Help on a Pork Butt

[Sparky]

Morning all. Wife & daughter decided that they wanted to smoke a pork butt this weekend. This will be my first pork butt I every smoked, done a few racks of ribs & a brisket. So here are my questions, how many hours per pound, what temp do you start at and for how long then what temp, can I put the butt in a disposable aluminum pan to help on clean up and cook in it's own juices. I'm doing this on a KC Combo. Thanks in advance for the help0.

 

[DaveXDm9]

I shoot to maintain my smoker temperature at 225 degrees F and can typically plan about 2 hours of cook time per pound of pork. For example, an 8 pound pork shoulder will take about 16 hours from start to finish. Every cut of meat is a little bit different though, so if you want real control over how your meat is cooking. I’ve had some 8 pound smoked pork butts finish in 12 hours and some 10 pound smoked pork butts take 20 hours to finish.

I recommend a good thermometer to keep track of the internal temperature of the meat. You’ll notice a pattern emerge as you start to smoke pork butts more frequently. You will notice your meat rises in temperature up to about 145 degrees F pretty quickly, then the cooking process will slow dramatically and take hours to increase in temperature from 145 degrees F to 165 degrees F. This phase is called the “Stall” and is completely normal. Don’t panic, just let everything keep cooking and eventually the temperature will start to rise again.

 

[Sparky]

I shoot to maintain my smoker temperature at 225 degrees F and can typically plan about 2 hours of cook time per pound of pork. For example, an 8 pound pork shoulder will take about 16 hours from start to finish. Every cut of meat is a little bit different though, so if you want real control over how your meat is cooking. I’ve had some 8 pound smoked pork butts finish in 12 hours and some 10 pound smoked pork butts take 20 hours to finish.

I recommend a good thermometer to keep track of the internal temperature of the meat. You’ll notice a pattern emerge as you start to smoke pork butts more frequently. You will notice your meat rises in temperature up to about 145 degrees F pretty quickly, then the cooking process will slow dramatically and take hours to increase in temperature from 145 degrees F to 165 degrees F. This phase is called the “Stall” and is completely normal. Don’t panic, just let everything keep cooking and eventually the temperature will start to rise again.

Do you recommend to wrap in tin foil when it hits the stall?

 

[MikeInFla]

Yes, wrap when 165. Here is a video I made last year.

 

[DaveXDm9]

I have a pork butt in the grill now.

 

[Sparky]

MikeInFla & DaveXDm9, thanks for the help. It turned out great. This was also the 1st long cook I have done on the KC Combo and had no problems. Checked and pushed the ashes from the burn pot about every 2 hours. Had about a 10 degree swing during the hole time. I'm very happy with this unit.​

 

[blackhawk556]

Morning all. Wife & daughter decided that they wanted to smoke a pork butt this weekend. This will be my first pork butt I every smoked, done a few racks of ribs & a brisket. So here are my questions, how many hours per pound, what temp do you start at and for how long then what temp, can I put the butt in a disposable aluminum pan to help on clean up and cook in it's own juices. I'm doing this on a KC Combo. Thanks in advance for the help0.

what temperature did you cook the shoulder at? I just cooked one yesterday and I feel it was hell. I started at 250 and internal temp wouldn't go above 127. Such a hassle.

How quickly did yours take to reach 160 internal and then 200?

 

[Sparky]

what temperature did you cook the shoulder at? I just cooked one yesterday and I feel it was hell. I started at 250 and internal temp wouldn't go above 127. Such a hassle.

How quickly did yours take to reach 160 internal and then 200?

I started at 225 for about 4 hours then bump it to 250. I hit the stall at 175 for about 3 hours then gave up and finished it off in the stove for about 1 hour. All in all it took almost 17 hours for a 8.5 pound butt.

 

[DaveXDm9]

My neighbor behind me has a stick burner. He smoked a 8lb Pork Butt in 8 hours yesterday. He gets his grill at 250 then smokes it to the Pork Butt reach 165 then he takes it off wraps it in foil.

He then cranks the grill to 325 and cooks the butt to it reaches 200 then removes it wraps in a towel and places it in a cooler until it reaches 205 the bone just falls out of the meat plus the bark on it was incredible, but that is what you get with a wood burning smoker. I tasted the meat it was the same cooking it for 18 hours.

I am going to try this on my pellet grill and see if the outcome is the same as this will be great and it will save on pellets not grilling a pork butt for 18 hours.

 

[Sparky]

My neighbor behind me has a stick burner. He smoked a 8lb Pork Butt in 8 hours yesterday. He gets his grill at 250 then smokes it to the Pork Butt reach 165 then he takes it off wraps it in foil.

He then cranks the grill to 325 and cooks the butt to it reaches 200 then removes it wraps in a towel and places it in a cooler until it reaches 205 the bone just falls out of the meat plus the bark on it was incredible, but that is what you get with a wood burning smoker. I tasted the meat it was the same cooking it for 18 hours.

I am going to try this on my pellet grill and see if the outcome is the same as this will be great and it will save on pellets not grilling a pork butt for 18 hours.

But look at all those beers you’ll miss out on