Calling all MES users: Pork Butt + Brisket, too much?

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cajunofarabia

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 20, 2015
6
10
Hi, I got my hands on a perfect 6.5lb pork butt (big deal for me in the middle east as everything I found previously was tiny) and a full packer cut brisket (about 11lbs untrimmed) and planned on giving them both a small trim and rub tonight.

My strategy: 

Trim and rub both tonight... will get the pork down to about 6lbs and brisket 10-10.5. 

I wanted to put both in my MES 30 around 7pm Thursday and have both ready for lunch around 2pm Friday. 

Is that enough time? or will having both in the smoker increase the total cooking time and I should start earlier?

Thanks for your help.
 
What temp are you going to cook at?

At 225, that is too much time. The pork will probably be done around 7am.

Also, since you have an MES30, the brisket probably won't fit without being cut in half. If that is the case, it would also be done around 7am. I would say you should start closer to 9pm and plan on holding everything in a cooler until lunch (should be able to hold for 4 hours).
 
 
Hi, I got my hands on a perfect 6.5lb pork butt (big deal for me in the middle east as everything I found previously was tiny) and a full packer cut brisket (about 11lbs untrimmed) and planned on giving them both a small trim and rub tonight.

My strategy: 

Trim and rub both tonight... will get the pork down to about 6lbs and brisket 10-10.5. 

I wanted to put both in my MES 30 around 7pm Thursday and have both ready for lunch around 2pm Friday. 

Is that enough time? or will having both in the smoker increase the total cooking time and I should start earlier?

Thanks for your help.
A couple of months ago I did two pork butts.   A 9 lb and a 6.5 lb.    Seems a similar amount of meat to what you are planning.    I found it hard to keep my smoker to temp for the first 4-5 hours.   It was darn cold in there.    So I also went through wayyyy more wood chips since the heating element was pretty much on the whole time.    I swear I had to add chips every 20-30 min.   And since that and the temp struggle hasn't happened again, I have to attribute it to having a full smoker of cold meat.   So yes that does affect the cook time a bit.   

I cooked them at about 225 average temp from 5 pm to 11 pm (6 hours) and then turned them down to 200 when I went to bed.   I wanted to be sure they didn't overcook in the night.   I put the temp back to 225 the next morning around 5 am, and to 235 at 7 am.   With this system it took my 6.5 butt to 9 AM (16 hours total) to come to temp.    My 9 lb Butt took til 2 pm for a total of 21 hours.

My last 6.5 lb brisket took 13 hours @ 225.   I was too concerned about the time to do it overnight.   I just wasn't sure enough.  But I figured I could take the brisket out and put it in the cooler for 4 hours.    So that would have yours out at 10 am.  

So...in long winded math fashion I think if you turned your MES down overnight your time might do it fine.    How thick is the thickest part of your brisket by the way?    Mine was 3 inches at the thickest part and 2 and the thin.    So if yours is radically different, that will affect the cook time.   Its the thickness that matters most I believe.
 
@Cael  has some good advice. The only thing I would add to what he said is that I find both pork butts and brisket do better at higher temps. I don't like either of them cooked down around 200. I find that they dry out more at that temp. I now cook my pork butts at 300 and briskets at 275. 
 
Yes, budget 2.25 - 2.5 hours / lb (including sitting time) for unfoiled butts.  Thats at 225F.  Im going to try my next but at 275F like Aaron.  Im curious. 

Ive never done brisket.  I was going to, but after the sausage disaster I had over the weekend, I've lost my mojo :(.  I need to tackle something easy again so my in-laws can believe I actually know what Im doing hahah!
 
[quote name="mummel" url="/t/233491/calling-all-mes-users-pork-butt-brisket-too-much#post_1454299]
Ive never done brisket.  I was going to, but after the sausage disaster I had over the weekend, I've lost my mojo :(.  I need to tackle something easy again so my in-laws can believe I actually know what Im doing hahah!
[/quote]

Don't stress out, Mummel, Sons-In-law never can do anything right. Just accept it! LOL
 
well, I wasn't planning on foiling (never have before but never cared about the time and this is my first attempt in the MES for this much meat.)

I just gave everything a good rub down and rechecked my weights... 10.5 lb pork shoulder (there was nothing to trim really which is a first for the pork here) and 12 lb brisket (which I did have to cut so it fits)

planning on the brisket on top two racks and pork on bottom while taking out the 3rd.

one price of brisket is flat 1.25 inch thick, other varies up to 2.5-3 inches. pork shoulder is a monster, closer to 5-6 at the thickest point.

and to make matters worse, my MES just shut off on its own as I'm smoking some veggies to use in salsa and my BBQ sauces. so I'll be up every hour or so for sure. I'm using a power converter to go from 220 to 110 for the MES so that has me just a little nervous. but I honestly think the issue with it shutting off is more of a design problem as it only shut off when I had the top controller mounted. uncounted it seems to work fine.

pics of Friday's lunch:
 
In your previous post you said you had a 6.5lb pork butt. If it is 10.5 lbs then you could need 20-24 hours to get it done. 
 
yea, I thought it was 6.5 based on the emails from my butcher but when I checked it to put rub on it was 10.5.

guessing. I'll have to smoke for a while, then foil /oven it.
 
so it begins... 715pm and the pork shoulder entered the MES set to 245 degrees. starting with Apple chips and will switch to hickory later. well, I wasn't planning on foiling (never have before but never cared about the time and this is my first attempt in the MES for this much meat.)

I just gave everything a good rub down and rechecked my weights... 10.5 lb pork shoulder (there was nothing to trim really which is a first for the pork here) and 12 lb brisket (which I did have to cut so it fits)

planning on the brisket on top two racks and pork on bottom while taking out the 3rd.

one price of brisket is flat 1.25 inch thick, other varies up to 2.5-3 inches. pork shoulder is a monster, closer to 5-6 at the thickest point.

and to make matters worse, my MES just shut off on its own as I'm smoking some veggies to use in salsa and my BBQ sauces. so I'll be up every hour or so for sure. I'm using a power converter to go from 220 to 110 for the MES so that has me just a little nervous. but I honestly think the issue with it shutting off is more of a design problem as it only shut off when I had the top controller mounted. uncounted it seems to work fine.

pics of Friday's lunch:
 
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