Pork Butt time estimate way off!

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foozer

Meat Mopper
Original poster
May 21, 2007
155
11
Huxley, Iowa
Hopefully it will still turn out OK. I smoked 5 butts (40 lbs) for a mission trip fund raiser for our church. They will be serving it today at 4:00. Anticipating it would take a little over 1 1/2 hours per pound I put them on last night at 6:30 thinking they would be done about noon. I would then wrap them and put them in a cooler for a few hours. My wireless thermometer woke me at 5:30 AM. One by one I put a different thermometer in each and 4 out of the 5 were in the mid 190's. They will be coolered for 7 hours. I hope that isn't too long to sit in a cooler. The 5th butt (the largest) is still on and seems to have plateaued at 178. Does that seem a little high for a plateau?
Here are a couple of pictures.
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Most people foil at about 165- 170 and then bring up to 195-205 for pulling before placing in the cooler. To retain some of the juices. Still lookes real good and tender.
 
White Cloud,
I think the main reason most people wrap in foil at 160 is to keep the bark from becoming too bitter from the smoke. With my Stumps smoker that is not a concern, I can smoke it naked up to 200 without the bark becoming bitter and it will still be very juicy. I am just concerned about having them wrapped and in a cooler for 7 hours. I hope that doesn't effect the quality of the meat.
 
Earache,

That is what I did. Hope they maintain the quality for that long.
Thanks for the advice.
 
Sounds like a plan. Maybe stick a probe frome the digi in one of the roasts. That way you can monitor the temp in the cooler, if it get to low put em on a baking sheet in a low oven. Leaving in foil will only make em better.
 
White Cloud,
That is a good idea. I think in about 3 or 4 hours I will take their temp and if the temp is getting low I will put then in the oven on low for a little while.
Thank you.
 
As long as you can hold em in that cooler over 140* you should be fine. If they are goin to drop below that point, put them in the oven as others have suggested. Good luck with the feed.
 
Just a suggestion...Why dont you just pull them now, add your finishing sauce, and reheat them later for your event. A few hours soak in the sauce will help tenderize and flavor the meat. I am not sure if you have the ovens at the event location but if you do this is the way I would go. I like mine pulled and soaking in the sauce for a few hours prior to serving. Just my 2 cents.

Whatever you choose, enjoy your gathering!!!
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Foozer I've had acouple of butts in the cooler and fell a sleep, six hours later I pulled them and they turned out fine. But I would agree with Smokin' Joe and go a head and pull them now. Mix in the finishing sauce and just reheat it. As far as the plateau goes I really don't think there's a set temp. it happens at. Most of the time with the butts and shoulders I've done it happens at 150 or so. I really wouldn't worry about it happening at 170. Hope they tasted as good as they look.
 
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