Short version:
I'm used to 6 -7 lb pork shoulder taking less than 8 hours to cook at around 225-250 with Texas crutch. This time I have two shoulders that were similar in weight. Not super fatty (didn't have any unrendered fat when I pulled either shoulder).
One shoulder, around 6 lbs was double wrapped in BP at 4 hours in, the other was a bit larger, maybe 7-7.5 lbs, and I wanted to give no foil, no BP a try. I've always wrapped in foil or paper and never got a good bark so figured I'd give it a shot. So no wrap for that one.
I added a 6.5 lb brisket which cooked for about 12 hours in the middle of my shoulder smokes. So at one point I had around 20 lbs of meat on the smoker cooking at 225°.
The no wrap, larger shoulder reached temp 4 HOURS EARLIER then the BP wrapped shoulder. It was closer to the vent, so more heat maybe?
Basically I'm mostly curious if a 19 smoke on a 7 lb unwrapped shoulder seems normal at 225°
I already believe a wrapped shoulder taking 23 hours is crazy (maybe I found the cool spot in my smoker).
Is 12 hours for a 7 lb brisket normal?
The details. . . .
This is going to take a sec. . . bare with me.
I have had my Traeger 34 since father's day and this weekend I tried to cook 2 pork shoulders (no bone) and a brisket (flat only), all from Costco, mid grade, everything was just a touch under 7lbs each on average.
Weather is mild for July in the Midwest, max temp about 75, low last night was maybe 60. Humidity is 100% right now. Breeze was light but steady all night and day.
Temps were holding fairly steady in the smoker (+/- about 20° at most) and I don't open the lid unless I think temps are getting close.
Shoulder 1
I used a store bought rub (I know, don't judge, my dad had NOTHING at his house to work with)
It was about 7-7.5 lbs,
10:45 am applied rub and tied tight with string
9:45 pm started pellet smoker, set to 225
10:30 pm put pork on the smoker close to the vent
11:30 pm sprayed lightly with apple juice
12:30 am sprayed with apple juice
*2:30 (wrapped the other shoulder, lost some heat)
*7:30 am (put on the brisket, lost some heat rearranging and setting the probes)
4:15 pm increased temp to 250
5:30 pm pulled the shoulder of the smoker at about 202
I had HUNGRY guests so it only rested about 30 minutes, shredded it and then ate it. It was not my best shoulder but it was good enough.
Shoulder 2
Store bought rub
It was about 6 lbs
10:45 am applied rub and tied tight with string
9:45 pm started pellet smoker, set to 225
10:30 pm put pork on the smoker far away from vent
11:30 pm sprayed lightly with apple juice
12:30 am sprayed with apple juice
2:30 double wrapped the shoulder in BP
*7:30 am (put on the brisket, lost some heat rearranging and setting the probes)
4:15 pm increased temp to 250
9:40 pm took the shoulder off at 200 and put in cooler to rest
10:00 pm shredded the pork, it turned out great less bark and wasn't bitter at all since it was wrapped in BP. Second best shoulder I've ever done, the best was one I injected with karrigold butter. Yum.
Brisket
I dry brined the brisket for about 14 hours (approx 3.5 tsp of course Kosher salt), added black pepper only shortly before throwing it on the smoker.
7:30 am on smoker 225
10:30 am double wrapped in butcher paper
4:15 pm turned the heat up to 250
7:30 pm pulled the brisket at 185 and rested in the BP, sitting in a foil pan in a cheap cooler for 30 minutes.
8:00 pm tried it, it was pretty good. Not great but I've had worse from smoke houses so pat on the back there I guess. (first brisket!)
I'm used to 6 -7 lb pork shoulder taking less than 8 hours to cook at around 225-250 with Texas crutch. This time I have two shoulders that were similar in weight. Not super fatty (didn't have any unrendered fat when I pulled either shoulder).
One shoulder, around 6 lbs was double wrapped in BP at 4 hours in, the other was a bit larger, maybe 7-7.5 lbs, and I wanted to give no foil, no BP a try. I've always wrapped in foil or paper and never got a good bark so figured I'd give it a shot. So no wrap for that one.
I added a 6.5 lb brisket which cooked for about 12 hours in the middle of my shoulder smokes. So at one point I had around 20 lbs of meat on the smoker cooking at 225°.
The no wrap, larger shoulder reached temp 4 HOURS EARLIER then the BP wrapped shoulder. It was closer to the vent, so more heat maybe?
Basically I'm mostly curious if a 19 smoke on a 7 lb unwrapped shoulder seems normal at 225°
I already believe a wrapped shoulder taking 23 hours is crazy (maybe I found the cool spot in my smoker).
Is 12 hours for a 7 lb brisket normal?
The details. . . .
This is going to take a sec. . . bare with me.
I have had my Traeger 34 since father's day and this weekend I tried to cook 2 pork shoulders (no bone) and a brisket (flat only), all from Costco, mid grade, everything was just a touch under 7lbs each on average.
Weather is mild for July in the Midwest, max temp about 75, low last night was maybe 60. Humidity is 100% right now. Breeze was light but steady all night and day.
Temps were holding fairly steady in the smoker (+/- about 20° at most) and I don't open the lid unless I think temps are getting close.
Shoulder 1
I used a store bought rub (I know, don't judge, my dad had NOTHING at his house to work with)
It was about 7-7.5 lbs,
10:45 am applied rub and tied tight with string
9:45 pm started pellet smoker, set to 225
10:30 pm put pork on the smoker close to the vent
11:30 pm sprayed lightly with apple juice
12:30 am sprayed with apple juice
*2:30 (wrapped the other shoulder, lost some heat)
*7:30 am (put on the brisket, lost some heat rearranging and setting the probes)
4:15 pm increased temp to 250
5:30 pm pulled the shoulder of the smoker at about 202
I had HUNGRY guests so it only rested about 30 minutes, shredded it and then ate it. It was not my best shoulder but it was good enough.
Shoulder 2
Store bought rub
It was about 6 lbs
10:45 am applied rub and tied tight with string
9:45 pm started pellet smoker, set to 225
10:30 pm put pork on the smoker far away from vent
11:30 pm sprayed lightly with apple juice
12:30 am sprayed with apple juice
2:30 double wrapped the shoulder in BP
*7:30 am (put on the brisket, lost some heat rearranging and setting the probes)
4:15 pm increased temp to 250
9:40 pm took the shoulder off at 200 and put in cooler to rest
10:00 pm shredded the pork, it turned out great less bark and wasn't bitter at all since it was wrapped in BP. Second best shoulder I've ever done, the best was one I injected with karrigold butter. Yum.
Brisket
I dry brined the brisket for about 14 hours (approx 3.5 tsp of course Kosher salt), added black pepper only shortly before throwing it on the smoker.
7:30 am on smoker 225
10:30 am double wrapped in butcher paper
4:15 pm turned the heat up to 250
7:30 pm pulled the brisket at 185 and rested in the BP, sitting in a foil pan in a cheap cooler for 30 minutes.
8:00 pm tried it, it was pretty good. Not great but I've had worse from smoke houses so pat on the back there I guess. (first brisket!)
