New 008 owner - First Butt

It isn't unusual. The butt may sit in the mid 170's for a couple hours. It takes a long time to break down the tissue to make it tender. Some people do turn the temp up to hurry it. at least an hour and a half is ballpark.

Welcome to the group, we'll go easy

Usually longer.

So in 3:30 hours, it's up to 179. A good "planning" time is 1.5 hours per pound, some even see 2.

At 8 pounds, 225, it could take as little as 12 hours and over 16 for some.

Can't rush it and do NOT open the door. You don't need to mop. Each time the door is open for 2 to 3 min, you'll probably has 30min to an hour.

Hey Togster - Welcome to the forum. Most of the folks here wil go easy on you but do watch out for GLH, the official forum bouncer. His signature is "Keep the door closed!"

Now Smokin' didn't read your post quite right as from from 1:30 "in the morning" to 6:00 PM makes about 16 1/2 hrs.

Lots of people here have been finding it takes 2+ hrs per lb. But you have to remember that no two butts are the same. Each one is going to cook differently. And for some reason (maybe it's just me) it seems like the first smoke takes the longest. Anticipation...?

What works best for me is to start my smoke just before turning in for the evening with the temp set at about 185˚. I crank it up to 225˚ in the AM. Absolutely no need to mop. This is a very moist smoker!

Glad your first butt was a success even though you had to use alternative methods. At least you're thinking ahead!

Have fun & Good luck!

GHL - Go easy on him. He's new!!!

Togster,

First of all congrats on the new cooker.

I cook in an 009 and I will usually do 2-3 butts at a time. I like to take the internal temp to 200-205 degrees to get an easy pull.

Through trial and error(mostly error)I always plan on at least 18+ hours. I have not had a bad butt yet(no pun intended).

Keep at it...the fun has just begun.

Togster,

I'm surprised NO BODY mentioned an early start ! If you finish early you can ALWAY'S double foil wrap in a towel and cooler your product .. I've had thing's stay hot easy for 6 hrs. just my .002 Good Luck
Mark

Yeah, there I go again, trying to answer and not looking close at the clock. Yup, sounded too fast

Thanks, just shows someone reads my posts.

Am I really that harsh?

Spice your meat a day or 2 ahead of time. Put on a thick covering of rub and then wrap with plastic and let it sweat in the fridge. Don't forget to inject that mop sauce instead of actually mopping with it, YUM!

Yep, put in at bedtime (don't stay up so late LOL), on 200*F. I like to allow 2.5 hours per pound according to when the eating is post ta begin. Will give you plenty of leeway for finishing correctly and not getting too nervous, usually. It is done when it is done, according to your temp probe. I like 185 for slicing, 205 for pulling. When it hits that long plateau of stubborness and sometimes actually lose 5 degrees (big butts), crank that sucker all the way up to what is post ta be 250*F and leave it there til done (when it's done).

Most important......

Thanks for all the great advice, folks. I guess the main thing I was worried about was a smoker malfunction since I'm not familiar with it. I'm not a newbie to smokin' meat, so I've been down this road of taking longer than anticipated before. I just wanted some reassurance that I didn't have a problem with the new smoker. I do have some smoke leakage in the upper right corner, and wondered if that led to enough heat leakage to affect the cook time. I've read alot on this forum about not being concerned with that so didn't think that was the problem. Guess I just got a tough butt this time that needed some tamin'. The end result was excellent, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Thanks again for the advice. I'll post again when I do my next one and let you know how it went. I will certainly use all your suggestions to experiment and see how it turns out. I've already had some great results with yardbirds (these also took longer than anticipated - but have since read to cook these at the 250 deg setting instead of 225 on this forum), spare ribs, and trout fillets (especially the trout - best I've ever done). 200 deg for 1.5 hours and the fish was excellent after brining overnight. They were so wonderful looking I took a picture of them on the plate after I took them out. Never done that before with anything I've cooked!

Again, thanks for the feedback. GLH, I don't think you are harsh at all! I welcome any and all comments. I'll try injecting the mop next time, or may try no mop just to see how it works. I've always done a mop on the Weber kettle (indirect) but that is much hotter than this cooker.

I'm looking forward to my first brisket. I'll let you know how it turns out. Now that my Chiefs laid an egg in the playoffs, I'll have some extra time on my hands!

Togster

Sounds great.

That Smokette will perform way better with a big load like a big shoulder. The moist cooking environment negates the need for mopping. If you seasoned real good with wood only the first time, then the next with a big hunk of fatty pork, you have done an excellent job and the Smokette will only cook better and better the more you use it and it gets all sealed up. Looking forward to more of your cook posts.