Gonna try a fast cook of pork shoulder...

[paleoman]

I've got a 9 lb pork shoulder, and am going to a shot at doing the "5 hour" cook that Jeff describes at https://www.smoking-meat.com/five-hour-smoked-pork-butt.

Last time I did it low and slow (225˚F) for an 8 lb shoulder and it took about 20 hours. Came out great, but was a really long effort. We asked some friends to come over for the meal, so I wanted to try a quicker approach and will see how this works out.

Plan is to apply rub Friday night, wrap it, and let it sit over night in the fridge, and then start cooking at 6-7am Saturday (300˚F). I'm guessing it'll take more than 6 hours, given the weight of the piece, so I am planning on dinner at 5pm, giving 10-11 hours. I was thinking I could wrap and hold it in a cooler, until closer to dinner time.

I've got cherry, pecan, and Bear Mountain Old Fashioned (bourbon, olrange, and cherry) for pellets to choose from for this run. Last time I did cherry.

 

[SmokinEdge]

250-275 is where I roll. 300 will just be done sooner. 225 is a bad temp to cook if not much more experienced and even then knowing when to turn it up to finish is key. 250-300 is your friend for sure.

 

[paleoman]

250-275 is where I roll. 300 will just be done sooner. 225 is a bad temp to cook if not much more experienced and even then knowing when to turn it up to finish is key. 250-300 is your friend for sure.

Good to know! Here's the temp history from the last run with a 7lb 4 oz shoulder...I did push up the temp on the smoker (out of naive impatience)...

06:30pm Started (temps outside 25˚F). Set to 225˚F. Two probes inserted.
11:00pm Temps 145/140˚F. Outside it was 11˚F. (4.5 hrs)
04:30am Temps 165/162˚F. (10 hrs)
05:30am Temps 167/165˚F. (11 hrs)
06:30am Temps 169/167˚F. (12 hrs)
07:30am Temps 171/169˚F. Outside 3˚F. (13 hrs)
12:30pm Temps 176/172˚F. Outside 28˚F. (18 hrs)
01:15pm Upping temp to 275˚F on the smoker.
02:30pm Temps 192/189˚F (20 hrs)
03:15pm Temps 198˚F/194˚F. Removing pork and resting. (20 hrs 45 mins)

I guess it was stalling at the 10+ hour mark? Should I have wrapped it or increased the then?

The outside temps were brutal as well I was seeing a swing from 221-238˚F over about a 20 min observation interval on the Traegar in the early morning.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I guess it was stalling at the 10+ hour mark? Should I have wrapped it or increased the then?

Correct. It was the stall. That said at 250-275 that stall would have been greatly minimized. You can wrap to speed the process in the 160’s IT, nothing wrong with that, I often do.

 

[whistlepig]

I did (2) butts, 9 and 10 pounds respectively, 275 and they were done in 8.5 hours. They were just as good as all my previous butts done @ 225. I wouldn't mind trying 300 degrees if it works out for you.

 

[chopsaw]

Plan is to apply rub Friday night, wrap it, and let it sit over night in the fridge, and then start cooking at 6-7am Saturday (300˚F)

Get it out and let it warm up on the counter while the smoker is coming up to temp . I like an hour or so before going into the smoker .

If using my pellet smoker , I start at 200 . I'll run that for an hour or so , then bump temps 25 degrees at a time , and end up at 300 . Great smoke , and great bark .
No wrap .

 

[whistlepig]

I like the no wrap idea also.

 

[tallbm]

I've got a 9 lb pork shoulder, and am going to a shot at doing the "5 hour" cook that Jeff describes at https://www.smoking-meat.com/five-hour-smoked-pork-butt.

Last time I did it low and slow (225˚F) for an 8 lb shoulder and it took about 20 hours. Came out great, but was a really long effort. We asked some friends to come over for the meal, so I wanted to try a quicker approach and will see how this works out.

Plan is to apply rub Friday night, wrap it, and let it sit over night in the fridge, and then start cooking at 6-7am Saturday (300˚F). I'm guessing it'll take more than 6 hours, given the weight of the piece, so I am planning on dinner at 5pm, giving 10-11 hours. I was thinking I could wrap and hold it in a cooler, until closer to dinner time.

I've got cherry, pecan, and Bear Mountain Old Fashioned (bourbon, olrange, and cherry) for pellets to choose from for this run. Last time I did cherry.

