Resistant butt!

[Limey]

At 9-15am yesterday I put a 6.5lb Boston butt in my #3 at 225. It was intended for dinner last night. At 10pm it was stalled at 168. I reduced the temperature to 215 and went to bed. At 7am this morning IT was at 180. Temperature was increased back to 225 and IT finally hit 195 at 11-15am- a total smoke of 26 hours. Temperatures were verified by the Auger and two separate Polder thermometers, all within a few degrees of each other. Incidentally the Auger held temperature within one degree.
The butt was brined 12 hours in DM's brine, Memphis dust rubbed and rested 12 hours, and smoked with 5ozs of cherry with beer and apple cider vinegar in the water pan. Ambient temperature was around 78 during the day and 70 at night with a slight breeze(that's the Keys for you). My wife and I ate part of it for lunch today and it was excellent-very moist with great bark although I would have preferred a little more smoke flavour.
Anyone have any ideas about why it took so long?

 

[NDKoze]

This is another example, that for some reason these smaller cuts of meat are taking longer than bigger ones. It is an odd phenomenon that I don't really have an explanation for. We have seen it in butts and smaller brisket flats as well.

One recommendation for the next time is to start your butt around midnight for a next day evening meal. This allows you plenty of time to put it into warm mode if need be. If you are going to warm it in the smoker, I would set a step in your Auber to lower it down to 140 when the internal temp hits 190. The meat will keep cooking after it goes into warm mode and will most likely hit a top temp of very close to the desired 195 that we shoot for.

You can hold it in warm mode for several hours. Then, pull it out 1-2 hours before your meal-time, double-foil, and then rest in the cooler for 1-2 hours. Here lately I have been preferring to hold for 2 hours. After two hours, the butt is still very hot. Almost too hot to touch with bare hands, but is a perfect temp for pulling.

I would also shoot for a minimum of 7.5-10.0 pound butts in the future. We have just found that they cook more evenly and don't have quite as many surprises.

 

[DivotMaker]

Gregg's dead-on.  The "small cut" phenomenon is certainly real, and I sure can't explain it!  I once smoked a 4 lb corned beef brisket that took 11 hours!  Never again.  I only smoke 8 lb + butts and briskets.  They're predictable, and cook evenly.  Those smaller cuts have a mind of their own!

 

[Barrel99]

My last 6 lb boneless butt took 20 hours and so did my 10.5 with a bone. So who knows. But, I now  started cooking at a higher temp ...235 and that seems to help.

 

[Smokster]

My first butt was 10 lbs and took 23 hours to hit 195.  I was worried that something was wrong with my thermometer and that it was going to be overlooked and dry.

I was patient and stuck it out, and it turned out great. Every butt is different and each will differ as the slow cooking process breaks down the connective tissue and fat to make it nice and moist. They say 'low and slow' for a reason... Stick to this theory and you will produce some great Q.

 

[es1025]

I would bump up the temperature a bit. I smoke at 235-240 and finish the smoke at 1.5 hours per pound. My IT is 198.