How long for two Boston Butts on a UDS

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Chr1spy

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Hey guys,

I'm just finishing up my build of an Ugly Drum Smoker and I'm looking for some advice about how to best use it as I'm cooking for the reception following my son's Christening in a couple weeks. We're having about 40 guests and there's a lot on the menu. My wife is cooking trays of baked ziti and some chicken parm, but I'm also planning on cooking some barbecue as well, probably two boston butts and maybe a brisket too if I can borrow my friend's drum.

So my question is... if I load my UDS smoker up with two boston butts how long should I allow to cook it? I know an exact prediction is tough and every smoker is different, but I'd like to at least get a better ballpark idea. I'm not an experienced cue guy and while I'm planning on testing my drum out once before the party it will likely be with one butt on and not two.

My drum smoker has two cooking grates, one is an inch from the top (I'm using a weber kettle lid) and another seven inches down from that. I'm thinking I'll also use an 18" pizza pan as a diffusion plate and will likely foil the meat after five hours or so. If I can borrow my friend's smoker I might do a brisket at the same time on his drum smoker.

Any help or advice you can provide to a newbie bretheren would be greatly appreciated.
 
It'll take the same amount of time as one butt takes (assuming all the same size). Cooking at 250*, I'd plan on 1.5 hours per pound, but expect it to take a little less than that. Probably closer to 1 hour per pound if you are wrapping. Keep in mind that you want to let them rest for at least an hour, too, so factor that in to your timing. Wrapped in foil, covered with a towel, and resting in a cooler, they'll keep for a long time, so don't be worried about finishing too early, as there almost is no such thing.

Be sure to cook to tenderness, not temp or time. You can use internal temp as a guide and start checking tenderness at about 190* (assuming pulled pork?), though it probably won't be probe tender for another ~5-15*. When your probe/skewer/sharp, pointy object slides in with no resistance OR the bone wiggles free with little/no resistance, you're clear to pull, wrap, and rest.

Might I suggest cooking at least one of them unwrapped the whole way? The bark on a naked pork butt is absolutely delicious.

Good luck with the cook. You're gonna love that drum.
 
Start early!

I've held butts in a cooler double wrapped with heavy duty cling wrap, then double wrapped with aluminum for over 4 hours, and they were still too hot to pull by hand.

I think I've heard others going close to 6-8 hrs.

Assuming 10 lb butts, will run you anywhere to 12-15 hours. Foil at 165 if you're finding yourself tight on time. Better to reheat in the oven than have your guests wait for the food.
 
If you're running solid 250 (measured ON the grate, not some external mounted thermometer), you should be closer to 1 hour / lb; 10 lb'ers being roughly 10 hours.

You're new to this. Cooking for a party isn't highly recommended when you're new. That said, one way to give you a little more margin for error is to foil. I highly recommend foiling heavily, tightly a little over 4 hours into the cook. What was said above is true, but frankly it's betting all on your experience on the smoker and as a seasoned BBQ enthusiast/cook. This isn't the case, so I wouldn't bet the farm on it (been there; done that; purchased pizza). That, or be prepared to call in that Domino's order....
 
300* and I'm at 45 minute per, no wrapping and get a nice mahogany color.
 
Fwismoker said:
300* and I'm at 45 minute per, no wrapping and get a nice mahogany color.
Click to expand...

^^That. But I do set mine in a foil boil around 2/3 of the way through just to have a little juice just in case it's dry. But I haven't needed it yet.

I don't think I would do a brisket. But that's me. They aren't near as forgiving.
 
I find that my UDS cooks a lot faster than my stick burner. Mine takes between 45min-1hr per pound at 250 degrees. If you have a couple weeks before the big cook, I would buy one and give it a trial run. It will be time and money well spent.
 
Thanks to all for the advice.

Given the advice I think I'll probably budget about a 12 hour cook at 250 with a three hour rest in the cooler. I'll foil around four hours in. This way if I need to I can cook a couple hours more and rest it less and/or jack up the heat on the cook. If it's ready in ten I can pull it off rest it longer and reheat over sternos. I'll be monitoring both the meats and the cooker along the way with both the side mounted thermometer, a Maverick on the cooking grate and a thermapen.

Lake Dogs, I hear you on the not recommended for new guys. I'm not betting the farm (or in this case rental apartment) on the cue - we'll have plenty of food in addition to what I'm smoking to get us through the party. I'm aware that this is a bit of a Hail Mary, but what the hell - you only live once. Also, I'm a New Yorker - if I need pizza, a conveyor belt cooked abomination like Dominoes would not be in the cards. We might not know as much about cue as you guys in Georgia, but we do know our pizza ;)
 
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the key is to monitor butt IT with something like a Maverick and then start probing at 190. As was mentioned, cook to tenderness, not any particular IT,
 
time / temp.

