my first butts, temp question

[sixx27am]

hi all,

I have been having a great time with this smoker, have done alot of cheese so far. I have my first butts in the smoker now. Can anyone tell me if 2hrs per pound at 205f is a reasonable estimation?

Thanks in advance

Vince

[drano]

Vince,
Can't help you on the time per pound.  I do 2.7 lb butts, and have them on for about 9 hours. 
The smoker is at 230 deg, and I leave the butt in until it hits 190.  Then I foil/towel/cooler until dinner time. 
I've learned that 190 is a great temp for butt because the meat gets real tender at that temp.  Pork is done and safe to eat at 160, but you won't pull it apart until you get to, or close to 190. 
I learned about the 190 temp right here on forum a few years ago. 
Lots of great help here, so keep in touch. 
get smokin
drano

[Smokin Soon]

sixx, if this is your first butt cook, just watch your temps and pull it out at 180-190 and foil wrap that baby for a while with some apple juice if you have it.
Do some reading on our recipe site also. After learning what temps and cooking times in your climate you can judge from there. Hope this helps.

[Smoking Duck]

Hey Sixx,

I plan on generally a smoke of butts going 1.5 hours per pound but it is not uncommon for that to be actually 2 hours per pound depending on the size of the load and the weather conditions.  Smoking Soon is spot on.  Let the meat tell you when it is done.  I pull mine at 190F and then FTC for at least a couple of hours if I have the time.

SD

[mjack1957]

Late post but I think it will help someone.  I've done several butts since receiving my OBS.  All have turned out great.  The secret is not so much the cooking time but the internal temp of the meat.  I cook at 240 degrees until the butts reach an internal temp of 200 degrees.  At that magic internal temp, the bone easily pulls out and the meat shreds easily with two forks (or you could use your hands).  The greatest tool in smoking butts aside from the OBS, is a Maverick remote thermometer and the Auber PID.  Once that alarm goes off at 200 internal temp, I remove the butts and FTC for about an hour.  You won't believe how great the results will be.  During the smoke, the internal temp will stall for quite a while. Your cooking temp will drop during this period maybe a few degrees. But after that, the temps will slowly rise to your desired 200 degrees; that's the secret to a tender fall apart Boston Butt.  Plan on a long cook time; anywhere from 10 hrs or greater.  Just set your temperature probes and close the door to the OBS and let it do it's thing.

When you're done, make some of this and you'll almost bite your fingers off.

Ingredients:
   1 cup prepared yellow mustard
   1/2 cup sugar
   1/4 cup light brown sugar
   3/4 cup cider vinegar
   1/4 cup water
   2 tablespoons chili powder
   1 teaspoon black pepper
   1 teaspoon white pepper
   1/4 teaspoon cayenne
   1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
   2 tablespoons butter
   1 tablespoon liquid smoke (hickory flavoring)

Preparation:
Mix all except soy, butter and smoke. Simmer 30 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 more minutes.