I do my pork butts at 275F and unwrapped the whole time and they go about 1hr 5min per pound. I also do a "butterfly" cut where I lay them fat side DOWN and then cut like I was cutting in half until I hit the bone. Then I can get more seasoning in there and when I put them on the smoker I kind of spread them a bit so more smoke can penetrate in that split and therefore further into that center meat that usually gets no seasoning, smoke, or bark when left unsplit.

This also helps them cook a little faster.

One word of caution. If you wrap too early you will end up with a pork roast flavor instead of a pork bbq flavor. Too early = the moment you hit 160F or start the stall.
Let it ride a good amount of time and until it looks good and BBQ-like before wrapping it.

Even so, you know that unwrapped it takes around 1hr 5min a pound or so when it usually probes tender. It's done when its tender, never by time or temp.
My smoker (MES with a PID) is super efficient and holds moisture easily so I never need to wrap a pork butt, ribs, or a brisket. Your's may be different but if it holds temp well then you can plan better, being armed with this info. I would imagine at 300F in my smoker I would be around 55-60min per pound.

Easy planning math is to do the time per pound and then add 4 hours (10 pound pork but at 1hr a pound is 10 hours +4 = 14 hours). Start your smoke that amount of time before you plan to eat (eat at noon then start a 14 hour smoke at 10pm the night before).
If the meat comes off 4-6 hours early you simply tightly wrap in 2 layers of foil and then tightly wrap in 3 bath towels and set it on the table until time to eat.
If it doesn't finish 4 hours early... you have 4 hours for it to get done before eating time :D

I hope this info helps and have fun with it. Welcome to the world of hot smoking these big cuts. Once you get it down you never go back :D

 

[paleoman]

Hmm. Gives me a lot to think about...

I have a Traegar, which I've only done pulled pork once (the 20+ hour marathon cook, I mentioned).

The method in Jeff's recipe for a 5-8 lb pork shoulder, does 300˚F for 3 hours, wrapped until 205˚F IT (about 2 hours). I was thinking that it would be more like 7-8 hours for my 9 lb shoulder.

With dinner time set for 5pm, I had figured that starting at 6-7am would give ample time (1-3pm). Now, I'm concerned about whether that is going to work out, given guests being there.

If I use 1.2-1.4 hours/lb for 275˚F that gives 12.6 hours (plus 4 for margin and rest). Say 17 hours.
If I use 1-1.2 hours/lb for 300˚F that gives 10.8 hours (plus 4 for margin and rest). Say 15 hours.

That would imply a midnight to 2am start time.

So, I'm not sure, now, if I should try 275˚F at midnight, with the risk of it possibly being done really early and trying to keep it warm, or doing 300˚F at 6am and risk having it not being done in time...

If I didn't have guests, I wouldn't care when it gets done, but this makes it trickier.

 

[jcam222]

I'm 275F always for butts and sometimes cruise to 300F once wrapped. Every bit as good as 225 low and slow

 

[bigfurmn]

If you are worried about the finish time, start a bit earlier. It's easier to let it rest than to hurry up a cook for dinner time. Biggest thing is to remain calm and don't do anything crazy. If you eat at 5 or at 7, just means a few more chips or pretzels. Sounds like it'll be delicious.

 

[mneeley490]

I've used Jeff's 5-Hour method a couple of times. Mine took 7.5 to 8.5 hours, but I was also smoking 2 at a time. Still worthwhile, as I did the low & slow for years, and I think the longest one went 16 hours. So definitely a time-saver.

 

[Fueling Around]

A pellet pooper is basically a convection oven. The constant blowing fan speeds up the cook process. I cook around 300° as that is the lowest my unit will hold a steady temp. I found it is about 45 minutes per # or less depending on the cut of meat.
I also run a pellet tube for a bit more smoke flavor.
I often pan my meat and foil cover and move to the oven until it is probe tender.
Let cool until able to pull and back in the oven at 150° until serving time.

 

[paleoman]

A pellet pooper is basically a convection oven. The constant blowing fan speeds up the cook process. I cook around 300° as that is the lowest my unit will hold a steady temp. I found it is about 45 minutes per # or less depending on the cut of meat.
I also run a pellet tube for a bit more smoke flavor.
I often pan my meat and foil cover and move to the oven until it is probe tender.
Let cool until able to pull and back in the oven at 150° until serving time.

When you oven warm at 150˚F, do you cover? Do you do anything to keep it moistened?

I'm wondering if I should just stick with the 300˚F plan, and start a bit earlier at 5am to give 12 hours. That's within the estimated 10.8 hours, with some slop time. If it only takes 8.5 hours, I'll have plenty of warming time. If it runs longer than 12 hours, my wife will just have to stall them. :)

Maybe wrap, if it stalls for more than two hours or has a really nice bark... just thinking out loud.

