2ND butt

[hawkendog]

OK guys I'm going for my 2ND pulled pork cook. The first one I did not cook long enough and had to go to the oven This next one will be 9.5# and I would like to eat at 5:00PM.
I know I could do an over night at 225* but what about starting early AM? Could I cook at a higher temp and still have it come out OK? I was thing about putting it on around 5-6. What temp?
This is for my 4th July bash and I need all the advice I can get
Thanks

[Jeff H]

In my experience, they only take about an hour a pound at 225 so starting in the morning is doable.

If I was smoking a butt for the 4th, I would start the WSM at around 6AM and have the pork on there by 7. Pull and wrap at 165deg which should be around noon or so and it should be up around 195 by 4ish. Pull it off and let it rest for an hour.

[effinUker]

You can always hold it in a cooler wrapped in a towel until it's time to eat if it gets done early, but you can't tame a hungry crowd it it ain't ready yet. I'd start it about 6am, run it 225-250, wrap in saran wrap, then foil at about noon, & put it back the smoker until about 3PM. When you take it off, it'll feel like foil wrapped jell-o. Wrap it in a towel & throw it in a cooler to rest until it's time to pull it. You'll have the juiciest pulled pork ever.

[hawkendog]

You can always hold it in a cooler wrapped in a towel until it's time to eat if it gets done early, but you can't tame a hungry crowd it it ain't ready yet. I'd start it about 6am, run it 225-250, wrap in saran wrap, then foil at about noon, & put it back the smoker until about 3PM. When you take it off, it'll feel like foil wrapped jell-o. Wrap it in a towel & throw it in a cooler to rest until it's time to pull it. You'll have the juiciest pulled pork ever.

So at noon I wrap in saran wrap then foil and put it back in with the wrap??

[1buckie]

You can use Saran, I don't happen to.......just make sure when you use the foil that it's 2 or 3 layers & give yourself enough area to  cinch it on the ends & across the middle so it won't leak....seam UP ^^^


You can go all the way thru without foil, or like Uker says, wrap the last part of the time when you get to the outside color you want (that's a pretty good indicator to go by & the reason a lot of people wrap during the cook).....


Wrapping will speed up the cook some also & help you get done by when you want.......common heat here is 260~275 & they come out fine......the pig can take it.....

[hawkendog]

Thanks all you are most kind
Just needed it to be done on time. got a 98 year old mil that will be here and she has years of experience yelling at me

[Josh G]

I would always rather have it done early and sitting in the cooler than take a chance and hit a plateau with hungry guests arriving.  I would do it overnight and be done by noon and relax in the shade with a nice cold beer.

[hawkendog]

I would always rather have it done early and sitting in the cooler than take a chance and hit a plateau with hungry guests arriving.  I would do it overnight and be done by noon and relax in the shade with a nice cold beer.

will have the beer anyway. Hard for me to do overnight but I'd love to try.
thanks

[Saugust]

I'm with Buckie on this- just smoke it a little hotter and you'll be golden. It's just pulled pork, so don't stress about 225. If you want to eat around 5:00 I'd definitely have that pig on the grill close to 6. You want some time to let it rest.

[effinUker]

You can always hold it in a cooler wrapped in a towel until it's time to eat if it gets done early, but you can't tame a hungry crowd it it ain't ready yet. I'd start it about 6am, run it 225-250, wrap in saran wrap, then foil at about noon, & put it back the smoker until about 3PM. When you take it off, it'll feel like foil wrapped jell-o. Wrap it in a towel & throw it in a cooler to rest until it's time to pull it. You'll have the juiciest pulled pork ever.

So at noon I wrap in saran wrap then foil and put it back in with the wrap??

yup... just like you put it in the oven, put it back on the grill. the saran is protected by the foil, won't hurt a thing. @1buckie is right, seal it up tight though, you want to preserve all that juice to mix in when you shred it.

[1911Ron]

I do mine at around 275 or so, foil it when the bark is set around 165 or so and let er ride! You will know when it's done when you probe it and it probes like butter!  When it's done take it out open the foil let some heat escape so it will stop cooking, wrap it up and let it rest, if you need to hold it wrap it in towels and put it in a warm cooler till you need it!

[hawkendog]

Thanks to all you folks, this time I got it right.
Started my fire at 5:00PM. Temp was at 260 and smoke looked good to me at 6:00 so on went the 9.43lb butt. Temp ran around a little for an hour but settled in around 266. By 11:35 the meat temp was 165 so I pulled it, wrapped with plastic wrap and then foiled. Back on the grill but needed to get the temp under control climbed to 318 while I was wrapping. Got down to 240 and let it ride. At 1:40 the meat hit 205. Pulled and rested in towels and cooler till 6:00. The prize was worth the wait.  .
Thanks for all the good info. Hope I can Play it forward some day