Hi guys,
I have an 18 pound butt I plan on smoking this weekend. I would like to pull it and give it as a gift to a couple of the guys in the family for Father's Day. Any idea how long I need to dry brine the meat? Salt only? And Best guess at cooking time? Thanks.
18 lbs? holy crap! i would cut that into small peices or you will be smoking that thing for way longer than you want.
my rule of thumb for dry brine time is 12 hours per inch thick.
for cooking time, as i'm sure you'll hear a lot, is based on thickness not on weight... in addition to quality of the meat, temp of the cook, quality of the cooker, etc. i don't think anyone can give you an estimated cook time
The meat is still in the fridge so I can cut it up into two or three different butts if needed. I've only cooked smaller butts in the 4 to 5lb rang, usually at 225 and it turned out pretty well. I have a BGE that I plan on using . I was going to shoot for the same temperature and unless you guys think otherwise.
Hi, my name is Darrell. I'm an OTR truck driver for over 25 years. During my off time I love doing backyard cooks. I have a 48" Lang Deluxe smoker, Rec-Tec pellet smoker,1 Weber Genesis 330, 1 Weber Performer (blue), 2 Weber kettles (1 black and 1 Copper), 1 26" Weber kettle, a WSM, 8 Maverick Redi Chek thermometers, a PartyQ, 2 SnS, Grill Grates, Cast Iron grates, 1 ThermoPop (orange) and 2 ThermoPens (pink and orange) and planning on adding more cooking accessories. Now I have an Anova sous vide, the Dragon blower and 2 Chef alarms from Thermoworks.
> Weber Genesis EP-330
> Grilla Grills Original Grilla (OG) pellet smoker with Alpha/Connect
> Pit Barrel Cooker (gone to a new home)
> WeberQ 2000 (on "loan" to a relative (I'll never see it again))
> Old Smokey Electric (for chickens mostly - when it's too nasty out
to fiddle with a more capable cooker)
> Luhr Jensen Little Chief Electric - Top Loader circa 1990 (smoked fish & jerky)
> Thermoworks Smoke
> 3 Thermoworks Chef Alarms
> Thermoworks Thermapen One
> Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
> Thermoworks Thermopop
> Thermoworks IR-GUN-S
> Anova sous vide circulator
> Searzall torch
> BBQ Guru Rib Ring
> WÜSTHOF, Dalstrong, and Buck knives
> Paprika App on Mac and iOS
Hi guys,
I have an 18 pound butt I plan on smoking this weekend. I would like to pull it and give it as a gift to a couple of the guys in the family for Father's Day. Any idea how long I need to dry brine the meat? Salt only? And Best guess at cooking time? Thanks.
18#... That's either a whole shoulder &/or one big porker! I would prolly cut in half. If you cut it in smaller pieces, it may be tough fitting them on a BGE without touching (which pretty much defeats the advantage of cutting). The dry brine won't get very deep in the time you have but it'll be fine. Taste & add more salt as needed once pulled. Give yourself a lotta time. Good luck & enjoy!
Yes, I believe you are right. It was labeled as a butt however once I opened it up and separated it it's definitely a full shoulder. It's in the brine and I'm prepared for a long cook. I'll enjoy it either way, beats being at work. Thanks a lot !
jjmoore20 I cook on a large BGE. The thickness of the meat determines cook time, so if is 4 inches thick I would anticipate 12-14 hours at 225 to an internal temp of 203. However, every butt is different, so it could be more or less
Gotcha. I separated it into four pieces of meat which are about the normal size of the butts I get. I was thinking along the lines of 10 - 12 hours but I will definitely prepare for longer.
Cookers:
SnS Kettle with SnS Deluxe, SS & Cast iron pans, elevated grate.
Grilla OG with upper shelf and pizza stone.
Weber Genesis SA-E-330 LP INDIGO with SS Grates, Weber Crafted frame kit, baking stone, griddle (2/3), all from Ace Hardware.
Everything Else:
SnS #3 I was their first customer.
Sous Vide equipment.
Instant read and leave-in thermometers.
Grill Grates.
Kingsford Blue Bag, Weber lighter cubes, Weber charcoal chimneys.
BBQr's Delight Hickory & Apple flavor pellets, propane torch, 12" smoke tube.
Grilla apple & hickory pellets, Royal Oak charcoal pellets.
Rubs with salt: Meat Church, Meathead's.
Rubs without salt: SnS Grills Rocky's Rub and Not Just for Beef.
Rubs home-mixed: None at this time.
Spices: Lots of 'em.
jjmoore20 I would also figure in to your timeline a couple of hours in a faux cambro after the cook is done. This will also give you a buffer, so if your cook goes an hour longer, a shorter faux cambro and if the cook is shorter, then a longer faux cambro. This helps me to have the pulled pork ready for meal time.
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