Approx Smoking Times

[fitzdawg79]

Hey everybody, I'm getting ready to smoke for the first time this weekend and I have a newbie question (I did do a quick forum search and didn't see an answer straight away, so I'm sorry if this is a common question):

I've read in several places that a butt should smoke for approx 1.5 hours/lb. My question is this: Is that 1.5hrs/lb total, or per butt? In other words, will three 4lb pieces of meat take as long as a 12lb piece, or will the 1.5hr/lb formula be applied to them separately?

Thanks for the help!

 

[bmudd14474]

you figure time per piece not total weight. So a 4lb should take about 6 hours at 1.5hr per lb. But remember that is a est. You should always cook to temp.

 

[got14u]

what he said.

 

[raceyb]

The given rule is take the weight of your biggest piece and use that to determine the estimated time. So in the above example, 4lb is approx 6 hours.

I have a small problem with that rule. the more meat that is in a smoker, the more energy or heat that will be absorbed. It takes a certain amount of energy to get a particular piece of meat to the readiness we desire. There are three different kinds of heat... convection, direct and indirect. Since each has it's own temperature and they vary in location to the meat, a fixed rule such as the one above is only to be used as a rough estimate.

When I smoke multiple pieces of the same cut, I try to use similar weights and I'll take the total poundage and multiply by .75 hours (if I am slow smoking at 225-250). So your example of 3 4lb pieces compared to a full 12lb-er would look something like this..

4+4+4 = 12 x .75 hr = 9 hours

as compared to using the standard rule which only uses the top weight, so in the example, it would be 4 lbs and look like this.

4 x 1.5 hr = 6 hours

It's kinda unlikely that you are going to get 3 4lb pieces to optimal pulling temperature in only 6 hours at 225-250 degrees F. The 9 hour result of the previous example is closer to reality.

As opposed to a single piece of meat at 12 lbs...

12 x 1.5 hr = 18 hrs.

As we can see, one solid piece of meat can take a long time. I don't know about you, but i like the estimated 9 hours as opposed to 18 hours of tending a fire and using additional fuel.

(I know that you typed "2 pieces at 4lb" but assume you meant 3 pieces because of the opposed weight of a single 12 lb-er)

 

[chisoxjim]

I agree .

I cook to temp on Butts(195-200), and typically that has equaled 2 hours per pound in the injected bone in butts I have been doing. I cook to feel not temp when I do ribs.

 

[tlhiv]

I have done several butts (consisting of single butt smokes and as many as 7 approximately all the same size of about 4.5 lbs each) and I almost always have to figure closer to 2 hours per (largest butt) pound. For my smoker (classic offset design with 1/8" carbon steel and 20"x40" cylindrical smoke chamber), it doesn't seem to matter much how much or little meat I pack in there (perhaps that's because of the size and thickness of the smoke chamber), but I've only put a maximum of about 32 lbs up to this point. In the case where I had this 32 lbs of butt, it took me 9-10 hours when each butt was roughly 4.5lbs each.

All of that being said, plan on at least 2 hours per pound where your "pound" is weight of your largest piece, and also (like has been said), cook them to temperature (not to a set time). Carry those things slowly (225F-250F smoke chamber temperature) to 200F (meat internal temperature), and you won't be disappointed.

Also, it has been said many times before, but I'm going to say it yet again. Once you reach around 150F internal temperature, repeat this slowly 100 times:

"there's nothing wrong, it's just in the plateau"

 

[beer-b-q]

If you check the How To Articles By Jeff in the left column you can find the approx smoking times chart. Here is the direct link for it...
http://wyntk.us/smoking-times-and-temperatures

Good Luck...

 

[mballi3011]

The 1.5 hours per pound is just a reference for we smoke by temp not time but you have alot of things to take in to accord. The temp outside and the wind if it is or not blowing. But it's a good ball park and then you cannt forget the dreaded stall sometime it does stall and then sometimes iy doesn't stall. So there are no dumb question here cause alot of us asked them too. So good luck on your smoke and don't forget the Qview.

 

[meat hunter]

Absolutely, those cook times are approximations only. Use them as guidelines to plan your smoke for the day, but in the end, its all about temp. Cook to temp and you can't go wrong

.

