12+ hour butt smoke?

[land08033]

So, decided after doing a Brisket last month that I wanted some smoked pulled pork.
Put a 7.5 lb butt on my Traeger Timberline 1300 this morning, and her I am 12 hours later wondering if I’m ever gonna get the chance to eat.
Is it normal for a butt (bone in) to take 12+ hours?
220 till 160 then wrapped in foil with some Apple Cider to 205.... sitting at 194 presently.

 

[callmez]

The week before last I did my first ever -- just half a butt, about 4.5 lbs. I could not believe that it look about 13.5 hours to get there (I think it was 240 to 160, then wrap as you're doing.) But I have to say, I've eaten a lot of pulled pork in my life and this one was SO good I may have never had better. It might have appeared that what I was doing.... naw. Gotta be beginner's luck with a lot of ideas from those who know here on the forum.

I have no idea why it took so long. Gonna try another one seen and see if I can replicate it, but will start EARLY in the day.

 

[MJB05615]

Every Butt is different. Some take longer, some less time. I always start them the night before between 10 pm and midnight. Then check every 3-4 hours. I use an MES 40. I wrap it at 170 IT. Then start probing for tenderness at 195-200 IT. When it's done, I wrap it in Butcher Paper and towels for at least 1 hour up to 4 hours as needed. This way if it gets done too soon, you can keep it wrapped up to 4 or 5 hours.
The average time for most 8-9 pounders is 13-15 hours IMHO. Hope this helps.

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

You guys have far more patience than I. If I am doing an overnight cook I put it on around 10 or 11 at 265. I will wrap when I wake up and it is ready for lunch. Sunday I put one on at 10am and the temp was around 300 degrees. Wrapped at 3pm, off the cooker at 5pm, and dinner was served at 630pm. Don't be afraid of higher temps especially with a pork butt.

 

[MJB05615]

That's impressive. If I could do that I'd definitely try it. My MES doesn't go over 275, and since it's about 8 years old, I don't want to risk it. I usually cook Butts at 235, then once it stalls, bump it up to 260.

 

[land08033]

So, decided after doing a Brisket last month that I wanted some smoked pulled pork.
Put a 7.5 lb butt on my Traeger Timberline 1300 this morning, and her I am 12 hours later wondering if I’m ever gonna get the chance to eat.
Is it normal for a butt (bone in) to take 12+ hours?
220 till 160 then wrapped in foil with some Apple Cider to 205.... sitting at 194 presently.

Took just under 13 hours (including the rest time)

 

[noboundaries]

If you cast aside the chemistry and physiology of heating the muscle (aka stall), and just look at the physics, meat absorbs heat based on the temperature differential between the meat and the chamber. As the meat temp rises, the IT will advance slower. Once you wrap the meat, there's no need to keep it at 225F. Crank it up to 300, 325, etc, to finish more quickly. The meat don't care.

 

[Inscrutable]

As some above alluded, your low cooking temp is the ‘problem‘ (cause of the long cook time). Butts are very forgiving. I used to do at 225, but now start at 250-275 ... have seen no difference in anything except the cook time drastically reduced.

Thats also the key to powering thru the stall. The stall is a phenomena where the input energy is fully offset by the loss to evaporative cooling. You have to either input more energy (turn up the pit temp) or wait out the moisture evaporation/cooling.

 

[zwiller]

When I first started I found EVERYTHING took longer than I expected (and I run 275F). Just takes some getting used to and to me that means I never smoke and eat same day... OK maybe at least a bite . I average 90m/lb and with a butt that would be just like MJB05615 said for 8-9lbs, 13-15hrs. HOWEVER, I no longer run them whole and half them and takes just a little over half the time and 2x the bark: win win. https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/butt-halved-success.298552/

 

[MJB05615]

When I first started I found EVERYTHING took longer than I expected (and I run 275F). Just takes some getting used to and to me that means I never smoke and eat same day... OK maybe at least a bite . I average 90m/lb and with a butt that would be just like MJB05615 said for 8-9lbs, 13-15hrs. HOWEVER, I no longer run them whole and half them and takes just a little over half the time and 2x the bark: win win. https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/butt-halved-success.298552/

Sam, you're the one I heard this from back in June! I couldn't remember. I recently did a 9 pounder, cut it partially in half so I could put more rub in the middle parts and have more bark. I didn't separate it though as I read somewhere else on here to keep it back together after putting the rub into the center. I did all of that and it came out better than my previous butts. Still took long, but the time doesn't bother me, as I feel like I'm being useful working it like I do lol. But I would try to separate it in the future if time became an issue.
Thanks.

 

[land08033]

If you cast aside the chemistry and physiology of heating the muscle (aka stall), and just look at the physics, meat absorbs heat based on the temperature differential between the meat and the chamber. As the meat temp rises, the IT will advance slower. Once you wrap the meat, there's no need to keep it at 225F. Crank it up to 300, 325, etc, to finish more quickly. The meat don't care.

Good to know. Thanks

 

[land08033]

Pic for those interested.

 

[MJB05615]

Looks good from here.

 

[phatbac]

Looks good, like said before turn the temp up to 275 and/or 350 after you wrap. if im in a hurry i hit with about 5-6 hours of smoke then in the oven wrapped for 1.5-2 hours at 350 and it comes out great!

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)