Hello , Crisipy. How hot are you going and what is your time line?

I do multiples at one time , all bone -in and the same basic size (10#). I'll cook at 225*F until my IMT is 200*F or the bone pulls with a tug. Perfect everytime and excellent Bark (no foiling) and juicy :wink:.

You will have them in for 1.5 hrs. / lb. (or more , and they will both come out fine and possibly the same time). Be sure to allow for extra time . You can hold them Wrapped in foil and towels , then placed in a warm ice cooler (warm water in it to warm , then empty before the Butts go in) , will hold for several hrs.

Have fun and be patient , it's a "virtue" in BBQing :thumb:.

Stan . . .
 
Your already getting good advice... I'd get in as many cooks on your cooker as possible between now and then.

My UDS runs 270 and I had a 8lb (trimmed weight)picnic on for 8 and rested it in a cooler wrapped for 9 hours... it was still nice and hot.

Mine was 5 hours on then wrap for 2 and start checking for tender.
 
Chr1spy said:
Thanks to all for the advice.

Given the advice I think I'll probably budget about a 12 hour cook at 250 with a three hour rest in the cooler. I'll foil around four hours in. This way if I need to I can cook a couple hours more and rest it less and/or jack up the heat on the cook. If it's ready in ten I can pull it off rest it longer and reheat over sternos. I'll be monitoring both the meats and the cooker along the way with both the side mounted thermometer, a Maverick on the cooking grate and a thermapen.

Lake Dogs, I hear you on the not recommended for new guys. I'm not betting the farm (or in this case rental apartment) on the cue - we'll have plenty of food in addition to what I'm smoking to get us through the party. I'm aware that this is a bit of a Hail Mary, but what the hell - you only live once. Also, I'm a New Yorker - if I need pizza, a conveyor belt cooked abomination like Dominoes would not be in the cards. We might not know as much about cue as you guys in Georgia, but we do know our pizza ;)
Click to expand...

I'll absolutely tip my hat to 'ya on the pizza; we cant get any good NY pies around here. We're stuck with trying to find the best of crapola when it comes to pizza. Yeah, I understand the hail mary, sometimes they can be especially fun, just know it is a hail mary (which you do know). I hope they come out WONDERFUL for 'ya and you can save the pizza money for the next gathering.
 
I have done up to 4 butts at a time on my WSM. She likes to run about 270* - 280*, so that is fine. I usually foil so the butt doesn't get too dark (I don't prefer meteors) and to retain some juices. One or many butts seems to take about 9 hours that way, give or take a half hour. Don't be surprised if one is done and the other needs longer...
 
The absolute BEST pizza I ever had was at Penn Station. The crust was bite through, not chewy, sauced perfectly, I was in heaven. I'll never forget it.
Good luck on the cook!
 
Hey Chr1spy, quick off topic question for you. Have you found a decent source (price) for brisket in the city?
 
The other week when I done butts...my UDS run steady @ 266. I foiled my butts at 165 and checked them again @ 205 and the bone had a lot of wiggle. Pulled them and let them rest. Turned out good!!!
Used Stubbs for charcoal. Cook time was about 8 hours. Both the butts was about 9lbs each.
 
A lot depends on what you want to do. Since you don't have a lot of experience. Sounds like you would have to have the butts resting by 3 pm the latest. That means cooking at 275 you probably need to get the butts on and stabilized by 6 am, 5 am would give you an extra margin. Or cook at 300, get them on at 4-5 am. Or cook at 225, get them on at 9pm the night before, in the morning 6 or 7 am you should check them. Depending on how they are doing, you can ramp the temp up if you need them done sooner or just let them go till done. I've done it all the different temps/hrs etc. Getting up at 4 am is normal for me, and cooking at 300 works quite well, but If I have other things to get done ( like your party) I prefer to do the overnight cook and not be rushed.
This is all knowing that you are able/confident that your drum runs a steady temp without you being there.
I also agree, forget the brisket. You could do chuck roasts just like the brisket, they take a lot less time, taste almost as good and if you mess them up your not out all that $$. A lot of folks think they are eating my brisket when it in fact is chuck roast when done right. I let them know after and they can not believe it.
 
You should be able to find two 8# butts to save some time. An 8# butt will feed 15 people easy so you would still have leftovers. My time line for cooking butts is an hour per pound plus one hour cooking at 270, plus any rest time.
 
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