 

[Fueling Around]

I keep it wrapped after pulling. All the juice I retain from panning the meat keeps it moist.

Running 300° in your Traeger will cook it pretty fast and get to the stall when I normally move to the oven. Once wrapped the smoke only perfumes the paper or foil and not the meat.

 

[tallbm]

When you oven warm at 150˚F, do you cover? Do you do anything to keep it moistened?

I'm wondering if I should just stick with the 300˚F plan, and start a bit earlier at 5am to give 12 hours. That's within the estimated 10.8 hours, with some slop time. If it only takes 8.5 hours, I'll have plenty of warming time. If it runs longer than 12 hours, my wife will just have to stall them. :)

Maybe wrap, if it stalls for more than two hours or has a really nice bark... just thinking out loud.

I agree with bigfurmn . If in doubt start earlier. It's super easy to hold a pork butt or brisket and keep it warm until eating time than it is to try and make the meat finish faster.

As Fueling Around mentions, you can just hold the pork but in the oven if it finishes way early OR you can just heat it up quickly in the oven as well. I've done both.

In short if it comes off way early and rests 4-5 hours wrapped in foil and towels (or a cooler) and there is still more time you just pop it in the oven at the lowest setting. I think my oven only goes down to 170F.
It will not hurt the meat at 170F because serving/shredding temp is about 165-170F anyhow in my house.

Heat up with it in the foil and put it on a rimmed backing sheet or in a pan just in case it leaks. The tightly wrapped 2 layers of foil should hold all the juices in when you reheat it.

Hell if you want to be super prepared you can smoke it a day or days earlier, have it double wrapped in foil, let it cool, refrigerate until the day you eat where you reheat at like 325F for 2 hours or so and boom ready to shred and serve. BBQ taste better the next day or 2 anyhow so you would get great flavor penetration while it rests... but your fridge will smell like smoke so a garage fridge is best to not piss off the wife :D
I've done all of these options so know I'm not just making things up or repeating things I've heard or read. These things all work :D

You have some options but all signs point to, the earlier you finish, the better :D

 

[sandyut]

I am with the popular majority and do them at 275 all the way through, I dont wrap anything ever. always turn out great.

 

[paleoman]

My main concern is having it run over, with guests here.

I know last time, at 225˚F it took almost 21 hours for a shoulder just over 8 lbs. The stall was REALLY long.

From what I was reading on the internet, it looks like (roughly):
1.5 to 2.0 hrs/lb for 250˚F
1.2 to 1.4 hrs/lb for 275˚F
1.0 to 1.2 hrs/lb for 300˚F

For my 9 lb shoulder, that gives (with 4 hour safety margin):
250˚F => 13.5 to 18 hours (17.5 - 22 hours)
275˚F => 10.8 to 12.6 hours (14.8 - 16.6 hours)
300˚F => 9 to 10.8 hours (13 - 14.8 hours)

Thinking of a few options...

A) 300˚F, start 5am, have 12 hours time. Giving about 1-3 hours margin.
B) 275˚F, start at 11pm Friday, having 18 hours time. Giving 5-8 hours margin.
C) 250˚F, start at 8pm Friday, having 21 hours time. Giving 3-7 hours margin.

Option A may be tight on time if it indeed takes that long (sounds like people are seeing 8-9 hours, so may be OK).

Option B seems like it will have loads of time and I'll definitely be holding.

Option C also seems like it has plenty of time (given it took 21 hours at 225 before, for an 8 pounder).

I guess another option is to start at 250˚F (when?), and then increasing to 275/300 in the morning. I'm just not sure when to start, when to decide to increase.

Thoughts? Any other ideas?

 

[whistlepig]

This was my last pulled pork smoke @ 275. I did two butts at the same time on my Masterbuilt 560. I'm getting ready to smoke a couple of more butts because I only got 1 pound left.

PULLLED PORK X2	BUTT #1	BUTT #2	START TIME	TIME	INTERNAL TEMP	RUB
SET SMOKER TEMP@ 275	9.84 POUNDS	8.71 POUNDS	6:00 AM	6:00 AM	40/40	SM SWEET SEDUCTION, SM CHERRY, MUSTARD
				10:30 AM	149/152
				11:00 AM	157/160
				11:30 AM	160/162	FOILED AND IN OVEN @ 275 DEGREES
				2:30 PM	208/206	PULLED FROM OVEN

 

[pc farmer]

Maybe I missed it but "shoulder"? A butt? What cut? It doesn't really matter thou. I don't wrap anything. 250-275 works very well for pp and brisket