Trailblazer 11 pound butt, any thoughts on time and technique?

[OldBull]

I have an 11 pound pork butt that is due to start defrosting in a couple of days. I have some concerns, time temp etc etc. These butts are sometimes 2 pieces in one package and that would of course change everything. Cook time (if whole) is a guess at 1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound x 11 pounds = appx 14 to 16 hours. Wrap somewhere around 170°, rest 1.5 hrs. I will do a water bowl even though some are starting to scough at that idea. If fatcap is thick I may trim and lay excess on top, I have been wanting to try that. Shooting for a 5pm dinner so I am guessing a 10pm start time. One big question, is this long of a cook OK with the normal mustard mollasses coating to hold the other seasoning? Another is temp, I am skeptical of 225 and leaning toward 250? It is a big piece of meat.

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[Wslayer]

225,250, even 300° pork butts are very forgiving when comes to temperature. Are you pulling or slicing ? I wouldn't worry about wrapping either, more bark more better. Skip the water also. Roughly 1.5 hr / lb. Can always wrap and place in cooler if done early.

hopper on trailblazer make it through the night? ? ?

 

[Strobro]

I have an 11 pound pork butt that is due to start defrosting in a couple of days. I have some concerns, time temp etc etc. These butts are sometimes 2 pieces in one package
Thanks for any thoughts.

My daughter in law bought us a 14 lb pork butt from a sale at her local store. There were two butts in one package. if your package is not square i.e. twice as long as wide, I suspect that you have two as well.
I cooked one (estimated 7lb) yesterday. Smoked at 225 for about 6.5 hours till 162 internal. Wrapped for 1.5 hours at 325 till 205 internal ... easy peasey. I went lower and slower cause dinner was not till 6pm. I'm sure that a 250 degree cook would have been only one hour per pound.

 

[GH41]

If you try to match a cook time to an eating time you will get your ass handed to you almost every time! Been there done that. I would start at least a couple hours before I thought I had to and cook at 225 until it stalled and then double wrap it. Cook to 5-10 degrees under where I want it to finish depending on how long before eating. Wrap in a couple of towels and put in a cooler.

 

[TexasManInCajunLand]

I agree with what's been stated already. Ditch the water bowl idea, 225-250 will suffice (I prefer low & slow @225), wrap at 165 degrees and add a little apple juice and/or beer, pull at 205 if doing pulled pork or 190-195 if sliced. Also, as @GH41 suggested, put it on a little earlier than you think because stall periods will vary and this can definitely throw a wrench in the plans. Plus, if it does finish much earlier than expected, you can always let it rest for several hours without worry. I would suggest wrapping it in a towel and putting it in a cooler (leave it wrapped in the foil/butcher paper also). I've let it go for as long as 4 hours and it was still nice & steamy whenever I was ready for it.

 

[Edthebook]

I am doing a 11 lb right now. Put it on at 9 pm at low smoke. grill wasn’t acting right so I raised the temp to 200 At 9:30. Will leave it there until 11 or so then will raise it to 210. I am planning on 17 hours

it is a bone in. Put dry rub on it, no binders, the rub sticks with no issues. Fat side down on the grate. May wrap with butchers paper depending on how i feel. Going to take off at 205 or 210. May crank the temp up a little during the stall. It is hard to mess up a pork butt and if you do it so cheap enough to try again with no loss.

Knowledge is experience and experience is mistakes

Ed

 

[Bytor]

I smoked 9.5 butt last week and at 225, it took just about 12 hours and that was with a b-paper wrap at the 6.5 hour mark in the low 170's.

Definitely give yourself some time and start early. I pulled it, kept the paper on, wrapped with foil and a large towel and put in the cooler for 2.5 hours. I put a probe in after unwrapping then and it was still a screaming 160+. It was hot, but very little steam came out from it.

 

[OldBull]

Time already factured in, 10pm to 5pm is 19 hours, 17 cook + 2 for rest is scheduled, but rest is flexible 30min to 3 hours if needed. 19 might even be to long, I could go 225° for 2 hours for smoke. And of course if it is split (it is basically a square package) then the brine and cook will change greatly. Meat is to be pulled. I was aware of the ongoing debate of the water bowl but it gives a warm fuzzy feeling to the cook while he is asleep that there is some moisture somewhere. Thanks for the comments everyone, when you do something different you try to get enough info to make a plan and this helps, I'll try to take pictures if successful and tell you I forgot it if it isn't

Old Bull

 

[TexasManInCajunLand]

Time already factured in, 10pm to 5pm is 19 hours, 17 cook + 2 for rest is scheduled, but rest is flexible 30min to 3 hours if needed. 19 might even be to long, I could go 225° for 2 hours for smoke. And of course if it is split (it is basically a square package) then the brine and cook will change greatly. Meat is to be pulled. I was aware of the ongoing debate of the water bowl but it gives a warm fuzzy feeling to the cook while he is asleep that there is some moisture somewhere. Thanks for the comments everyone, when you do something different you try to get enough info to make a plan and this helps, I'll try to take pictures if successful and tell you I forgot it if it isn't

Old Bull

Just stick to the basics and you should be fine.

I see your location says "Swampy and Sunny". I'm in Louisiana so I can definitely relate to all of that!

 

[OldBull]

@Wslayer to answer your question my hopper is 20lb so yes it will make it through nite (I think) .

 

[TexasManInCajunLand]

@Wslayer to answer your question my hopper is 20lb so yes it will make it through nite (I think) .

I have the 20lb hopper as well. It’ll definitely make it through the night.

 

[OldBull]

Thanks TexasManCajunL

What do all of you think the Bulls burn rate (LB's per hour) is at 250°

 

[Mastertech59]

Thanks TexasManCajunL

What do all of you think the Bulls burn rate (LB's per hour) is at 250°

Around 1 pound per hour at the lower cooking temperatures like this, depending on ambient conditions.

 

[OldBull]

On at midnight exactly, back to bed. Bull set @ 240°. 6am, Woke up to the Bull huffing and puffing, temp was 240° exactly 6am meat temp was 146°, 8am 156°, 1/2 of cook remaining, stall should occur within the next hour and a half. Spritzing every 2 hours with diluted cider vinegar. Might go to 250 or 275 to push through stall if it gets near 11am, wrap maybe as well, just some tools available to compensate. Shooting for pulling it and resting at about 3:30pm.

Color looks great, dark mahogany with about 50% a little darker.
.
.
.

 

[OldBull]

@ 9:15 temp had only risen 4 degrees to 160°, I am guessing it is approaching stall. A good question would be how fast does temp rise after stall. Most graphs I have looked at show stall lasting anywhere from 2 to 4 hours and around 3 hours to finish post stall. I increased the Bulls temp to 260 just for the warm fuzzy feeling. If stall lasted 4 hours cook would go a bit long. If temp rises quickly I can back the temp back down, I really don't know if there is any adverse effect of changing temp.

I am in the ballpark, well somewhere in the ballpark.....

11:05am meat temp 176° pushing pit temp to 260° blew right through the stall, back to 250° on the bull.
Maybe stall had already occurred at 150-160 ???

12:15 187° back down to 220 , Yes stall had already occurred (if there was one) !!!!!!!!!!!!

Do stalls always occur on butts ?????

At end of cook dialing down to 220° was impossible, I do not know if it was residual heat or what but 220° produced 295 degree temps, after 45min I put it on LO smoke and after 20 min it is sitting at 276°. I will pull at 2:15pm and wrap and rest, rest time 2 hours 15 min is probably easily doable, coller is warmed up and ready.

Anyway, just a ramble while I cook, See Ya....