Welcome!


This is a membership forum. Guests can view 5 pages for free. To participate, please join.

[ Pitmaster Club Information | Join Now | Login | Contact Us ]

Only 4 free page views remaining.

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Pork Butt on the Pit Barrel Cooker

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Pork Butt on the Pit Barrel Cooker

    Ok, I have cooked pork butts before on the PBC but its been a while so I am asking fellow PBC owners, or those who are familiar with its cook traits, to comment on my timing for my Labor Day cook.

    Planning to eat around 6PM on Sunday night. Butt was thawed yesterday and last night and is waiting in the fridge now (its Friday morning now). Planning to brine it Saturday morning and returning to the fridge. It weighs approximately 7 to 7.5 lbs. Bone out.

    My thoughts are to brine it for approx. 24 hours. Wondering if it might be better to brine late today for a total of say a day and a half???

    Will apply rub early Sunday morning while the PBC gets up to temp. Thinking I will light the PBC around 6AM and try to have it on the cooker by 6:30. Thinking it will need approx 8 to 9 hours in the cooker, to be followed by a two to three hour rest in faux cambro. That would have it ready to pull by approx 6PM.

    Also, I have always done Texas crutch in foil to hurry things along but my bark has never been what I would like so I am thinking I would like to do this one all the way to probe tender around 205F or so and no crutch. I know this will impact my time. So, what do you think of my time estimates? Will I have to start earlier to avoid the crutch? Even if I do crutch, what do you think of my time estimates? And if I end up crutching, at what temp do you think bark will be set? I definitely want bark to set prior to crutching.

    Also, I have read several posts where the butt was halved to speed cooking and to increase bark. If I do this, how will it effect time? AND IMPORTANTLY I WOULD THINK, do I halve it by cutting length wise to make each half half as thick, or do I simply cut it in half to make each half smaller but not thinner? Wondering if the last statement even makes sense.....thinner or just two chunks??

    I think I have given you all the info you need, but if you need more, just ask! And thanks! Tom

    #2
    I don't have a PBC so no help there.
    Depending on the size of the meat I'd be inclined to cut across the meat not lengthways only because I think the meat would dry out more than cutting across depending on the fat content. I have no experience to back this up but its a gut feeling.
    I usually crutch at 180 but will go earlier depending on the day, usually with some Kilkenny or dark beer in the foil for moisture.
    Time is time, an early start cant hurt especially when you know its going to stall and even in cambro its still cooking.
    I don't brine butts and my BKK likes to cook at 280-300 and I get great bark.
    Maybe try upping your cooking temp.
    Will wait for pics.
    Have safe Labour Day weekend

    Comment


    • Alabama Smoke
      Alabama Smoke commented
      Editing a comment
      Maybe no PBC, but great advice from you I believe SMOKIN fool. I also think cutting the butt length wish will make it thin like a brisket flat which I suspect would dry it out. I may cut it into equal sized chucks for more bark. And if I see that I am not going to make my time estimate, by then I can always crutch. You wait until 180F to crutch. I may try that if I need to. I have crutched at 160F in the past but got little bark formation, hence my thoughts not to crutch. Thanks!
      Last edited by Alabama Smoke; September 4, 2020, 08:58 AM.

    #3
    When I cook pork butts on my PBC, I generally go for the boneless from Costco, cut in half after I’ve trimmed all the silver skin and other junk that isn’t worth having. I cut in half as to have 2 chunks not strips like brisket. I have found I prefer an injection when done on my PBC. I do wrap mine in butchers twine. Hang them both independently and coook to color. Wrap in paper and cook until done. Unusually 5-6 hours. I have luck starting them around 9-10am and they’re done by 4-5pm. I let them sit in my faux cambro until ready to pull. Good luck

    Comment


    • Alabama Smoke
      Alabama Smoke commented
      Editing a comment
      au4stree this is also a Costco boneless, about 7 lbs. Thanks for the comments. I appreciate the input.

    #4
    IMO pork butts don’t need a long rest but can take it if you need the time. I can usually get a 8 lb butt done in my PBC in around 7 hours. But that’s running between 300-325. So how long it’s going to take to cook depends on how hot you plan on running The PBC and how thick the butt is.
    If you cut it in half and the thickness is pretty much the same as before then it still going to take about the same amount of time to cook.
    I think if you run around 275-300 and have the butt on at 7am you will be fine.

