Hey y'all. Thanks for all the help with the ribs last weekend. Things turned out great and as a result, I have been asked to make pulled pork for lunch Friday.

I bought 2 ~6.5 lb boston butts today. My plan is to get the rub on them Thursday morning around 6 and have the WSM fired up with the butts going on at ~4:30 PM. This is my first overnighter, and I am hoping that the ~14.5 hours (need to pull them around 7 AM to get to work) would be enough for them to cook. Is that reasonable?

I have a Maverick ET-73 that I plan to use. What would be an appropriate range for the smoker temp? Even with the therm, I am still a little nervous about letting it go all night...

Thanks guys.

I cook butts at 250 degrees, and that seems to work well for me. I have never cooked one as small as 6.5 pounds, so I can't give you any personal experience as far as cooking time on one that size. I suspect that they will get done in less than 14.5 hours, though. If they do, you don't have to pull them right away - you could wrap them in foil and put them into a small cooler for a few hours. (So, if they get done at 2:30 a.m. like two of mine once did, don't spend time pulling them then. Foil, put in the cooler, and go back to sleep for a few more hours and pull them at a more reasonable time.)

Marques, I just did a couple of butts a few weeks ago. 1 about 9 lbs and 6 lbs, the smaller one was done in about 11 1/2 hrs. The bigger came off at 15hrs. That 14.5 seems a little long to me also. These cooked in the 240* range give or take. Like larry said have a cooler at the ready. Double wrap in HD foil and catch a few more ZZZZZ's. Good luck on the cook. Let us know how it goes.

Ok. I guess I will plan to set the range from about 220 to 270. So, if they are started about 4:30 or 5, I guess I could expect to take them off around 5 in the morning as a reference.

Another question...Do y'all use water in the pan? Or just foil it? I used water for the first time with the ribs on Saturday, and the smoker didn't get up to temp for a couple hours, and once it evaporated, it shot up too much.

I think 12 hrs is a more resonable time frame. Though don't stick to that only. they could be done sooner or later. If you plan on foiling midcook then do so around 165* then cook till done. I'd start checking around 195* =/- a few. I stick a fork in and twist. If it spins easily then pull them off.
As far as the water goes. I've made the switch to the clay saucer with without looking back. If you use water fill with hot water that should get you up to temp quicker. This is my post following my first butt and clay saucer cook.
http://tvwbb.infopop.cc/eve/fo...=972100892#972100892
It went great IMO. Very easy to do.

I smoked a couple of 8lb Boston butts a few weeks ago on my 22.5WSM and they were well done at 10 hrs here in FL., with a full load of fresh Kingsford blue bag. Really more then I needed but I did not want to have refill in the middle of the cook, and the stuff lasted 15 or 16 hours. I'd start checking temps at eight hours especially if you are using it. Burns long and hold temps really well IMO, in fact I have a hard time believing how long and steady the stuff is, but it could just be the WSM. No temp controls used.

I smoked two pork butts a few weeks ago. Both were about 10.5 lbs. each. I used the original Kingsford and smoking was done at around 235F. Internal temps were 198F when I pulled them out of the smoker 11 hours and 15 minutes after starting.

So, I was at my buddy's house last night for the cook and did not have access to the forum ,or I would have provided hourly updates...

Anyway, I got them on about 7:00. I pulled them off the smoker around 7:00 AM and they were at 185*. Probe seemed to slide in pretty easy, so hopefully they will be tender enough.

When I get home tonight, I will post the pics and let y'all know how they turned out. Thanks.

Ok guys. Here are the pics.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44013740@N03/4059781768/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44013740@N03/4059037921/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44013740@N03/4059781806/

I made the mistake of not telling them to hold off on eating until I got a pic of it pulled. So, the pulled pic will have to wait until tomorrow.

Thanks again for all the help. This forum is AWESOME!

edit:

Here's the pulled pic.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44013740@N03/4061586948/

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Marques Reed,