# 9 pound pork butt .. 19 to 20 hours?



## huntmastershaun (Aug 24, 2014)

Howdy, I'm at hour 17 on a 9 pound pork butt.. haven't opened the cooker much or anything.. but I did a 7.5 pounder and it took 13.5 hours.. is this normal?? It's only my second butt.. and I put it on at 330 a.m. and it's been around 225 all day.. it was put on at near room temp (the butt was).. (the stall took a while but it's only creeped up to 185 in 6 hours, from 156 degrees after the stall)

I'm being patient, but gotta work tomorrow... Lol


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## noboundaries (Aug 24, 2014)

Physics aside, timing on pork butts is a Divine Mystery.  I've done plenty, and usually use 275F and wrap them so I can more accurately predict completion times.  Just did an unwrapped 8 lb'er that took 17 hours 10 minutes at 225F.  Frankly, I liked it better than the wrapped versions I've done.  I put it on at 8 PM last night and it was at my target IT of 203F at 1:10 PM today.

Internal temp times are also a Divine Mystery.  IT was 37F when I put it on the smoker at 8 PM.  At midnight it was at 158F.  165F at 3:30 AM.  171 at 6:30 AM.  Took another 6 hours and 40 minutes to climb the last 32F IT, and I cranked the smoker up to 250F 3 hours before completion.

Meat will rise quickly in temperature the larger the difference between the meat and the chamber.  As the difference between the two temps narrow, the climb slows down dramatically, even if there wasn't a stall.     

BTW, don't bother letting the meat come to room temp.  From a physics standpoint, total waste of time.


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## knifebld (Aug 25, 2014)

I have somewhat given up on attempting to serve PP for the same day dinner....I have a much easier time with a 13 lb brisket then with a 9 lb pork butt!

Good thing about pork butt is that you can reheat it nicely in a crock pot with very little difference in taste...actually I usually foil mine midway so I never really go for the heavy bark....so not sure how reheated bark compares to fresh off the smoker.

You are doing it right...just don't rush it ;)


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## fwismoker (Aug 25, 2014)

Cooking at too low of a temp. My butts go 45 minutes per pound @ 275-300*  The last 10.5 lb i did took 7.5 hours and was perfect.













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__ fwismoker
__ Sep 19, 2013






No thick black bark, nice mahogany color and juicy pork.  This was cooked in my little mini WSM.


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## themule69 (Aug 25, 2014)

The last 9 pounder I did took 24.5 hours
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. It is done when it is done. Patience!

As said above if you do it before and reheat it is as good as the day you smoke it. I

Vacuum seal and put in hot water to reheat. You do loose some of the bark when

you reheat.













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__ themule69
__ Aug 2, 2014


















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__ themule69
__ Aug 3, 2014


















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__ themule69
__ Aug 3, 2014






Happy smoken.

David


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## grillmonkey (Aug 25, 2014)

Huntmastershaun said:


> Howdy, I'm at hour 17 on a 9 pound pork butt.. haven't opened the cooker much or anything.. but I did a 7.5 pounder and it took 13.5 hours.. is this normal?? It's only my second butt.. and I put it on at 330 a.m. and it's been around 225 all day.. it was put on at near room temp (the butt was).. (the stall took a while but it's only creeped up to 185 in 6 hours, from 156 degrees after the stall)
> 
> I'm being patient, but gotta work tomorrow... Lol


I recently did a 9# butt in 10 hours at 285 degrees to an IT of 205 without foil. Came out perfect with great bark.













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__ grillmonkey
__ Aug 17, 2014


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## oldschoolbbq (Aug 26, 2014)

Yeah , Butts are a -ain for the 'stall' sometimes.

  I cook at 225*F and keep smelling the smoke...
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. When it starts to give off a nice fragrance, I check it and look for loose bone .

I try not to open the lid and keep the Smoke 'blue' .













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__ oldschoolbbq
__ Sep 29, 2012






Nice and tender and see the bone 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  Came out with just a tug...

Have fun and . . .


