperature control is to the far right and drink more coffee.
5) 7:05am - Maybe eat some breakfast, may not.... depends on how I feel.
6) 12:00pm - Crack my first cold one and check the cabinet temp.  Hopefully I'll be up around 225-230 by this time. 
7) 2:00pm - Crack my third or fourth cold one.... resist the temptation to open door and check on the goodies.  Continue to monitor IT via Maverick.
8) 6:00pm - Make sure there are cold ones left in the fridge.  Hope the IT is getting close to 185-190 and connective tissues are breaking down.
9) 7:00pm - Hopefully, product will be ready to FTC.....
10) 8:30pm - Pull apart.... assemble pulled pork sandwiches... enjoy fruits of my labor with friends and a cold one.

Suggestions or comments? Am I allowing enough time given the size of the butt for it to break down and begin to fall apart?

[classicrockgriller]

If you are going to Turbo cook it, which it sounds like you are (12 hrs)

Might want to think about dropping it down just one rack level (second from bottom)

You can always move it back up.

It will help to get it up to cooking stage faster.

[DarqMan]

CRG.... would you recommend I put it on sooner... like 3am and keep cabinet temp around 200?

[classicrockgriller]

If you go low and slow (220) you are looking at 16 to 24 hrs.

If you go Hot and fast (250 to 260) 12 hrs or so.

[DarqMan]

I'm going for a short nap then and will shoot for getting it on around 2am. If IT begins to stall after 12 hours I can always kick it up a notch. 

[classicrockgriller]

The problem with the stall on low temps like 220 is that it can last 2 to 3 hrs.

[DarqMan]

I noticed that with the brisket I did last weekend.  I was a few hours short on that before company arrived but it was still good, just not exactly what I'd hoped for.  

I decided to skip the nap.  I pulled the bb out and have the smoker preheating now.  I'll leave temp slider about 3/4 of the way over while I get some sleep after it's on.  Hopefully that will be a safe position until morning.  My pid will be here probably Monday so it won't be an issue next weekend.

[classicrockgriller]

When you start your pre-heat heat it as high as you can.

When you put your cold butt in the OBS the cabinet temp will drop.

Don't move the slide control until the cabinet temp is the desired temp

that you want to smoke/cook at and then just bring it down in stages.

That will help get the Butt up to a higher temp faster....

Good luck and will be looking at the cook during the day.

[classicrockgriller]

Do you have a remote temp with an alarm?

If you don't slide the slider back just a tiny bit when you take a nap.

It will take hours for the butt to warm up real good and you can catch some sleep during that time.

Just remember, You can't hurt it, it's dead.

Butts are very forgiving.

[EZ Smoker]

I'm kind of surprised to hear this.   For an 8lb butt at 220* you think 16 to 24 hours?   That's 2-3 hours per pound.   I cook mine at 225*, and I've had a 9.85lb butt at 197* IT in 12 hours.   Another time I cooked a 9.96lb butt to 190 in 15 hours.   And the other time I had a 7.3lb butt get to 190* in about 11 hours.   Of course, I guess it's possible that my temps got too high at some point (I wasn't watching too closely since I was asleep at the time, and I didn't order my PID until two days ago).   

Of course, these are the only three times I've ever smoked a pork butt, so what do I know.  I'm still a rookie, but an hour-fifteen, to an hour-and-a-half per pound is my experience for a boston butt (bone-in of course) at 225*. 

Maybe when my PID comes in and my temps are controlled, it'll take me longer.   Hmmm...

[classicrockgriller]

I've had Butts go as long as 26 hrs at 220* (With my PID)

We had a member not too long ago go 28 hrs.

I've never had one get to 195* in 12 hrs using 220* as a cook temp.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

One thing that is good is that the butt is the only thing in the smoker.

[DarqMan]

I can see both senarios being accurate.  I really thought the 5lb brisket I did would only take 6-8 hours but it was on 10 hours and needed more time.  Ambient temperatures, wind, etc, all play a role.  I'm just learning my Bradley which is why I'm asking for opinions from experienced users.  If I were doing this on my wood smoker I know it would be done in 12 hours but the Bradley is different.  I'm going to allow myself plenty of time and if it's done earlier the time to FTC will save me.  Beside, it's just going to get pulled apart and thrown on buns with bbq sauce and cole slaw.... oh man, I'm hungry now.

classicrockgriller, yes I have a remote with an alarm.  Not sure if I'll be able to sleep but we'll see how it goes.  I'll check in periodically to let you guys know how it's going.

[EZ Smoker]

Yes, FTC is the savior of meal-timing.   That time I got to 197 in 12 hours, I was shocked... and had just finished lunch.   I FTC'd that pork butt for 5 hours, and it was still very, very hot when I pulled it out of the cooler to eat it.

[watchdog56]

In November outside temp was 45 and I did a 12lb in 15 hours. Then again in Feb outside temp was 30 and I did 3 butts that were around 24 pounds and it took 20 hours. I did these in the garage out of the wind but after It hit 195 and 2 hours of FTC they were excellent.

[FLBentRider]

It also has to do with the amount of connective tissue in the butt.

The more there is, the longer the stall, since the breakdown of it has water as a byproduct, it has a cooling effect.

But this is a good thing. It is not a race.