Total Noob Pork Shoulder Help!

[GeologyRocks]

Total noob here. Have never really smoked anything other than turkey on my pellet grill.

Wife decided to come home with 16 pound boneless shoulder she wants to have ready for the playoff games on Sunday.

Main question is....is a boneless shoulder this big going to take like 24 hrs to cook @225-250?

Any other tips? Again...complete and utter beginner.

Thanks!

 

[bregent]

Welcome.
It is most likely 2 butts in the package, not one. They usually run between 8 and 10 lbs. For me, they take between 12 and 14 hours. What type of smoker are you using?

 

[TNJAKE]

Agree with bregent. You've got yourself 2 butts cryovaced together

 

[GeologyRocks]

Welcome.
It is most likely 2 butts in the package, not one. They usually run between 8 and 10 lbs. For me, they take between 12 and 14 hours. What type of smoker are you using?

I am hoping they are split but haven't seen it yet.

It's a campchef smoker...not sure the model but it's a big one sq/inch wise.

 

[jcam222]

Funny enough one of my first posts here was asking about a giant butt like your pack. I had no idea it was two. Here’s the thread with posts of good advice. https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/first-attempt-at-pulled-pork-this-weekend.264185/

 

[gary s]

Agree with above A 16# Butt is a big a$$ hog no pun intended

Gary

 

[bregent]

It's a campchef smoker...not sure the model but it's a big one sq/inch wise.

OK, but what type? Is it a pellet grill, gas smoker, electric, etc... ?

 

[bregent]

OK, but what type? Is it a pellet grill, gas smoker, electric, etc... ?

OK, never mind, just saw you said it was a pellet grill. In my experience, food will cook faster in a pellet grill than other smoker. Plan for around 14-16 hours.

 

[TNJAKE]

8lb butt takes me about 10-11 hours in my pellet smoker at 225-240. I wrap though so that helps speed it up. Plan in some rest time also

 

[jcam222]

I’ll just add that many people , self included do butts at 275F. I put mine in a big foil pan at 165F with a cup of warm liquid. Cover tightly. Take to finish temp of 198-205F probe tender. Thermometer should go in like a hot knife in butter. Throw it still covered wrapped in a towel filled cooler for 1 hour to let those juices redistribute. Pull away. This will cut quite a few hours off your cook. I’ve turbo’d butts like this in 6 hours or so and the results are money. I don’t care about firm bark on something I’m pulling.

 

[GeologyRocks]

I’ll just add that many people , self included do butts at 275F. I put mine in a big foil pan at 165F with a cup of warm liquid. Cover tightly. Take to finish temp of 198-205F probe tender. Thermometer should go in like a hot knife in butter. Throw it still covered wrapped in a towel filled cooler for 1 hour to let those juices redistribute. Pull away. This will cut quite a few hours off your cook. I’ve turbo’d butts like this in 6 hours or so and the results are money. I don’t care about firm bark on something I’m pulling.

Do you mean wrapped in foil? Or literally in a tin pan? or both?

 

[TNJAKE]

Foil pan covered in foil

 

[jcam222]

Do you mean wrapped in foil? Or literally in a tin pan? or both?

You can wrap tightly in heavy foil but I prefer to use heavy full sized disposable foil pans. I buy them in bulk at Sams. Don’t sweat over this cook, pork is butt for pull is super forgiving. Just get that end temp around 200. You can hold it in that cooler for hours too. I honestly usually do my pork the day before needed. I smoke a pan of broth under it , defat it the next day and mix it back in the pull when warming in roaster pans.

 

[gmc2003]

You never know it could be a Boss Hogg shoulder

Chris

 

[GeologyRocks]

If I do the tray option, pull it out to cover once at 165, or cover it from the beginning?

Is there any reason I can't or shouldn't do both shoulders in the same tray if there's a couple inches between them?

 

[bregent]

If I do the tray option, pull it out to cover once at 165, or cover it from the beginning?

Is there any reason I can't or shouldn't do both shoulders in the same tray if there's a couple inches between them?

As long as there is sufficient space between them for air to flow, it will be fine.

 

[GeologyRocks]

So I ended up just doing one for now. I wanted it ready for the 1pm game today, with 2 hrs rest, and was counting on 12 hour cook time so I started it at around 12 midnight last night.

1) Seems like I went too heavy on the seasoning. When I opened it at 165, there wasn't any bark just firm seasoning crust that scraped away easily. I used a popular online recipe for rub and use all the amounts called for but still too much I guess. Lesson learned.

2) It reached 165-170 after appx 5 hours of cooking fat cap up at 250-260

3) I took off, wrapped in heavy foil 3 times, then put back on, no tray

4) Reached 202-205 only 3 hours later, for a total cook time for 7.5+ pounds of just about 8 hours. It's now wrapped in a towel in my yeti.

Thanks for all the help - looking forward to making the next one better.