Timing - 3 Boston Butts = 1 Large Boston Butt?

[Smoking Duck]

Brining meats generally reduce the cooking time.

Thanks Habs. Didn't know that, I just figured it would take longer.

Terry

It has to do with the increase amount of water in the meat. Water is a great conductor of heat so it speeds up the cooking process. Others say it may also have something to do with the higher sodium content in the cell, that could also increase heat conduction.

I happen to believe it is the higher sodium content that increases the heat conduction....but that is the biologist in me.  I have never brined a butt before and was wondering what the pros and cons, for/against would be.

Thanks!

SD

[FLBentRider]

Brining meats generally reduce the cooking time.

Thanks Habs. Didn't know that, I just figured it would take longer.

Terry

It has to do with the increase amount of water in the meat. Water is a great conductor of heat so it speeds up the cooking process. Others say it may also have something to do with the higher sodium content in the cell, that could also increase heat conduction.

I happen to believe it is the higher sodium content that increases the heat conduction....but that is the biologist in me.  I have never brined a butt before and was wondering what the pros and cons, for/against would be.

Thanks!

SD

I brine my butts. I think they come out juicier, but I'm not sure they are any faster.

[pkadare]

Many factors come into play here, but on average at the box temp I smoke at, it takes me about 18 to 22 hours for 2 butts that total around 16 pounds.  I have finished them in as little as 16 hours and as long as 24 hours.  You have to consider the fat content of the meat, density, how often you open the cabinet, how cold the meat is in the beginning, how steady the cabinet temp remains.

You do not HAVE to FTC butts if you cook at a temp of 200 to 210.  If it gets done too early then FTC.  If it is late then just let it rest in foil for an hour or so.  As Habs pointed out, if you cook close to the 200 box temp, then you can stop cooking as low as 175 meat temp.  I normally go to about 180 to 185.  Good luck.

Ok, so since this is for my mother-inlaw, I'm going err on the side of caution and allow about 24 hours. I'd much rather have to heat the pulled pork up rather than explain to my mother-inlaw why she doesn't have any meat for her party!

Thanks to all who responded in this thread. I don't come here as often as I'd like but I do love this forum! I'll report back on Saturday or Sunday.

[Habanero Smoker]

I happen to believe it is the higher sodium content that increases the heat conduction....but that is the biologist in me.  I have never brined a butt before and was wondering what the pros and cons, for/against would be.

Thanks!

SD

Besides adding more moisture and reducing cooking time, brining also permeates the food with flavor. As osmosis is occurring it draws in the other water soluble flavors into the meat. I'm not sure which is correct about why brining decreases cooking time or maybe the combination of both, but most articles by food scientists I've read state it's the increase of water content.

[Smoking Duck]

So the brining adds more flavor than a dry rub?  Do you put a dry rub on it after it's been brined?  The only brining I've done has been on fowl and just never considered doing it to pork or beef.  I'm very interested in this method.

SD

[FLBentRider]

I brine my Butts 24 hours with molasses, and then they get a dry rub/plastic wrap rest in the fridge 24 hours - then smoke.

[Habanero Smoker]

You can brine any meat, fish or poultry. A rub or a marinade will only draw the flavors down about about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch. Brining (do to osmosis) will carry the flavors through out the meat. I generally will not brine a butt if I'm going to pull it. For pork I generally only brine picnic shoulders, fresh ham, or if I'm going to smoke a loin roast.

[Smoking Duck]

Thanks guys.  Gonna have to give it a try.

Getting back to the original question about timing:

Yesterday, I smoked 2 Boston Butts (about 7 pounds each).  Put them in at 7:30 am and they reached an IT of 190 at 4 am this morning.  Now, I started the affair out with both boston butts and a good sized brisket in the BS for the first 4 hours of smoke and then transferred the brisket to the oven.  So, there was some heat loss when I transferred the brisket (and changed the water), but overall, it took almost 21 hours for the butts to get to the IT I wanted.  They're FTCing as I write this.  The brisket actually got to 190 at about 4 pm (which surprised me) and I FTC'd it for two hours and we had it for dinner last night.

