Cook time for 50lb pig!

[dandan]

Hey everyone so for my Brothers House warming party hes buying a 50lb whold pig and im gonna put it on the smoker. This is my first whole pig and need to know what should i cook it at 250 degrees?  Also how long will it take or what do you smoking vets recommend for a first time whole hog ?  Please help me out its not till 2 weeks from now but i need a heads up on it.  Thank you

Dan

 

[cheapchalee]

You'll get or should get a few varing opions on this, here is my take if your smoker will hold the whole pig.  I would arrange it on racks or screens, rub it down and put it in the smoker at 225- 250.  Smoke till temp in hams are at at least 170 for firm, and about 190 for pulled type meat.

Once you get over 170 in the hams, you could take the ribs and other thin parts out or wait a little longer and it will all far apart.  Towards the end of the smoking if the skin is on, I would turn the skin side down this would help hold a few juices in and keep it from falling apart during removal.

Cowgirl could probably give you some good info.

Chalee

 

[dandan]

ok so are we talking that this pig should only take around 12 hours or so to cook then?

 

[dforbes]

It is hard to say for sure how long anything will take to cook. I can tell you I cooked a 125 lb hog this spring that I cut in half and it took about 14 hours. Hope this helps. Here is a link to my posts

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/91820/and-the-pig-is-on#post_471920

 

[ajs228]

I'm looking to do this too.  First step is to built my pit.  How wide/long is the pig when it's butterflied open?  Will a 44x44 inch grill be large enough to fit the whole pig?  Thanks.

 

[scarbelly]

I'm looking to do this too.  First step is to built my pit.  How wide/long is the pig when it's butterflied open?  Will a 44x44 inch grill be large enough to fit the whole pig?  Thanks.

Here is a link for you 

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/search.php?search=whole+hogs

 

[meatinc]

I did this 50lb pig on my Traeger 075.  It was supposed to be fully thawed when I put it on and I estimated 5 hours.  The hams were at 32F IT when I put it on the pit and it took closer to 7 hours to get to 190F at the hams.  I started cooking at 225 and after about an hour I bumped it to 250.  After about another 2 hours I bumped the pit to 275F.

It came out really good, juicy, and people had nothing but good things to say.  The loin was still juicy but the ribs were a little too fall off the bone.

pig1.jpg

• meatinc
• Oct 10, 2012

I didn't do much except add some dry rub inside, coat the skin with olive oil and cut the vertical slits in the skin.  The slits made the skin very easy to remove and in sections.  I recommend this step.  I didn't bother to inject and I don't think it needed it at the end.

I foiled the ears and the snout until the last hour so they wouldn't burn.

pig2.jpg

• meatinc
• Oct 10, 2012

Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[cooknhogz]

I have done a good amount of whole hogs. What works for me is, I skin the hog then coat very, very well with rub and inject with my mojo. Meat aways comes out juicy and very flavorful.