First pork shoulder Thursday!

[88nitro305]

Picked up 2 pork shoulders from work gonna smoke one Thursday on the WSM for the 1st time! It’s 8lbs should I get up at 3am and do it low and slow at 225 or sleep in a bit and start it around 6:30 around 300? I’m shooting to eat around 5-5:30. Any opinions?

 

[gmc2003]

I don't like doing overnight smokes, but allot of folks here do. Where I live we have to many wild critters roaming around at night. If it were me I would start at 4:30 and smoke at 250 - 260*. My WSM and I are comfortable at those temps. Be prepared as the shoulder may take longer than expected or it may be a shorter cook. Every piece of meat is a little different. Let us know how it goes.

Chris

 

[88nitro305]

I don't like doing overnight smokes, but allot of folks here do. Where I live we have to many wild critters roaming around at night. If it were me I would start at 4:30 and smoke at 250 - 260*. My WSM and I are comfortable at those temps. Be prepared as the shoulder may take longer than expected or it may be a shorter cook. Every piece of meat is a little different. Let us know how it goes.

Chris

Thanks! Yea I’ve never done an overnight smoke nor think I want to.. not a lot of critters just drug attics...had a garden lighthouse stolen out our backyard... don’t feel like leaving my baby out there... hmm 4:30 is better then 3:30 haha

 

[gmc2003]

I understand about the druggies, we had an antique water pump stolen from my wife's garden last summer. We tracked it down at a local second hand store. Well the lady at the store remembered who she bought it from and he was arrested. It turned out to be a neighbor from down the road. I saw him a few days later and he wasn't very apologetic. So I told him if I ever caught him in my yard again trying to steal something I had a sledge hammer just-a-waiting for his fingers.
He could tell by the veins popping out of my forehead that I was serious. Haven't seen him anywhere near the house since.

Chris.

 

[SmokinAl]

I smoke my butts at 270-280, no stall & about 1 hour per pound cook time.
But as said above every piece of meat reacts a little differently, 1 hour is just an estimate!
Al

 

[88nitro305]

Damn! Yea we see a lighthouse up the street like ours.......

I understand about the druggies, we had an antique water pump stolen from my wife's garden last summer. We tracked it down at a local second hand store. Well the lady at the store remembered who she bought it from and he was arrested. It turned out to be a neighbor from down the road. I saw him a few days later and he wasn't very apologetic. So I told him if I ever caught him in my yard again trying to steal something I had a sledge hammer just-a-waiting for his fingers.
He could tell by the veins popping out of my forehead that I was serious. Haven't seen him anywhere near the house since.

Chris.

m

I smoke my butts at 270-280, no stall & about 1 hour per pound cook time.
But as said above every piece of meat reacts a little differently, 1 hour is just an estimate!
Al

thank you and yes I’ve learned over the years just cuz I plan on dinner being done at a certain time, doesn’t mean it will be..

 

[ravenclan]

I do overnight smokes on a Friday or Saturday. I invite my friends over and tell them to bring something to throw in the smoker. Makes the time go by and we drink some beer and have some laughs. really good time and gives me an excuse to have a "party" and with the food the wife is happy, even if we do get a little too loud at two in the morning!

 

[88nitro305]

I do overnight smokes on a Friday or Saturday. I invite my friends over and tell them to bring something to throw in the smoker. Makes the time go by and we drink some beer and have some laughs. really good time and gives me an excuse to have a "party" and with the food the wife is happy, even if we do get a little too loud at two in the morning!

That sounds like an awesome idea!

 

[ravenclan]

we also make sure we put something in the smoker that will be done for "sampling" during the night. Brats,chicken legs,hotdogs are quick and are real good smoked. also did a meatloaf that did not make it off the smoker.

Thats also the time to do different things to try out on your buddies to see what works and what is good.

 

[noboundaries]

I'm 3/4s of the way through an overnight, 9.2 lb pork butt smoke. I love overnight smokes, but I don't have the issues the OP has.

Given the OP's schedule, follow Al's advice. Hot n fast at 275-300 will give you the results you need in your time frame. When I was working, that's how I did butts, especially when taking them to work for potlucks.

 

[88nitro305]

I'm 3/4s of the way through an overnight, 9.2 lb pork butt smoke. I love overnight smokes, but I don't have the issues the OP has.

Given the OP's schedule, follow Al's advice. Hot n fast at 275-300 will give you the results you need in your time frame. When I was working, that's how I did butts, especially when taking them to work for potlucks.

Yea I’m leaning towards 250-275

 

[gary s]

Good evening and welcome to the forum from a sunny and kinda hot day here in East Texas, and the best site on the web. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about everything.

Gary

 

[88nitro305]

Do y’all wrap your pork butts? Should I?

 

[88nitro305]

Nvm! I’ve been reading other post about wrapping or not. Just found a whole other section in the forum dedicated to certain meats... I’m on mobile (no computer) so sometimes the mobile sites get confusing

 

[noboundaries]

Do y’all wrap your pork butts? Should I?

Since is your first pork butt, I suggest wrapping, but that's entirely up to you. It speeds things up and will ease your mind that it will finish on time. You mentioned 250F above. Given your timeframe on an 8 lb butt, I wouldn't go below 275F. It is better to finish early that late.

 

[jbellard]

I would also do 275 and wrap when IT hits 170. Then you’ll see that temp really start moving up quickly.
Get it done and then keep it either in a cooler or put it in your oven at 170 degrees. Either method will hold the pork butt for hours

 

[88nitro305]

Thanks guys! I really really do appreciate all this info! I think I’ll get up at 4:15 fire up the smoker and get it on by 5am. Smoke at 270 until 170 then wrap if the time seems to be working against me. I’ve done everything I can to prepare myself.. all that’s left is lighting the pit and putting the probe in.. should head to bed now..

 

[jbellard]

Hey Nitro!

I really like getting my rub on as thick as I can so that there is coverage everywhere. Really helps make the bark amazing.
Sweet smoker by the way.

 

[motolife313]

Did a butt last weekend 250-275 stalled at 175-176 about 20 minutes and that was it, it was a really lean shoulder tho. I deliver to winco almost everyday I'm going to start looking for good butts and have them held aside. I wanna find another butt like this one

 

[88nitro305]

I hit I with more rub this morning, that rubs last night was so it could absorb the flavor. Waiting for the smoker to come up to temp then it’s all set. Feel kinda bad for my neighbors hope they didn’t sleep with the windows open cuz the smoke and wind went right next door.....