 

[fitzdawg79]

Thanks everybody for the great info. My main concern there was that if I tried to smoke several smaller pieces of meat rather than one really big one, would I still be setting myself up for an all-nighter on my first try. In reality it was mostly hypothetical, as I'm pretty certain that I'll stick with something pretty small so that I won't have too much money go down the drain if I mess it up!

 

[eaglewing]

I did 4 4lb butts at one time and went by internal temp...

It took 8 hrs, but I guess that included the hr wrapped in foil and towels in the cooler I believe...

 

[tlhiv]

I did a single butt my first smoke just to "make sure". It's very difficult to mess butts up provided you just keep those temps in the 225-250F range throughout the smoke. If you apply a rub to this butt and keep those temps there, you (and whoever you decided to help you eat it) should thoroughly enjoy it.

 

[raceyb]

I was thinking the same thing when I saw that. There is no sense in worrying about messing up butts or shoulders. If you keep an eye on your smoker and use a thermometer, your smoke will turn out fine providing you don't have some weird stroke of bad luck.

The cut is fatty enough to maintain good moisture throughout. Just make sure you hit that magical temp.

TIP: A great way to avoid a dry hunk of pork...

When my pulled pork candidates reach about 190 degrees, I yank em and wrap in heavy duty foil, then in a heavy thick cotton towel and then place the wrapped pieces into an insulated cooler. I lwet them set up for at least 2 hours, but if it was a long night of smoking, I may let them set up 6 hours or so.

This allows the meat's juices to redistribute. You won't end up with some pork thats dry and some thats wet. I use a finishing sauce made up of apple cider vinegar and peppers anyways, but some purists don't like to add anything.

I guess my point is GO FOR IT!!

It's not easy to mess up shoulder and butts unless you ignore them.

Good luck and qview please... :)

 

[buzzard767]

Smoke times approximate.
Type of Meat Smoking Temp Time to Complete Finished Temp
Brisket (Sliced) 225 degrees 1.5 hours/pound 180 degrees
Brisket (Pulled) 225 degrees 1.5 hours/pound 195 degrees
Pork Butt (Sliced) 225 degrees 1.5 hours/pound 175 degrees
Pork Butt (Pulled) 225 degrees 1.5 hours/pound 190-205 degrees
Whole Chicken 250 degrees 4 hours (approx.) 167 degrees
Chicken Thighs 250 degrees 1.5 hours 167 degrees
Chicken Quarters 250 degrees 3 hours 167 degrees
Whole Turkey 12# 240 degrees 6.5 hours 170 degrees
Turkey Leg 250 degrees 4 hours 165 degrees
Meat Loaf 250 -300 degrees 3 hours 160 degrees
Spare Ribs 225-240 degrees 6 hours 172 degrees
Baby Back Ribs 225-240 degrees 5 hours 168 degrees
Smoked Corn 225 degrees 1.5 - 2 hours N/A
Smoked Potatoes 225 Degrees 2 - 2.5 Hours N/A

 

[oldschoolbbq]

I agree with the guys in that IMT(Internal Meat Temp.) is you gauge, however I also watch my temp. at grate level. Now, having said that, when I do a Pork Butt,I get a 'bone in' chunk and do it the Lazy way and let it stay in the smoker @220*F until the bone pulls out easily

Never had a dry piece or did I have to mop,spritz,or otherwise mess with the meat,just let her smoke.....
Now, I use my trusty pocket therm. on a lot of meatslike Fowl,Beef,Fatties and such ,but Butts are so much easier to me when I can just pull the bone out!





But,yes read Jeff's Thread;good reading!!!
SMOKE HAPPY
Stan aka old school

 

[spence]

This thread helped answer the same question i was going to ask. Thanks.

I am going to smoke a 5lb pork butt and a 5lb brisket this saturday. Both done for pulling.

I am amazed at how much positive info there is on this forum.

 

[tlhiv]

Just keep in mind that since briskets are typically flatter than butts, it may take the brisket less time to get to its plateau. However, my experience has shown that even though the brisket gets to the plateau sooner, it also spends more time in the plateau than the butts. Just don't give up on it. Don't jack the heat up trying to hurry it along. Let them take their own sweet time, and you'll have an outstanding brisket and butt.