Pulled Pork Question

[wolverines]

I know everyone is different but I see people cooking their butts for 16-24 hours.  24 seems like a long time to me but I am new here.  How long of that is that smoke time?

Thanks,

BP

[4given]

about 4 - 5 hours smoke. Cook to an internal temp of 190 - 200.

[KyNola]

For me it is 4 hours of smoke time.  The total time in the smoker is directly related to the butt itself.  Sometimes it takes a butt 24 hours to hit the 190-200 IT target.  Sometimes it will be done in 14-16.  It is all up to the butt, not the smoker nor the operator.  Longest I've had was 25 hours.

[mikecorn.1]

4 hrs of smoke.


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[Ka Honu]

The planning "guesstimate" for pork butt is about 1½ hours per pound but it can take much longer.  As noted above, Bradleys reach a point of diminishing returns after about 4-5 hours of smoke.  After that, you're essentially using your smoker as an outdoor oven.  If having the smoker unattended for that long after the smoke phase bothers you (and it does a lot of people), you can always move the meat to your house oven (on a rack over a drip pan, oven set at 225^oF) and let it finish there until your desired IT (I use 200^oF).  When it's done, FTC for a few hours then pull and serve.

OBTW, if serving time is an issue (e.g., "We want to eat at 6PM"), do it all well ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze the product so you can thaw and reheat when needed.  Pulled pork does not lose flavor or texture when frozen.

[johndgraham]

Newbie here too, just got the original Bradley with an Auber PID.   My question is this, so it's 4-5hrs of smoke assuming I properly preheated the smoker, do you do the smoke early, or at the end?

[watchdog56]

At the beginning.

[wolverines]

If you are smoking say 3 butts, do you pick the biggest one to monitor your IT from?

[mikecorn.1]

If you are smoking say 3 butts, do you pick the biggest one to monitor your IT from?

My 2 cents would say the smaller one due to it coming to target IT before the other 2.  If you are monitoring the bigger one, you might overshoot the smaller one.
To throw a wrench in the mix, if you have the bigger one in the bottom, depending on how much bigger it is; it might cook quicker than the smaller ones above it. ;D
Solution, monitor the bigger and smaller one at the same time :)


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[beefmann]

i go with 3 to 4 hours of  smoke and for  pulled pork 190 to 200

[IKnowWood]

You also need to watch the stacking, if you cook entirely in the Bradely the entire cook, rotate a few times, the butts lower in the smoker will be hotter, then those atop.

I cook four butts a couple times a year and I use 8 hrs of smoke (yeah I like smoke/ash) of Pecan then I leave it no-smoke the rest of the time.  I debone and let the butts come to temp 1 hr before putting them in a already pre-heated box.  The coming up to temp plays a LOT into extending the cook time. 

After deboning I end up with between 12 to 18 lbs of product and it will take well over 24 hrs.  But I know what to expect and plan accordingly,  the 1 1/2 hr per lbs is what I have seen.

[ghost9mm]

i go with 3 to 4 hours of  smoke and for  pulled pork 190 to 200

X 2

[Smokin Elvis]

Smoked a 10lb butt 2 weeks ago for 23 hours.....IT of 195.....worth the wait. 

[Salmonsmoker]

Meat seals up and quits absorbing smoke @ 140F,(meat temp, not cabinet temp.) so you'll want to do your smoke time up front. After 140F you're just wasting wood.

[Smokin Elvis]

I only smoke for 4 hours on brisket/butts.....less on fish/poulty....did a Kingfish with Alder wood last weekend....smoke for 1 hour, done at 2 hours...made fantastic fish dip.