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## mdboatbum (Aug 26, 2014)

I'm with FWIsmoker and Grillmonkey on this one. While it's fun to sit around and watch a smoker for upwards of 18 hours, I rarely have the luxury of doing that. At 275-325 you get as good or better a product in half the time. You're also in control of the whole smoke, there is usually no stall and cook times are much more predictable. I did a small brisket flat last night at 325 and it was done and tender in well under 4 hours. At 225, even with the small size (just under3lbs) it easily could have taken. 8-12 hours. I look at it like sailing. A couple hundred years ago, sailors were at the mercy of the wind. The square riggers of the day could only sail downwind, and 5 knots was considered fast. Fast forward a few years and with more efficient rigs, better hull designs and lighter materials speeds of 30+ knots are routine. Same goes for BBQ. Time was a hole in the ground and some coals was all they had. 225 degrees was screaming hot for that setup, and it took all day to cook a pig. Sure, it still works and if you wanna do it that way good for you. Just like those who stick to old wooden boats and travel the world at 5 knots. But it can be done a lot faster and more efficiently.


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## zbay (Aug 26, 2014)

Here is a pretty good read on the stall, I was a little worried the other day doing my 9 pound butt. So I started reading up on the stall a bit, after 12 hours and an internal temp of 149 degrees I had to do something. http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/the_stall.html


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## knifebld (Aug 27, 2014)

Mdboatbum said:


> I'm with FWIsmoker and Grillmonkey on this one. While it's fun to sit around and watch a smoker for upwards of 18 hours, I rarely have the luxury of doing that. At 275-325 you get as good or better a product in half the time. You're also in control of the whole smoke, there is usually no stall and cook times are much more predictable. I did a small brisket flat last night at 325 and it was done and tender in well under 4 hours. At 225, even with the small size (just under3lbs) it easily could have taken. 8-12 hours. I look at it like sailing. A couple hundred years ago, sailors were at the mercy of the wind. The square riggers of the day could only sail downwind, and 5 knots was considered fast. Fast forward a few years and with more efficient rigs, better hull designs and lighter materials speeds of 30+ knots are routine. Same goes for BBQ. Time was a hole in the ground and some coals was all they had. 225 degrees was screaming hot for that setup, and it took all day to cook a pig. Sure, it still works and if you wanna do it that way good for you. Just like those who stick to old wooden boats and travel the world at 5 knots. But it can be done a lot faster and more efficiently.


Great analogy bud!

For myself, I love the experience...going low and slow for 12 plus hours, get my kids involved to monitor the smoker and adjust temps when needed and spritz every so often, sitting in the yard all day and smelling a great meal 12 plus hours before I serve, getting the neighbors jealous...

I might feel differently when the kids move out and find a more efficient way to smoke...but low and slow these days suits me just fine! ;)


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## noboundaries (Aug 27, 2014)

I've done low n slow in the past but it took too much effort on the Weber Kettle.  It was also when I first started smoking and didn't have a handle on technique or flavor profiles.  I wasn't impressed with my barks enough to continue low n slow.   

Went to hot n fast, which was more familiar to how I had cooked all my life.  I also wrapped.  I really liked the results, the time savings, and needing less fuel.  I gave up the bark but had great flavor and juicy meat.  

With the addition of a WSM, blower, gasket kit, plus habitual techniques and favorite flavor profiles from experience, I can now do hot n fast or low n slow with practically zero effort during the smoke. I completed my first low n slow cook since installing the blower.  Great results for bark and flavor but low n slow uses up same amount of fuel on one long smoke that I get out of 3-4 smokes with the shorter hot n fast technique.   

So I'm already migrating back to hot n fast, taking what I've learned in past year to get the same bark results, moistness, and flavor as the low n slow.  I am almost analytical to a fault, but to me it is all about knowing what my smoker will produce at any given temperature and technique in the time available.


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## stlbbq (Aug 27, 2014)

I cant wait to get out and do my first pork butt. Looking to use oak with some applewood. Should be a good weekend!


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