Smoking my first 13lb butt! My plan!

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lah1308

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 3, 2017
3
10
So...I have a 6kg/13 pound butt I intend on cooking this weekend for a bunch of guests and I don't want to mess it up! I want it to be ready for around 3/4pm Sat so my current plan (courtesy of a lot of reading on this forum) is:

- Dry rub the night before (no brining) and put into the Weber GBS around 5pm Friday at 220 degrees with some oak & cherry
- Bring it off the Weber at around 11:30pm, spritz with apple juice and wrap it up nice and tight in foil and put in the oven also around 220 and go to bed!
- I'll wake up once in the night to check the temp but theoretically it should be ok till 8am at least.
- When it comes up to 200 degrees, hopefully mid morning, take it out and put in the cooler with towels etc and leave it there till pulling / eating time.

That's the simple plan obviously the ideal is it only comes up to temp about 11/12am on the Sat so doesn't sit too long, or the alternative is when putting into the oven go even lower than 220 to try draw out the cook. Not sure what would happen if it was up to temp at 8am and sat in the cool box for 6 hours?

The other option is do it Thurs night into Fri. Pull it, and store in fridge, reheating on the Sat...that way of something goes wrong and I mess the butt up I have time for a plan B :)

Am I missing anything? What could possibly go wrong...any tips appreciated!
 
Only thing I would say is take it up to 205 or when bone wiggles clean and probing it feels like butter. You can keep it with foil over it in oven at 170 most of the day and it will keep greatuntil you're ready to eat it.
 
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If it were me, and I was have guests, I'd have the butt precooked and pulled in the fridge on Friday. I've then reheated on the smoker with some finishing sauce the day of, along with some apps, sides, etc. Always get rave reviews using jjs finishing sauce, from someone (father in law) that always has a better way to do anything. That, and you'll be much better rested when the guests arrive.
 
Guess I would split it in 2, cause that would be a real long smoke ... it will taste the same ... trust me .. also, you will get more bark ... 
 
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