18lb Boston butt

[jjmoore20]

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.

[Jerod Broussard]

I'd be gifting two 9 pound butts that were dry brined a minimum of 48 hours.

What you cooking on and what temps??

Welcome to the Pit!!!!!!!

[DeusDingo]

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

20 hours? hah. nobody knows

[jjmoore20]

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.

[jjmoore20]

Also, I do not have 48 hours to brine. I have about 24 to 30 at best. So do you guys think I should carve it into three different butts?

[DWCowles]

Welcome jjmoore20 you will be ok to cut it in half and dry brine 24 - 30 hrs. That's what I would do.

[MBMorgan]

Also, I do not have 48 hours to brine. I have about 24 to 30 at best. So do you guys think I should carve it into three different butts?

Or four ... and get the dry brining started asap.

[Jerod Broussard]

Yeah, git jiggy getttin' it to 2-4 chunks and dry brining.

[jjmoore20]

Thanks guys. Will do.

[BriggsBBQ]

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.

That's a Kim Kardashian Pork butt.

[chudzikb]

Because you like big butts, and you don't know why?

[jjmoore20]

What can I say, I like big butts

[HorseDoctor]

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!

[LA Pork Butt]

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

[fuzzydaddy]

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.