Cook time too short?

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dcdoes

Fire Starter
Original poster
Dec 2, 2012
30
11
Canton, GA
First post! (other than roll call)

My 8lb butt took 8 hours to smoke today. I expected longer.

I smoked the butt on my Large BGE. I used lump charcoal and some hickory chunks. The butt was on the vrack and I had the plate setter in for indirect cooking. I put the butt on at 5:30 this morning and then I foil wrapped it at 175 degrees and put it back on the egg until 200 degrees. Egg temperature ran between 200 and 225 degrees. Outside temp this morning was mid 50's and it is 70 this afternoon

I had Smokey Mountain propane smoker that I did a couple butts on in the past. I had the same issue, where the butt took less than an hour per pound.

So the question is, why doesn't the butt take longer?

Here is another reason I am perplexed with cook times. My Thanksgiving turkey at 13.5 lbs only took 4 hours at the same temps!

Dave
 
I think sometimes it is the meat. I have had butts of the same size (8lb) vary from 8-12 hours. My smoker is very insulated so the outside temp doesn't seem to change my heat settings much. Maybe fat % or time of year and what the animals have been eating?
 
 
All fears were for nothing. This turned out to be the best Boston Butt I have ever had. I followed the directions from this site about foil wrapping and leaving it on the smoker to 200. What a difference! Trying to pull pork at 185 was a fight. This just fell apart! I have been on this site less than a day and the difference is huge!!!!!!



I saved about half a pound so that I can try my hand at home made beans.
 
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