The Texas BBQ Forum

I've got a 17.5 pound pork butt I'm smoking for a Young Life dinner in a couple of weeks. I know they are done when you can pull the bone out. But about how long should that take running around 275-300 where my smoker seems to run no matter what I do. I'm debating how early I have to get up to have it ready for them to eat at 6 PM. I normaly do brisket or turkeys this is a new world I'm entering. My kids said hey dads go a smoker and he can do it. So family honor is on the line here.

That's hogzilla

Are you sure it's not two butts in the cryovac?

If it is two, I would figure about an hour and a half per pound for the bigger of the two. If finished early, can always double wrap in foil and cover with newspaper in a cooler for 4-5 hours. Don't want the temp to drop below 140 for any length of time.

Not sure on the time if it is one butt.

At a steady 300 you looking at ABOUT 50 min lb 275 ABOUT 1 hr lb. I'll speed mine up if I'm in a hurry by wrapping after 4 hrs the last one I did wrap was a 9 lber it finished in 6 hrs + a 1 hr rest.

I went and looked in the freezer. You are correct it is 2 in the vac bag. But just 17 pounds total. That should take care of 20 folks when you include sides don't you think?

BluDawg wrote:At a steady 300 you looking at ABOUT 50 min lb 275 ABOUT 1 hr lb. I'll speed mine up if I'm in a hurry by wrapping after 4 hrs the last one I did wrap was a 9 lber it finished in 6 hrs + a 1 hr rest.

Foil or butcher paper? I have both.

I would think butcher paper... not sure though
I figure 1/2 pound meat per person seems to work out so everyone has plenty and usually a little left over