Been away for a couple of days...trying to reply
Ed, my brother-in-smoke, I consider slow cookin' to be 200 to 250 or so. By the time I get to 275, I'm thinkin' pretty hot for butts - and especially for ribs. This is just MY idea about smokin' temps for MY backyard. When I cooked this Butt on Friday, I placed it closer to the exhaust - further from the firebox. To measure the temp at meat level, I pushed my BBQ probe tip THRU the meat so it was protruding over the grates. I believe I get a pretty accurate reading with that method. On that end of the grates I am close to 275 when the thermometer in the lid is around 300. I can build a sustainable fire to hold 325 if I need to - glad I haven't needed to. Of course, I can always move the meat closer to the firebox for higher temps. ALSO, most butts are tapered, aren't they? I place 'em so the larger end is facing the firebox - seems to cook evenly.
Muebe, my mentor (along with others,) I find that I rarely cook 7.5 - 8 lb butts more than 8 hours (one took a little over 9 hours). I wouldn't cook 'em if they took 11 or more hours. Then again, mine probably don't turn out as good as yours.
Sparky1, great minds think alike...I believe the combination will work well for me...smokin' for 3 to 4 hours, wrap and finish for 3 to 4 hours depending on the I T. One of the most important things I have learned is to let the pork "rest" for about an hour under a loose tent. That has made a world of difference in the juiciness -what I call "the moisture content" of the meat.
SO --- I guess the answer is, "cook it the way you like it and the don't worry about the fat". B T W, i went through it well and took out all those ugly clumps of fat you don't want to find in your sandwich.
Thanks, again, folks for all your valuable input. I think I'm gonna make it.