Hope that helps, PK.

SD

[bigredsmoker]

Hey duck, I actually use Duster's brining recipe for my butts that I will post below. I originally found his recipe in a reply to one of your first posts. ;D I am afraid to try any other way because they have all been soooo good. Here is his reply to your post and his recipe.

Boston Butt by Duster:

wow I'm blind now. that tower sure looks perty! anyway I'm getting on this a bit late. I figure your butt is just about done by now. However You might wanna try a good brine on your next one. Yes buts are very forgiving but a good brine imparts a lot of flavor and moisture. also you may have better luck when you get your maverick due to the inaccuracy of the Bradley temp gage.
as far as I am  concerned a good pork butt is the best thing that come out of a Bradley. here is the recipe I use over a weekend and never have any complaints.

2@7-8 lbs. Boston Butt – bone-in
1 Large Bottle Yellow Mustard
2 Bottles of Grill Mates Pork Rub (or make your own if you prefer)
3 cans of frozen Apple Juice concentrate
2 12oz cans of beer
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup barbecue sauce
1½ cup of kosher salt
1 Spray bottle
1 Box of Tin Foil
1 Box of Cling Wrap
Internal Temperature Gage

Tuesday evening 

Make brine

2 cans of frozen apple juice
2 12 oz cans of beer
¼ cup of molasses
¼ cup of brown sugar
¼ cup of preferred rub
¼ cup of barbecue sauce
1½ cups of kosher salt
21 cups of water

Combine in a plastic cooler (12 pack style) apple juice, beer, and 17 cups of cold water. In a large saucepan combine 4 cups of water, molasses, brown sugar, rub, barbecue sauce, and salt. Bring to a slow boil, stirring constantly. Once all ingredients have dissolved in the water with the exception of maybe some spices in the rub then pour this into the cooler with the other mixture and stir. Once brine cools place butts directly into the brine and place a large sealed bag of ice on top of them to make sure they do not float up, they must stay completely submerged. The ice will help keep them cool but make sure the water from it melting dose not leak into the brine.



Thursday evening

1. Slather yellow mustard all over Pork Butts
2. Coat Butts with Pork rub
3. Wrap in Cling Wrap plastic
4. Put in fridge over night

Friday at around 4:00 p.m.

1. Remove butts from fridge and remove wrap.
   Coat butts with more Pork Rub.
2. Let butts sit 1-2 hours at room temperature and preheat the smoker around 210 degrees.
3. Start the smoker with 6 hours (20 briquettes) of whatever smoke you will use
4. Place butts in middle of the smoker fat side up and the larger one lower. Insert your temperature gage into the middle of the lower, larger butt.
5. Heat the smoker to a temp of 210 degrees with top vent at least ½        way open.  Shut the door and wait until the butts has been smoked for three hours
6. Open the door and check the water in the bowl; fill bowl with water if needed.
7. When the butt has been smoked for 3 hours,(8 or 9 pm) spray apple juice all over the butts. 
8. When smoke is done at the 6-hour mark (about midnight by now) put new water in the bowl and then spray the apple juice on the butt again.
9. Shut door and GO TO BED!!
10. At around 7-8 a.m., check the temperature.  If it is not 195 degrees, do not remove.  Spray some more apple juice on the butt and wait until it reaches 195 degrees. (Approximately 13 to 16 hours)
11. When the temp reaches 195 degrees, remove the butts from the smoker and spray again with apple juice. Then wrap them in foil and place a bath towel around them and place them in a cooler to let rest and keep it warm.
12. Wait at least two hours to take the butt out of the foil and shred with a fork. (The butts can sit in the cooler and stay hot up to 6 hours till you are ready to eat.)

[Smoking Duck]

Thanks Terry!  Yours is the first brine I will try when doing my next set of butts.

SD

[bigcatdaddy]

I did 3 7# Butts last week.  21 hrs total cook time.  I ran the Box Temp at 210 and shot for IT of 195.  FTC for 3 hrs and they fell completely apart.

BCD