Smoking pork butt help!

[dixiedog11]

I am smoking an 8 lb butt and a 6 lb brisket.  I put it in last night around 11:30.  I am cooking them at 240-250 degrees.   The IT has been stuck on 174 for a couple hours.  The IT of the brisket has actually come down a little bit. We are planning on eating around 6 and I was planning on them being done by 3 so they could rest.  At what point do I pull them and put them in the oven so they will be done in time?  And what temp for the oven?

Thanks!

 

[demosthenes9]

 
I am smoking an 8 lb butt and a 6 lb brisket.  I put it in last night around 11:30.  I am cooking them at 240-250 degrees.   The IT has been stuck on 174 for a couple hours.  The IT of the brisket has actually come down a little bit. We are planning on eating around 6 and I was planning on them being done by 3 so they could rest.  At what point do I pull them and put them in the oven so they will be done in time?  And what temp for the oven?

Thanks!

You've hit what is known as "the stall" and it's completely normal  :).   You can turn your heat up a bit to help power through it.  You can also take the meat out, spritz it and wrap it in foil, then put it back into your smoker or an oven.

If pressed for time, you can crank the oven up to 300.  There's some debate as to whether there's any noticeable difference in the meat when going up to that temp, but if you have to hit a firm dead line, that difference is largely irrelevant. 

Also, while both cuts CAN rest for 3 hours quite comfortably, there's no reason I can think of that they have to.  If the logistics work out for you, you could cook them until 4:45 if need be then pull and let rest for about an hour.

 

[cliffcarter]

This is the reason that I no longer cook at low temps for butts and brisket. Turn up the heat, start cooking at 290°-300° and you will not have these problems.

Oh, and you will not need to "finish" in the oven, ever.