Going to try my first butt tomorrow :)

[mummel]

We are having a b-day party on Saturday morning at 11am and I am going to attempt a butt :).  I've read up a lot and have three questions I was hoping you guys could help with.

1) What should I expect Re: cooking time?  I bought a 7-8lb butt from Costco.  Its lean, not much fat.

2) How long do I burn my AMPS for?

3) What pellets should I use?  I have Hickory, Maple, Cherry & Pittmasters choice.

Other than this, I'm pretty set.  It's been dry brining since this aftenoon.  Sitting in the fridge (uncovered).  Should I cover it?  Tomorrow morning I will add the rub, then then put it in the smoker at 225F.  I dont plan to foil.  Thanks guys!

 

[mummel]

BUMP!  Thanks guys.

 

[drlchi]

Yo-

How much does the butt weigh? Everyone is going to tell you don't worry about time, worry about the internal temperature of the butt...and they're right. You want to finish a pork butt when it reads around 200F internal temp. General rule of thumb, though, is it's roughly 1-1.5hr per lb....but I got by int temp brah.

Good luck and post pictures!
-D

Edit...sorry, you mentioned 7-8lbs...prob plan for 9hrs total if everything goes perfectly, but int temp is more important so plan on more than 9hrs man...

 

[mummel]

Costco sold a ~15lb two pack, so I'm guessing 7-8lbs.

Say it's 8lbs and I budget 2 hours / lb, thats a 16 hour smoke.  How long do I burn my AMPS of those 16 hours?

If I'm not foiling, is 2 hours / lb the right time?

And what do I do if it finishes 5 hours before the party?  A cooler + foil + towels will continue to cook it no?

 

[drlchi]

I get those packages from Costco all the time, in fact going tonight for tomorrow's smoke. I foil mine at int temp of 165-170F.

Unfortunately I can't advise on your pellets as I'm a stick burner...someone will chime in soon I'm sure!

Good luck man, feel free to post questions along the way as well..

-D

 

[drewed]

 
Costco sold a ~15lb two pack, so I'm guessing 7-8lbs.

Say it's 8lbs and I budget 2 hours / lb, thats a 16 hour smoke.  How long do I burn my AMPS of those 16 hours?

If I'm not foiling, is 2 hours / lb the right time?

And what do I do if it finishes 5 hours before the party?  A cooler + foil + towels will continue to cook it no?

You should plan 2 hours (+) per pound to be safe, but cook to temp.  Foiling will speed up your cooking.  If you run into a time crunch you can foil at 160ish and toss it in the oven at 350 to finish in an hour or two.

If you are done really early, double foil, wrap in old towels and toss in warm cooler.  It will keep warm for quite a long time.  What ever you do, don't leave it in the smoker, it will keep cooking.

 

[mummel]

Sounds good guys, thanks.  Cooking speed aside, does foiling make the meat juicier?  I foiled one rack of ribs this last smoke, and left another unfoiled.  I was in a rush and forgot which one.  But the one rack was clearly juicier, fattier than the other.  Was that the foiled one?

 

[drlchi]

Foiling will speed up the cooking process a bit and it also does seal in some moisture while it cooks. People usually add something to the meat while wrapping as well...pork I've heard everything from a little apple juice to peach marmalade to maple syrup. Just put some on top of the meat then wrap it and throw it back on the smoker. I personally just put a bit of real butter on my butts @int temp of 165-170F, wrap them and let everything stew in the smoker until they hit ~200F...

And as far as the wait between finish and eating time, I wait at least an hour before shredding it while it sits, wrapped, in the oven (oven's off, just acts as a cooler).

Again, good luck and post pics/questions along the way!

-D

 

[mummel]

Thanks!  And how long do I burn my AMPS tray for if I dont foil?  I checked Bear's SBS and it looks like 8 hours?

 

[drlchi]

Sorry, I can't confidently answer that as I don't use pellet smokers...someone will see this and give you an answer, otherwise try using the forum search, I'm sure this has been discussed many times before!

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Mummel , you have good info. for your cook . I commend you for wanting to try a 'No Foil' cook , I personally don't wrap until it is finished , then cooler it for a

couple of hours (at least) . I use the drippings from it before placing the cooler and it comes out really nice . Some times I have to push on them before wrapping

so the Bark opens :

200x200px-ZC-ed935da5_Betty004[1] (200x200) (2) (2

• oldschoolbbq
• May 14, 2015

see the crispy Bark , and sometimes ...

FOOD I HAVE COOKED - ANYTHING 008.JPG

• oldschoolbbq
• May 2, 2013

it almost falls apart,,,

As for Flavor , IMHO , the Cherry / Pitmaster would be the choice for me . As a Stick Burner , I use Cherry and Maple a lot on Pork . Gives a nice taste .

Hope you have fun and . . .

Edit: keep the smoke going to the end  (if you like ) , it's a matter of taste... 

 

[mummel]

Thanks!  Hey if I dont foil, how much longer do I need to smoke?  I still need to clarify total cooking time when not foiled and how many hours to burn my AMPS.  Thanks guys. 

 

[frog1369]

 
Thanks!  Hey if I dont foil, how much longer do I need to smoke?  I still need to clarify total cooking time when not foiled and how many hours to burn my AMPS.  Thanks guys. 

Not foiling won't add all that much time, but the stall will be where you worry.  Every pork butt is different so if you need to be done at a set time to serve, start earlier and just hold the finished product wrapped in foil and towels in a cooler, it will stay hot a long time.  I usually figure about 1 1/2 hours per pound but some go faster and some go longer, lots longer.  You want to make sure it is probe tender when you take it off, rushing makes for a tough chew.

How long to burn your AMPS is a personal choice as to how much smoke you want.  I'm happy with just the smoke from the pellet grill but I would suggest you experiment and record what you do.  I would start probably 4-6 hours then adjust the next time depending on if you want more or less smoke.  Believe me, even without the AMPS that butt is going to be good.

 

[mummel]

I'm going to do it overnight so I'm not worried about the stall.  Plan is to set it and forget it :).  I just need to know how many AMPS rows to fill and if it will be done by tomorrow morning.  If I start it at 6pm Friday, hopefully a 7-8lb butt will be ready by 11am on Saturday morning. 

 

[mummel]

Do you use brown sugar on your butts?

 

[mummel]

Oh and smoked some ribs for 3 hours.  Lit one end of the AMPS.  I thought they did not taste smokey at all.  Maybe I should light both ends with ribs?  I'm a noob so I dont know what the smoke coming out my vent should look like for me to know how much smoke I need. 

 

[gary s]

Looks Good

Gary

 

[radioguy]

I run smoke for almost the entire cook. For a single butt I'd load up 2+ rows on the AMNPS. I like a mix hickory, cherry for pork. Cook to IT,
use a toothpick probe and check for doneness. Should slide in no resistance. Every one is different, I've had ones this size take 9-10 hours all the way up to 18 hours. I don't foil...like a good bark

Very important to wrap in foil and then in a towel and then into cooler/oven for at least an hour. A lot magic happens during this rest.

Good luck

RG

 

[mummel]

Thanks!  Sounds like 2 rows gets you ~7 hours.  Bear's SBS recipe went for 8 hours.  I will load up on two rows then!

 

[mummel]

Guys what about brown sugar?  Shall I put some on?