first time smoking a pork but

[firemike39]

Hello all,
Im new to this site. I have read a lot of great things and learned some things too. Question? Im going to be smoking an 8lb pork but for the first time. Should I expect roughly 1.5 hours per pound? Thanks for the help and advice.

 

[Richard_]

It's hard to tell , it'll tell you when it's done ! What temp are you cooking at ?

 

[tom b]

I did a 8 lb'r last week on the drum. temps were 280-310. cooked rested and pulled in about 10hrs

 

[olewarthog]

Depends on your cooking temp. I prefer to cook butts in the 250-275 range. That will generally put me somewhere in the 45 min-1 hr per pound range. I don't go by time, however. I go by internal temp & feel. I will start checking feel around 195 internal temp

 

[firemike39]

was planning on cooking at 225 temp, is that to low? any advantage or disadvantage to a higher temp?

 

[IamMadMan]

Hello all,
Im new to this site. I have read a lot of great things and learned some things too. Question? Im going to be smoking an 8lb pork but for the first time. Should I expect roughly 1.5 hours per pound? Thanks for the help and advice.

Mike,

Cooking at about 225-230 your timing is close, but it's not done by temperature, it's done when the bone wiggles like a loose tooth. - To Quote "Richard", "It's done when it's done"

Also don't forget to calculate a hold period after the pork is done. Pull it from the cooker and when the internal temperature has dropped about 5 degrees, wrap it in foil (or pan it with foil), and place in an insulated cooler for a few hours. It will maintain the temperature and will continue to break down more connective tissue. 2 hours works well, but I personally calculate 4 hours to give myself wiggle room if the cook takes longer than expected or if the guests arrive early.

Cooking at a slightly higher temperature as "olewarthog" suggested, will reduce the cooking time a little bit. Cooking temperature is what you select for yourself. Some like low and slow, some like hot and fast, there is no single way to cook the pork butt. It's a matter of what works best for you and your smoker.


Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[KevinJ]

was planning on cooking at 225 temp, is that to low? any advantage or disadvantage to a higher temp?

Yes you get to spend less time waiting for it to be done. I cook them at 300-325 last one I cooked was 9lbs and was probe tender at 6.5hrs. Put it on the smoker and wrap when you get the color you're looking for, it will be just as moist and tender as cooking it at 225. Unless you are smoking with a Pellet Grill where you need to get some smoke on it at lower temps go hot and fast.


Don't just take my word for it. Smoked Pulled Pork: Delicious Results in Almost Half the Time

 

[Bludawg]

1.5 hrs per lb :twitch:What are you doing warming it to death???? Turn up the heat and cook that butt.

 

[tb80]

I did an 8 pounder this past weekend at around 250-275. It took exactly 8 hours until it was finished.

 

[firemike39]

Thanks for the help. I did not know about the bone wiggle. Great info to have.

 

[THoey1963]

Hey Mike, welcome. As for what temp to cook at, I prefer to let my pit make that answer. Where does she like to burn cleanly at with no hassles? That's where I would do it. My WSM liked around 275*, my LSG Cabinet, closer to 250*. You'll make better quality food and relax a lot more if you quit trying to fight temps.

I'd check the bone about an hour per pound, and go from there.

 

[El Ropo]

Just keep in mind that in the Thermoworks side by side, the hot n fast butt was removed at a specific temperature, not by probe tender. They apparently are not aware of the fact that it takes a higher final internal temp to get "done" when cooking hot n fast.

I bet if they had gone by probe tender instead of a 195 number that they pulled out of their rear end, the differences between the two cooks would of been negligible in terms of tenderness of end product.

When cooking at 300-325F, my butts, picnics, and briskets don't usually reach probe tender status till they are around 205-212F internal.

So the take away from this once again, is don't cook these cuts of meat to any specific internal temp, go by feel, no matter what the average cooking temperature happens to be.

 

[aks801]

1.5 hrs per lb :twitch:What are you doing warming it to death???? Turn up the heat and cook that butt.

See above. Repeat.

I did my first pork butt on the 4th. Smoked it at about 280 on my WSM. Put it on a little before 7 AM, took it out at about 3:15 and let it rest until pulling it at 4:40. So that is like 8 1/4 hours smoke time on a 8.5# butt. I'd say that's one hour per pound, but my degree is not in Mathematics.

By the way, that pork was perhaps the best bbq I have ever put in my mouth.

 

[ice_mf_mike]

So can you essentially get the same juicyness and tenderness regardless of whether you cook it at 225 or 325? Is the only difference the amount of smoke it gets?

 

[Doog]

So can you essentially get the same juicyness and tenderness regardless of whether you cook it at 225 or 325? Is the only difference the amount of smoke it gets?

op2:op2:

 

[BillN]

Did 2 - 7.5 pound Butts today, average temp of smoker 285, 7.5 hour cook, 1.5 hour rest, not sure the temp I pulled off the smoker but probed like warm butter and the bone was telling me they were ready.

 

[Milkman_d83]

Temp is a personal preference. Find one u r comfortable with, let the smoker do the work, and roll smoke. Pork butt is pretty forgiving. I tend to foil mine when internal temp is around 165. Speeds things up a little. When the bone wiggles and probe goes in the thick parts of the meat easy I pull it. It's normally between 200- 210 degrees. Did 4 (9) pound butts a week ago in the uds in 12 hours. Running temp was 250. Best of luck on ur cook

 

[RolandJT]

I think great bbq can be made at 225 and great bbq can be made at 300.

I think both are good, but I do not think they are the same.

I've cooked 2 butts within 4 oz of each other at 225 on the sme rack and had one get done 1.5 hours befoe the other. some pigs are just tougher by nature.

 

[firemike39]

Well, now Im more confused than ever. Sounds like a bunch of different ways to skin the same cat.

 

[CdnSweets]

After reading this post I think it's safe to say the fun is in trying multiple times at different temps. Hopefully everyone in my house likes pulled pork as much as I do ��