Hey guys,
I recently attempted a 6.75 lb pork shoulder at my house which is around 8,000’ in elevation. Most of the meat I smoke in my char griller offset wood smoker does not exceed 8-10 hours because of the time and effort it takes to maintain a steady temperature. I started my shoulder at 5:30 am with a mustard base and a sweet and spicy rub I developed for other pork. I found the 90 minutes per pound was not enough. I have seen friends pull this off at lower altitude in that time, and I’m curious if anyone else has run into a significant time issue at altitude or if my temp on my smoker is off. The adjusted time to reach 185 f internal temp before letting it rest, turned out to be about 2 1/2 or 150 minutes per pound. I managed to maintain a temp between 220-240 degrees the entire time. It finally hit 185 after about 16 hours and 50 minutes. I don’t mop or inject so the smoker was closed the entire time. If anyone has any tricks for smoking at high altitude they would be greatly appreciated. The shoulder turned out amazing by the way, my family finished it off in less time than it rested.
I recently attempted a 6.75 lb pork shoulder at my house which is around 8,000’ in elevation. Most of the meat I smoke in my char griller offset wood smoker does not exceed 8-10 hours because of the time and effort it takes to maintain a steady temperature. I started my shoulder at 5:30 am with a mustard base and a sweet and spicy rub I developed for other pork. I found the 90 minutes per pound was not enough. I have seen friends pull this off at lower altitude in that time, and I’m curious if anyone else has run into a significant time issue at altitude or if my temp on my smoker is off. The adjusted time to reach 185 f internal temp before letting it rest, turned out to be about 2 1/2 or 150 minutes per pound. I managed to maintain a temp between 220-240 degrees the entire time. It finally hit 185 after about 16 hours and 50 minutes. I don’t mop or inject so the smoker was closed the entire time. If anyone has any tricks for smoking at high altitude they would be greatly appreciated. The shoulder turned out amazing by the way, my family finished it off in less time than it rested.