Pulled pork- Boston Butt question

[Centex Hokie]

This 4th of July it’s just the wife and I, so we smoked a 4 lb. boneless Boston Butt on my Fast Eddy PG500. Trying to figure out why it took 12 1/2 hours. I don’t foil and the average grill temp was 230. Any suggestions other than foil? Taste is great, but just wondering why so long. Thanks

[scottranda]

Do you have a second thermometer that confirms the ambient temp in the smoker?

Go Hokies!

[Centex Hokie]

I may Have to bump it after 3-4 hours. I expected 6-8 hours

[RonB]

Butts are very forgiving and can take the heat. If you don't think it's cooking fast enough, run the heat up. In fact, I'm planning on bumping the temp for the next butt when it starts to stall - no wrap. (From yet another Hokie)

[Centex Hokie]

Thanks. Go Hokies!

[JCGrill]

Not trying to be a smart aleck when I say it took that long because it took that long. Pulled pork is weird, every time is different

[Centex Hokie]

You sound like what I tell my wife when she asks when it will be ready. I usually tell her when it achieves X temp, but I would like to control it a little better.

[HorseDoctor]

Thickness plays a bigger role than weight for that kind of cook. I also think you could cook a pork butt at 275 (or even higher) and get done quicker with no noticeable difference in end result! I really think that the "magical" 225 is very overrated! I smoke fish that low but do most everything else above 250. Good luck!

[Centex Hokie]

Thanks. It was pretty thick. Maybe that was my challenge with it

[RonB]

You can always slice it in half next time. That way it will cook quicker, and you will have more bark. If you only have one meat probe, put it in the smallest piece because that one should cook quicker.

[Centex Hokie]

RonB. Good idea, I have 5 meat probes.

[LA Pork Butt]

If it was 4 inches thick 12 hours is about right. Thickness determines cook time.

[Centex Hokie]

Thanks. That may be the problem. It was about 5” x 5” x 10”

[Centex Hokie]

Thanks to everyone. I learned some things from your answers:

1. Slice the meat to make it thinner as the time is proportional to the thickness rather than the weight.
2. Don't be afraid to crank it up to 250 or 275 as the pork butt is forgiving.
3. There are more Hokies on here than I knew, which is always a good thing.

[Steve R.]

4. Don't be afraid to go even hotter as needed to blow right through the stall once the bark is to your liking.

[jfmorris]

12 hours sounds reasonable to me if you didn't crutch with foil. I've had larger butts take 16 to 18 hours even, but my average cook is around 12 to 14 hours, for 7 to 8 pounders.

[Spinaker]

As others have said, 12 hours seems to be about right. If I went 225 F in my BGE I would be looking at 16-20 hours. I almost always cook at around 275 F, just to avoid going into those 12+ hour cooks.

[Steve R.]

12 hrs isn't an unreasonable amount of time. But sometimes time is of the essence, and I refuse to let a dead hog tell me how much of my day I have to spend looking after it.