Pork Shoulder - how much smoke?

[Stamey]

Camp Chef Smoke Vault 24" - Maybe a strange question, but I'd appreciate some advice. How important is it during the LONG process of getting the pork shoulder up to ~205, that the smoker is actively producing smoke? In my short time smoking, I've tried to keep the smoke rolling as close to 100% of the time that I can, but on a long smoke that's tricky - especially a pork shoulder where I may start really early and smoke all day. Is there a period during the cooking where the meat has gotten all of the smoke it can take and keeping wood chips in there doesn't help?

 

[forktender]

I've always ran 2 to 3 pans in the beginning of the smoke and maybe another towards the end.
And they have turned out awesome, I hope this helps.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

It's a matter of personal taste. I view smoke during the first 3 hours as essential as it runs up to safe temp, as smoke inhibits bacterial growth etc etc but after that, it's all personal taste. Keep in mind whom will be eating the chow; do they like it super smokey, or just kissed by smoke? I'm starting to cut back on how much smoke I roll now. I like it, and some times I can't taste it, but others are different.

 

[forktender]

Yup, I was giving them a starting point since no one else had seen the post yet.
On a big butt you are pretty safe with 2 to 3 pans of chips as a good starting point.

 

[Geebs]

I keep the smoke going at least halfway through my cook.

 

[SmokinAl]

I keep the smoke rolling the whole time.
Use wood chunks & they will last about 1 hour each.
I cut mine from splits with a chop saw.
I start out with chips & chunks & then just chunks.
Here's my starting setup.

Hope this helps!
Al

 

[Stamey]

Thanks everyone!

 

[chef jimmyj]

On large cuts, butts,brisket, you want a lot of smoke as the flavor is only on the outside. With ribs, sausage, steaks and such, 2-3 hours will do the job...JJ

 

[fore check]

I'm rocking a 10.5 lb butt through my Masterbuilt right now. I keep the smoke on the entire way up to 165F prior to going in the foil.

I generally add a charge (small handful or one loading tray) of chips every 30 minutes on the Masterbuilt. Works a bout right at 225F.

This one went for almost 8 hours before hitting 165, so it was in smoke for that long (about 8 hours.) Now that it's foiled to braise and finish to 205-10, smoke is no longer needed.

I agree with the post above that the bigger the cut (or the Butt!) the more time in the smoke. YMMV

 

[TomKnollRFV]

I generally roll smoke the entire time on some thing like a pork butt; but I use apple, so it's very mild.

 

[country5blues]

100% up to personal taste.
- I've put way too much smoke on poultry and cheese before.
- I have had more smoke on pork ribs than some people wanted, but others of us liked it.
- Don't recall ever having anyone complaining about too much smoke on a pork butt, but honestly I think I've never been ambitious enough to smoke all the way through a cook that lasted that long.
It's a factor of meat type & size, volume of smoke, length of smoke, and type of wood. Put them all together in a way that makes you happy and go with less if you aren't sure. You can always add more next time.

Now I want to heavily smoke a butt for the entire time to see if there is such a thing as too much. ;-)

 

[chef jimmyj]

I really don't think you can put too much TBS on a Butt. Look at the guys that refuse to wrap and cook their Butts on a Stick Burner! They have no means of Turning Off the smoke. How about the hundreds of North and South Carolina Whole Hog joints. All wood all of the 24+ hour cook time.
Clean burning, Sweet smelling and tasting TBS is like Horsepower in your Muscle Car...Ain't no such thing as TOO MUCH!...JJ

 

[country5blues]

I really don't think you can put too much TBS on a Butt. Look at the guys that refuse to wrap and cook their Butts on a Stick Burner! They have no means of Turning Off the smoke. How about the hundreds of North and South Carolina Whole Hog joints. All wood all of the 24+ hour cook time.
Clean burning, Sweet smelling and tasting TBS is like Horsepower in your Muscle Car...Ain't no such thing as TOO MUCH!...JJ

I'm ready to give it a try! My brother cooks on flaming wood all the time. Sometimes it doesn't come out right. Sometimes it isn't what you expect but is delicious.