    Comment


    • Alabama Smoke
      Alabama Smoke commented
      Editing a comment
      Dadof3Illinois based on your timing indicated above, do you wrap? If so foil or butchers paper? Or is this based on not wrapping? Thanks for the helpful comments.

    • Dadof3Illinois
      Dadof3Illinois commented
      Editing a comment
      Alabama Smoke I do wrap, sorry for not mentioning that. If you cut it in half to reduce cooking time and gain bark then I wouldn’t wrap.
      I would leave it whole, wrap when it gets to 170F internal. I usually add butter, brown sugar, honey a little sauce and a bit more rub in my wrap....yea we like a sweet pulled pork.

    #5
    BFlynn and Jerod Broussard please check out this post and give me your thoughts on my questions. I would really appreciate that! Thanks in advance! Tom

    Comment


      #6
      Running 275, 8-10 hours on butts hanging the entire time.

      Comment


        #7
        Thank you Jerod Broussard! I know you have cooked them many times. I appreciate your comment. Tom

        Comment


        • Jerod Broussard
          Jerod Broussard commented
          Editing a comment
          4 strings to tie. Noah has/had a PBC video on tying. First 2 strings long ways, then 2 strings perpendicular to that. The butts are hung "sideways."

        #8
        I wondered if I should tie it up and to the hooks possibly. I will check out the video. Thanks, Jerod Broussard .

        EDITED TO ADD: Jerod Broussard, Have you ever put it on the PBC turkey hanger? I have one of those that I have never used. Wondering if that might be a good idea????
        Last edited by Alabama Smoke; September 4, 2020, 04:41 PM.

        Comment


        • au4stree
          au4stree commented
          Editing a comment
          I’ve cooked them on the skewer set, similar to the turkey hanger. It does well on that.

        #9
        I like to cut my butts into 3-4 lb chunks.
        Speeds up the time a little bit. Gets extra bark.

        Last pork butt I wrapped in butcher paper. It's the only one I've ever wrapped. I don't think wrapping is necessary.

        I'm gonna look and see if I have the data from my last pork butt on my Fireboard app..... I would think, cut into chunks 6-7 hrs of cook time plus an hour in the cooler is good.

        Last pork butt I did I had a 4lb half and a 3 lb half.
        Started at 730 am finished a little before 3. Smoked at 250.

        I rested for 2 hrs bc that's when we wanted to eat.
        I dry brined for a day. Put a good layer of POG and a layer of MMD.
        Last edited by BFlynn; September 4, 2020, 04:34 PM.

        Comment


        • Alabama Smoke
          Alabama Smoke commented
          Editing a comment
          BFlynn, I know what MMD is but what is POG?

        • Alabama Smoke
          Alabama Smoke commented
          Editing a comment
          BFlynn, Thanks for the comments. What is POG? Also thinking hanging two 3.5 lbs. chucks is much less likely to fall into fire. I have always placed mine on the rack but would like to hang this time.

        • BFlynn
          BFlynn commented
          Editing a comment
          Pepper Onion Garlic

          Troutman mixes it 3:2:1 ratio

          I do 1 part each garlic and onion powder, 2 parts pepper.

          Ive hung the pork butts with the skewers.so no risk of falling on the fire. Probably fine to hang with hooks
          Last edited by BFlynn; September 4, 2020, 05:06 PM.

      Announcement

      Collapse
      No announcement yet.
      Working...
      X
      false
      0
      Guest
      Guest
      500
      ["pitmaster-my-membership","login","join-pitmaster","lostpw","reset-password","special-offers","help","nojs","meat-ups","gifts","authaau-alpha","ebooklogin-start","alpha","start"]
      false
      false
      {"count":0,"link":"/forum/announcements/","debug":""}
      Yes
      ["\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads","\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads\/1157845-paid-members-download-your-6-deep-dive-guide-ebooks-for-free-here","\/forum\/the-pitcast","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2019-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2020-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2021-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2022-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/current-2023-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/current-2024-issues","\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads\/1165909-trial-members-download-your-free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-here"]
      /forum/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads/1165909-trial-members-download-your-free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-here