How long can you safely hold a butt before pulling/eating?

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TheCook

Senior Cook
Joined
Apr 30, 2006
Messages
452
Location
Longview, TX
I've got a pork butt on the WSM right now (750am). I was planning on it comming off at 1pm so I can take it to work and we can pull it by 4pm or so. But as of now, the temp. is at 190 so it will be ready much faster than any of my other butts. The smoker temp did get up there a little. I had the alarm set for 285 and it went off this morning, who knows how long it hovered at 280 before it did.

So my question, is this butt still going to be good and juicy?

and

How long can I keep it wrapped in foil in a ice chest before I pull it and serve?

Thanks,
 
News paper is your friend. I have double wrapped butts in foil then held in a red neck cambro with news paper on the bottom and top for 6 hours and they still temped at 160. I also pre heat the cooler with hot water. DON"T OPEN THE LID! Every hour to check them. (but you knew that, right? ;) :LOL: )
 
I typically double wrap butts in HD aluminum foil, then wrap them in an old heavy towel and place them in an insulated soft-side food carrier, and I have held them for 5 hours, and the temp was 157 when I removed it. I usually pull my butts at 195-200 degrees.
 
8-10 hours in a dry cooler, double wrapped in foil, air void filled with newspaper, blankets etc, lid not opened... even longer if the temperature outside is friendly... just leave a thermometer in the cooler so know how hot it is when you finally need to pull em
 
The main one to remember in my mind is the HD rule of no longer than 4 hours in the danger zone 140 - 40 F.

I have held pork in a cooler for 4 - 5 hours and it was still above 150 and not yet in the danger zone at that time.

As the others have said, wrap it well, put towels under and around as well as on top, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was still above 140 at around the 7 hours mark, (guess or estimate not fact or rule)!
 
FYI .. I have filled a Marine cooler with pork butts,, as well as filled a Marine cooler with ribs.. and both times,,, 18-20 hours later, the meat was still way above 140... actually hovered in the 160 range... do it precisley, and diligently, and it works ...IE .. pre warmed cooler, paper filling voids, double wrapped with Aluminium foil.. if you do not take these precautions, do not attemp to do it..
 
I prefer to use news paper as I can just chuck it out at the end. Towels you have to wash, and they tend to stink. Plus pork grease in the washer is not a good thing. Been there, the wife was NOT happy. ;)
 
Pigs On The Wing BBQ said:
I prefer to use news paper as I can just chuck it out at the end. Towels you have to wash, and they tend to stink. Plus pork grease in the washer is not a good thing. Been there, the wife was NOT happy. ;)

I have used newspapers, but what I usually do is put a few layers of aluminium foil over the meat product, then the towels.. they still get stinky from the smoke, but not all stained
 
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