cook time

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richard lyon

Newbie
Original poster
Jul 16, 2013
2
10
I just bought 2 boston butts and want to cook them at the same time how long do I cook them for 21 pounds total between the 2??
 
So it seems that they are averaging 10.5 pounds each, allow for a rough cooking time of 1.5 hours a pound at 250* so you could say anywhere from 12-18 hours lol. The thing to actually pay attention to is the internal temperature. Pull the butts off at 180* if you want to slice, or take them to 195* if you're going to have pulled pork.

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Howdee Richard and welcome to the boards. I assume that is your fire tender in your avatar with you. If ya would, stop by the "Roll Call" forum and introduce yourself so the Guru's can add you and help you transition into the boards seemlessly. It doesn't hurt too much. They'll show you all kinds of things.

Hope all your questions are answered. Remember to enjoy the smoke.
 
I just bought 2 boston butts and want to cook them at the same time how long do I cook them for 21 pounds total between the 2??
Are you cooking with charcoal, wood, gas or electricity? How much free time do you have? Do you want to get some sleep or do you want to stay up all night tending the fire/watching and waiting?

I cook butts in a Weber kettle with charcoal at temps between 285°-300°, my butts are done at a rate less than one hour per pound. My last was a 9.25 pounder that was done in 8 hours. If you cook at these temps you should be able to start at 6AM and be ready to serve at 6PM(or a bit earlier) with a decent rest period. YMMV.

The total weight of the 2 butts will not increase cooking time, but the added mass will increase your fuel usage a bit in order to maintain the desired cooking temperature.
 
Last edited:
Welcome to the group Richard. You really want to cook your butts to an internal temp not to a time. As a guideline for serving I like to figure 2-2.5 hrs per pound running my smoker at 265*. I cook my butts for pulling to an Internal Temp (IT) of 205*. For slicing I will start checking them around 185*-195*. You need to know the weight of the heaviest one in your pack as it is the individual weight of a whole piece that matters. Remember too that you'll want to foil the butt after taking it off the smoker and let it rest for a good 45min- 1 hour prior to foiling and adding your finishing sauce if using. If you are done early you can hold a butt wrapped in foil and towels in a cooler for 3-4 hours if needed. Good luck and show off your smoke!
 
I have a electric smoker . Im not serving it until friday evening ! should I cook it in morning or wait til tomorrow evening cook all night ? 
 
Personally I prefer cooking my pulled pork in advance, and then reheating it. I will pull it, apply my finishing sauce and put it in a foil pan, cover with foil and into the fridge. To reheat put into a 200* oven, stir often until its warm. Keep it covered while reheating.

Personally I feel this allows the meat and the finishing sauce to meld and makes for a better product in the end. It's also makes for a more enjoyable gathering for the cook. No worries about not getting the food done on time.
 
as everyone else has suggested, cook to temp not time. and youre gonna wanna take it to at least 200* for pulled. anything under is sliced pork territory or "torn" pork..lol. cuz it sure as heck aint pulled. haha.
 
Personally I prefer cooking my pulled pork in advance, and then reheating it. I will pull it, apply my finishing sauce and put it in a foil pan, cover with foil and into the fridge. To reheat put into a 200* oven, stir often until its warm. Keep it covered while reheating.

Personally I feel this allows the meat and the finishing sauce to meld and makes for a better product in the end. It's also makes for a more enjoyable gathering for the cook. No worries about not getting the food done on time.
this is a routine thing for me now...i pre cook mine a couple days in advance, bag it up with a cup of liquid of some sort and then when the time comes ill drop everything in the bag right into a crockpot to heat up...ppl always ask me day of serving how long i had to stay up to smoke the meat, as if i put in a 12 hr smoke that night and still came into work. lol...i never tell them i pre cooked it and reheated, their heads would probably explode. haha. because that commercial bbq spot they frequent that serves Q that it couldnt sell the week before taste like dry cardboard with sauce slathered on it sucks..
 
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